mmm-yoso – Page 129

San Francisco – China Live Revisited and the Chinese New Year Flower Market Fair

January 25, 2020 mmm-yoso Chinese BBQ, Chinese Restaurants, Festivals & Events, San Francisco and Silicon Valley, Travel

The Missus and I decided to take a short trip during the long weekend. The Missus had really enjoyed our last trip to San Francisco; so we decided to head back for two nights.

Our flight over was quite pleasant; except for the arrogant and condescending young man who marched back and forth at the TSA security check-point telling people, "you can get it right…any idiot can do it…..it's not hard!" I understand that perhaps working for the TSA is not a pleasant job; but there's no need to be insulting….it's always the one that brings down the other ninety-nine. As my experience with the TSA has been that folks are at least somewhat professional. Or perhaps by "any idiot can do it" he meant himself? I heard the guy behind me mumble to his companion, "he's definitely a candidate for a colonoscopy without anesthesia".

We arrived fairly early; our room at the Marriott wasn't ready yet which wasn't a problem. We needed a place for a rather "early-ish" lunch….the Missus had really enjoyed the duck from China Live….yes, it was pricey, but we were on vacation, right?

Since Chinatown was basically right up the street, and China Live opens at 1030 we headed up Stockton. We quickly found that there were booths lining the usually busy sidewalks making things even more crowded with folks shopping and browsing.

We eventually got up to Broadway and China Live had just opened.

And in spite of the crowds and lines outside (the line at Good Mongkok went down and around the block!!!!), the place was empty.

We were tempted, and should have just had tea and the duck and called it a nice snack and head off….but we felt kinda guilty for just ordering the duck (albiet it being $27 – it had gone up a buck since September). We also didn't really enjoy anything else on our last visit. We just went ahead and ordered the Suckling Pig.

The Suckling Pig looked pretty nice…..

And it was decent; not the best I've had, but the meat was moist, the skin was a bit too thick and hard instead of crisp. It also lacked a good porkiness. So, not too bad, until you factor in the price….$34! That's over four bucks a wafer thin slice! I wouldn't complain if this was excellent; but it was not.

We did enjoy the duck ($27)

Which, like the last time didn't look particularly inspiring, but had a nice, thin, crisp skin….the subcutaneous fat perfectly rendered. Nice mild gaminess…moist meat. Like the last time; the "sesame buns" were dry and were just used for scallion-cucumber-hoisin sandwiches for us.

Looking at dishes on other tables….well, the rice and noodle dishes looked pretty mediocre. The total damage with tea was over seventy bucks……as we left the Missus told me, "I think we're done here…." I concurred….we'll try to find the best roast duck next time and just eat it in Portsmouth Square or something.

China Live
644 Broadway
San Francisco, CA 94133

We headed down Broadway and took a turn at Grant and oh my……the horde….the mass….the huge crowd.

But the Missus, who is usually not fond of crowds (neither am I), just smiled and headed off.

Grant was closed off….there were booths lining the street. I came to find out this was the Chinese New Year Flower Market Fair, which happens on the weekend before the Lunar New Year and everyone and their brother seemed to be checking it out.

To be perfectly honest; even I enjoyed myself.

The Missus found herself checking out many of the booths. "You know there's a problem with this, right?" She said. Not quite following Her logic I asked "Why?" She cracked up and said "No samples!"

Regardless, the Missus really had a fun time, She told me a few times, "this really reminds me of growing up in China!"

People watching was fun….checking out the folks in costume. I sent the photo to the right to my coworker "YZ" who is from Shanghai and she quickly pointed out to me that the fella' wasn't totally in character; "if he was really dedicated….he wouldn't be wearing Nike's!" You gotta love it!

Did I mention the crowds?

It was fun watching the kids having a good time with all the various characters. Call me out of touch but I wonder what the character "Fragrance" represents? And fragrance of what? Remember, this is Chinatown! The fragrance of roast duck…pork….fish, herbs, steamed buns, and other more "earthy" smells permeate the air. And that character looks like an egg?

I'd go crazy facing crowds like this everyday. But for one fine sunny morning in San Francisco, it was just perfect!

Happy Lunar New Year!

Mexico City – Morning Coffee at Delirio Mónica Patiño, Breakfast at Los Tamales de la Roma, Walking Paseo de la Reforma, and Caffeine with a View at Don Porfirio Caffe

January 24, 2020 mmm-yoso Caffeine Fix, Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, Mexico City, Travel

Our second full day in CDMX was another; surprise, fairly walking intense day. The morning in Condesa was quite lovely.

On this day, the Missus wanted to check out Centro Histórico….getting there by foot of course. So I devised a plan…we'd start in Roma, have a breakfast of sorts, then head down Paseo de la Reforma, Alameda Central, before arriving in the Historical Center of Mexico City.

So we headed out, past Parque España, taking a right onto Álvaro Obregón, crossing Insurgentes Sur we came upon a place I had to have a bit of caffeine; a gourmet shop owned by Chef and Television Personality Monica Patiño, named Delirio. I had kept the option open to grab something from this shop, but the Missus just wasn't inspired, so we just sat outside had a nice cup of coffee.

Delirio Mónica Patiño
Monterrey 116
Roma Norte, 06700 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico

So, for a bite to eat, I went with plan B. The Missus really wanted to have some tamales during this trip, so two blocks away we took a left and arrived at one of the many places I had on my "list". A little shop named Los Tamales de la Roma.

We were greeted by the nicest, sweetest, young man, and we had a seat outside….it was such a nice morning!

When the young man brought over the menus, he explained that they did "two style of tamales…..the typical maiz, and those that use plantanos", he told us to please ask any questions we have; "I want you to have the best time possible"! My goodness…… So we had him recommend something…..after chatting with the Missus a bit, he recommended the "Ratatouille", which he said was done in Plantain leaves and had good vegetables and is so healthy. I ordered the Chicharron en Salsa Verde.

The tamal de chicharron was delicious, porky, great corn flavor, a hint of smokiness, nice tangy acidity from the salsa verde.

The Ratatouille was less so for us; fairly bland, in need of more flavor….but very moist.

You know, based on the service, it's very hard to complain about 2 tamales and bottled water that came out to less than $3/US!

This was more than enough for a light breakfast.

Los Tamales de la Roma
Jalapa 99
Roma Norte, 06700 Ciudad de Mexico, CDMX, Mexico

The Missus really wants to check out Tamales Doña Emi next we visit.

From Jalapa, it was pretty much a straight shot to Glorieta Insurgentes, right before the roundabout, we saw a nice church and decided to duck in for a quick look. This was Parroquia de la Sagrada Familia (Parish of Sagrada Familia).

A few blocks later we were standing on the wide and bright Paseo de la Reforma, staring at the Angel of Independence.

This iconic landmark was built to commemorate Mexico's independence from Spain and was completed in time to celebrate Mexico's 100th anniversary of it's independence in 1910. One interesting fact about the structure is that it contains a mausoleum at its base where heroes of the fight for independence are interred, including Leona Vicario.

The avenue is wide and there's much to see in terms of art pieces; like the kind of whimsical, slightly strange Cocodrilo by artist Leonora Carrington.

Recently Consumed and my Balsamic Brussels Recipe

January 23, 2020 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes

F(riend) o(f) Y(oso) "Som Tommy" emailed me recently asking me why I don't do many cooking or recipe posts these days. It was a good question; it seems that most of what I make these days is fairly straight-forward. The Missus loves Her veggie type dishes and I've taken queues from places we've travelled to.

The vegetable dishes in Israel were stunning and I've been making stuff like a simple roasted butternut squash and onion with tahini.

And after having a good Shakshuka in Mahane Yehuda Market, the Missus told me that I needed to step up my Shakshuka game.

The Missus wanted Matzo Ball soup of all things during the New Year…..so I trucked up to Wing Lee Poultry, got an old hen, and the Missus got Her soup.

Not all inspiration come from far away….we recently had a nice brunch at Tribute Pizza (post is coming up) and the Missus wanted me to make something in the same vein. Which ended up being Kale and Chard with Lardons in Pesto….with lots of sauce for bread.

Here's a random Linguica Frittata.

And finally….a recipe; like for real.

Waaaay back in January of 2016; I mentioned my Balsamic Brussels recipe and Lynnea asked for it. When I posted this photo in my Flickr account someone also asked for the recipe.

Man, I've been making this for like five years now. I use Costco's Balsamic Vinegar, I save the good stuff we bought in Mondena for other uses. What I noticed after trying out other brands of Balsamic is that I don't need to add any sugar to what Costco sells for sweetness; it works fine as a reduction and with the amount I use for one recipe of this……well, it's easier on the wallet

Anyway; after 3 years or so….I'm posting another recipe.

Balsamic Brussels

1/3 lb bacon
2 Tb white wine
1 shallot diced
2/3 cup Balsamic Vinegar (a store bought brand) reduced by half
3 Tb Red Wine Vinegar
1 1/2 lbs Brussel Sprouts, trimmed and sliced in half
1 tsp Smoked Parika
Salt and Pepper to taste

Slice bacon into lardons – cook over medium heat to render out the fat. I add in the white wine to help the saute along
Remove bacon to a rack once cooked
Saute shallots in fat
Add Brussel Sprouts and turn up heat to high, turn occasionally
Deglaze with red wine vinegar
When cooked as desired (The Missus doesn't like mushy/over cooked Brussel Sprouts) turn heat to low and glaze with Balsamic Reduction
Season to taste
I've on occasion used stuff like red pepper flakes, Ghost Pepper Salt, Harissa and other items for some variety.

Have Fun!

Pho Duoi Bo from Pho Ca Dao & Grill (Mira Mesa)

January 15, 2020 mmm-yoso Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

Well, I've done it again…..I gave in to the power of suggestion. In my PCD ECB revisit post, both Elle and Sandy mentioned PCD MM, in my PT Eatery post Lynn mentioned that Pho Ca Dao in Mira Mesa had gone downhill since the remodel. Waaaay back when I did my Pho Duoi Bo from the now closed Royal Garden, I mentioned that the Mira Mesa location of PCD had Oxtail pho….at least at one time to Jan Frederick. And so here I was…..seated at Pho Ca Dao in Mira Mesa.

It sure looks a lot more modern than the last time I did a post on this location of Pho Ca Dao. Would you believe that was 11 1/2 years ago! Sheesh. I did return a couple of years ago with coworkers….had a not-so-good bowl of pho and didn't take any photos. But my memory did not fail me (this time). There was indeed Pho Duoi Bo (Oxtail Pho) on the menu.

That's what I was here for.

I was a bit surprised when my bowl arrived as it seemed kind of small…….and just having the clump of noodles on the bottom and two pieces of oxtail with little else made it seem somewhat sparse. There wasn't much bean sprouts provided, though the sprig of basil was quite large.

Cutting straight to the oxtails….well, they were pretty good, nice beefy flavor, tender, but not falling to pieces, not bad at all.

The broth however was a fail.

Lacking in color, light on the richness, this tasted like salt water and like the Missus says "like someone had waved a beef bone over boiled water"…… A bit on the salty side; in need of….well, just about everything….except more salt and MSG.

The noodles were nicely prepared.

And for an even bigger surprise…….well, I didn't expect Culantro (Ngo Gai) and didn't get it…but I really didn't expect Cilantro along with my basil and sprouts. Since when is that a thing?

I'm not much of a big eater these days; but for the first time in I don't know how long; I was still hungry when I left the restaurant.

Another thing I noticed; looking at the signs for the other Pho Ca Dao locations; only RB, Poway, and Mira Mesa are represented. Is the original and other locations owned by someone else? Elle had mentioned the menu had become more westernized….sorry to say I really didn't take time to look at it in detail.

Service was nice, the Pho Duoi Bo fairly pricey for the portion size ($9.85). It'll probably be another decade before I return.

Pho Ca Dao
8373 Mira Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92126
Hours:
Open Daily 900am – 900pm

Ordering From (the shrinking) Guatemalan Menu at Casa Castillo

January 13, 2020 mmm-yoso Guatemalan Food

**** Casa Castillo has closed

While driving back from Liberty Station after checking out a place for an upcoming "croissant files" post, I noticed that the restaurant attached to the Howard Johnson's on Rosecrans had changed (yet again). I had always meant to visit this somewhat oddly located restaurant when it was the pseudo Guamanian-Mexican place named Tio Chino. Then for a blink of an eye it was New York Restaurant….now it was something called Casa Castillo, which I took to be yet another Mexican joint….until I looked a bit closer and the signage read "Mexican and Guatemalan Dining"! Which really got my attention. So when I had a chance I decided to drop by for lunch.

I must admit that my hopes were elevated when I saw the Santa Catalina Arch rendered in the logo of the restaurant. I had really enjoyed Guatemala….and man, has it been 10 years since we visited! Walking into the doorway and then up the rather oddly located stairs, I had visions of Ensalda Remolacha, Pepian, Hilachas, and Estofado de Cordero dancing in my head.

I walked into the restaurant which was completely empty…..on a weekend, during lunch. There's a nice patio area with a view of Rosecrans and the interior dining room; which had a fairly generic Mexican Restaurant-Sports Bar kind of look.

A very friendly young lady came out of the kitchen area and warmly greeted me. I had a seat and took a look at the menu….unfortunately, there were no Guatemalan Stews on the breakfast and lunch menu. They did however; have Guatemalan Enchiladas and Pupusas. I ordered one of each.

A basket of chips and salsa made its way to my table.

It may seem confusing; in Guatemala, the enchiladas are made on tostadas and classically have remolacha, a wonderful beet salad, ground or chopped beef, boiled eggs, and sprinkling of queso. I was wondering what would be arriving at my table and was pleased with what I got.

From the lettuce, to the sweet with a hint of citrus ensalada remolacha (beet salad), to what I called the typical "mystery meat" ground beef topping, boiled eggs, and cheese, this had all the hallmarks of a Guatemalan Enchilada (tostada). The tostada was a bit thinner than what I had enjoyed in Guatemala, the boiled eggs over-cooked, but this did the job. Not bad at all.

I approached the pupusa with caution; I hadn't enjoyed the version I had in Antigua. But this was a fairly good Pupusa de Chicharron.

These were a bit more doughy than Salvodorean pupusas; though the chicharron had a very nice texture and were quite porky. I love encurtido of all types and this one, while not the typical bright red version I was used to; had a nice crunch, the bright sour flavors cut the richness of the chicharron.

This wasn't a bad lunch, it cost me $7.75, and I left satisfied. I was even more happy when I was told that the dishes I was looking for was on the dinner menu…..and dinner was served from 3pm! So, the following weekend; the Missus was working late and I headed to Casa Castillo…arriving around 430pm. Again, the place was empty.

I was greeted by a wonderful smiling young lady….I believe Hannah is her name. And was given a menu. And wouldn't you know it…….they did have Pepian and Hilachas on the menu.

Pepian is probably the national dish of Guatemala; a wonderful recados (stew), made with dried chilies, pumpkin seeds, a slew of veggies, and meat. It is complex, almost like a mole. Hilachas is a shredded beef stew.

When Hannah returned, I ordered the Pepian and was told, "I'm so sorry, the chef just revised the menu and pepian is no longer on the menu." So I went with the Hilachas and was told that was also no longer on the menu. I mean, I didn't expect Subanik or Kac-Ik, but to not have Pepian….man, that was a bummer. Hannah recommended the Jocon – Pollo en Jocon a green chicken stew. So I ordered it.

The bowl of green stew came with some rather dry rice, avocado, and perfectly serviceable corn tortillas.

From what I read in my Guatemalan Cookbooks, chicken is first simmered in water and the cooking liquid is set aside to make the stew. Once the tomatillo and cilantro is pureed, the chicken cooking liquid is readded to the mixture, it is thickened with pumpkin seeds, and the chicken is returned to cook until tender. I think the last step was missed since the chicken was barely lukewarm, dry, tasteless, and tough.

The red potatoes weren't tender enough for me….I think everything had been par cooked, set aside and then put into the broth when ordered. I enjoyed the texture of the tomatillo "stew", it was just thick enough and coated my tongue nicely. I do think it was quite mild….especially for something that uses tomatillos and cilantro as a base.

Sometimes, when having a dish, a meal, I'm transported to a place or time….sorry to say, that wasn't the case with this meal. This is where I wish it took me….

I do understand it's a business….this is a Hotel/Motel restaurant; this is Midway, locals and I would think many visitors know the Mexican dishes, perhaps they just want some crane asada fries, beer, or maybe a margarita, and watch the game at the bar….and have no idea or care what Hilachas is. This doesn't make me any less disappointed though.

I was told that the owners are Guatemalan, but the kitchen staff is Mexican, perhaps that has something to do with things as well. I must say, the two young ladies who waited upon me were fantastic; the prices are quite reasonable, but there were no customers to be found on either visit. I'm hoping whatever changes they put into place work out and they do well. And perhaps; if business picks up, I'll be able to get my Pepian or Hilachas here one day.

Casa Castillo
3334 Rosecrans St.
San Diego, CA 92110
Hours:
Sun – Thurs 8am – 9pm
Fri – Sat 8am – 10pm

Noodling Around City Heights – Pho Ca Dao (El Cajon Boulevard)

January 12, 2020 mmm-yoso Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

Welcome to another "Noodling Around Post" as I make my way down both El Cajon Boulevard and University Avenue from 54th Street. Well, right in the same parking lot as the often overlooked Tan Ky Mi Gia is Pho Ca Dao. I believe this is the original location, way before restaurants in Santee, Mira Mesa, Chula Vista, and Rancho Bernardo came into existence.

PCD was the perfect choice for this morning; first off, I hadn't been here for almost 4 years! And they open at 7am…….I arrived at around 730 and there were more than a few tables slurping about. Say what you will; even I thought it was pretty chilly this past morning at 44 degrees in Bay Park…..but a look out the window where and you'd never know it.

Much has changed on the "pho-rizon" over the years; two things fairly quickly became apparent….the young lady serving me had a nice bright smile on…..quite different from the "dealing out the menu and standing silently over you" for an order. Also, the #4, which what I usually order here (today was no different), was a mere $4.95 in 2006. These days I thought the $7.95 price was a steal for pho in San Diego.

Also these days; I feel like I hit the lottery when I actually get some Ngo Gai along with the standard issue sprouts and basil. What was quite interesting was that the young lady also brought me chili oil and sliced onions even though I hadn't requested it…..perhaps this is SOP these days?

I've always noticed that there a certain pattern to the bowl of pho at PCD.

A rather generous clump of noodles is placed in the bottom of the bowl. The protein is then placed in a layer; tripe under everything, with the flank, brisket, well done steak, and tendon each occupying a quarter of the surface area.

On previous visits, the broth had been on the salty-MSG heavy side; today it was on the typical "San Diego sweeter" side, but also had beefy tones. Which would not been too bad, except the soup was barely past lukewarm; thus the bean sprouts and such didn't soften, and the broth had a weird, greasy tongue feel to it.

I had always enjoyed the tendon at this location of PCD and today it was still tender and buttery, but there wasn't much of it in the bowl. The nice portion of tripe was crunchy, with no off flavors. Because of the broth temperature, the tastelessness of the flank and brisket were quite apparent and it was also on the cold side.

The noodles were good with a nice chew, except it seemed that I had gotten all of the broken short pieces off banh pho….lots of shorter pieces that really cut down on one's eating enjoyment.

So, not quite what I expected here. And as a nice parting gift, the young lady working the register did a nice job of reminding me what classic pho shop service used to be like……oh, yes….the good old days!

Pho Ca Dao
5223 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115
Hours:
Open Daily 7am – 9pm

More of Vienna and a Caffeine Break at Cafe Central

January 11, 2020 mmm-yoso Austria, Caffeine Fix, Croissants, Travel

**** Not much food in this one……lots of churches and monuments though.

On our second day in Vienna, we set out to explore what we had missed on the previous day. We just walked through Stadtpark onto the Ringstrasse, the road the circles Innere Stadt, Vienna's "Old Town" where many of the city's sights are located.

Like the Opera House, which we passed the previous day.

Right past the Opera House is a Statue of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the famous German writer.

We had to crack up when we walked past the statue….there was an empty wine bottle on the statue's lap……..I guess Goethe might have had a pretty tough night?

Right past the statue is a nice little green space; this is the Burggarten; which is famous for the statue of Mozart that resides there, as well as the Butterfly House.

Just a few steps further up the Ring, you'll pass the Museum Quarter. The impressive Maria Theresa Monument sits between the Natural History and Art museum.

Maria Theresa was the only female ruler of the House of Habsburg, the Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of Hungary and Bohemia. Though she was married to Francis I, the holy Roman Emperor, Maria Theresa reigned over the House of Habsburg due to the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713, which her father, Charles VI put into place during his reign.

On the monument, Maria Theresa sits on a throne; the four horsemen represent her four top military commanders. Her four top advisors stand a the ready between the horsemen. Behind and above the left shoulder of the statue of Gerard van Swieten, Maria Theresa's person physician, you'll see a young boy, on the boy's right shoulder rests a hand. The boy is none other than Mozart. The gentleman whose hand is resting on Mozart's shoulder is that of Joseph Haydn. Haydn and Mozart were close friends; it is thought that Haydn, thoguh a quarter century older than Mozart, taught him quite a bit and was a mentor to the child prodigy.

Even though the museums weren't open and it was a windy and damp day; it was fun wandering around the area.

We especially enjoyed the cute elephant statue in front of the Natural History Museum.

From here we crossed the street and took a look around Hofburg Palace, where we had ended things the previous day, before having lunch then heading to Belvedere Palace.

There are actually some Roman Ruins on display on Michaelerplatz right in front of the Palace. And right across the street is Saint Michael's Church. Since it started to drizzle a bit, we decided to head on into the church to take a look around.

The Altar is quite impressive.

St Michael's is also well known for the Pipe Organ that Joseph Hadyn once played. This is also the church where Mozart's Requiem, unfinished at the time of his death on December 5, 1791 was first played. You can see the date along with a death mask of Mozart on the wall as you enter the church.

At this point we needed a break. The drizzle had ceased and the Missus wanted to visit another Viennese Café. Café Central was just a few blocks up Herrengasse, so we headed on up the street for something light to eat and a caffeine fix. According to what I read, the café was opened in 1876. Among the noted regulars at the café were some pretty (in)famous names. As a matter of fact; during early 1913 it is said Hitler, Trotsky, Tito, and Freud were said to have visited the café. Crazy….

And so we had our coffees and a fairly mediocre "homemade" croissant with paintings of royalty gazing at us.

The coffee was good, the service professional, though not quite a elegant as Cafe Imperial according to the Missus….at least it was less than half the $30 that I doled out at Café Imperial.

And then there was that rather lifelike Peter Altenberg statue……

Cafe Central
Herrengasse 14
Vienna 1010, Austria

We headed out, and decided to take a peek at the Schottenkirche ("Our Lady of the Scots") at the top of the block. The interior was quite impressive.

We headed back down Herrengasse, then across Michaelerplatz and down a passageway to our next destination…….and to our surprise saw some horses walking across the way.

I'd forgotten about the famous Spanish Riding School in Vienna.

Apparently, these are the rather posh stables.

Where I saw an interesting sign…..

We headed to our last destination; but decided to make one more stop along the way. To visit the Augustinian Church, where many of the Habsburgs were wed and where the hearts of 54 Habsburgs are interred in urns in one of the Chapels, and their bodies are in the Crypt below.

The Missus was kind of "Churched out" by this time……

So, we mainly spent time checking out the very interesting Monument to Maria Christina.

And then we were off…..to our next destination…..

Thanks for stopping by!

Is PT Eatery Ready for P(rime) T(ime)?

January 9, 2020 mmm-yoso Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** You can find an updated post here

Back at the end of October, I noticed that Pho T Cali's sign had been covered over. Soon after "DerekR" mentioned that "PT Eatery" was replacing Pho T Cali and that the place was related to Phuong Trang. I went over that Saturday and yes indeed there was a PT Eatery sign up. A little over a week later Eater confirmed that this place was indeed going to sort of be Phuong Trang "light". Even though I think Phuong Trang is pretty much middle of the road Vietnamese…..or perhaps gateway Vietnamese? I decided to give the place a couple of tries…..

This restaurant seems to have kept most of the same décor from Pho T Cali throwing in a larger divider of faux (not pho) plants and such.

The young man who waited on me was really friendly and asked if I'd been here previously……..I told him "no….how long have you been open?" He laughed and said "a week". As he handed me my menu; he asked me if he could recommend a couple of items on the menu……he was so very nice. He recommended the Beef Short Rib Pho…….shades of Pho Duyen Mai! So I went ahead and ordered it ($11.95).

While some of the basil was starting to brown; this was a decent sized portion of basil and sprouts….at least for these days. And of course; I expected no Ngo Gai and got none.

Soon enough my bowl arrived.

Let's first talk about what I liked about this bowl of pho….well, the broth was hot. It ended there. The soup was soooo salty, had so much MSG in it that all the other flavors were masked……there's not enough lime in world to fix this much MSG. I even added some water to see if it would help….of course it didn't.

The two ribs were super tough and rubbery. In the photo below you see how much of the rib I managed to chew off the bone.

The noodles……in a clump, overcooked, and mushy.

I just couldn't bear to eat much of this.

Luckily; so I thought, I'd hedged my bets by ordering one of what I consider to be the better menu items at Phuong Trang; the Butter Wings ($7.95).

I was rather taken aback when the wings arrived looking so pale. It was however, fairly crisp, though it softened quite quickly, and the wings were moist and well cooked. Much like the pho however; these also had way too much MSG, making it strangely metallic-sweet-bitter-salty. It was however, the lesser of two evils.

The really nice young man asked me why I had barely done any damage to the pho and if I wanted it to go……. I gently told him I wouldn't be needing it to go; that the soup had so much MSG it was bitter-salty. I think he understood since he had kindly refilled my glass of water four times during the meal.

Man, that was a kind of rough meal……though on one hand the place was still in its soft-opening phase…..on the other; Phuong Trang has been making this stuff for over thirty years!

A few days later I had a meeting in the area and decided to give it another go. I was pretty hungry so I ordered the Combination Broken Rice (Com Tam – $11.50). The plate that arrived looked pretty good.

A quick look at the nuoc mam cham and I knew it was watered down…which it was…."sauce not to offend", it was much more sweet than savory.

The broken rice was interesting….super moist, but not as fragrant as what I've usually had.

The "Bi" – shredded pork skin was decently prepared, a bit on the dry side and short on rice powder, but not bad.

The "cha", steamed egg and pork loaf was kind of odd. It was moist, though fairly thin and pretty short in terms of pork skin and cloud ear fungus. It had a decent porkiness, but, what's with all that yellow color that came off on the rice. Check the photo below, under the tan hu ky….the shrimp paste in bean curd skin.

Speaking of the Tan Hu Ky; it lacked crispness, the bean curd was mushy, and this was very bland.

The pork patty was perhaps the best item on the plate. While somewhat toothsome, it had a mild savory-sweetness to it.

Overall, fairly mediocre and this really didn't give me a reason to return…..but for some reason I did a week later.

Except, when I got to the table, I really didn't know what to order. I saw that another table had ordered the Nem Nuong Cuon ($5.95) – again shades of Pho Ban Mai and Pho Duyen Mai….though this was not even close.

They did the Brodard thing; fried egg roll wrapper in the center….but it was what was missing that mattered to me the most. Yes, the nem nuong was large, but it hadn't been seared, was rubbery, and was really bland. The filling was mainly lettuce and bun….I could make out no herbs to speak of. For some reason the wrapper was really hard and chewy. I took one back for Calvin….who hated it.

As for what to have with the spring rolls…..well, I was at a loss…..then; thinking about my previous meals; the menu….the sort of "Westernized – Vietnamese light"…..the super salty broth….I ordered the "Pho French Dip" ($8.95), a pseudo Banh Mi…..

Standard issue banh mi; decently heated, light and yeasty, with "pho cut" beef brisket, tender, still dripping with broth, with bland, but blanched bean sprouts, adding a decent textural contrast, onions, cilantro…….I spooned on that super salty pho broth; which did well in small doses, under this framework. A leaf of basil, a small spoon of broth, a bite of the sandwich. While I'm not going to be craving this again soon, it is probably the best thing I had at PT.

So, is PT ready for P(rime) T(ime)…….I think you can figure out what I think.

Nice service; slightly higher prices, and perhaps, even with all that experience in the kitchen….the nice young man told me the cooks in the kitchen have over 40 years of experience making Vietnamese Food, in need of some time to get into the cooking groove…… I'm definitely going to give this place "some time" before returning.

You can read about Faye's visit here.

PT Eatery
7351 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111
Hours:
Daily 11am – 9pm

The Croissant Files – Wayfarer Bread and O’Brien’s Boulangerie

January 8, 2020 mmm-yoso Bakery, Croissants

I was pretty surprised at the response to my "Croissant Files" post back in October. I was great to get some recommendations, two of which I had on my list and one that was totally new to me. This should actually be one of those "R(ecommendations) & R(equests)" type of posts, but I decided not to wait. So here goes.

Wayfarer Bread:

I had Wayfarer on my list for a while and just really didn't want to make the effort to drive there. But, after recommendations from Red Devil and Cathy Greene….well, I needed to visit. And to be perfectly honest, driving up to Bird Rock really isn't that bad early on a weekend, which is when I went. Though there was already a line formed when I arrived at around 745….one very nice fellow was in line letting people go in front of him since folks aren't allowed to order breakfast sandwiches before 8 am and he wanted a breakfast sandwich.

I ordered a croissant and an Americano for me and one pastry to go; which I dropped off for the Missus.

CathyG had mentioned the croissants are "well-browned"…..no kidding….

This was way too dark and over-baked; it basically exploded when I bit into it. That exterior is far past flaky. The layers are a bit too dry; though the interior is nice and light.

I also appreciate a nice "sheen" to the pastry, which this one didn't have.

Good balance of butter and salt; with just the hint of sweetness, and a whiff of yeast. Of all the croissants we've had in San Diego so far this is the Missus's favorite.

I've returned twice since this visit and I think the explosive nature of the croissant is the M.O. here.

Wayfarer Bread & Pastry
5525 La Jolla Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92037
Hours:
Daily 730am – 3pm

O'Brien's Boulangerie:

"Vickie" made this recommendation. Even though Cathy did a post back in December of 2018, I'd never have thought to look in a mostly office park/industrial area of Poway for a Croissant.

I also really liked the folks working; so very friendly early on a Saturday morning.

The place was quiet when I arrived right past 7am, but quickly filled up.

Like Wayfarer, I ordered an Americano, a croissant for me, and one to go which I dropped off for the Missus at work.

This one had a slightly fluffy, though almost too moist interior and needed a bit more butter and salt, though it was fairly yeasty, with a mild, though not overly sweet interior. The dough had a decent stretch, but again felt a bit too wet.

The exterior wasn't flaky enough and it lacked that perfect middle ground of flaky and mildly crisp. Better than the croissants from my previous post.

The Missus however, wasn't impressed……

O'Brien's Boulangerie
13615 Stowe Drive
Poway, CA 92064
Hours:
Mon -Fri 7am – 4pm
Sat 7am – 3pm
Closed on Sunday

So, I've got a couple more places on the list. Any recommendations are welcomed.

And….if you're wondering what our current favorite croissant is in Paris….well, as of our most recent trip it's this one.

Which actually won the Best Croissant au Buerre in Paris for 2018. We walked a mile-and-a-half each way twice for this baby on our last trip to that city.

Our favorite from our previous trips, just didn't measure up this time….though I'm sure we'll be back to check them out again.

Anyway, thanks again for the recommendations Cathy Greene, Red Devil, and Vickie!

The search continues!

Circling Back to Sab E Lee (Santee)

January 5, 2020 mmm-yoso Thai Restaurants

**** This location of Sab E Lee has closed

We’ve just torn the last page out of the 2019 calendar….it’s 2020. 2020……man, can you believe that if we’re still posting in May of this year; it will make 15 years? Sheesh….. I was recently wool gathering and looking at some older posts and I realize that there are tons of places that I haven’t revisited in years.

Some of them used to be favorites of ours…….Sab E Lee was one of them right from they opened in 2008. Over the years, they’ve opened a location in PQ, moved the original shop to a larger location down the street, and opened another, more Thai comfort food based restaurant in the old location. And of course, there’s the Sab E Lee location in Santee, which I used to call SEL2. The original owner of TOSEL sold the place to the cooks and opened up a location in Santee back in 2009. The food wasn’t truly Issan like TOSEL, but some of the dishes were quite good. I looked at my post from 2012 and realized I hadn’t been back there in over 7 years! Also, the Missus has been wanting Salted Fish Fried Rice; something that TOSEL and Thai Papaya took off their menu a few years back. Looking at the online menu for the place; I noticed that they still had it on the menu…..in Santee! I hoped.

So, this past weekend, I made the drive out to Santee to see what was going on at that location of SEL.

The place looks pretty much the same as I recalled…..though for some reason, it just seemed much darker inside.

Two really nice young ladies were working…so friendly. And yes, there it was….the salted fish fried rice on he menu. When I ordered it; the nice young lady made sure to let me know that they use fermented fish….not “fresh” fish, which made me laugh…..I’m guessing perhaps there have been some folks surprised when they actually caught a whiff of that fried rice?

Anyway; it was the first dish to arrive.

Nicely stir-fried; some wok hay going on….not as much salted fish as I recalled…the dish was not very pungent. Enjoyed the texture and this wasn’t overly salty. Most of went home for the Missus who said it was “kind of bland”……She’d expected something much more pungent. Still, not bad.

I also ordered the Duck Larb…..and was shocked when it arrived at the table hot.

The temperature really dulled the sharp flavors and the dish tasted better after spending some time in the fridge. At heat level 7, this was quite wimpy……..just not enough heat…..the duck was pretty gamey though. This was just mediocre, not made with any real finesse.

I also ordered the Khai Jeaw; a classic Thai street food dish. Basically eggs with ground pork and fish sauce.

The eggs were pretty well done; nice and fluffy, savory, and while not quite as good as what I’d had here in the past; this was my favorite dish. This did better with Nam Pla Prik – the savory fish sauce with chilies than the Sriracha that was served with the dish. Still, I missed the version they used to make here.

For your reference….from back in 2009, when SEL2 really tried stepping up their game.

I understand the economics of things….the prices here are very reasonable and I’m fairly certain that concessions have to be made for the area. This did seem like a totally different restaurant than the version of Sab E Lee I ate at in 2012. And I can’t help but wonder what Kobey; the former owner of SEL would think if he shared this meal with me.

Sab E Lee
9159 Mission Gorge Road
Santee, CA 92071