mmm-yoso – Page 130

Sunday Stuffs – Saigon Restaurant Replacing Yum Cha Cafe, Chicken Charlie’s (Balboa) Closes, and the One Chip Challenge 2019

October 20, 2019 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants, yoso-silly

Been kinda busy over the last month or so. I finally had a chance to drive around a bit and noticed a couple of things for a leisurely Sunday post.

Saigon Restaurant Replacing Yum Cha Café:

I noticed some new signage up when I drove by Thuan Phat Market.

Hmmm….is it "that" Saigon Restaurant? This will be interesting.

Well, at least somethings happening in this spot. It's been over two years since Yum Cha Cafe closed.

6933 Linda Vista Road
San Diego, CA 92111

Chicken Charlie's FryBQ (Balboa) Closes:

I had to drop by the bank and noticed that it looked like equipment and furnishings in Chicken Charlie's were shrink wrapped. So, I parked the car and walked over.

Even though the outdoor tables and chairs are still in place; Chicken Charlie's is closed.

You can still go to the Rancho Bernardo location as a, sorry, can't help it…..bypass if you need to get your fix.

5407 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92111

And finally……

Just like last year; "Alle" wanted me to do the One-Chip Challenge.

And, just when I thought it couldn't be hotter than last year…..well, let me tell you……this had me fooled as it wasn't too bad for the first 15 seconds or so. Then it got really, burning, searing hot……like I just ate a porcupine. The heat lasted even longer this year….I got the hiccups, my scalp itched, all normal reactions on my part. Admittedly, I don't use any "props", no gloves and such…so it wasn't a particularly good move when I rubbed my face with my hands with the powder from the chip on them. Oh well, it wasn't as bad as when I worked with Ghost Peppers and didn't wash my hands well…..then took out my contact lenses a bit later.

This chip made the Triple Atomic Wings seem like ice cream.

Well, I'm done until next year…..

Hope everyone had a great weekend, thanks for dropping by!

Vienna – Cafe Imperial and Belvedere Palace

October 19, 2019 mmm-yoso Austria, Caffeine Fix, Desserts, Travel

After getting some "comfort food" at Tofu & Chili, the Missus was back in "mission mode". She really wanted to have the "Vienna Café" experience. So, we headed off to the café at the Hotel Imperial.

Man, talk about posh.

With prices to match. The Missus wanted to try the Imperial Torte, which She had read was created here for Emperor Franz Josef I when the Imperial Hotel opened in 1873.

The Missus really enjoyed the service and the atmosphere…….

Though for me….thirty bucks for coffee, tea, and dessert is a bit on the high side. Still, we were on vacation, right? And the Missus enjoyed herself.

Plus, Imperial Café has some of the most elegant bathrooms I've ever been to…..

Imperial indeed…..

Cafe Imperial
Kaerntner Ring 16
Vienna 1010, Austria

After getting our sugar and caffeine fix; we headed off to visit the last spot the Missus had on "Her list" for the day; the Belvedere Palace.

We headed down Schwarzenbergplatz; which, like the Wikipedia page says is more of a street than a square; with the regal, Equestrian Statue of Karl Philipp, the Prince of Schwarzenberg, his mighty steed with one hoof raised, ready to lead the way.

While the drizzle had stopped; it was still quite overcast and blustery at times. Still, there's something quite regal about Vienna.

Did you know that Vienna has a Soviet War Memorial? I didn't know what this was when we walked through it on the way to the Belvedere.

So, I was a bit surprised to find out it was the Heroes' Monument of the Red Army (Heldendenkmal der Roten Armee). It has been the subject of controversy and has been vandalized several times.

Belvedere Palace was built as the summer palace for Eugene of Savoy; who in spite of being rejected for military service by the French, made his way to Austria and pledged loyalty to the Habsburgs. He became one of the most successful military officers in European History and was instrumental in defeating the Ottomans. The Lower Palace was Eugene's home and the Upper Palace, which was completed in 1723 contains one of the best collections of Austrian art and there was one particular work that the Missus wanted to see.

The upper palace looks quite grand, built in the Baroque style.

The gardens aren't shabby either…..

Nor the grand décor….I'm sure Prince Eugene had some major parties here.

But the Missus was on a mission……

And when we found Gustav Klimpt's "The Kiss", it was mission accomplished.

We wandered about a bit more; then headed out and strolled the gardens……which must be quite stunning on a sunny day.

After wandering about for a while; we decided to take our leave. It was time to head back to the apartment…..you could say we were "imperialed out".

It was time for nap!

Thanks for stopping by!

A Walk Around Vienna and Lunch at Tofu and Chili

October 17, 2019 mmm-yoso Austria, Chinese Restaurants, Travel

We awoke after a good night of sleep in our apartment right outside the Ringstrasse nice and refreshed. We had a pretty jam-packed day planned out. It was windy with scattered drizzles….you know, the one's that are just bad enough to be irritating. Though it was the wind that bothered the Missus the most. Everyone we asked around the city told us it's "always windy in Wien"! Though no one could tell us why.

We crossed the street and walked through the Stadtpark, then along Kärntner Ring, until we came upon the first place we wanted to see; the Opera House.

Many people consider Vienna to be the "capital of classical music" and the Vienna State Opera (Wiener Staatsoper) is the royal palace. Since its completion in 1869 a who's who of classical music and opera have performed here. Just looking at the names on the "stars" lining the walkways gives you pause…..

One block away you'll notice a very impressive wall and statue. This is the Albertina, that impressive wall was once part of the ramparts of the city. It later became the home of Empress Mary Theresa's daughter Maria Christina the Duchess of Teschen and her husband Prince Albert of Saxony.

We headed up the stairway to the large porch/balcony where we could watch the horse drawn carriages trot on by.

In spite of the drizzle and wind, it made for a very nice view.

The buildings in the area really do catch your attention.

We'd end up visiting the Albertina; which is now a museum the following day.

While taking in the view, we noticed the striking Monument Against War and Fascism (Mahnmal gegen Krieg und Faschismus) right across the street.

Rick Steves goes into great detail about this monument in his post. Built in 1988, each of the four structures details a different aspect and story of the consequences of fascism. It is a grim and haunting memorial.

That large split white statue is called the "Gates of Violence", the carvings are grave and striking. The bases of the statues were quarried at Mauthausen Concentration Camp.

The statue that really gripped me is this one.

It is a statue of a Jew forced to scrub anti-Nazi graffiti off the streets. After the Annexation of Austria to the Germans in 1938 (the Anschluss), in an act meant to humiliate and degrade them, Jews were forced to clean the streets of Pro-Austrian and Anti-Nazi slogan and graffiti. This, of course was the tip of the iceberg as it is estimated that over 65,000 Jewish citizens of Vienna were sent to concentration camps of which 2000 survived.

It started drizzling a bit harder as we took in the memorial.

We headed off in the direction of Saint Stephen's Cathedral, which we had briefly visited the night before.

The Missus wanted to explore the Cathedral in daylight and it would give us a respite from the drizzle.

Most consider this impressive Gothic church to be the heart of Vienna.

And we took a brief break here to first explore the interior a bit, then head back out to get a look at the amazing stone and art work on the exterior of the church

From the Cathedral we headed down the pedestrian street known as Graben. Back when the city was a Roman city known as Vindobona, a wall extended the length of the street. A trench was dug outside the wall, a graben. Which is how the street got its name.

There are several fountains on this street. That's Leopoldsbrunnen (Leopold's Fountain), above.

But what I really came to see was just a few steps away; the Plague Column. Like various Astronomical Clocks, Plague Columns have an odd attraction to me.

In 1679, Vienna was hit by the plague epidemic. It is said that one-third of Vienna's population succumbed to the disease. Emperor Leopold I was forced to flee the city. A wooden column of mercy was erected, later to be replaced by this Pestsäule.

There's a lot going on this plague column.

You see "Faith" with the help of a pretty vicious looking Cherub tossing an decrepit old woman (the plague) into the abyss.

You see Leopold himself, sporting quite an underbite which is caused by inbreeding and has been called "Habsburg Jaw".

Right across the way is the Peterskirche ("St. Peter's Church").

Taking a left on Kohlmarkt, you hit the ultra high rent district, with the Michaelerplatz and Hofburg Palace in view.

We walked into Demel; thinking of getting a snack and some coffee at this famous pastry and chocolate shop. But could not find a table to save our soul.

So we just ogled the pastries and headed on back out.

We thought about checking out Hofburg Palace…..

But we were getting a bit hungry and wanted something warm in our bellies. We'd had our share of hearty meals in Budapest and I had reservations for another the night before we left Vienna. So, I thought perhaps some Chinese food might do the trick.

We headed on down to the Naschmarkt, Vienna's food and produce market.

And a place that I'd read about. Named Tofu and Chili.

There are two menus at this shop; the one with Panda Express looking food and one that has Shanxi and Pseudo Sichuan type dishes. I think the Missus was happy to get some Asian food because She quickly ordered…..

Pidan (Century Egg) with Tofu.

Which actually wasn't too bad; a bit of spice from the chili oil, decent tofu, good saltiness from the soy sauce…it's hard to mess up this dish.

And a very awful Suan Cai dish…..which was pickled mustard greens with bean thread drenched in vinegar…..good lord, this was terrible!

I had done a bit of research and ordered the Beef Noodle Soup with Hand Pulled Noodles.

The beef, while being fairly lean had good flavor. The broth was super hot; perfect for a day like this one and not overly salty. And while not being particularly rich, had a decent beefiness and a decent dose of white pepper.

But the best thing about the dish were the hand pulled noodles; which had a decent chew, stretch, and doughy-heft.

It was just what we needed on a windy and damp day in Vienna.

Tofu & Chili
Linke Wienzeile 18
Vienna 1060, Austria

We were careful not too eat too much. Even though we'd seen quite a bit, the day was only half over.

We needed to get to our final destination.

But first, the Missus wanted to visit a classic Viennese Café .

Thanks for stopping by!

El Huerco Food Truck

October 15, 2019 mmm-yoso Food Trucks, Peruvian Restaurants

While walking to my car to grab lunch a few weeks ago I saw this food truck.

I really didn’t pay attention to the menu, or much else….it was the company Mira Flores LLC that caught my eye. I looked up at the menu and noticed it was a Peruvian food truck! Well I’ll be damned! I suddenly knew what I’d be having for lunch. I really don’t eat much at food trucks these days as it seems most do not make particularly good food, nor are they a good value. But heck, even if I wasn’t transported back to Miraflores, just having a decent Lomo Saltado would make me happy.

The young lady working was very ncie and cheerful and really helped folks out when explaining the different dishes.

So, I got the Lomo Saltado ($12) and a side of Yuca Frita ($5).

The Lomo Saltado was served like a rice bowl. The rice was nice, fluffy and moist. The papas fritas were typical, though fairly dry. Which would have been too bad if there were enough sauce from the Lomo Saltado to coat them, which wasn’t the case. The beef was dry, the onions over-cooked, though the tomatoes, which were diced…I prefer larger slices, were fine. The sauce was heavy soy thus salty, and needed more acidity.

The Yuca Frita on the other hand was quite good. Crisp outside, fluffy, yet substantial inside.

It was quite nice and well done. Though I wasn’t a fan of the Aji Amarillo as it had too much mayo (true versions don’t use mayo) and was more spicy than the usual Aji Amarillo would be. Still, those were some good Yuca Frita.

A couple of weeks later, I saw the truck again and decided to give them another try.

Same nice young lady.

I decided to go with the Anticucho Sliders ($8) and of course, more of those Yuca Frita.

This version of Anticuchos was braised shredded beef, sort of like Cuban Ropa Vieja. I enjoyed the roll which had been slightly toasted and held up well. I tasted the Salza Criolla (something easy to make at home) and it needed more time for the flavors to meld. The flavor of the beef was heavy handed with citrus, making it quite tannic, it was also on the dry side.

While this was better than the Lomo Saltado; it still fell short of expectations. I don’t expect anything like Peru, but this just didn’t do it for me.

While the Yuca Frita was perhaps even better this time around.

Though it’s tempting, I don’t think I could make a meal out of Yuca Frita.

Nice folks, the food is pseudo Peruvian in my mind and while I say that the great thing about Peruvian food is that it’s always evolving; this isn’t that evolution.

Perhaps it’s worth a try and I’ll definitely get that Yuca Frita again….but perhaps go somewhere else to get my main course.

Revisits – Shann Xi Magic Kitchen and Da Kine’s

October 14, 2019 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Plate Lunch

Just a couple of revisits for tonight.

Shann Xi Magic Kitchen:

**** This location of Shann Xi Magic Kitchen has closed.

I was shopping around lunch time at 99 Ranch Market….business at the Balboa location seems to be picking up. Since the weather's cooling off a bit, I thought I'd give Shann Xi Magic Kitchen another try. My last visit left something to be desired.

In what I thought was kind of an interesting move; it seems that Shann Xi MK gives you a discount when you pay in cash. Not a big deal, but I got a seventy-six cent discount, which brought my bowl of Yang Rou Pao Mo to ten bucks exactly.

The Yang Rou Pao Mo was even worse this time around. The broth, while scalding hot, was really thin, super salty, with too much white pepper and lacked any other redeeming qualities.

There was a scant three slices of lamb in the soup; which was actually nice and "muttony". Like I've said before, the "pao mo" that I've had in the states leaves much to be desired as it's really just gummy dough.

The amount of paomo has been reduced as well.

Boy do I miss this…..

Which was so amazing…..from Tong Sheng Xiang in Xi'an.

You can tell the difference, right? I wonder why restaurants in San Diego can't even get it close……

Shann Xi Magic Kitchen
5950 Balboa Ave (In the 99 Ranch Market Food Court)
San Diego, CA 92111

Da Kine's:

**** Da Kine's has reopened in La Mesa. You can find a post here.

Yes, I know I did a post on Da Kine's reopening just last month. But week or so ago, I was chatting with another Ex-pat Kama'aina at my favorite watering hole about Da' Kine's. He told me that the Teri Chicken had really improved. I told him that the teri chicken at Da' Kine's had never been a favorite of mine, but was told to try it and see.

Well, this was just ok. I don't think they marinate the chicken at Da' Kine's. I wouldn't be surprised if they just dunked it in some kind of sauce and put it on the grill. It was fairly bland. While on the dry side, it wasn't as dry as what I'd had before. The rice was too mushy this time around, though the mac salad was chilled and nicely seasoned, just like what I'd had the previous month.

I mentioned this when I saw the guy the next time. His response, "it's better than L&L…." Man, talk about setting the bar really low…though when was the last time I had chicken from L&L…hmm…..do I really want to punish myself like that???

Da Kine's Plate Lunches
5401 Linda Vista Rd.
San Diego, CA 92110

Ramen from HyShinu

October 13, 2019 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

HyShinu probably would have made it to R(ecommendations) & R(equests) week, but I was a bit late on getting my visits in. "FoY" and occaisional commenter "SomTommy" sent me an email mentioning a Ramen shop in El Cajon that his friends were raving about named "Hyshinu". I did a quick search and found that the actual name of the place was HyShinu Ramen, Sushi, & Poke….sigh…..I really wasn't too excited about checking this place out; but after a couple weeks decided to make the drive out to the Rancho San Diego area to try out the ramen.

The shop is located in the same shopping mall as Edwards Cinema, between a Rubio's and Dickey's BBQ.

I walked in and the really cheerful young man working the front handed me a menu and told me to have a seat. He said, "just come on back up here when you're ready to order". He was very nice and quite friendly. So friendly in fact. that when the couple behind me asked him where the place got their fish; he quickly said "Restaurant Depot". Well, even though I wouldn't eat the "chi-poke" bowls or the sushi rolls; I'll give him points for being honest. Apparently he is one of the owners.

I'll take away points for him accidentally calling what I ordered "Tonkatsu Ramen"; but that's a fairly common error.

What happened next was oddly funny; at least to me……

I'm trying to recall the last time I was given a fork for my ramen…… Maybe when I was working in Atlanta? Well, I guess they must know their "customer base" as well.

The bowl didn't look to bad; the broth was hot; though it was mostly salty and lacked any depth of flavor, porkiness, and the nice tongue coating collagenic mouthfeel of a rich tonkotsu broth. Whatever tare they were using was mainly just salt. The ajitama was actually quite good, decently marinated, the yolk still fairly soft, and not cold. Points for that.

The standard, bulk noodles were overcooked for my taste and on the mushy side.

The chashu seemed to have been torched or griddled on a flat top as some of the pieces had a pleasant initial crispness to them. While pretty mild in flavor, the nice textural contrast was interesting. I had however quite a few of what seemed like end pieces that were really hard and some pieces that seemed like just fat.

While not the worst ramen I've had; this was not particularly my cup of tea. If this was just me; it would have been a "one and done". But, since this was "ST" asking and honestly, at around ten bucks….well, I decided to return…..the next day!

Different gentleman working; he was just as nice as the other fella'. I just walked up to the counter and ordered the Shoyu Ramen and had a seat.

In some ways; this was better than my previous bowl.

The noodles were nice and chewy and while being typical was much better than before. The pork, while still very mild in flavor were nicely "browned" outside and no random fatty or hard pieces. The egg had even more soy sauce flavor and was still warm.

But that broth was terrible. First off, it was just past lukewarm and had started to separate by the time it arrived. You can see it in the photo above. It made the broth really greasy….not rich, mind you, greasy. And like the tonkotsu it was really lacking in flavor and complexity. Sorry to say; like salt flavor, greasy, lukewarm water.

Oh well. Can't win 'em all. I've had bad bowls of ramen in Japan; so you never know, I wouldn't want to write a place off due to the location. This is ramen for the masses, which is fine, since they've got to eat as well, right? And the folks working here were really nice; I hope they do well.

I can truly say; after trying Buta Ramen, Kimae, and now HyShinu, that we have truly hit critical mass with regards to ramen in the San Diego area.

Sorry "ST"….I do appreciate you letting me know about this place though! Thanks again!

Hyshinu Ramen, Sushi & Poke
2959 Jamacha Rd.
El Cajon, CA 92019
Hours:
Mon – Thurs 11am – 9pm
Fri – Sat 11am – 10pm
Sunday 12pm – 8pm

Colmar – A Bit More Exploring and Dinner at La Fer Rouge

October 12, 2019 mmm-yoso Alsace, France, French Restaurants, Travel

After a nice lunch back at the apartment we took a even nicer nap. After waking, the Missus made us some espresso and we headed out to the terrace and enjoy our favorite view in Colmar, the Pont de Rue de Turenne. Selfie time was in full swing.

It seemed like everyone needed a photo here.

Everyone……..

And I really don't blame them at all….it was quite entertaining.

And we just loved watching all of this from our discrete perch.

We headed back out….there's a term I picked up in Paris; Flâneur or flânerie, to basically stroll or wander aimlessly, experiencing the urban surroundings, which the Missus (the female term is Flâneuse) and I always try to do, it's a very important part of our trips, the time to take in our surroundings and appreciate, in our most limited way our destination. And our last evening in Colmar was no different.

We wandered through the tourist trail…….

Where there were still interesting things to see; like this 2 Euro Store.

Which has quite a history.

Actually, being a tourist in France is not a bad thing at all; I read an article where author and reporter Anthony Peregrine was quoted something I've heard several times; “Of the 60 per cent of French people who go away on holiday, some 80 per cent stay within their own country". So, even the French, like to travel to…..France.

We did a circle around the area….

Ending up around Rue des Tetes, where we had been earlier in the day.

Where we got some gifts and confections.

And, ahem….did some "window shopping"…..yea, that's right; window shopping. I was actually tempted to purchase (I almost typed "grab") a bottle of L'alsacienne Biere. But we had a bottle of liquid refreshment back at the apartment and I'm not quite sure what the meaning of culotte was in this context. Though based on the poster I could guess…..

By now it was getting close to dinner time. A few months before; I'd gotten a recommendation to try out the Baeckeoffe at a place called La Fer Rouge which was located almost across from the Koïfhus (the Customs House) and conveniently located on the way back to the apartment.

The restaurant is located in a lovely half-timbered structure and is quite charming. It's also a pretty busy restaurant, though we got there right before opening and got a table with no problem.

And there was indeed Baeckeoffe on the menu. The service was professional and courteous.

The Missus had a nice glass of wine and in anticipation of the Baeckeoffe being quite substantial, ordered as She did the night before. She just loved Choucroute and could not get enough of it.

She deemed this version as the second best She had; with Le Petit Venise still number one.

She also enjoyed my salad…..much welcomed with all the rather heavy food we'd been consuming. Crisp veggies, nice refreshing dressing.

As for my Baeckeoffe. Well, this one pot stew of mixed meat; here cooked in red wine was…..well, incinerated.

Those potatoes were burnt, bitter, with a texture like cardboard. The bottom was full of crusted burnt meat. The layer in the middle; was rather tasty, fairly rich and hearty. I had thought of returning this; but the place was just plain slammed….so, we ate what we could and cut our losses.

Le Fer Rouge
52 Grand rue
68000, Colmar, France

Plus, earlier we had decided to open up one of the bottles of Champagne we had purchased at Champagne Brugnon in Rilly La Montagne and enjoyed it in the warm comfort of the apartment.

If we're ever back; I need to do more in-depth research on places to eat.

The next morning we packed and headed out.

It was a nice crisp November morning and we enjoyed the walk to Gare de Colmar.

I really like the look of the train station; which opened in 1907.

And there's a really neat window scene in the train station that was done by Jean le Gac. It depicts a painter (of course) dashing from a train to rescue two damsels in distress. Not quite sure how this ties into Colmar and it looks kind of strange for a train station, but I liked it.

As for Colmar; well, we really enjoy Alsace and Colmar is a nice base for exploring the region. We loved the vibe and really enjoyed the apartment. I really think we'll be back.

But for now…….we were off to Lyon!

Thanks for stopping by!

Clearing Out the Memory Card – Revisits to Bistro Na’s (Temple City), Tribute Pizza, and is La Catrina Closed for Good?

October 10, 2019 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Los Angeles County, Mexican Restaurants, Pizza, Road Trip, Taco Shops

Wow, several of my favorite food groups in one post….after all the really wordy posts recently, I thought I'd give you all a break.

Bistro Na's (Temple City):

Yes, again….the Missus was wondering how getting a Michelin Star would affect Bistro Na's. Well, as far as our lunch was concerned; the crowds are larger now, but the service was still top notch.

And our favorites are still our favorites.

I enjoyed the Zui Ji (Drunken Chicken), which was on the mild side in terms of flavor but super tender and moist.

The Missus enjoyed the stir fried cauliflower.

But we'll pass on the Chili Beef with Tofu in the future.

Decent numbingness, but not much else; strangely not spicy and rather plain and bland in spite of looks.

As you can tell that we've done multiple visits over the last couple of months, this place is a favorite of the Missus.

Bistro Na's
9055 Las Tunas Drive
Temple City, CA 91780

Tribute Pizza:

It's been a while since we last visited and our planned dinner destination was closed (see below). So we walked over. It was still Happy Hour so we got two pizzas…..seven bucks each during HH!

This was more food than we needed and had leftovers. The pizzas were better than we remembered; simple but perfectly prepared. The Missus also enjoyed a sangria….. We gotta drop by more often.

Tribute Pizza
3077 N Park Way
San Diego, CA 92104
Happy Hour:
Tues – Fri 4pm – 6pm

Is La Catrina Closed?:

**** La Catrina has closed

The reason we went to Tribute was because our intended destination; La Catrina was closed; with this sign posted on the door.

Strange, because we'd just gone the previous week and everything was just fine. And the Missus loved the Tacos De Flor De Jamaica; jicama, mushroom, and eggplant tacos.

The Carnitas and Octopus Cazuela was a good as always.

I did express concern about this place in my previous post and it doesn't look good.

I hope I'm wrong…..

La Catrina Tapas & Cantina
3139 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92104

Mi Pana – Makes Me Say Dame Más (Give me more!). Venezuelan Comfort Food in National City.

October 8, 2019 mmm-yoso Colombian Food and Restaurants, Memorable Meals, Venezuelan Food and Restaurants

**** Sadly, Mi Pana has closed

Sometimes I get really lucky. Recently, I was searching for some Colombian food options when I came across a place that just opened in National City named Mi Pana. Even though there were Colombian dishes (and Mexican) on the menu; I quickly noticed the Venezuelan dishes….arepas of course; but other items I hadn't heard of. I quickly contacted Frankie's Auntie "Alle" who is part Venezuelan and has spent a good amount of time living in Venezuela. Looking over the menu; she got even more excited than I did!

So of course I had to head on down ASAP to check the place out. The restaurant is located in a little strip mall on Highland Avenue.

It's a tidy little shop, with the Venezuelan flag in the logo; so any thoughts of ordering Colombian dishes went out the window.

The very sweet young lady working was so nice and friendly….having very little experience with Venezuelan cuisine (other than arepas), I knew I was out of my depth, so I asked for a recommendation. Something other than arepas. She asked me if I liked plantains, which I answered with a very enthusiastic "yes". So she recommended I try the Patacon, the fried plantain sandwich. So I selected the Carne Mechada, shredded beef version.

Several salsas were provided for me. The nice young lady seemed to really enjoy explaining things to me. She pointed to the bottle on the left and told me "that's wasakaka, it's really traditional Venezuelan, and my favorite!"

I tasted the wasakaka, which was like a garlicky, creamy, slightly citrusy sauce, I was sold. The cilantro based sauce; that was like a nice chimichurri was also quite good.

And then my Patacon arrived.

Man, that fried plantain was delici-yoso; slightly sweet, crisp edges, the interior was soft, almost bread like. The shredded beef was nicely seasoned, with a pleasant toothsomeness. The cheese was mild and milky; much like mozzarella. As you can tell; it was a messy sandwich, which dictated eating it with a fork and knife. It perhaps had a bit too much greens and mayo; but overall a very satisfying sandwich. Especially if you enjoy sweet and savory together.

By the next time I'd seen Alle; she had been to Mi Pana. During one of the days the Missus had to work, we decided to meet up and have breakfast…and what a breakfast it was. She already had her favorites and other items she wanted to try, so I let her start the ordering.

Alle loves Cachapa, panckaes made of sweet corn, so we started with that. She ordered the "classic version" stuffed with cheese.

She loved this, but it was bit too sweet for me. I did enjoy the cheese though; which had a slight salty-milkiness.

Next up the Mandoca con Queso, a sweet cornmeal cake with cheese and Tequenos, think of a white cheese, soft and a tad saltier than mozzarella, wrapped with pastry……oh man, did I love the salty-yeasty-mild sweetness.

Man were those Tequenos good!

Our arepas were still being made as we finished up our…ahem, starters, so the really nice woman delivered some Pan Andino with Coffee to us….on the house!

The Pan Andino is fairly dense and sweet. It's great with coffee or tea….as a light dessert. It was nice gesture as well.

Apparently they make their own bread. On my previous visit; I saw a guy buy five loaves of this bread!

If you've never had an arepa; think of an unleavened "bread" that looks like an English Muffin……but if made well (and they do it well here) that's where the resemblance ends. These arepas taste oh so "corny" and I believe a nice amount of fat is used, which makes these arepas more moist than their Colombian counterparts which I've had.

Alle had ordered her favorite breakfast Arepa; the Reina Pepiada; an arepa stuffed with shredded chicken mixed with mayo and avocado. Think of it as a wonderful chicken salad. Also, Alle recommended getting the arepas griddled (asada) instead of fried; which really created a firm, but moist and bready texture. The corn flavors came through quite well.

Alle wanted me to have a taste of her arepa, so I grabbed the knife and fork; but she told me to put those away saying: "you're mi pana, so grab it with your hands and have a bite….no; two bites." I came to find out that "Mi Pana" means "My Friend" or "My Buddy" in Venezuelan slang. Loved the flavors; perhaps a bit on the rich side, but not overly salty, slightly milky from the cheese; the flavor from the arepa really stood out.

I decided to get what I was told was a breakfast classic….because well, I'm classic (old) and all that. The Perico.

Perico are scrambled eggs which are spiced up and mixed with onions, tomatoes, and peppers. With the pile of cheese, this was a pretty hefty breakfast. This was good; though not as wonderfully satisfying as the Reina Pepiada.

Man, what a breakfast. I asked the woman working if they could wheel me to the car. She said, "I think we can find a wheelbarrow somewhere around here!" I love these folks. Meanwhile, Alle had a nice discussion with the cook talking about where her family lived in Venezuela and all that.

And so; I thought I had enough for a post. But I guess my stomach thought otherwise. I was really craving the Tequenos and really wanted to try the Arepa Pabellon. The young lady who was working on my first visit was here and was so happy to see me….I really like these folks.

And those Tequenos were even better!

More crisp, more yeasty….man, bread wrapped cheese…….

I decided to get my arepas "frita", fried this time around, which entirely changed things. Just like the difference a frame can make around a painting; this crisp and crunchy arepa added a crunchy texture. The shredded beef was delicious and the black beans really upped the ante with regards to overall flavor. The slices of plantain really added a pleasant creamy, light sweetness and the cheese on this arepa, which was like a crumbled cotija was a bit more salty and stood up well to all the other flavors. I'll definitely get this again.

On this visit; I noticed this sign near the menus.

Which reminded me of what Alle said while we were having breakfast; "Venezuelans love sweet with their salty; it creates a balance."

Well, if Mi Pana keeps making sweet and salty dishes like this….I'll definitely keep coming.

Mi Pana
2241 Highland Ave.
National City, CA 91950
Hours:
Mon – Fri 10am – 8pm
Sat – Sun 9am – 8pm

It's always great trying new cuisines and dishes I've never had. And even better when the food is good, I have a great guide like Alle, and the folks making and serving the food are gracious and nice like at Mi Pana.

It’s Raw Poke Shop

October 7, 2019 mmm-yoso Hawaiian Food, Plate Lunch, Poke

I'd been hearing about It's Raw for a while; first when they opened in various Farmer's Markets, then when there was a truck for a while. After the brick and mortar shop opened, I had thoughts

about checking them out, which I mentioned in various posts. I'd heard that it was real-deal poke; not one of these mainland "chi-poke" places.

But finally, I was missing poke, even though it had been not that long since I'd been home and had poke just about every day, even a couple of time on Lana'i. Now that Zarlitos was no longer an option for poke, I decided to finally head on down to OB and It's Raw.

Of course, this would be a weekend, so traffic in and out of OB was bad and finding parking….well, that was a total horror show.

Finding It's Raw was interesting as well…..the address says Newport Avenue; but the "true" entrance to the shop (you can walk through the corner store to find another entrance in the back) is actually on Bacon Street.

I liked the look of the fish in the trays. Not too many options, which was fine with me. I just got a Poke Plate ($15) which comes with two choices of poke. I also went with one scoop rice, one scoop mac salad.

The rice was nicely made. The mac salad was actually spaghetti salad, very plain, not too much mayo, nicely chilled and seasoned.

The shoyu poke came with sauce on the side. It was super salty and lacked depth, but even thoguh the fish was a bit "dry", I couldn't gripe about the fish quality. The wasabi poke was better; well sauced, but overly salty, and fairly light in terms of wasabi. While there was some "sugi" (connective tissue) on several pieces, this was the better of the two poke.

This was solid; good fish, though not great poke in terms of flavor. I had seen kalua pig on the menu and the Missus also wanted to try the poke so I returned the following weekend….oh my, even worse traffic, and I eventually had to pay for parking in the CVS lot since none could be had. I guess I could have headed on down early; like a couple of hours before the noon opening time of It's Raw…..

Anyway; I got the "Pig and Poke" ($20), and selected the Kimchi Poke and the Furikake Poke. I got a half pound each of the kimchi and wasabi poke for the Missus….$45 for take-out…..whoa.

This time I got two scoops of rice; which was actually a good move. In terms of moisture and texture the kalua pork is better than the recent version I had at Da' Kines. It was however, much too salty and could have used more smokiness. It was not bad though.

The best item was the furikake poke; which they didn't have last time. A nice balance of salt-shoyu-a slight sweetness, along with the nutty-savoriness that furikake provides.

The kimchi poke was salty and lacking in a savory-umami-spicy kimchi flavor. The fish was even better quality this time.

That was a huge portion of kalua pork.

The Missus was not impressed by the kimchi or the wasabi poke; though She did think the furikake poke was much better. And while She also thought the fish quality was good; I don't think She'll be craving this.

As for me; well, maybe if I'm off during the week or can find myself in OB during some reasonable hour where I can actually find some parking I'll return. Or maybe they'll open a bit earlier. Still, It's Raw might be the best option for poke in San Diego right now.

It's Raw Poke Shop
4991 Newport Ave. (the storefront is actually on Bacon St.)
San Diego, CA 92107
Hours:
Tues – Sun 12pm – 6pm