mmm-yoso – Page 134

Sunday Sandwiches – Banh Mi From Lena’s Sandwiches & Deli

August 11, 2019 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Lena's Sandwiches & Deli has closed

It seems that I just don't get up to City Heights as much as I used to. While driving on ECB a few months back, I noticed that Kim Chan Sandwich Shop, which was once upon a time a Banh Mi staple for me and an old favorite of Ed from Yuma, was gone. It had been replaced by Lena’s Sandwiches & Deli.

So, after returning from our trip, I decided to drop by. Parking in this lot is an adventure; especially in the mornings where all the "coffee guys" hang out at Nhu Y.

In addition, the parking spaces are very small here and on both visits there were vehicles taking up more than one space. Kind of a bummer for the businesses here.

The shop does look a bit like Kim Chan; with a fresh coat of paint and modern signs. The folks here are very kind and mellow.

As is my MO at Banh Mi shops; I started with the Dac Biet ($4.50), just to see how things are put together.

The longer type of "baguette" used here was fairly yeasty; though on this trip it was heading to past its prime as it was mealy and dry.

The pickled carrots aren't very heavily pickled, though the radish is and the jalapenos were no joke! The cucumbers were crisp though the amount of cilantro was rather sparse.

Liked the ratio of Thit Ngoi, the ham to the Cha was perfect, medium-thin slices. I really enjoyed the pate as there was a pretty good amount of it; nice earthy -rich flavors.

This was a pretty good sandwich, so I returned the following weekend.

This time around I ordered the Banh Mi Nem Nuong ($4.50). The older gentleman working was so nice when he mentioned that they griddle the sausage so it would be a few minutes. I tols him no worries since it was Sunday and I'd even managed to score a nice parking space!

This time around the bread was perfeect; it held up well, nice yeastiness, a crackly crust.

I really enjoyed the salty-porkiness of the nem nuong; it was browned nicely. And those jalapenos were pretty darn spicy.

My only issue was that the cilantro was starting to turn brown.

I rather enjoyed the sandwich. Especially after having recently eaten at all these Westernized shops around town. This old school Banh Mi shop was refreshing. And it was pleasure dealing with the folks here as well.

Maybe one of these days I'll do a Banh Mi Retrospective again. Come to think of it; I think the Banh Mi Ba Chi from Cafe Dore is calling me…..

Lena’s Sandwiches & Deli
4712 El Cajon Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92115
Hours:
Mon – Tues 8am – 8pm
Wed 8am – 2pm
Thurs – Sat 8am – 8pm
Sunday 8am – 6pm

Clearing Out the Memory Card – Never Made the Cut Road Trip Edition

August 10, 2019 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Bun Bo Hue, Chinese Restaurants, Los Angeles County, Orange County, Pho, Road Trip, Santa Barbara County, Vietnamese Restaurants

Here are some photos that I was just going to delete…..I have a bunch of breakfast one's from when I was driving to Irvine almost weekly as well. But since these weren't in San Diego; where I try to visit places more than once; I thought I'd just do one of those "never made the cut" posts.

I went to lunch with the folks I was working with in Irvine a couple of times.

Ngu Binh:

I've posted on Ngu Binh before, but was excited to try the Bun Bo Hue. Unfortunately, the folks that got there first ordered for all of us…….

They like their Bun Bo Hue not spicy with no pork hock and that's what I had waiting for me when I arrived……what the??????

Ngu Binh Restaurant
14072 Magnolia St
Westminster, CA 92683

Pho Lovers:

Which was right in front of Lien Hoa, it has since moved.

loved the herbs which were amazingly fresh.

The pho was seriously defatted, the noodles over-cooked, though the broth wasn't overly sweet or salty.

Now at:

9892 Westminster Blvd
Garden Grove, CA 92844

From other Road Trips.

Chengdu Taste (Alhambra):

The Missus was seriously psyched to try the place that had been declared the "best Sichuan Restaurant in America". We were quite disappointed.

And the service was so terrible, that we got our mapo tofu and Shui Zhu Niu Rou, the beef boiled in hot sauce to go. Both just didn't have enough spice and were seriously defatted versions. The won tons in hot sauce were too sweet and lacked spice, not even close to the version I had at Long Chau Shou (龙抄手).

828 W Valley Blvd
Alhambra, CA 91803

The Lark (Santa Barbara):

This one was from the same road trip where we had a wonderful meal at Yoichi's. It was a super hot weekend; yet they had the fire pit going!

From the mushy brussel sprouts to the teeth rattling sweet duck wings, not our favorite meal.

Though the lamb shoulder confit was quite good.

The Lark Santa Barbara
131 Anacapa St.
Santa Barbara, CA 93101

So there you go; thanks for indulging me.

I'll be back tomorrow with more San Diego restaurants.

Budapest – Jacques Liszt Bakery, By Beans Coffee, and Leaving Budapest

August 9, 2019 mmm-yoso Bakery, Budapest, Caffeine Fix, Croissants, Hungary, Travel

We awoke bright and early on our last morning in Budapest. And of course we took in the view (yet again) from our hotel window.

While the Missus was waking; for some reason, I decided to check on our train that was scheduled to leave Keleti Station at 140pm. I read that Keleti Station was closed for repairs and trains had been routed elsewhere. I told the Missus that I was going downstairs to speak to the Concierge and then perhaps go and grab something light for breakfast.

As is usual for the Marriott, the Concierge was ever so helpful….they checked the schedule, called around and found that our train had been rerouted to Deli Train Station (Southern Station). They got me all the info I needed; told me not to worry, they'd arrange a cab to the station.

So I went looking for a bakery. Right across the street from the hotel in the building which houses the Hotel Zenit I noticed a sign……

It was a bakery….right across the street and we hadn't noticed it at all!

I walked in, and yes, this was a working bakery. You could see the Baker at work.

I recall the prices being amazingly inexpensive for a bakery basically in the middle of all the hotels and tourists.

I ended up getting 2 croissants and a couple of those gougere like items they call "scones" (Pogácsa) here and took them back to our room.

The croissants were a bit disappointing; lacking in the flakiness and butteriness we look for in a good croissant.

The Pogácsa were ok; though a bit more dense than what we'd had the day before.

Jacques Liszt (In the same building as Hotel Zenit Budapest Palace)
Apáczai Csere János utca 7
Budapest 1052, Hungary

The sun rises at around 5am in the morning at the end of May; so even though it was bright and sunny outside; we had the boardwalk to ourselves as we headed out for one last walk.

Passing all the landmarks large……

And small that we'd seen during our short two days in the city.

We loved the sights just as much as we did on our first day……

Though we had learned some of the history, both ancient and some more recent, and of the tragedies that are part and parcel of the city.

Having done some decent walking; we decided to grab a cup of coffee. After checking around a bit, we headed back to the Hold Utca Food Market and that coffee stand where we had seen the sweet pooch lying around the day before. No dog on this morning; but the young lady working was very sweet.

The Missus had a Cortado.

And I had an Americano.

And we sat watching the school kids walking hand-in-hand as they toured the market hall.

It was a nice little break.

By Beans Coffee
(In the Hold Street Market Hall – ground floor)
Hold utca 13
Budapest 1054, Hungary

After our caffeine fix, we strolled back to the hotel and rested for a bit. Check out time was at 11. We got a taxi from the hotel and went across the Chain Bridge again…..this time on four wheels though. We went through the tunnel that bores under Castle Hill and ended up at Deli Station a few minutes later.

Deli Station looks a bit worse for wear, but we easily found a place to sit. And I went to the bakery stand for more Pogácsa and some water.

We had really enjoyed our short visit to Budapest. I'm fairly certain we'll return someday. But it was time to move on to our next stop.

Though I'll always remember the jewel of a city that is Budapest.

Thanks for stopping by!

Budapest – Dinner at Borkonyha Wine Kitchen and the View from Castle Hill at Dusk

August 8, 2019 mmm-yoso Budapest, Fine Dining, Hungarian Food and Restaurants, Hungary, Travel

We headed back to the hotel after having a wonderful morning and light lunch. Remember I mentioned all the statues in Budapest; well, here's another. Located on Zryinyi Utca; this one is known as the "Fat Policeman".

We got back to our room and took a short nap. Of course upon waking; I just had to enjoy the view from our room….again. I mean, this just doesn't get old.

I had made reservations for dinner on this evening at a One Michelin Star restaurant, which wasn't too far from where we were staying. We took our time getting to the restaurant, stopping at Szamos Gourmet to look over the cakes and desserts. The place is very nice and the Missus bought something small for a snack later on in the evening and some cookies as gifts.

Szamos Gourmet Haz
Váci utca 1
Budapest 1052, Hungary

We walked past all the tourist shops and places like the Hard Rock; skirted around Erzsébet Téri Park and crossed busy József Attila Utca, onto rather quiet Sas Utca and our destination; Borkonyha Wine Kitchen. I'd chosen the place because the Missus really wanted to try Hungarian wine.

The restaurant was fairly casual, comfortable, and instead of doing the tasting menu we ordered ala carte.

Things started out with a interesting trio of breads. The version with caraway was a favorite; with the cumin bread coming in a close second.

Of course we had to have the Duck Liver with Tokaji Aszú – basically a foie gras terrine.

The texture was luxuriously smooth; though the cherries and the really sweet wine was a bit too much.

I ordered the Oxtail with Soured Vegetables.

This was wonderful as the beefiness of the oxtail came through quite clearly and the "soured vegetables" helped to cut the richness of the dish. The accompanying tuile was a nice touch, adding a nice textural contrast.

We had also requested a pairing for each dish…..until the Missus tasted the Tokaji Furmint Sec; which She loved. Very floral, nice acidity, it went really well with the cod dish the Missus ordered. So, She decided that this was the wine we'd have with the rest of our meal….except for our lamb dish.

The fish was perfectly cooked; though a bit underseasoned for our taste. The skin was light and crisp and the flesh was moist, tender, and flakey, with the perfect amount of fat. The Kohlrabi puree was a nice match for the fish. A good dish.

I'd ordered the Saddle of Lamb and Tongue with Green Beans.

The lamb, like the fish was prepared well. It was toothsome, yet tender, though really mild in flavor. The tongue however, was amazing! My favorite item of the meal; super gamey, slight offal-ness, it was quite tender as well. The green beans were fresh, though slightly under-cooked for my taste.

The Missus enjoyed Her desserts.

The was a solid; if not great meal. Most everything was prepared well; the service, though a bit spotty was cordial. And the Missus loved the Tokaji Furmint Sec….She has me trying to find this in San Diego!

Borkonyha WineKitchen
Sas Utca 3
Budapest 1051, Hungary

The Missus wanted to head back to Castle Hill during sunset to watch the light of the Parliament Building come on. So we headed back in that direction.

But first; another statue. This one is known as the Bronze Newsboy.

So we headed across the Chain Bridge for the third time. And then up to Castle Hill via the Várkert Bazár, just like we had done earlier that day.

Reaching Buda Castle, we just stood, relaxed and watched.

While the sun was setting behind us; the reflections were still quite beautiful.

And at this time there was no one else around.

When we were leaving folks were just starting to arrive at Buda Castle, so we had the place to ourselves to enjoy this beautiful scene.

It was so lovely to have this little moment to ourselves.

Ok, enough "yakking"; let me just share the photos as the sun slowly set and the lights of the Parliament Building came on.

After which we headed down….but not before taking a last look…..

And headed toward the Elisabeth Bridge to cross back to the Pest side.

Remember I mentioned all of the benches in Budapest? I should have taken more photos of them……

Maybe next time!

Eating to Beat the Heat – Revisits to Buga, La Miche Kabobgee, and Santouka

August 5, 2019 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Korean Restaurants, Lebanese Restaurants, Ramen

Well, it cooled down for a bit, got warm again, cooled off, and then it's Monday and quite warm again……and it's not really the temps, but rather the humidity that's kind of bothering me. Man, to think I was born and raised in Hawaii. Crazy.

Anyway, here are a few revisits.

Buga:

I just looked at my last post on Buga and it's been exactly one year! Strange; I thought it had been longer than that. I wanted some bi bim naengmyun and Buga is right off the 805; so I thought it would be a rather quick and easy meal.

I got there right at opening time so the place was empty. Strangely, it stayed that way for my entire visit. Even though I got out in 25 minutes, it was pretty strange to see the place completely empty.

And no; I didn't order the "Internal Organs Special"; which would have been too much for me anyway.

I got the Bi Bim Naengyun as planned.

The last time I had Bi Bim Naengmyun at Buga it was a bit strange. It was water and quite soupy, a far cry from the drier, more spicy version that used to be served here. What I got this time was a bit different as well; it seemed like a bowl of regular Naengmyun in a typical dongchimi – based soup topped with the usual spicy gochujang based sauce for bi bim naengmyun. It seemed like a hybrid of sorts; which actually wasn't too bad. It still had the spiciness along with the bracing – refreshing – sour – Asian pearish soup. The noodles were perfect; stretchy, but not hard. Enoguh to bring some sweat to the brow, but also cool me off at the same time.

Sadly the panchan was mediocre; really lacking in punch, with no fermented tones at all….it was all quick-kimchi and a too sweet potato salad.

Buga Korean Restaurant
5580 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117

**** Sadly, La Miche has closed

La Miche Kabobgee:

We usually head to La Miche Kabobgee when the temperature rises; to get some of the mezes we enjoy. So, one evening I headed over to grab some take-out and the place was closed.

I noticed the sign posted on the door with limited hours posted.

It seems that the really nice gentleman who owns the place had some heart surgery…..which had me a bit concerned.

So I dropped by during a lunch service.

I was happy to see him working. Moving a bit slower perhaps, but he was still the very mellow, and gentle guy I recalled. I chatted with him for a minute before this large party came in. He's doing better and is almost back to full speed. I'm glad.

The menu has fewer mezes than before; I think it's a bit of an abbreviated one; but there were still a couple of items I had previously enjoyed, starting with the Muhamarah.

I really enjoy the combination of flavors in this red pepper – walnut – pomengranite "dip" which is thickened with bread. Though it's much less spicy and tangy than I recalled; it's still a winnah' with the fresh pita that arrives scorching hot. I've learned that it's better to just eat all of the bread as it just isn't as good a few hours later.

I also got the Makanek; these little sausages had a wonderful snap, the ground veal is nicely seasoned, and that lemon based sauce is quite bracing!

This was a nice meal and it was good to know Nabih is doing well. So well, that La Miche will be back to normal hours in September.

La Miche Kabobgee
9350 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92123

Santouka:

In my last "eating to beat the heat" post; Junichi mentioned the Hiyashi Chuka from Santouka. I had actually had the Hiyashi Chuka from Santouka once before and had not been too impressed. But man, that was eight years ago! So, I figured it was time to try it again.

I wasn't certain that Santouka had the Hiyashi Chuka, but sure enough it was the summer special. I could tell it had been a very long time since I'd had this; it was $8.50 then; it's now $12.50. So, I guess its been going up by 50 cents a year?

Anyway, I ordered my noodles and had a seat. A few minutes later my number was called.

Well, if anything, Santouka gets points for consistency in presentation, as this looked basically the same as what I'd had eight whole years ago. At that time Dennis of A Radiused Corner (we miss you man!), called it a "tease" when it came to the proteins.

Those two thin slices of toroniku look rather lonely on that pile of noodles, huh? The provided toppings were rather "sparse"; though if you're carb loading, you've got your dish!

The "sauce" was weaker than I recalled, not as dashi forward and the sour tones were muted. I ended up mixing in all that mustard to help give things some "umph".

The noodles were nicely prepped and well chilled; so no issues there.

And as much as I like carbs and Santouka (remember us hunting down the original store in Asahikawa as few years back?), I'm not the biggest fan of the Hiyashi Chuka here.

Santouka Ramen
4240 Kearny Mesa Rd(In the Mitsuwa Marketplace)
San Diego, CA 92111

Things seem to be cooling down nicely as I'm finishing up this post……so maybe cooler weather is in store.

The Great Champagne Tour – Visits to Champagne Bauchet, Moët & Chandon, Lunch at La Table de Kobus, and a Visit to Champagne Brugnon

August 2, 2019 mmm-yoso Champagne Region, France, France, French Restaurants, Travel, Wine Bars/Wineries

Our last full day in Champagne was the "big one". During previous trips to other regions of France, I drove or we found train connections. When driving I (obviously) wasn't able to taste the wonderful adult beverages produced by the places we visited. When doing the train or bus; well, I just didn't feel very comfortable partaking in said beverages. As a whole we'd kind of avoided tours as much as possible, but our experience with the Italian Days Food Tour changed our opinion on small group and private tours. I decided to go ahead and book a private tour with The Champagne Tour Company. Dealing with Larry Davis who runs the company was a pleasure and a custom tour was designed for us. We not only wanted to visit a large Champagne house; but also smaller producers and learn a bit about the process.

Our driver arrived on time and we were quickly whisked away to Bisseuil and Champagne Bauchet, where we were introduced to the amazing process of Champagne making.

From the making of the wine. To the blending and ageing……in underground cellars.

To the age old process of "riddling" where the bottles are slowly tilted down over time, while turning occasionally, this is still sometimes done by hand.

To the process called disgorgement.

It was interesting to see the process in a Champagne House like Bauchet, which produces 300,000 bottles a year.

Because on our next stop; we were back in Epernay, on Avenue de Champagne at probably the most well known Champagne House in the World; Moët & Chandon, which by the way also produces Dom Perignon, and is part owner of Louis Vuitton.

We kind of expected what we got at M&C, a polished, professional, and somewhat sterile tour of the cellars and history of Moët & Chandon. You know the deal, "we're walking….we're walking"….

Everything fits within the brand and the image of luxury that Champagne is associated with. That is not to say that the tour wasn't interesting; it was.

The cellars are quite a sight to see; the cellars of Moët & Chandon spans 17 miles under Epernay; the most in the Champagne region.

There are some locked off areas which we were told hold some of the rarest and most expensive Champagne in the world.

At the end; we had a tasting of several variations and vintages.

And of course no tour is complete without a visit to the gift shop afterwards…..

In case you just needed to get that (those) bottle(s) of Dom Perignon.

I'm glad we did Bauchet first as we could really see the stark contrast in marketing and branding.

We were running a bit late, so we were dropped off for lunch at a place Larry Davis had said we'd enjoy; La Table Kobus.

Since we hadn't walked very much on this day; we weren't super hungry. So, even though "Le Menu de l’Ardoise", basically the pre fixe menu for lunch looked great; we decided to share two appetizers and one main for lunch. The staff here are amazing; the service is top notch. And they even split all the dishes for us!

Frog Legs with Favas.

Tender frog legs, very nicely seasoned. The beans had a nice firm texture with a nice, mildly sweet-grassiness to it.

The Foie Gras…..

Beautifully split as you can see. Very smooth, earthy flavors.

And the mushroom "ravioli".

Loved the acidity of what seemed to be a wonderful confit tomato. The mushrooms were wonderful, earthy in flavor, very nice. Not a big fan of the rather brittle wrapper, but this was a nice dish overall.

The Missus had all the confections for dessert.

And a nice stiff espresso got us back on our feet.

A nice lunch. If we'd stayed in Epernay, I'm sure we'd eat here again.

La Table de Kobus
3 Rue Dr Rousseau
51200 Épernay, France

From here we were taken on a short drive uphill to view the vineyards.

And then off to the village of Hautvillers.

And to the Abbey in the village.

Why, you may ask? Well, in this former Benedictine Monastery lived a monk named Dom Perignon. And while sparkling wine existed before Dom Perignon, it surely would not have been Champagne as we know it without his contributions.

You can see the relics (bones) of Saint Nivard who founded the Abbey. But what most people come to see is the burial site of Dom Perignon.

It was an interesting stop….so much history here.

As we were running late; we couldn't make our designated time at our last stop. Instead, arrangements were made to visit a small producer in Rilly La Montagne named Brugnon. It would turn out to be our favorite stop on the tour.

Phillippe Brugnon met us in front of his house; there were no signs that we could see. What followed was an amazing personal tour of his family's production facility.

It was a wonderful excursion. We also found that Monsieur Brugnon is an expert at Sabrage; opening a bottle of Champagne with a saber!

We enjoyed the personal touches and the stories….like how they managed to get all of the equipment and facilities underneath the house. He explained that the peeled away what is the parking lot to get everything in place; then rebuilt and repaved the parking lot above!

We also found out that Champagne Brugnon is not exported to the States……so we bought two bottles…which were delicious by the way. We'd drink one later on during the trip and the other back home on New Year's Eve.

We were dropped back at the hotel after quite a full day. I highly recommend the Champagne Tour Company if you'd like a private, custom tour in Champagne. It was worth every penny and we had a blast.

Thanks for stopping by!

Mexico City – A Walk thru La Condesa and Colonia Roma, Dinner at Pasillo de Humo

July 31, 2019 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, Mexico City, Travel

After checking out the Museo Nacional de Antropologia and lunch at El Hidalguense followed by a short nap; we headed back out. The Missus wanted to check out more of La Condesa and Colonia Roma. So we headed out on Avenida Michoacán toward Parque Mexico. La Condesa is quite charming with tree lined streets, once upon a time this land was all owned by a Countess ("Condesa"); María Magdalena Dávalos de Bracamontes y Orozco. Parque Mexico is a wonderful park, circled by the street often called the "most beautiful in Mexico City" which circles the park. Once upon an time the street was once a horse race track.

It was quite relaxing watching kids having fun in Foro Lindbergh (Lindbergh Forum).

While it was fairly warm and the sun shone quite brightly; the trees really helped to cool things down. There are quite a few historical houses built in the area and I should have taken more photos, but we were just enjoying the walk.

We took a left up Avenida Mexico; past the very popular dessert stop Churrería El Moro and headed up Avenida Mexico; where came upon quiet Plaza Popocatepetl and its centerpiece, the art deco fountain.

Things got drastically busy when we took the left turn from Calle Popocatepetl onto Avenida Yucatan, followed by another right onto super busy Álvaro Obregón. Crossing over the hectic cross street, Avenida de los Insurgentes we were now back in hip/hipster Colonia Roma. The Missus enjoyed window shopping and we dropped into a few shops that caught Her interest along the street. We even came across a Passage; which reminded us of those covered passages in Paris.

After returning from our trip; I did some research and found that this place is quite well known; El Parian. You can read more about the history of this covered passage here.

We took a right turn down Orizaba, a street lined with restaurants and shops….

I loved the name of this one.

And arrived at lovely Plaza Luis Cabrera; where we took a short break; drank some water we had purchased along the way.

We saw young children trying to track down birds, women sitting and chatting, and some rather interesting "vignettes".

After our break, we turned back around and headed up Orizaba until we came across lively Plaza Rio de Janeiro.

Where we watched parents and their children; of the four and two-legged kind,socializing.

We were charmed. When we thought about visiting CDMX, this was not the mental picture we had……we were really enjoying our time here.

Soon enough, we started feeling a bit hungry. It was time to head back and get some dinner. I hadn't made reservations for this evening, but had a place in mind that was fairly close to where we were staying.

On the second floor of Parian Condesa Food Hall is Pasillo de Humo, which served Oaxacan inspired cuisine. The restaurant itself is roomy and comfortable.

And service was like we'd experienced earlier in the day; friendly and gracious….and they had this hand-truck contraption loaded with Mezcal! My lucky day.

I requested something "fumar" (smoky) and the really friendly gentleman saw that I had the "Eye of the Tiger"…..literally…..

The guy was quite playful……at the end of the meal, when I wanted another, he asked the Missus permission! You gotta love it!

The missus ordered a cocktail, the Oaxaquillo, Mezcal, Crème de Cacao, Licor 43, and Cardamom.

This was so easy to drink, that the first words out of my mouth when I had a sip was; "abunai".

The appetizer we ordered was one of the three favorite items we had on this trip; the Memelitas de Papa de Cerdo (140 $MX – $7.25/US).

Holy smokes….how do I love thee….let me count the ways…. Wonderful pork cheeks that had been fried; the exterior crisp, giving way to a tender, buttery, tongue coating, decadence. The flavor was full on porkiness, perfectly seasoned with a mild chile, salt, and pepper. The griddled masa cakes had a wonderful, savory "corniness". The pickled onions helped cut through the richness, as did the mild spicy – acidity of the tomato and chili paste on the memelitas.

I ordered the Molleja de Terna en Chichilo (239 $MXN – $12.50/US). Fried veal sweetbreads in a mole with Chochoyote, those masa dumplings that look like mushrooms.

The mollejas were very mild in flavor, no tininess or metallic flavors. The texture was a bit more firm than I prefer. The mole was also very mild and not too sweet. I loved the pickled onions and all the veggies. The chayote was good and the shaved chile de agua was really good.

The Missus ordered the Pato en Mole Negro (293 $MXN – $15.30/US), basically duck breast in mole negro. The duck breast was very tender and the skin had great flavor.

Mole Negro is pretty difficult to make well; this was a nice version, smoky – not overly sweet – mild spice. The Missus loved the plantains; especially the texture. For some reason the tamal siete cueros was our least favorite thing; it was a bit pasty and very bland.

This was a wonderful meal overall; I especially loved my dessert…..

Cue up Survivor….heck, enough of these and I'd be hitting (not beating) the meat.

We really enjoyed our meal. Another place we have on our "list" to return to. I think we'll make a meal of apps next time……heck maybe two orders of those memelitas!

Pasillo de Humo
Av Nuevo León 107
06100 Cuauhtémoc, CDMX, Mexico

El Jardin Changes Course

July 30, 2019 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants

**** El Jardin has closed

Sometimes I wait too damn long to do a follow-up post. Such is the case with El Jardin. I just found out via Eater San Diego, that El Jardin will shutter and reopen as a….gasp "Cantina"! This is somewhat sad news as we enjoyed some pretty good meals at El Jardin.

We had returned several times since those visits…..

And yes, that is the $28 "Sonora Dogo" a wagyu beef dog, with chorizo and pork belly….

While not everything was to our taste, the Missus really enjoyed certain dishes; like the Pozole Verde.

And while the food was sometimes uneven and perhaps the service not what we'd say was at the level of the menu; still, it was warm and friendly, the food creative without going for a whole lot of glitz…..

From the Eater post; the chef is leaving, and El Jardin will reopen as a cantina…specializing in, wait for it….carne asada and Margaritas.

So, in spite of having a chef nominated for a James Beard award, making the Michelin Bib Gourmet list, and getting a positive review in the New York Times, El Jardin changes course.

Cheers El Jardin! We'll miss you…..

Chicken Wing Thang – Katzya (In the H Mart Food Court)

July 29, 2019 mmm-yoso Chicken Wings, Korean Restaurants

**** Katzya has closed

Friend of Yoso "KenP" was nice enough to remind me that today, July 29th was National Chicken Wing Day. So, I decided to see what I could dish up and found photos from visits to Katzya in the new H Mart Food Court.

Not sure it's quite ready for "prime time", but hey, it was two visits.

A few weeks back, Candice, Xiāngjiāo and her hubby MichaelFC, wanted to have lunch. We decided on checking out the new H Mart Food Court. We each picked a place and got something from each shop. I got Katzya, which is the new Donkatsu (Tonkatsu) and Chicken Wing Shop.

I did two orders of wings….it's a sign of the times when folks actually say, "wow, it's only $11.95 for eight wings….that's so cheap", like the girl in front of me exclaimed. I guess when you compare this to Furaido or Bonchon it is cheaper. I guess it's all relative.

Anyway, I did one order of the regular fried wings and one order of the "Spicy Chicken Wings". Sorry to say; this is the only surviving photo I have of that visit.

The wings were medium sized with a decent batter to meat ratio. The flesh was fairly moist, no complaints there. The batter had some crunch but was on the crumbly side and the regular wings were so bland, really lacking in flavor. Notice the quotation marks on the "Spicy" wings…..that's because, while being quite sticky and messy, the wings were way too sweet and not very spicy at all. The pickled radish was fine…….but man, nothing could cut the teeth rattling sweetness of those wings.

Soon after; I started my visits to the H Mart Food Court to start tasting the various dishes and such. Other than Bann; which is kind of like a revisit since which I'd eaten at quite few times when they were on Miramar; Katya was my first revisit.

With the intention of sharing my lunch with folks in the office; I ordered two items; the Soy Garlic Wings and the Spicy Pork Cutlet.

The Soy Garlic Wings were a pleasant surprise.

The wings were still crunchy when I ate them. I'd expected cloying sweetness; but this was more balanced then the (not) spicy chicken wings. More salty than sweet, perhaps in need of more garlic pungency; moist flesh, decent crunch and not overly crumbly, decent meat to batter ratio. Not bad at all.

Then came the Donkatsu; which was nicely packaged; the "gravy" and shredded cabbage separated from the pork cutlet and rice. Good job there!

The pork cutlet didn't fare as well as the wings as it was already getting pretty soggy when I got back to the office. It was pretty lean and so on the rubbery side. The rice was still hot and slightly fragrant.

To be perfectly honest; I enjoyed the crunchy, refreshing, simple shredded cabbage with sesame dressing the best.

Because that "gravy"…..well…..

Well, I poured it onto the pork cutlet, it was a bit too gloppy-gluey in texture. It had a serious, slow crescendo of heat…..no joking around there. But it had nothing else to really bolster the spice….no salt, no sweet, no other seasonings and spices. It was very one-dimensional.

This is not something I'd order again.

I had truly intended on doing one more visit. But heck, since KenB did mention it was National Chicken Wing Day….I found a reason to just go with what I have and move on. Those Garlic Soy Wings weren't bad, though one out of four ain't so great. Heck, even in baseball, a .250 batting average might get you sent down to the minors.

Katzya
(In the H Mart Food Court)
7725 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92111
Hours:
Open Daily 11am – 8pm

Thanks for the friendly reminder Ken!

Trying to Beat the Heat – “Cold Ramen” at Karami Ramen and Gyokai Natto Don at Izakaya Sakura

July 28, 2019 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

Man, that humidity was pretty nasty last week, wasn't it? Well, here's something new I tried and also an old favorite for you.

"Cold Ramen" at Karami Ramen:

So, "FOY" SomTommy sent me an email in the middle of 90% humidity week asking me if I had tried the Cold Ramen at Karami Ramen. I mentioned that over multiple visits; Karami had never been a favorite of mine and that I haven't really found a "go-to" version of Hiyashi Chuka in San Diego. ST replied back that Karami was serving ramen, with cold noodles and a cold broth! Hmmm…..

So, before doing some shopping at Nijiya, I decided to see what this "cold ramen" was all about. And yes, there was a sign on the door that said Cold Ramen – $9.90.

It was pretty quiet during my visit. Considering that this was noon on a weekend and the strip mall was packed; it seemed strange. But maybe not, since it was still quite warm and muggy out.

The young man who served me was pleasant, the service prompt, no complaints there.

As for the "ramen".

So yes, this was nicely chilled. In fact, I bit into a couple of ice cubes. On the bright side; there would be no complaining about one of my pet peeves; the ice cold tamago….as it was cold, with a good shoyu flavor. Speaking of shoyu flavor; i'm certain the temperature really affects the tastebuds as this was super salty. It could have used some sour – savory – sweet tones to help things along. It became a bit much and I couldn't finish it. The chashu was also nicely flavored and tender. The menma was routine. For some reason, I really enjoyed the corn….I think the cold heightens the sweetness of the corn. It was my favorite part of the dish.

So, ST, I know Karami is a favorite of yours. The price at $9.90 is reasonable. This wasn't bad, but I'm not sure I'd have it again. Thanks for letting me know about it though.

Karami Ramen
3860 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Gyokai Natto Don at Izakaya Sakura:

Yes, it's that time again, yet another post on Izakaya Sakura. To be perfectly honest though, I think Sakura has not aged well…the service has been spotty and on occasion, the food has been a bit off. And so; it's been nearly a year since my last visit. It was during another hot spell and I got one of my two "hot weather" go to dishes at Sakura, the Ebi Kakiage Udon. This time though, I decided to retry what used to be my other warm weather favorite, the Gyokai Natto Don. The last time I tried it in September of 2017 it was mediocre; a ton of rice, barely any fish.

So, how's the 2019 version of the dish?

While still not quite hitting the same highs as when Sakura didn't have a sign (ChrisR – I still remember when you said it was "an end of an era"); this did hit the spot. Meaty magura and toothsome ika; with a few pieces of shiromi (white fish) thrown in; fermented goodness from the slimy-stringy natto; pungent wasabi, umami from the seaweed, textural pungency from the scallions……still a bit to much rice for me these days; but what the heck, I was hungry. The miso soup was good, the agedashi tofu held form and didn't breakdown and get mushy……

Just what the doctor ordered.

Maybe I need to return more often?

Izakaya Sakura
3904 Convoy St Ste 121
San Diego, CA 92111

Well, at least it's cooled off a bit today. And looking at the weather elsewhere, you know how much we love Paris, but the mercury hit an all time high there this week at 108.7! Sheesh!

Hope everyone kept cool over the last week. What have you been eating to "beat the heat"?