mmm-yoso – Page 140

Saturday Sandwiches – Revisits to Embargo Grill and Gourmet Artisan

September 14, 2019 mmm-yoso Sandwiches

Well, it seems that the heat has returned; at least for this weekend. So, I’ll spare you my latest “foray into pho” and stick with some sandwiches for this warm Saturday.

Embargo Grill:

**** Embargo Grill has closed

I was chatting with “Nate” a few weeks back and the subject of Cubano’s and similar sandwiches came up. I mentioned Embargo Grill; which was my favorite when I did a comparison post a few years back. Our discussion planted a seed of sorts and since I hadn’t been back to Embargo Grill in over a year, I decided to drop by and grab a Medianoche…..I decided to grab one for Nate as well and took it to go.

This was a lot messier than I recalled; though the bread held out well for the short 15 minute trip. Nice amount of mustard, good pickles, you still really can’t make out the ham; the cheese was oozy and stringy. The pulled pork did taste a bit different; much more salty and for some reason, there was a fairly strong taste of cumin.

Not bad; but not quite as good as what I’d had during past visits. I’ll have to have one at the restaurant during my next visit.

Embargo Grill
3960 W Point Loma Blvd
San Diego, CA 92110

Gourmet Artisan:

**** Gourmet Artisan has closed

My usual go to in this strip mall on Miramar Road is SuperNatural Sandwiches (and Loren; you’re right, those fries at SNS are really good! Thanks!), but it had been a while since I’d gotten a sandwich from Gourmet Artisan; so I decided to grab a sandwich from there instead.

I’d enjoyed the Italian Sub the best during my previous visits; so I order one. And previous experience had me tell them to go easy on the dressing.

My biggest disappointment was that the fries no longer had parmesan and garlic on it. They had also not held up well during the short trip back to the office and were soggy. The fries used to be one of my favorite things about ordering a sandwich here.

The sandwich; which wasn’t oozing dressing and mayo this time around still edges close to “too much bread”, but was fine. I still think that the Swiss Cheese isn’t a great match for this sandwich. I enjoyed the crisp romaine lettuce and the tomatoes were nice and ripe. A thin layer of pepperoni and salami; the pepperoncini adds a nice crunch and “zip” to the sandwich.

A decent sandwich; but I really miss those fries!

I do like the nice folks who work here though.

Gourmet Artisan
7094 Miramar Rd. Suite 105
San Diego, CA 92121

Vienna – Paul Restaurant and a Quick Visit to Saint Stephen’s Cathedral

September 12, 2019 mmm-yoso Austria, Austrian Cuisine/Restaurants, European Restaurants, Travel

When planning our last trip to Europe, we decided to fly into Budapest and end our vacation in Paris (of course). Instead of flying to Paris, I talked the Missus into doing the trip by rail….I love train travel. The Missus decided to humor me; with the only condition being no trip over four hours long. Which would make a slight difference a bit later on. I plotted out our course from Budapest and decided our next stop would be Vienna (2 hours 45 minutes by train). The Missus had always wanted to visit Vienna….the history, art, music….and of course, the coffee culture.

We walked the mile and a half from the Vienna Central Station to the Parkview Residences where we were staying. Since we travel light, we try to alternate hotels and apartments. It was a bit of a blustery walk….in fact, it always seemed windy in Vienna. It was also a bit drizzly, but thankfully not pouring.

I really liked our location, while not in the center of Vienna, it was just outside the Ringstrasse, the ring road that circles the inner city. It was also right across the street from the Stadtpark, the large and lush city park.

Since it was already late in the afternoon when we arrived; I decided on something fairly close to the apartment, though right inside the ring road. Right past the park is Paul Restaurant, serving smaller plates in the bar area, in the style of a modern brasserie of sorts.

And while the Missus really never took to Vienna; She enjoyed the Austrian wines, and Paul was a good start.

We ordered five dishes off the menu, which turned out to be a perfect dinner. Remember, all we hadn't had much during the day.

Things started with a very nice Grilled Lettuce Hearts with Langostines.

The Langostines were perfectly cooked, sweet, and tender. The grilled lettuce had some nice varying textures and the grilling brought out some smoky-sweetness as well. The bacon bits added another layer of flavor and those confit tomatoes were delicious.

Next up; the Porcini Soup. While very comforting, the Missus said this didn't measure up to what I make at home (I'll get to the recipe one of these days). The fact that I use 1 ounce of porcini, porcini cream (when I can get it), truffle oil, two types of mushrooms, etc…..makes it a fairly pricey proposition.

This was smooth and creamy, with a mild porcini flavor.

I really enjoyed the Beef Tartare.

Rich and yet refreshing; the texture was smooth and decadent. Wonderful with the toasts provided.

The only clunker of the evening were the fried dumplings, which we probably shouldn't have ordered. The wrappers were like cardboard and the filling lacked flavor.

The jus was too salty and really made this an odd dish.

The cheese plate was a nice dessert, but nothing really stood out.

This was a nice, not too fancy, solid meal. Not overly rich and quite satisfying. The service was relaxed and the folks were friendly. And the Missus enjoyed the wine. Check out the sitting area outside the restrooms downstairs!

It was just what we needed. We were saving our heftier meal for days when we'd be doing more walking.

Paul Restaurant
Johannesgasse 16
Vienna 1010, Austria

Speaking of walking, after dinner the Missus wanted to check out St Stephen's Cathedral.

Like many Cathedral's and Churches it's really difficult to get a complete and clear photo. It's just so impressive. There was quite a bit of work going on so we weren't able to see some things like the Turkish cannonball still stuck in a buttress dating back to the second Ottoman siege of Vienna in 1683.

I was later told that there's always preservation and restoration work going on at the Cathedral.

The doors were open when we arrived so we walked in. There was choir practice commencing when we entered. The darkness of the place gave it quite and eerie feel.

We noticed what seemed to be stones in netting above the center of the Cathedral. I later learned that this was a work by Austrian artist Peter Baldinger, named "Sky Full of Stones", you can read more about it here. We lingered for a few more moments, then headed out, taking one last "lap" around the exterior of the Cathedral.

We headed back to the apartment, walking through the park. There's quite a bit to see in the park, a wonderfully grand Historicist Music Hall, a children's playground, we'd use the U-Bahn Station when leaving Vienna, and of course, many monuments. On this evening, the Johann Strauss Monument shined brightly, piercing the darkness.

We got back to the apartment, did a load of laundry, checked emails and such, then headed off to sleep. According to our plans; the next day would be a full one.

Thanks for stopping by!

Pho Hut & Grill Revisited

September 11, 2019 mmm-yoso Vietnamese Restaurants

I'm a bit under the weather, so just a short post for tonight.

Recently, on one of my "Honey Doo" weekend morning trips, I felt a bit hungry and was already on the way home from the "Sprouts – H Mart – Nijiya – Marukai – 99 Ranch Market" route. It wasn't overly hot yet and I do love my noodles for breakfast. It had been nearly two years since my last visit to Pho Hut. And even though my last couple of visits have been disappointing, I thought I'd give it another try.

Either they've changed the menu a bit or I hadn't been paying attention. I noticed that they had Hu Tieu Nam Vang on the menu??? I decided to take a chance and order it "dry"; that is with soup on the side.

It took a while for my dish to arrive……and when it did; well, it was Char Siu city.

A couple of things were obviously missing if you eat Hu Tieu Nam Vang Kho often enough. No bean sprouts (slightly blanched is best) and lime. No pork shank or bone in the broth….which was really salty….like MSG city.

But heck, if you like Char Siu, which, while being a bit on the dry side wasn't bad at all, maybe this might be your thing? The shrimp were overcooked and there were, thankfully for some, only one fish ball awaiting me in the bowl. Lot's of fried shallots.

The noodles were horrendously over-cooked and mushy and the sauce drizzled on the noodles for flavor, had none….or maybe it's because that sip of soup on the side had numbed my tastebuds?

Whatever the reason, I'm going to just drive past Pho Hut in the future……

Pho Hut & Grill
5252 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92117

Da Kine’s Reopens in Linda Vista

September 9, 2019 mmm-yoso Hawaiian Food, Local Kine Stuffs in San Diego, Loco Mocos, Plate Lunch

**** The La Mesa location has closed and Nelson is currently only doing catering

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

First off, before I get started on this post; I want to extend some major Mahalos to "Kerri" who sent me an email telling me Nelson Ishii and Da' Kine's is back in business. Kerri mentioned the address in the email and I instantly knew where this was; it's almost in my 'hood at the old Kona Kakes location in Linda Vista. Man, being out of town for two weekends in a row really prevented my from going "holoholo". But, once I was back in town, I quickly headed over to the strip mall on Linda Vista Road, and there it was!

Da Kine's la' dat

There's been a bit of shuffling of the configuration of the place from the time it was Kona Kakes, but the color scheme remains the same.

I placed my order and went to have a seat. And guess what? Nelson came over and started chatting with me…..the most I'd ever got out of him in the "old days", was "uh…..". It seems he's mellowed a bit over the years. While I waited we talked about what happened to Da Kine's, why he gave the restaurants to employees and went to catering, and why he's now back. Some of it seemed quite personal, so I'll leave it for folks to ask him yourself. I will say that Da Kine's was the first place I had a plate lunch at in San Diego when I was doing consulting work here in the late 90's. By the time we'd moved to San Diego in the "oughts", things seemed a bit shakey. By the time I did my post in 2005; Da Kine's had definitely slipped. So much so; like I mentioned in my Mira Mesa location post in 2007, a person identifying himself as the Manager of the PB location started his email with "Wow, yoso-harsh…..". And then all the locations started closing. The National City location became Nani Moku and the Liberty Station location closed soon after.

I ordered the Loco Moco, which hadn't done too well in my Loco Moco comparison in 2005. So, how would it fare fourteen years down the line?

Well, let's go back in time and pull out my "Modified Rubio Scale" inspired by James Rubio who used to have a wonderful food blog; Big Island Grinds. There's still a remnant of it here if you're interested.

So let's get on with it, eh?

BURGER: Two good sized patties with a nice char. A bit over-charred for my taste though. Moist and tender. Nicely seasoned, perhaps edging on too salty. 3.0

RICE: Back in the day; Da Kine's used to always serve rather mushy rice; but this was decent, not overly mushy, not hard. 3.0

GRAVY: Dark, but not gluey, somewhat beefy, no lumps, not overly salty. And guess what? They have Tabasco! 3.0

EGGS: Now this was weird. It's sunny side up, not over easy. It's also only slightly runny as the bottom portion is solid. Would also appreciate some crisp edges and seasoning. Also, you can tell it went from the pan on top of things because there's a pool of oil around the gravy. Still, not horrible. 2.5

STUFFS: Man, look at that bombucha scoop of mac salad. And it's not just mayo and macaroni. Perfectly chilled, well seasoned, much different than what I used to get at Da Kine's before. Did I mention the Tabasco? 3.5

Wow, that's a 15??? Pretty good, huh?

A few days later travelling between meetings I went and got take-out. I got the Chicken Katsu and an Ala Carte Kalua Pig and Cabbage.

The katsu was still fairly crisp, moist, and tender when I got to the office. Notice something missing? There was no katsu sauce…..soft opening missives I guess. Luckily, I have a bottle of Bull Dog Tonkatsu Sauce in my desk drawer….but pitty folks who got their katsu this way and don't. The mac salad was still cool when I consumed it, the rice was a bit dry.

I only had a couple of bites of the kalua pork and cabbage, which edged on almost being too salty and was really smoky. Also, it was almost three-fourth's pork. The way it should be. This was a drier version, but was not bad. In fact, I gave most of it to "AG" and Calvin, who both really enjoyed it.

This past Sunday, I went to work for a few hours, then decided to head down to Da Kine's to reward myself for lunch. I'd heard they had Laulau on Sundays. I cracked up when I saw Calvin waiting for a take-out order when I arrived. It was really good to see Lynn, his wife, and his little girl as well.

I ordered my Laulau plate and had a seat. Soon, several groups of people arrived…..many of them asking "where's Uncle Nelson?" From what I overheard, they had only made thirty laulau, and I'm sure they soon sold-out. But I did get mine.

And with some poi to boot. It's been a while since I've had poi. This was thick, smooth, innocuous. Looks like they've got the mac salad down as it was as good as the previous two times.

The laulau was moist and meaty, no salt fish though. The meat wasn't overly fatty (I do like some good chunks of fat in my laulau). I also like a good layer of luau leaf, this one only had one single layer, so there wasn't much of that bitter-sweet collard green like flavor I enjoy. I also thought the meat could have used a bit more salt.

The chicken long rice was the best version I've had in years; perfectly seasoned, great chicken flavor, the long rice wasn't mushy, and just enough ginger.

It was nice to see a couple of multi-generational families come in….I haven't seen this many people from Hawaii in one place on the Mainland in a while. "Uncle Nelson" is indeed beloved. And he's done quite a bit over the years for the Ex-pat Kama'aina community in San Diego. I actually went to that Kalapana Concert in 1999 partially sponsored by Da' Kine's. I was consulting here and stayed the weekend. Kalapana, along with C&K and Olomana defines what contemporary local music was to me when I was growing up back in the 70's. My friends brother sneaked us into Top Ada Shoppe to hear Kalapana and then later Summer play. I felt sad at that concert in 1999 because it was the year that Mackey Feary committed suicide. RIP Malani Bilyeu who passed away at the end of 2018.

It was great looking at the photos lining he walls….heck everybody now knows BJ Penn, but do you remember Mosi Tatupu?

I hope Da Kine's does well. It's fairly close to home for me; so I'll drop in once in a while for my plate lunch fix. And also to look at those photos and posters……

Da Kine's Plate Lunches
5401 Linda Vista Rd. #402
San Diego, CA 92110
Current Hours (as of 09/09/2019)
Tues – Sun 11am – 5pm

And thanks so much for thinking of us Kerri!

Sunday Sandwiches – Breakfasts at Bay Park Coffee

September 8, 2019 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix, Sandwiches

A few months ago; I took the long way to Costco on my Sunday fuel run. I decided to finally stop by Bay Park Coffee. I usually drop by the Poseidon Project next door about once a week for a pint or two, but had never really thought about checking out Bay Park Coffee.

If I'm headed this way in the morning; I'd usually drop by Bird Rock on Morena. But on this day, I decided to drop on by.

I just had a cold brew; which had a bit more sweetness and acidity than what I'd had at West Bean. And I really enjoyed the no frills neighborhood feel of the place.

I also recognized the person running the register on this day, he was very familiar and was a bit surprised that I remembered him. My good buddy Candice confirmed that the owner, Rio helped open Menya Ultra and even worked at Ota for awhile!

While the cold brew wasn't as good as the version at Bird Rock, I decided to return the following weekend after looking at the simple Breakfast/Brunch/Lunch menu. I'd enjoyed my simple breakfast sandwiches from West Bean and thought I should give this place a try. Especially after seeing all the folks having breakfast.

So, I returned the following weekend. It was already pretty hot and humid out, so I ordered a cold brew.

I decided on getting a Croissant Sandwich; the ham, egg, and cheese was nicely priced at $6.75. When I asked where the croissant came from; I was told Bread & Cie….sigh, not my favorite baker in San Diego; but what the heck…..they make a fairly huge croissant.

And, as you can see; this was pretty hefty. Based on the tiny kitchen; I expected IQF scrambled eggs; but these were fairly creamy, moist, and the cheddar did well. The saltiness from the ham along with the eggs really helped to temper what I don't care for about the B&C croissant. While nice and flakey, a fairly light, it really doesn't have the buttery-saltiness I look for in a croissant. Used as a sandwich though; it did well.

The young lady working the register was smiling and full of sunshine on this morning as well. I noticed a couple of tables eating something I would usually never think to have at a coffee shop. So, the next weekend, on the way to Catalina Offshore I stopped by for breakfast. Things weren't quite as warm on this weekend morning so I had an Americano to start off.

I had seen folks eating a ton of avocado toasts….which, well, I would just eat at home. But, I had also noticed quite a few folks having the Lox & Levain. Now, to be perfectly honest, I'd usually not have lox (I haven't lox in a while….I should make some soon) at a coffee shop. But, since Rio had worked at Ota; I thought perhaps the quality of the lox would be decent.

And while I'd have enjoyed a bit more salmon on my bread, what there was tasted perfectly fine. Like I said before; this place loves their avocado; which did well on this sandwich along with the nice smear of cream cheese. It really did a good job of balancing out the usually too chewy bread. Good amount of dill which helped to carve through all that fat. Not bad at all. The open faced sandwich rested on a bed of arugula, and the bitterness acted as a nice foil to the richness as well.

After back-to-back road trips over the last two weekends and some scorching, muggy weather to boot, I decided to drop by for a cold brew and a bite before heading off on my weekend errands. Immediately after placing my order, the guy manning the counter asked me if I was from Hawaii. I said yes and he started talking in Pidgin! His name is Noel, he lived in Hawaii, in my old neighborhood, Kaimuki!

I got his story; he moved to Honolulu to study Taiko Drumming with the legendary Kenny Endo! He now runs his own troupe here in San Diego and is also the General Manager of Bay Park Coffee. You go bruddah!

I had ordered the Pesto Turkey Sandwich and Noel recommended some cheese scrambled eggs to go with it.

There was a good amount of pesto, lots of rich-nutty-earthy flavors to the turkey sandwich. Again, I enjoyed the arugula, which added a nice, pleasant peppery-bitterness. The bread was a bit too chewy and the crust was tough. The scrambled eggs was passable and this was more than what I could consume for breakfast.

In the end; while I prefer the cold brew at Bird Rock, I prefer the food and coffee here to West Bean. I also really like the relaxed vibe and friendly staff here. Plus, I got a kick talking to Noel….he makes me miss "home". I guess I have another option for a unfussy, light breakfast, and coffee in the neighborhood. Plus, I run into folks from the neighborhood and on my last visit folks I knew from Thai Papaya who were looking at a nearby property for expansion. Now wouldn't that be a nice addition to the 'hood?

Bay Park Coffee
4130 Napier St
San Diego, CA 92110
Hours:
Mon – Fri 7am – 5pm
Sat 730am – 5pm
Sun 730am – 3pm

Laguna Beach – Top of the World Loop Trail, Dinner at Sapphire Laguna, and Sunsets

September 6, 2019 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Orange County, Road Trip, Travel

One of Frankie's favorite Aunties; "Alle" recently gifted us with a two night stay in Laguna Beach! So, after an early dinner on a Friday, we headed up to Laguna Beach. We parked downtown and scoped out places I had on my list and also places Uber Blogger "Elmo" had provided for me for the following evening's dinner. Sadly; we just weren't particularly impressed with the offerings……

But that was ok; we were staying at the charming La Casa del Camino; which was built in 1929.

Which has Spanish-style rooms….but our gift certificate specified staying in one of the "Casa Surf Rooms". Each had been designed by different designers and sponsored by various sports and activity companies like Billabong and Rip Curl. We got the very unique Roxy Room.

It was quite comfortable and the staff was very friendly. The hotel has a very popular restaurant and an even more popular Rooftop Bar with wonderful views and a zillion people doing alcohol therapy! We saw quite a few middle aged folks walking kind of unsteadily down the stairs during the evening. We just wanted to relax with the A/C on!

La Casa del Camino
1289 S. Coast Highway
Laguna Beach, CA 92651

We headed down one of the streets to watch the sunset.

The next morning the Missus decided She wanted to go on a hike. We had gone to the visitors center downtown the previous evening and the nice gentleman working recommended the Top of the World Loop Trail. So we headed up to Alta Laguna Park and spent a couple of hours on the easy hike……

It was a pretty hot and humid weekend and the views were pretty hazy.

Lots of mountain bikers and dogs were doing the trail. One really funny Retriever refused to even start the hike; he just laid down on all fours. The owner told us; he doesn't like the sun, so I guess we're not going past here today. It was really funny.

There were quite a few critters on the trail, a ton of rabbits, and this one actually shook his rattle at the Missus!

We were done by 930 and the Missus decided that She wanted Vientiane Lao Thai, so we drove over to Garden Grove for an early lunch. We then headed off to Rowland Heights to buy some snacks and other stuffs. We got back during the early afternoon and walked the mile or so to downtown, did some shopping, and scoped out a few more restaurants. In the end, we decided to have dinner at one of the places that was both on my "list" and had been recommended by Elmomonster. Sapphire Laguna; which was also a block away from our hotel.

The place was booked up; but we took some seats at the bar; which turned out to be an excellent decision. There's a Happy Hour menu, in addition to the regular menu at bar, even on weekends. The lead Bartender was an awesome young man named Paul. He was so friendly and it would turn out quite a mixologist. The Missus started with a glass of white wine and I had a Macallan 12.

The menu at Sapphire is very….well, global fusion.

We started with the Octopus Aguachile.

The pulpo was very tender and the Missus loved the avocado. It was, of course, bracingly sour, but also quite salty. This was not bad at all.

I saw the Burmese Fermented Tea Salad on the menu and had to try that. The presentation was very "Burma Superstar" if you know what I mean.

I eagerly mixed everything together. This was not bad; though it did miss the mark a bit; it was sour, though for some reason, it lacked the bitter-savory-slightly tanic tones that make tea leaf salad so addictive. The tomatoes weren't ripe enough to add acidity and there was too much lettuce in comparison to the laphet. Still, like the octopus, this wasn't bad.

At about this time, we'd gotten to know the two local guys sitting next to us on the bar. They were really friendly and we had a nice chat about local restaurants and bars….they both snorted when I mentioned the Rooftop Lounge…."it's only for tourists!" "And so crowded….." They seemed to know the bar staff quite well. I'm guessing they were regulars. About this time, the really busy, but friendly bartender, asked me if I wanted another drink. I said sure, but wondered if he could make me something….I described my tastes, smokey, smooth, bourbon or mezcal, bitters….. And he came up with the perfect cocktail for me…..all my favorite flavors in balance. It was amazing!

I asked him what the name of this cocktail was, and was told "it has no name….I just made it up for you right now". Awesome.

The Missus was still a bit hungry, so just for the heck of it, I ordered the Sonoran Dog off the Happy Hour menu. The Missus just loved this.

I mean, the bun and onions were just decoration. The Missus loved the snap and flavor of the hot dog; which had a mild spice to it; smoky, with a light oregano and perhaps cumin tones….the bacon didn't hurt at all either.

She loved it so much, I ordered another….. and also another "Paul's a Genius"….when Paul asked me what that was, I told him, "I just named that cocktail you made for me!" He cracked up. During a pause in the action, we had a nice chat. He had worked for a while in Seattle and made some recommendations for our next trip up there.

We loved the folks at Sapphire. And the bartender….and that (those) cocktail(s) was perhaps the highlight of the trip for me. We'd made the right choice for dinner.

Sapphire Laguna
1200 S, Coast Highway
Laguna Beach, CA 92651

We had no plans for the rest of the evening. Yes, I know the Pageant of the Masters was going on, but we just wanted to relax, without crowds and such.

We walked south along Coast Highway, past all the hotels and motels…..and headed down to the beach at Woods Cove…..it was beautiful.

The next morning we headed out early. We had lunch reservations and also needed to do a bit more shopping in the SGV.

We'd had a nice relaxing time in Laguna Beach….it's not quite our kind of crowd there; but all the locals and folks working were very nice. I'm glad we had a chance to check things out.

And those sunsets……

Thanks for stopping by!

Revisits – Tim Ky and Chicago Fire Grill

August 27, 2019 mmm-yoso Hot Dogs, Vietnamese Restaurants

It's still pretty darn warm out. I think you ought to be trying to relax and keep cool rather than reading a food blog….especially since there's noodle soup involved in this post. But; if you insist, well, I'll carry on.

Tim Ky:

This was actually my first restaurant meal after returning from our last trip to Budapest – Vienna – Munich -etc, etc, etc…..

Not sure why; but I ordered the duck leg egg noodle soup. At most places of this ilk, the duck is served, but here the whole leg is served in the soup. For some unknown reason….perhaps just wanting to see if it was as bad as what I had before?

In some ways this was even worse. The skin on the duck was rubbery; the meat really dry and tough. It's hard enough trying to eat this leg in a bowl of scalding soup without making a mess; but this made things even harder. The broth tastes like salty-bitter water with a hint of five spice….though it is really hot. The noodles were nicely cooked, it still had a bit of "crunch" to it. There was one slice of shiitake mushroom.

Ok, I'm done with this here, I'll stick with the beef sate noodle "dry".

Tim Ky Noodle
9330 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

Chicago Fire Grill:

A few weeks back; before "SJK" changed departments, we were both in meetings together with a short break in between. I knew that she loved hot dogs….but strangely had never had a Chicago Dog. I thought we'd be able to grab a Chicago Dog from Chicago Fire Grill. I called in and it was ready when I got there.

The fries were the same as on previous visits. The Poppy Seed Bun was a bit more soggy than usual and the tomato under-ripe. The Vienna Beef Dog had the requisite snap and of course it had been "dragged through the garden"; though there was a bit less fluorescent green relish than usual.

Still, "SJK" who had never had a Chicago Dog loved this.

The place was packed and quite busy on this day; so I got no "words of wisdom" from the Owner. I'm hoping my next visit will be better.

Chicago Fire Grill
8935 Towne Centre Dr.
San Diego, CA 92122

Road Trip – Vientiane Lao Thai Restaurant Revisited (Garden Grove)

August 26, 2019 mmm-yoso Lao Restaurants, Orange County, Road Trip

We were in the OC and it felt like a bazillion degrees. It was 10 in the morning and we were getting hungry, so where to go? I had a couple places in mind; though it was just too hot for most of what I had in mind. The Missus had a favorite of Hers, Song Long in mind. And then it came to Her….what would be perfect on a hot and humid day; it had been a while since we'd been to Vientiane; no not the city (though we loved it there); but Vientiane Thai Laos, which we had first tried in 2009 and really enjoyed. So, we drove on over to Westminster Avenue and the strip mall that hosts this little restaurant. Man, has parking always been so bad in this strip mall?

Anyway, the restaurant has changed over the years; it looks much more up to date, though we were hoping that the food would still be the same.

The young lady who served us was adorable, so sweet, and nice.

And of course we started with what was perhaps my favorite version of Nem Khao outside of Vientiane (the city).

Everything was so sparkling fresh. The Missus loved the amount of pork skin and sour sausage in the dish. I wasn't so thrilled as this was not quite as good as what I'd had here before. I thought the rice, instead of being crisp, was on the harder, more chewy side….not bad mind you; just not as crispy, though it was crunchy as what I'd had here on previous visits. There was till that nice sour-sausage-smoky-savory thing going on; but it didn't have the light, faint coconut flavor I recalled.

The Missus wanted Her favorite dish here; the Koong Chae Nam Pa, raw shrimp salad.

These days; the wonderful garlic-lime-fish sauce-chili sauce is now served on the side. Of course it was poured over everything. The shrimp were chilled, with just the amount of toothsomeness you'd want. The tomatoes were perfectly ripe and sweet and tangy. This was every bit as good as what we remembered.

The Missus also wanted Her Lao Style Papaya Salad.

By the time my attention went to this dish, the Missus had almost devoured the whole thing. Not as much salted crab as I recall; but man, this was so perfectly funky and savory; with a stiff spiciness….and again those tomatoes; though this time it had been perfectly bruised in the mortar and was so tender and sweet!

We had decided to add one more dish for the meal and asked the young lady for a suggestion. She recommended the beef salad. Asked how we'd like it done, I said "raw"….she looked up in surprised and said, "are you sure?" And I said, that's how it is traditionally, right? To which she nodded……and it turned out to be the right decision.

And it turned out to be the right decision. Unlike other versions where the meat is minced or chopped and served; this one was pounded in the mortar, making the texture wonderfully tender; like a good tartare. The rice powder added a nice nuttiness; the citrus the acid. The real bonus was the tripe which was surprisingly soft and buttery.

This was just the perfect meal for a hot and humid day. While other tables were getting pad thai and curries (and one dude seemed so hungry he was eating a plain bowl of rice!); we were cooling off with traditional Lao dishes.

It's good to know Vientiane Thai Laos Restaurant is still doing well nearly ten years since we first visited.

Vientiane Lao Thai Restaurant
10262 Westminster Ave
Garden Grove,CA92843
Hours:
Mon      11am – 9pm
Tues     10am – 9pm
Thurs    10am – 9pm
Fri- Sat 10am – 10pm
Sunday   10am – 9pm
Closed on Wednesdays

Szechuan Chef Revisited

August 21, 2019 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants

"SJP" recently took a position in another department, while I'll miss her, it amounts to a raise and promotion of sorts. "YZ" and I wanted to take her to lunch. "YZ" chose Szechuan Chef for lunch.

Here's what we had.

First up was the Spiced Bean Curd with Chive. Basically, 5 spice pressed tofu like you get at the market.

The dish looked quite colorful, but this was quite bland, really lacking in flavor, and there was no trace of "wok hay".

I ordered the Beef Tendon with Pickled Pepper, something that was pretty good on a previous visit.

This was much more gloppy than what I'd had here before and still lacked a decent amount of Pa Jiao (pickled pepper). The texture of the tendon as excellent though; soft and buttery. And while not particularly spicy, this was far from bland.

I also ordered another dish that had been pretty good on previous visits; the Beef Sour Soup. And while there was a lot less beef than what I'd had here before; I think it was of better quality.

The assertive sour tones really cleared your palate after the tendon dish. Still a good dish from Szechuan Chef.

The other clunker of the meal was the Tofu Skin. YZ and I were a bit confused when this dish didn't come out first as it's usually a nice cold appetizer. Well, this version was stir fried.

The bean curd skin was brittle and the cut of the bell peppers was too large. It lacked flavor and was really bland.

For the last dish we had the Salted Egg Yolk Soft Tofu. This was done pretty well.

I recall this being the dish "RonR" enjoyed when we had lunch here a while back. It's very "eggy" and savory. There are pieces of a "canned meat product"….a Spam-like substitute that added saltiness and texture. The tofu was soft and supple; this was a nice dish as well.

So, three-out-of-five isn't too bad. "YZ" told me the chef is from Chengdu. In terms of Sichuan style food; there's a real lack of "ma-la" (numbing hot) going on here; even when I've tried some of the supposedly spicer dishes.

That's okay, it was good to get out of the office and the three of us had a blast "talking story". Good luck SJP! Don't be a stranger!

Szechuan Chef
4344 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Cathy's also been here a number of times.

Alsace – Exploring Colmar, Dinner at Winstub de la Petit Venise, and a Kinda Creepy Coincidence

August 20, 2019 mmm-yoso Alsace, France, French Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Travel

While planning our trip to France, I told the Missus that I really wanted to head back to Alsace. I had really enjoyed our time in Strasbourg the year before. And though we'd be a week early for the Christmas Market, I thought having a short break in Colmar would be great! And so, we headed from Reims to Colmar, arriving at around 330 in the afternoon. As we headed to our apartment crossing Rue Turenne we understood why this area was called "Le Petit Venise"; not that it looked anything like Venice, not by a long shot.

But there are lovely little canals and wonderful half-timbered houses, and lovely bridges, like the Pont de Rue de Turenne. Which someone told me was called the "fanny bridge" because at certain times of the day folks would be lining up for photos and selfies with their backs against the railing, so looking from along the way, all you saw was a line of folk's backs and backsides lining the railing!

And to make things even better; we had a wonderful apartment with a balcony that overlooked the bridge. We'd entertain ourselves by heading out onto the balcony several times of the day just to watch folks on the bridge….or even just watch the water flowing by.

This was our view.