mmm-yoso – Page 144

Where in the world were we?

July 9, 2019 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, Mexico City, Travel

Even though we'd been back "home" from our last trip for just a few weeks….that "bug", that desire….the wanderlust hit us. We decided to take a trip over the weekend to a place we'd had on our "list" for a while. And enjoyed it more than we'd thought we would.

From the history and sights….

From the rather Bohemian neighborhoods to the grand wide streets….

And the history……

The colors…..

It was all amazing.

As was just taking a step back…..and looking at what was happening around you.

And of course the food…..

From the upscale…..

To the "classic"…..

To the everyday…..

There was nothing that we thought of as mediocre….a very amazing thing; at least for us.

To say we ate well is an understatement.

And yet, even beyond the food, the one thing that stays with us is the warmth and kindness of the people…..

I realize that I'm soooooo way behind on our travel posts, while trying to keep up here at home. I do appreciate your visits!

Thanks for stopping by!

Goi Cuon Inc (Hillcrest)

July 2, 2019 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

While driving on Robinson Avenue a while back I noticed that a shop named Goi Cuon was replacing The Thai Grill, which was shut down due to some, ahem, critter issues. A few weeks later I read about the opening on Eater. Apparently this shop is an extension of booths at the Hillcrest and OB Farmers Market.

It's an interesting location; but I really liked the hours; 8am to 8pm, which made it a nice little stop on a weekend morning. You know, a little something to eat before taking care of the "Honey-do" list.

Nice shop; clean, wide open, but man, it's quite a menu, with various combinations of the namesake dish, banh mi, salads, "pho rolls", cha gio. I quickly figured out, since the entire menu was in English, and with items like Shrimp and Strawberry and Shrimp and Avocado spring rolls, and a bunch of vegan offerings that this was kind of a fusiony shop.

Still, when I saw Sugar Cane Shrimp with "crispy snack" and "Vietnamese Sausage Pork with Crispy Snack", I figured I'd start there. After all, I've always thought if you can't make the basics, well….. So, there was a very friendly young lady working the counter. She was so nice and was a bit shocked when I ordered the Nem Nuong Cuon and Chao Tom Cuon in horrible Vietnamese. She laughed and asked me if and where I'd had this before and I told her, "Brodard" and the "now closed Dat Thanh". She smiled and we had a nice little chat while I had my Vietnamese Coffee and waited for my Goi Cuon.

Eventually, I got me spring rolls all wrapped up nicely in a little brown bag.

Man, they sure use a lot of plastic wrap. I had to work pretty hard getting it off the spring rolls!

Two sauces were provided; a peanut based dipping sauce and another sauce with a sweeter coconutty flavor.

The spring rolls are not cheap at $3 each, but I was given 20% off as it was during grand opening.

So, what did I think?

The Chao Tom Cuon had a nice thick piece of shrimp paste, which was a bit more tender than I'm used to. It was fairly bland however. There was that "Brodard-like" piece of fried eggroll wrapper which added a nice crunch. There was quite a bit of lettuce in this, some bun, and no other herbs. In spite of being tightly bound in plastic wrap; the spring rolls itself was wrapped fairly loosely.

Next up, the Nem Nuong Cuon.

This was a bit better, though it was again very mild in flavor.

Both really needed the dipping sauces; the peanut version went much better with both goi cuon.

So, no this wasn't nearly as good as Brodard. Heck, it wasn't as good as Duyen Mai or even Banh Mai. But these were fresh and I guess convenient if you live in the area. The young lady was so very nice as well. I wanted to check out a few other items on the menu, so I returned a few weeks later and picked up a lunch to take back to the office.

The nice young lady was again working; I believe she is the owner?

I wanted to try a Banh Mi; there are only "Grilled" meat, tofu, and easy over egg versions available. I'd usually go with the Banh Mi Op La – the fried egg version, but I decided on the grilled pork.

This was by far the best item I've had from Goi Cuon thus far.The bread was nicely done, standard issue banh mi, but warm, crusty-flakey, and it had held up well. The pork almost seemed braised, it was very tender. The pickled carrots and the cucumber were nice and crisp. But man, this was a bit too "gringo" for me, no jalapenos, no pickled daikon, this was banh mi not to offend.

I was curious about the "Pho Rolls"; so I ordered a shrimp version ($3). And yep, this was a version of Pho Cuon, an acquaintance who recently returned from Hanoi mentioned this dish to me, a thickish rice noodle roll, rightly wrapped around beef and herbs used for pho. This is what I got here.

The rice noodle was on the thinner side and was wrapped quite loosely as it just fell apart. No herbs, just lettuce and cucumber; though the shrimp was nice and plump, well prepped. Overall, this was pretty bland and I thought some nuoc mam cham would have gone better with this than the peanut sauce.

There was one more item I was curious about. It was the shrimp and avocado spring roll ($3); so I ordered one. I mentioned how tightly these are wrapped earlier. By the time I got all the layers of plastic wrap off; the spring roll wrapper had started to peel.

The slice of avocado adds an interesting textural contrast; but very little in terms of flavor. The shrimp were thin half slices, quite bland, and having just bun and lettuce again really hurt the overall flavor of the spring roll.

And paying $12 bucks for this lunch seemed on the high side for me.

So, while the spring rolls are nice and fresh; I find the overall preparations and flavors a bit too "Westernized" for me. It's missing the herbs, seasonings, and other ingredients that make these dishes Vietnamese in my mind.

Also, I had thought that Goi Cuon was at least a nice, fresh breakfast option in the area; but at last glance they've changed their hours and are no longer open from 8 to 8. I really like the owner; she's really nice, I hope they do well, but for me, the food has lost its "soul" somewhere along the way.

Goi Cuon Inc
420 Robinson Ave.
San Diego, CA 92103
Hours
Mon – Fri 1030am – 930pm
Sat – Sun 11am – 10pm

Sunday Sandwiches – Revisits to SuperNatural (Miramar) and Sandwich Emporium (Mira Mesa and Clairemont)

June 30, 2019 mmm-yoso Sandwiches

Just some revisits for a sunny Sunday.

Supernatural Sandwiches (Miramar):

**** SuperNatural Sandwiches has closed

Always a stop on my lunch sandwich "rotation", it been nearly a year since my last post, so I thought it was a good time for one.

I know you're expecting this……

The "Siren"; from garlicky-spicy mayo; to the moist and plump shrimp, to go with the buttery-slightly sweet brioche. It's been my favorite since the days when SuperNatural had a stand in the San Diego Public Market. But on my last visit; I decided to finally go with something else.

Still sticking to the "shrimp theme", I ordered the Kirin; basically a shrimp and Chinese sausage Banh Mi.

And I thoroughly enjoyed this as well! I like the way SN does their shrimp, it is almost always plump and juicy….no deviation on this visit. I also always believe that the Siren would do well with a bit of acidity and the typical, pklced crunchy carrot and daikon did the job here. The bread was warm and crusty, a passable Banh Mi. Slices of lup cheong lined the bottom of the sandwich….so; I guess if I took a large bite I'd get a bit of the chewy, slight sweetness. Not a big fan of the way the sauce was drizzled on top of the sandwich, making it….well, like the Siren a mess….but heck, that's splitting hairs.

Of course I'm going to return.

SuperNatural Sandwiches
7094 Miramar Rd. #122
San Diego, CA 92121

Sandwich Emporium – Clairemont and Mira Mesa:

SE hold a special place in my heart as it was one of the first posts I did back in May of 2005! And, as I've noted over the years, they've also created a little empire of shops. I don't get to my neighborhood shop quite as often these days; but recently stopped by when I had to head home during lunch.

And like on that visit; I got the Spicy Julio.

It seems that this combo of roast beef, avocado, pepper jack, pickled jalapenos is a nice combination. I think there's even more filling then before. I did wish the bread had been toasted a bit more to give it a bit more crunch and the the tomatoes were more ripe, but this is a good sandwich.

A few days later; I was doing some shopping…..I did consider fighting the crowds at Menya Ultra; but it was a bit too warm. So I headed around the corner to Sandwich Emporium.

And got a Spicy Julio again. And perhaps there had been somekind of weird telepathic communication? Because this is what I got.

The nice crustiness of the bread just made it that much better.

Which has me wondering; are things made differently at the two shops? Hmmm; I'll need to visit more often.

Sandwich Emporium
3054 1/2 Clairemont Dr
San Diego, CA 92117

and

Sandwich Emporium – **** The Mira Mesa location of Sandwich Emporium has closed
8155 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

Hope you're keeping cool this rather muggy (for San Diego) and warm weekend!

Honolulu – Ahi Assassins and Walking Around Shirokiya Japan Village Walk

June 28, 2019 mmm-yoso Honolulu, Japanese Restaurants, Oahu, Poke, Travel

**** Both this location of Ahi Assassins and the Shirokiya Japan Village Walk have closed

Our first full day back from Lana'i was spent doing a bit of shopping. And of course we wanted to get some grindz. Since we don't visit "Home" very often these days; it's quite easy to fall into the "I gotta get all my favorites" mode….just like the previous evening when we hit up the Alley.

On this day though; I wanted to try someplace new. I'd heard about a newish shop that opened up in Moiliili. One that serves fish from the waters around the islands; Ahi Assassins. Funny, when I read the address, I thought, where the heck in that small strip mall are they? Well; the shop is on the second floor. Just look for the Fish Flags!

There's something wonderfully "neighborly – old school" about this place. Like a small hole-in-the-wall that could have been in your neighborhood in the islands growing up.

There are several poke on offer….when it's gone, it's gone. Kind of reminds me of Ray's Café before they moved to Kalihi (btw, we miss you Reid! Hope all is well), when they were on the corner of Smith and Beretania. They had a hand written sign that said; "when the door is open we open, when its closed, we closed". But I digress.

Anyway, the really friendly guy behind the counter got us trying….well, just about everything.

We ended up spending like almost fifty bucks here on poke!

If you're keeping score; from the top left clockwise; The "Secret", basically a riff on Shoyu Poke, a bit sweet, perhaps a bit too salty, the ahi had a real good texture. The "Lunatic" a mayo-less (yay!) version of spicy poke, a bit too salty, with nice touches of garlic. It wasn't too spicy and the Missus didn't care for what She said was "too chewy and overly sauced". The Hawaiian, very traditional definitely my favorite, great balance with regards to salt – onions, though I really couldn't make out the inamona. Excellent texture with regards to the fish on this one. And, for the Missus, a very typical sriracha-mayo based spicy ahi.

Could not fault the quality of the fish; though some of the preparations seemed a bit over done for us. Still, I'd gladly return.

Ahi Assassins
2570 South Beretania St. #204
Honolulu, HI 96826
Hours:
Mon – Tues 10am – 5pm
Wed – Sat 10am – 6pm
Sunday 10am – 2pm

We actually took our fish down to Ala Moana Beach and just had a nice lunch.

Leaving Ala Moana Park I noticed these window washers working on I believe it's Waiea. Sheesh….talk about a spooky job! Definitely not for me!

One of the reasons we headed down to Ala Moana Beach was to do some shopping at Ala Moana Center. After buying some "stuffs"….well, we weren't through with shopping, but had pretty much done enough for the day, I wanted to check out another newish place that I had read about in the Star-Advertiser and then in post by Kat. Shirokiya, now how's that for a blast from the past, opened up it's own version of a Japanese Food Street called the "Shirokiya Japan Village Walk". So, we just wanted to check it out.

No, we didn't eat here on this trip, but it was fun exploring. We actually did return the next day to pick up some stuffs from Foodland Farms. But as always, so much food, so little time.

Thanks for stopping by!

Budapest – Dinner at Hungarikum Bisztro, a Walk to Buda, and a Danube River Cruise at Night

June 25, 2019 mmm-yoso Budapest, Hungarian Food and Restaurants, Hungary, Travel

It was getting a bit warm after our lunch at Street Food Karavan Budapest. After having a slightly annoying drizzle during the morning and an overcast noon, the sun was now brightly shining down on us. We'd done a fair amount of walking and it was time for a nice nap in airconditioned comfort.

We woke after that short respite fresh and ready to go. And of course, I had to take yet another look at the view out our window….it just never got old.

We walked the rather short distance over to the place I'd booked a few weeks earlier. I'd heard the place, by the name of Hungarikum Bisztro, was very popular and served well prepared traditional Hungarian dishes; which both the Missus and I wanted to try. Also, this was a Sunday so many of our options were limited.

We got there about five minutes before opening and were quickly seated. The young lady who served us was so friendly and just a joy! There was a gentleman playing the Cimbalom. When we were seated, he looked over at us, smiled, and started playing some romantic standard whose title escapes me at this moment. It was quite charming. The restaurant filled up quickly.

The missus started with a glass of white wine; while I chose something a bit more interesting; Unicum Next. Unicum is basically bitters, made from a bunch of different botanicals. Unicum Next is supposed to be lighter; but at 80 proof this still had a bit of kick which was amplified by all the bitter tones.

The Missus took a sip and made one of those really funny faces only She can make. I actually had another as an digestif.

As for ordering; the Missus went with the three course House Special Menu; basically Goulash, Duck Leg with Onion Potatoes, and Braised Cabbage, and a dessert, which seemed like something right up Her alley. I went ahead and ordered the Loin of Pork with Paprika Sauce. The young lady was really on top of things and asked if we'd like to split the goulash soup.

First up, the amuse bouche of bacon and onion bread topped with sour cream and paprika. This was moist and quite lovely as it wasn't too savory, nor too sweet.

The Goulash Soup was interesting as it was a lot milder than I anticipated.

The beef was as expected, on the chewy side, but the broth while lightly smokey and salty, was quite mild; we ended up using the entire small bowl of chili paste provided with the meal (which was nicely floral and spicy) to add some "umph" to the goulash.

The Missus's Duck Leg was decent, if a bit on the drier side, though the skin of the duck was decently crisped up, and it had been under-seasoned. We were warned by the young lady serving us that Hungarian Food was "salty and spicy", but so far not so much.

The cabbage while nicely flavored was quite dry and the potatoes dry and pasty, in need of some seasoning as well.

I fared better with my Pork Loin.

The pork was toothsome, though still pleasant to eat. It was nicely seasoned with salt, pepper, and paprika. The porkiness was quite mild as I expected a more pronounced swineyness to it like other regions of Europe. The paprika sauce was good and the sour cream added some nice acidity. The bacon-sour cabbage "dumplings" were on the dry and hard side, but had a mild savory-sourness to it. The dumplings strangely seemed like it was more on the, ahem, healthy side than I expected.

The Missus got Her dessert and I my liquid version.

The meal was quite inexpensive the service excellent and charming. I was glad I'd made reservations as we saw several parties being turned away….one had an older gentleman who was quite pushy and plain nasty…..oh boy; another "Ugly American". Sigh…..

Not sure I'd eat here again, but it was low keyed, friendly, easy to find, and easy on the wallet.

Hungarikum Bisztro
Steindl Imre Utca 13
Budapest 1051, Hungary

It was still bright outside when we left the restaurant and walked to the Danube.

And we revisited some of the places we'd checked out earlier in the day.

The Missus decided that we should walk across the Chain Bridge and since it was still light out, I really couldn't come up with any good excuse.

So we headed toward the bridge. Along the way we passed this place which was starting to fill up. It's the Pontoon Bar….which, even though two Viking Cruise ships was were docked right next to it; seemed to be filling up with young locals.

The view from the bridge is quite nice and the walk across is just about a quarter mile.

Across the bridge is the funicular up to the Royal Palace; which of course we never took because, well….you know the Missus, and the Castle Tunnel. To the right of the tunnel are stairways; which you can use to hike up to the palace; or be like us on this evening and stop at the viewpoint right over the tunnel.

That roundabout is called Clark Adam Square…which cracks me up, because, well, it's round. It's named after the designer, William Clark and the engineer who managed the building of the Chain Bridge Adam Clark.

The Missus decided that we needed to walk down the Buda side and cross on the Elisabeth Bridge a bit further south.

I'll have photos from the Buda side in a future post as we visited twice more.

The Gellért Monument (Gerard of Csanád Monument) overlooks the bridge. Read more about Gerard by clicking on that link.

And of course the views from the Elisabeth Bridge were wonderful.

After crossing the bridge, we headed back to the Marriott. Right across from the Marriot, you can head down some stairs to the Danube. The Missus decided that since it was a beautiful evening (I have the feeling that Budapest has many beautiful evenings) we should see about taking a Danube River Cruise. I read and found out that the cruise was only about 45 minutes long, was narrated, and cost the equivalent of around seven bucks each. Sold! And I am so glad we did this. We got on the last cruise of the evening and the sun had fully set.

I did learn a bit about the history of the various bridges and buildings….but man, the views. During my previous posts I'd mentioned how beautiful the Buda side of the Danube was….and yes, it was indeed beautiful.

But man, when the lights of the Parliament Building comes on……well, the photos speak for themselves.

You need no narration…..the photos speak for themselves, right?

Thanks for stopping by!

Monday Meanderings – Smack’n Guamanian Grill Coming to Miramar, No Moa’ Poke at Zarlitos, and Some Snackage

June 24, 2019 mmm-yoso Guamanian/Chamorro, Poke, Stuff

I haven't done one of these for a bit, so here are a couple of things I saw this past weekend.

Smack'n Guamanian Grill Taking Over the Bann Bann Cutlet & Teriyaki Location:

Noticed this as I drove past the old Bann Cutlet & Teriyaki location on Miramar. In case you don't know; Bann has reopened in the new H Mart.

I'll miss Bann, but it looks like some Kelaguen is coming our way?

9506 Miramar Rd
San Diego, CA 92126

No Moa' Poke at Zarlitos:

I was hoping to grab some poke this past weekend so I drove down to Zarlitos, which I thought made some pretty decent poke, it had become a favorite of the Missus, and I enjoyed having a "Poke-silog" from time to time. First thing I noticed was a sign on the door announcing that Zarlitos was raising their prices. I walk in and quickly noticed no poke in the fridge and a sign that said there has been a management change and no more poke.

Looks like I'm going to have to work on a replacement.

Zarlitos Family Restaurant
505 East 8th St.
National City, CA 91950

And finally……

A Bit of "Snackage":

During my last trip to the SGV for an appointment; I stopped by Hong Kong Plaza, which has gone thru so many changes since we lived in the neighborhood in the late 90's. I quickly noticed how much HK Market had changed; especially the snack selection. So, when we recently drove up to the SGV for lunch (that post is coming soon), I convinced the Missus to drop by the market.

At first She wasn't too keen on the idea……but then

She saw the snacks and had a pretty good haul.

The salted egg fish skin is pretty heady stuff; deeply savory, and not cheap at almost ten bucks a package.

We did have a good time…..and because I was curious, I also got a bottle of the 3 year aged black vinegar ($8.29!!!) for my jiaozi as well.

While I was there, I actually saw a customer grab that bottle on the left, open the cap, and pop the tab to have a whiff. Sigh…..some things never change.

Hong Kong Supermarket
18414 Colima Rd #1
Rowland Heights, CA 91748

Sunday Sandwiches – Running Into a “Little Frenchie” (Francesinha) at Paragon Deli Cafe

June 23, 2019 mmm-yoso Sandwiches

**** Sadly, Paragon deli has closed.

Just before we returned from vacation I received an email from (Friend of Yoso) FOY Som Tommy. He started off mentioning visiting a newish deli in the Point Loma area and running into a sandwich I'd mentioned from our travel posts. I almost fell down when he said it was a Francesinha! Apparently he remembered the sandwich from my post on Cafe Santiago in Porto. In case you don't remember what that Francesinha, called a "Little Frenchie" because it was based on a Croque-Monsieuer looked like; this might help.

I had always regretted not having another one of these while in Porto….basically, the Missus would not let me have another….under the guise of caring for my health and fortitude!

So, here I had another chance.

This tiny, but well adorned little shop….I really loved the décor from the tin ceiling tiles to fans; is located in a strip mall on Shelter Island Drive, in the same structure as Fiddler's Green. Parking is a bit of a challenge as there are only two spaces for Paragon in the lot.

The gentleman training the young lady on the register on this day was really friendly and I found my target on the lunch menu at the bottom of the "Signature Sandwiches" list….."Portuguese Francesinha". How appropriate since as the Portuguese have a long history, especially as Tuna Fisherman in Point Loma. We had a short chat at the counter talking about Porto, where the gentleman had been just last year and the Francesinha.

Which was brought to my table shortly by a very friendly older gentleman…….this was humongous.

In case your keeping score; this has ham, roast beef, Linguica Sausage, cheese, topped with a fried egg and "Francesinha sauce" and it was recommended that I have fries with it……the fried egg and fries would have made the "Francesinha a Santiago" at Café Santiago, which is what I regretted not ordering.

The sandwich had been decently toasted, so the bread held out pretty well. The Linguica garnered most of the attention the flavor stood out the most. The egg was a perfect easy over, not that all this gooeyness needed any help. Loved the fries which stayed relatively crunchy thru the whole meal…mainly because this wasn't as drenched in sauce as versions in Porto.

The usual tomato and beer based sauce was also a bit tangier, thicker, and milder than the version I had in Porto. If I had one wish; it would have been the use of a more flavor forward cheese as while it was wonderfully stringy and gooey; I'd have enjoyed more milkiness.

And yes; this was a total calorie bomb, I basically finished two thirds of it before saying "no mas"…..but if I had perished; it would have been with a smile on my face!

I'm sure regular readers would have quickly noticed that this was a single visit. I liked the folks here so much; that I'm sure to revisit. The place seems to have quite a few regulars; at least on this day. They wondered if I lived in the neighborhood and quickly made recommendations for my next visit. And, if I do have another Francesinha; I'll make sure to bring reinforcements.

Paragon Deli Café
2724 Shelter Island Drive
San Diego, CA 92106
Hours:
Mon – Sat 7am – 3pm

Clearing Out the Memory Card – Our Last Night in Bologna

June 21, 2019 mmm-yoso Airport/Airline/Cruise/Rail Food, Emilia-Romagna, Italy, Italian Restaurants, Italy, Travel

I figure I better get these posts done. Our trip to Florence and Emilia-Romana finished up in April of last year.

We had really enjoyed our time in Emilia-Romagna; from the Culatello to the Tortellini en Brodo, to aged Parmesano Reggiano…well, that was me. The Missus loved the castles, the Devil's Bridge, and we both loved the warm and friendly people…and of course the amazing Italian Days Food Tour.

For our last dinner in Bologna, I selected a modern, yet very popular restaurant named Oltre. I'd heard it was a bit difficult to find, so while the Missus was taking a nap I headed out to find the sticker covered door of the restaurant.

So, for dinner, I basically retraced our steps. The restaurant was dimly lit and the wine and bread were quite good.

The food however, was disappointing; from the bland broth and the strange and almost rancid tasting pasta in the Tortellini en Brodo (we mentioned this to the Server who looked at us and said; "this is the way it's supposed to taste").

To the tough meat in the Sformantino en Ragu….

The Guancia di manzo (beef cheeks) were very tender, but the thick sauce was bitter and overwhelmed the equally delicious black cabbage.

We just decided to call it quits before dessert.

Oh well, sometimes it just doesn't work out, right?

Oltre
Via Augusto Majani 1
40122 Bologna, Italy

We took our time heading back to the apartment. Stopping to take in Piazza Maggiore.

And yet another amazing street performer.

Here's a little snippet of the performance.

Awesome, yeah?

As is my little tradition; I picked up a beer on the way back to the apartment.

And the next day we headed home. The Business Class Lounge in Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport is kinda cramped and the offerings nothing worth mentioning.

What is worth mentioning is the excellent fast-track security exit at the rear of the lounge.

And because "DerekR" seems to like my airline food photos…….this is for you!

The Chicken Terrine was the best item.

So that's it…..

Thanks for stopping by!

Budapest – Langos from Langos Burger at Street Food Karavan

June 20, 2019 mmm-yoso Budapest, Food Trucks, Hungarian Food and Restaurants, Hungary, Travel

We were really having a great time walking around Lipótváros (Leopold Town); there seemed to be something around every corner. By now, the clouds had started melting away and the sun started shining through. As we crossed thru Liberty Square I noticed this (yet another) statue.

Yes, it's a statue of Ronald Reagan. It is said that RR is beloved in Hungary because of his efforts to end the Cold War.

A few yards away is the Soviet War Memorial. Which commemorates Liberation Day (April 4th) when the Soviets forced the Nazis out of Hungary. I find it somewhat interesting that Ronald Reagan's Statue sits just a few meters away. Such is the complex history of Hungary I guess.

Right past that is the Monument to the Hungarian Victims of the Nazis.

Which is a controversial monument, after all, didn't Miklós Horthy ally himself with Adolf Hitler? The memorial was so controversial that from what I read; it was completed under the cover of darkness. Like I said; its complicated.

A short stroll away is Szent Istvan Bazilika (St Stephen's Basilica). I read that the plaza in front of the Basilica was once a huge parking lot; but the parking lot has been moved underground, creating this nice, open, plaza.

We enjoyed the little stretch of Sas Utca leading up to the plaza where the Basilica stood. Here and there you'd see bits of normal life……

We headed down the pedestrian only Zrinyl Utca back to the Danube. With the sun peeking out, the Royal Palace sure looked wonderful.

All this walking had stirred up our appetite. We had what seemed like a pretty hefty dinner planned, so I thought we'd head toward the Jewish Quarter; past the Great Synagogue.

And the Tree of Life Memorial in Raoul Wallenberg Holocaust Memorial Park in the back of the Synagogue.

A few blocks past the Synagogue is a very popular area; once full of abandoned buildings, the area is now full of Ruin Bars and restaurants. We went to check out the original ruin bar; Szimpla Kert, but it was Sunday, market day, and the place was packed to the rafters.

After unsuccessfully trying to find us some space we headed next door, to a lot full of food trucks called "Street Food Karavan Budapest".

I had wanted to try some Langos, the fried dough specialty of Hungary. I'd been told that "Langos Burger", parked in this lot of food trucks was a great place to try them.

And yes, while they do actually have a "Langos Burger", I was after a more traditional version, which is what I ordered. The Missus went with the "red", which is topped with red peppers.

These are made to order, so there's a short wait. For which you are rewarded with steaming hot fried bread.

Like I said, I got the "Classic" which is served with the traditional sour cream (very mild) and grated cheese (ditto). The bread was fairly yeasty, with a mild salt, and very light sweetness. It wasn't greasy, but overall was pretty mild in flavor.

The "red" had more flavor from the mildly spicy and slightly sweet red peppers which we enjoyed much more.

This was filling stuff.

I'm not sure I'd have this again….well, maybe one more time if we're back in Hungary. But it was fun, the sun was now shining down brightly and people were enjoying the day.

Street Food Karavan Budapest
Kazinczy Utca 18
Budapest 1075, Hungary

It had turned into quite a beautiful day. And since the sun didn't set until nearly 9pm, we'd be assured of a nice evening.

Even after a short nap!

Chicken Wing Wednesday – Cross Street Chicken and Beer Revisited

June 19, 2019 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Chicken Wings, Korean Restaurants

I always try to return to places and I thought it was about time for a revisit to Cross Street. My previous visits were when the place was in pre-soft opening mode and I'd waited a good long time…since then there's been several other "KFC" places open in the San Diego region. So, I was interested to see how Cross Street was doing.

The place is open for lunch these days so I headed over between meetings.

I got there right at 1130 and actually found a parking spot……seemed like a good sign.

The menu has changed a bit since my previous visits, with lunch specials, and other items though the service was just as friendly and nice.

I started with something I found interesting on the menu; the Corn Poppers ($7).

I actually enjoyed these fried little spheres. The interior was like a molten bechamel and had some nice and sweet corn; wasn't overly cheesy, the bacon was a nice savory touch.

I actually enjoyed these more then the wings.

After some contemplation, I went with the Soy Garlic ($12) Wings. Now, in my previous post I mentioned how large the wings here were and my preference of a smaller wing with a better batter – skin – meat ratio. If anything, these were even larger than before!

The coating seemed to have also been revised as it was harder and more lacquer like then before. Not necessarily a good thing in my book as it was a bit too crumbly. It as also drenched in sauce….previously, there was a nice light glaze; which made for a decent balance in saltiness to sweetness to batter to tasting the chicken. In this case it was just way too sweet as the glaze just overwhelmed everything. Not sure if this is the new standard here. The chicken was moist and cooked perfectly so no complaints there.

Like I said; I enjoyed those corn poppers….and used to like the fried pickles which are no longer on the menu. I also really like the young people working here. I'll probably return; but with a few more folks in tow and this time will definitely order those garlic parmesan wings instead.

Cross Street Chicken and Beer
4403 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111
Hours
Sun – Wed 1130am – 930pm
Thurs – Sat 1130am – 1130pm