mmm-yoso – Page 156

Paris – Boulangerie Laurent B, Les Deux Magots, and L’Avant Comptoir

July 21, 2018 mmm-yoso Bakery, Caffeine Fix, Croissants, France, Paris, France, Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine, Travel

The Missus was starting settle in a bit…..and She needed a "mission"; something to obsess about. So why not croissants? I had always thought that an excellent croissant au beurre is harder to come by than most folks think. I believe our lunch the previous day at Gontran Cherrier had stirred something. The Missus had croissant fever. During our wonderful meal the previous evening at Arnaud Nicolas we had a nice chat with one of the Servers. He said croissants are a very "personal preference" and we should explore…..but we should definitely stick with artisan boulangerie, where strict codes are adhered and the products are made on premises.

So the very next morning we stopped almost right across the street from Le Fontaine de Mars (La Fontaine du Gros-Caillou).

At the beautiful Boulangerie Laurent B.

We loved the vibe and the very "French" design of the shop.

The croissant, not so much. It was doughy, not buttery nor flakey enough.

Boulangerie Laurent B
112 rue Saint-Dominique
75007 Paris, France

We spent the day on the left bank; exploring shops and taking in some of the sights. Nothing major; just kinda having a nice time in the Saint Germain and Latin Quarter. There's tons of shopping to be done here.

And sometimes and occasional sight like the Église Protestante Saint-Jean.

After spending a good amount of time shopping; we needed to refuel a bit.

On our previous trip to Paris; we passed Les Deux Magots ("le do mago") once the meeting place of Paris's literati and the artistic set. Names like James Joyce, Hemingway, Oscar Wilde, and Albert Camus are mentioned.

It is, of course, now a major tourist stop. We sat outside and had our caffeine fix.

Sitting outside; paying a ton for over priced coffee, watching dozens of tourists taking selfies in front of the place.

I went in to take a look at "Deux Magots"….the café opened in 1884 and kept the name of the silk shop that once stood here.

You do have a nice view of the Église de Saint Germain des Prés.

And the people watching is quite interesting.

Les Deux Magots
6 place Saint-Germain des Prés
75006 Paris, France

A bit more shopping…well, then it was time for lunch. We just wanted something small to eat and a tapas bar named L'Avant Comptoir came highly recommended.

We found the tiny shop to be quite charming. It did indeed remind us a bit of those stand-up pintxos places we enjoyed in San Sebastian and Bilbao.

Menu cards hung on the wall; specials on a chalkboard.

The service….was well, brusque and borderline rude…..only to us though…..

It was bit strange.

Though I got a kick out of watching one lady walk in; order a glass of white wine, and chug the whole thing down in one gulp. She must have been thirsty.

I managed to order two glasses of wine and three items from the menu before the guy just turned around and walked away from me.

The first to arrive was the foie gras (remember "Basque Butter"?). This version was served with preserved cherries.

First off; the bread here was nice and warm, it was delish.

The foie gras was overcooked and mealy. The sauce was a bit too sweet for our taste. Very disappointing.

I ordered the Chanterelles with Jamon Iberico.

Loved the textural contrast of the crisp, crunchy croutons and the mushrooms. Wasn't a big fan of the Jamon as it was too lean for my taste…..I must be spoiled by all the Jamon Bellota Iberico Pata Negra I ate in Spain. The flavor was off for us as well; too much sour acidity.

The one dish that was excellent was the pork belly.

Crunchy skin, buttery fat, nicely seasoned; the wonderful porcine flavor shone through.

So; it was one out of three with regards to the food. Perhaps it was an off day? But the lousy service didn't help things either.

It seems we always have one not-so-great meal in Paris. So perhaps it was good that we got that out of the way.

L’Avant Comptoir
3 carrefour de l'Odéon
75006 Paris, France

Revisits – No Pho at Pho Hiep and Grill (Linda Vista) and Pho SaiGon Bliss

July 19, 2018 mmm-yoso Vietnamese Restaurants

A couple of revisits for you…….

Pho Hiep and Grill:

My dry cleaning lady who lives in City Heights always mentions the Bun Man Vit at Pho Hiep. While she does agree that the best in the San Diego area is Tu Thanh, in spite of not serving much shredded banana blossom with the BMV these days……..though she tells me that the version at Pho Hiep is in a strong second place in her opinion. And while I really didn't care for the Bun Mang Vit the last time I tried it. I was kind of hungry after picking up my dry cleaning and decided to head on over and have it again.

In some ways this was much better than the BMV I had the last time. The broth was full of the earthy-woodsy bamboo shoot flavor; like the dried shoots had been steeped in the broth. The bun was cooked perfectly. I enjoy the peppery-citrusy rau ram (Vietnamese Coriander) that crowns the bowl. The veggies were sparkling fresh; though no banana blossom here either. I'm not a big fan of the overly sweet dipping sauce. And there were only two-three pieces of bony duck and the rest was chicken livers which kind of ruined things for me.

Enjoyed the broth, noodles, herbs, and veggies. Hated the dipping sauce and chicken livers.

Pho Hiep & Grill
6947 Linda Vista Road
San Diego, CA 92111

Pho SaiGon Bliss:

**** Pho SaiGon Bliss has closed

Right before all this hot weather arrived, I had to take the Missus's car in for a smog check on a Sunday. One of the few places open within a reasonable distance was on Murphy Canyon Road. Man, those guys were super fast and efficient. Once things were done; I wanted to grab a bite to eat. I decided to return to Pho SaiGon Bliss. Man, the place was quite busy when I arrived.

I decided to order what I thought was the best item I had during my previous visits; the Banh Mi Bo Kho.

I'm not if it was because the place was so busy, I didn't mind waiting thirty minutes for my Bo Kho….I understand. But man, this isn't what I'd call anything close to a stew. Beef maybe since there was a ton of fairly tender beef in the bowl; tendon was MIA. On this visit; the broth was super thin, it lacked enough tanginess, spice, or black pepper flavor. It was….basically……pho broth with beef stew seasoning and not enough of it at that. I had remembered when the nice young man told me this was his "grandmother's recipe". But I guess that was then……

The banh mi was nicely toasted and hot….not sure about the typical sprouts and basil that's served with pho.

This is totally "Bo Kho not to offend".

The service; in spite of being super busy was very nice. Too bad about the beef stew.

Pho SaiGon Bliss
3755 Murphy Canyon Rd
San Diego, CA 92123

Talkeetna – Twister Creek Restaurant & Denali Brewpub

July 17, 2018 mmm-yoso Alaska, American/New American Restaurants, Beer, Gastropub, Travel

It had been a pretty long day by the time we were able to check-in at lodge we were staying at. We decided to take a short nap. Upon waking; we realized it was like 7pm! That's the thing about Alaska at this time of the year. The sun didn't set until 11pm…..and, like folks told us; the weather can change by the minute here. Like the "polar winter" we experienced in Tromsø it was a bit disorienting at times….it was 730 pm when we left the lodge for dinner and this is what things looked like.

It could have been 2pm anywhere.

We walked into Talkeetna. Things had quieted down a bit from earlier in the day….folks gone for the day. Plus, this was still early in the season and Talkeetna was still kinda "sleepy" once many of the tourists were gone.

All the restaurants seemed empty; except for one; Twister Creek Restaurant, which is run by Denali Brewing Company.

After our previous experience at Seward Brewing Company we thought; "why not?"

The place was three-fourths full when we arrived; but soon filled to the brim.

I started with….well a beer of course. I liked the fact that Denali Brewing offered many Belgian style brews; I went with the Belgian Golden Strong dubbed "Abaddon".

Served at a perfect temperature; slight banana tones; somewhat boozy in the Belgian way….no joke at 9.1ABV.

Our Server whose name I believe is Nastasia was a joy. So nice, so friendly, awesomely efficient, and she also made one fantastic recommendation.

This being heavy pub-grub; we shared an order of Sweet Potato Wedges….the Missus loves this stuff.

This was strange as it was fairly crisp; nice flavor, the Missus loved it; but it was still slightly cold in the center. Still; while the Missus would soon tire of pub-grub; we weren't at that point yet.

They were out of a couple of appetizers and mains. We ended up going with the Reindeer Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy.

The meatloaf was fairly lean. The flavor was mild. The gravy had quite a bit of black pepper and was nicely seasoned, rich, and smooth. But it was barely past lukewarm. Ditto the slightly water-logged mashed potatoes.

But, there were two reasons we really enjoyed this meal. The first was the amazing service by Nastasia. The second was; when I wanted an digestif; she recommended they newly released single malt whiskey. We were told that the first run of the whiskey sold out in hours; but the restaurant still had a stock.

This was fantastic….we loved the vanilla tones of this rather smooth spirit. We really wanted a bottle….but of course; there was none to be had.

So, we'd just have to return again.

Twister Creek Restaurant/Denali Brewpub
13605 E Main St
Talkeetna, AK 99676

Our Server chatted with us a bit about working in Alaska. She told us that you either loved it here….or you left. She was lucky as, unlike many of the folks who work two-three jobs during the high season, the brewpub was open year round and she enjoyed Talkeetna.

Many of the places were closed; but we visited those places that were still open.

As we left one of the shops; it seemed like the weather was turning a bit……

So we headed back to the lodge. By the time we walked the half mile back, the weather had cleared up a bit, so we walked along the Susitna River and enjoyed the view.

After wandering around for a bit we returned to the lodge and while the Missus showered and got ready for bed, I had a nightcap.

The Denali Flag Stop Mile Post 2 is a Flanders Red; mild stone fruit, slightly tart, no, it wasn't Duchess, or as we learned in Ghent, "Doo-Chezz", but this was perfectly fine.

As was the view out our window.

You could do a lot worse than this…..

Thanks for stopping by!

Mariscos Monday – The Mariscos on Miramar Truck

July 16, 2018 mmm-yoso Food Trucks, Mexican Restaurants, Seafood

I've often said that things around these parts would not be as delici-yoso without all the recommendations and tips I receive. About three weeks ago; "MichaelW" was nice enough to drop me an email letting me know about a Mariscos Truck that had started doing business in back of the strip mall at 6904 Miramar Road….you know; the one that houses Jersey Mike's, Denny's, Pho Ha Noi, and the Philadelphia Sandwich Company, among others. I was able to run out to check the place out the following week. And yes, there it was…..

The truck has the back corner of the strip mall parking lot, there are signs on the road, and if take the turn north onto Commerce Avenue, you can't miss the signs. Funny, I guess I haven't been to the Sandwich A'Fare in a while. The truck is in the same side of the mall as that shop. There are also three parking spots against the building designated for the truck….I think they've got a nice deal.

It was pretty busy even at 11am when I arrived. A lot of the local guys were lined up waiting to order or waiting for their order.

The menu is nicely varied; from the usual Mariscos Truck suspects; the Gobernador, Fish Tacos, Camarones a la Plancha, Tostadas, Cocteles, and Botanas.

Ordering was pretty easy for me; as Michael had made a recommendation and I went with my usual; the Gobernador. The woman working the window is very nice, though the salsas are limited and things take a while….not necessarily a bad thing as it means items are really made to order. Though one should keep that in mind.

I was handed a consommé while waiting. Strong celery and pepper tones; on my first visit it was quite mild, on my second visit, much stronger in the celery/seafood department.

My order took about 20 minutes or so, but it was worth the wait. While the Gobernador wasn't among the best I've had; not enough peppers and onions; the tortilla was nicely coated with cheese then griddled, thus protecting the tortilla from breakage. The shrimp was plump and tender; this was a bit light in the seasoning department; but not bad at all.

Michael had recommended the Taco de Costa Azul, a nice combination of shrimp, bacon, and some slightly smokey, but not fishy smoked tuna….this trucks version of the usual smoked "marlyn". This was quite good as the crunchy bacon, complemented the shrimp and smoked tuna, which wasn't overly salty. The avocado and squeeze of lime, along with the standard seafood salsa just worked together in harmony. The tortilla; though quite standard held together well with the light coating of melted cheese protecting the integrity of the taco.

I was pleasantly surprised. I also bought two extra tacos for the guys in the office to taste. They all enjoyed them.

In fact, the following week, I returned with Calvin and also ordered some tacos for JeffP to try.

It was right before 11 when we arrived and there were already people there.

I got a bit greedy and ordered tres tacos for me this time.

The best of the bunch was the Machin; shrimp, octopus, and smoked tuna….though it wasn't quite as good as the Costa Azul. The pulpo al ajillo was the weakest of the bunch….not much octopus; what it contained was tender, but quite bland. The camarones al ajillo was decent; the shrimp again decently prepped and cooked, though I expected a bit more of a garlic "punch". The tortillas were left on the griddle too long this time around….though while the crunch was nice; it just tore to pieces when biting into them.

Still, this was better than many other trucks I've eaten at over the years.

Like I mentioned; I really like the woman who works the window here. No nonsense, but also quite nice. It's not a bad choice for lunch in the area….though like I mentioned; you might want to give yourself some time for the folks to prep your food. You can use the time tasting the consommé.

Notice the "Mariscos Rolex" tag on the truck.

Mariscos On Miramar Truck
6904 Miramar Rd – in the back parking lot
San Diego, CA 92121
Hours
Mon – Fri 1030am – 8pm
Saturday 11am – 6pm
Closed on Sundays

Thanks for the recommendation Michael! I owe you some tacos!

Sunday Sandwiches – Revisits to SuperNatural Sandwiches and Embargo Grill

July 15, 2018 mmm-yoso Cuban Restaurants, Sandwiches, Seafood

A couple of sandwiches for a humid Sunday.

Supernatural Sandwiches:

**** SuperNatural Sandwiches has closed

My buddy JasonV asked me if I'd ever been to this sandwich place…..he told me it was "awesome" and showed me a photo of Supernatural. I cracked up and said I'd been a customer since they had a stand at the now defunct San Diego Public Market. And I did tell him that they do make some good sandwiches. A few days later; Deanna told me she had gone to Supernatural Sandwiches after work and loved it. I'd taken her there a few years back. So I got the hint; it had been nearly six months since my last visit.

Needless to say; the place was doing some major business when I arrived. Love the folks who work here; they always have a smile for me.

I went with my usual; the Siren….I realize I need to start ordering other stuff on the menu. But the folks here have this totally down.

From the lightly garlicky-spicy mayo; to the moist and plump shrimp, to go with the buttery-slightly sweet brioche. I'm thinking that it could use a bit more acidity to cut the richness; but that would be splitting hairs.

It's one of my "guilty pleasure" sandwiches.

It's also nice to see a place that's doing so well expanding. With locations now in Santa Ana and Tijuana, and two other locations in PB (they are going to make a killing) and Little Italy opening soon, it's going to be a "SuperNatural Kingdom". Good for them!

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

Embargo Grill:

**** Embargo Grill has closed

Speaking of guilty pleasure sandwiches…..

I was over in Point Loma a few weekends ago and was a bit hungry. It was a bit too hot for other options so I decided to stop by Embargo Grill. It had been nearly two years since my last visit.

I went with basically the same thing as on previous visits.

The Yuca Frita; which was disappointing.

This was too dense, dry, almost hard, and not crisp enough for me. It was also still barely lukewarm in the center. The mojo was very nice though. Garicky with nice citrus tones; not sour, but with a nice acidity.

The Medianoche the "midnight sandwich" was very good.

From the nicely pressed, crunchy, yet light bread, to the moist and tasty pulled pork, to the milky cheese, the ham, and yes, the all important pickle, which cuts through all that high-caloric goodness. This place also seems to have sandwich down.

I could only finish half the sandwich. I took half home and the Missus polished it off in no time flat. I guess She liked it……even cold…..midnight or not.

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

Clearing Out the Memory Card – Still Our Favorite Restaurant. Suzunari (Tokyo)

July 11, 2018 mmm-yoso Fine Dining, Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Memorable Meals, Tokyo, Kamakura, and the Kantō Region

While we were a bit sad to leave Kyoto, which is one of Missus's favorite cities. We were excited to be back in Tokyo.

Beyond the rather overwhelming, sensory overload of the city; we loved the various neighborhoods, the order, the streets packed with wonderful surprises at every turn. We'd gotten used to the rhythm of this city of over 13 million people.

The Missus had gotten really fond of the Yotsuya neighborhood, which is where we decided to stay on our return to Tokyo. There's something less touristy and more "real" about this neighborhood; at least to us. And while we have yet to find Hattori Hanzo's (the real one) grave or have yet to see obake in the neighborhood, we love walking the back streets and exploring.

Plus, the view from our hotel wasn't too shabby at all.

Another reason for staying in the neighborhood; is that our favorite restaurant, perhaps in the world, resides down one of the narrow streets of Arakicho. Yes, even after visiting Osteria Francescana on our recent trip to Italy; or Azurmendi, Disfrutar, David Toutain, Alliance (post coming up), or any number of other places, even from my pre-blogging days (The French Laundry/Gary Danko, etc). Suzunari remains our favorite.

Honest, seasonal, perfectly prepared Kaiseki for non-tourists……it just resonates with us. Business must be good, Chef Murata now has two assistants. And like our previous meal; our good friend Reiko joined us. Once we told her we'd be returning to Tokyo and Suzunari, she was quite excited, and rightfully so.

I'll spare you the 10,000 words here; since I've posted on this place several times before.

From the stuffed sakura leaves to the Hassun….everything tasted as good as….and even better than, it looked.

The Missus still calls the simple, broiled rockfish (kinki) we had on this evening, the most perfect fish in terms of texture She has ever had.

I loved the abalone on bamboo shoots….and the abalone liver even more!

Reiko is allergic to shellfish and some forms of seafood; so instead of the usual kamameshi; they made us a version with takenoko (bamboo shoots), and provided lovely, savory dried shrimp for the Missus and I.

There's something about this place that just resonates with us.

We gotta get back to Japan (and Suzunari) again soon.

Suzunari
7-9 Arakicho, Shinjuku-ku
Tokyo

Returning to the room; I opened a "cold one".

And looked off into the night……

Thinking about how blessed we are to able to travel as much as we do…..and to be able to say; "yes, our favorite restaurant is in Tokyo."

Thanks for stopping by!

Circling Back to A Chau

July 7, 2018 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

Somehow; after completing all my grocery shopping on this still rather hot Saturday, I ended up in City Heights looking for something to eat at nine in the morning. I'm not sure why I drove up here……I mean it was over eighty degrees already, so the usual suspects were pretty much ruled out. So there I was sitting on the corner of ECB and Menlo, when a car pulled out of a true contender for the worst parking lot in San Diego. I decided to take that left turn and parked in front of A Chau. I figured it must be a "sign" of some kind….I mean; how often do you get a parking space right in front of A Chau? Plus; it had been decade since I last posted on the place, and at least seven or eight years since I last visited.

It was fairly busy and the service….well, what service…this is A Chau after all.

Prices for the Banh Mi are still good here; under four bucks, though the egg rolls, what A Chau is known for are now seventy cents a piece….I remember when they were four for a buck.

I ordered the Banh Mi Pate Cha ($3.95).

I've never been a big fan of the bread at A Chau; it's usually too chewy and doughy and lacking in that crusty-flakiness in a good banh mi. Speaking of flakey; I once went to dinner at a new place with some friends. Unfortunately one of the folks attending was from one of these "community associations", you know, "smooze", kind of aggressive, nosey, everything is good. The place tried to throw everything in a bread and call it a banh mi. When I mentioned the discord in flavor and proportion, she made some nasty comment to me…….after which I bet her that I knew exactly where this bread came from and the short comings…..which she confirmed with the owners…..I then named off several of the places, in her "area", that used the same bread. And just shut her down.

With regards to proportion; this was pretty hefty in terms of cha lua, but short on pate, which was totally wiped out by the unusually large amount of mayonnaise.

There was one slice of jalapeno in the sandwich which was positively thermal nuclear, but the other two were mild.

Can't complain about portion per price ratio; but this is still not my favorite banh mi.

I was quite excited to Cha Gio, which had always been good on previous visits….this is the type with rice paper.

I was disappointed this time around. Instead of the crisp wrapper, with a slight bit of chew; this had obviously been sitting for a while. It lacked the light crispness and was barely lukewarm; even after sitting under heating lamps. The filling was also cold and I think they've changed the recipe or where they source the pork for this as it was much more bland than I recall.

I know there are folks who just adore this place. And when those eggrolls are made fresh; for catering, it's pretty good. This time around; not so much.

And then of course, some guy decided to block me in…….

A Chau
4644 El Cajon Blvd Ste 111
San Diego, CA 92115
Hours:
Open Daily 7am – 6pm

Since summer has arrived; I guess I need to make banh mi rounds again.

What we eat to beat the heat – Thai Papaya by Sab-E-Lee

July 6, 2018 mmm-yoso Thai Restaurants

**** Thai Papaya has closed

Man was it hot today in San Diego? Man; it was hitting the high 90's over here in Bay Park! And as always with temperatures this high; the specter of fire danger hovers overs us. We hope everyone, their families, pets, and homes are safe.

I've mentioned in previous posts, that's it's not Sab-E-Lee weather for us until it starts getting into the high-70's or 80's. And well; today it surely surpassed that. It had been a while since I'd dropped by. The Missus was going to get home after me today; so I dropped by Thai Papaya for take-out.

Maylee was in the kitchen and came out to greet me with a smile…..things are just better when she's there.

Of course I got the Missus's favorite; the Som Tom Khai Kem, papaya salad with salted egg. Savory-salty, with the acid balancing things out. The duck larb was outstanding on this visit, great mildly-gamey, almost beefy with sweet tones; just enough acid, great with the wedges of cabbage.

And yes; there are several places that make a better Thai Sausage than what SeL sells; but we still order it; it's very consistent and along with sticky rice fills out the meal.

Thai Papaya has changed up their hours a bit. Now closed on Tuesdays and open from noon to eight pm the rest of the week.

Thai Papaya by Sab E Lee
2405 Ulric St
San Diego, CA 92111

Yes, it's just a short post today…….it's probably too hot to be sitting around reading a post. And I'm sure you really didn't want to read about my most recent bowl of pho, right?

Brunch at Urban Solace (and the “secret menu” item)

July 5, 2018 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Cajun, Southern, and Soul Food

**** Urban Solace has closed

It's kind of strange; I thought I'd done a large post on Urban Solace before, but all I could find was a "burger week" post from back in 2009. Kind of strange since US was a favorite of the Missus for a couple of years. Regardless, the Missus had never had brunch at Urban Solace. And with us both having a nice leisure weekend day for a change, it felt like the right time to reacquaint ourselves.

We found parking rather quickly on Ray Street and stopped a couple of times as we made our way around the block to Urban Solace; which was pretty empty on this weekend morning.

I have to say; the service on this visit was outstanding, genial, professional, and the staff just seemed to have perfect timing.

Of course we started with the biscuits, which we just about perfect this time around.

Moist with a nicely balanced texture, hitting that sweet spot between fluffy and dense. It had a mild cheese flavor, which didn't over-power the biscuit, and we didn't even need the Orange-Honey Butter or Smoked Tomato Jam.

Since it was going to be noon-soon….we decided on some cocktails. The Missus picked something off the cocktail list; while I asked what the "Dealers Choice", basically the bartender's special was. And was rewarded with a refreshing, smokey, slightly herbal Mezcal-Chamomile Spritz. This was super good and not too sweet….in fact, the Missus ended up ordering one as well. Once She finished what She was drinking.

The Shrimp and Grits have always been a favorite of ours here; and this did not disappoint.

While the grits are perhaps…well, too refined (creamy) for my taste, it is still quite good. The shrimp….and there were five good sized ones in that little cast iron skillet were cooked and seasoned perfectly. Overall a very nice dish.

We also ordered the Beef Cheek Hash, which was probably our least favorite dish of the meal.

The beef cheeks were shredded finely, nice beefiness, but there wasn't very much of it. The eggs were cold. The potatoes were nice; but man, we're used to food being too salty these days; but this was a rarity as it really needed some salt! We ended up taking almost all of this home (except for the eggs). I fried up some lardons and added it to the leftovers for lunch the next day. And it still needed more salt!

Our wonderful Server asked us if we were interested in the daily special or per their definition the "secret menu"? As soon as she said "torchon de foie gras", we both answered "yes" at the same time. This was a huge portion and pretty good.

The torchon had a perfect texture; creamy, but with substance. It was a touch too sweet, but asked for some salt which brought the flavor back into balance. The toasts were nice; but for some strange reason; I loved having the foie gras with the biscuits. This is definitely a must order when we return….if they have it.

Here's the deal; when the torchon is available they only have enough product for five orders. I was told to call on the day of our visit to see if they had this or any other "secret menu" items. She also mentioned that for some reason; it's not very popular. Strange…..though I'm hoping it isn't popular the next time we visit!

Excellent service, nice cocktails that aren't overly sweet, and foie gras. Now that's a fairly successful brunch, don't you think?

Urban Solace Restaurant
3823 30th Street
San Diego, CA 92104
Hours:
Mon – Thurs 1130am – 930pm
Saturday 1030am – 1030pm
Sunday 930am – 230pm, 5pm – 9pm
Brunch on Saturdays and Sundays

Bann Cutlet & Teriyaki

July 2, 2018 mmm-yoso Korean Restaurants

**** Bann in the H Mart Food Court has closed

**** Bann has moved to the H Mart Food Court

I saw this place during one of revisits to Pho 46 (I'll get to that one of these days). It was before eleven am, so I peered at the menu and was intrigued.

So, a couple of days later I returned. The young lady who manned the front counter was very sweet. She told me that everything here is cooked to order.

I decided to order the Kimchi Fried Rice ($9.95).

Which came with some tiny, yet nicely stuffed fried mandu. Closer to the stuff you'd buy in bags at the market, but with much more filling, and a decent pork taste to it.

I enjoyed the fresh green salad; the croutons and edamame were my favorite components. The dressing seemed based on red wine vinegar.

The amount of fried rice was fairly generous. It was scalding hot, topped with a sunny side up egg; crisp around the edges. A good amount of decent quality kimchi; not much fermented flavor, but lots of it. The rice was coated well, though the flavor was pretty one-dimensional.

Still, not bad at all.

On the way from meetings, I did the Spicy Pork ($8.95), a riff on daeji bulgogi.

Man, this was a lot of food. The steamed rice was just perfect……fragrant, fluffy. The pork had been stir-fried with onions and peppers, but it was fairly tender and had a nice savory-mildly spicy kick to it, which kept my interest while eating it. Of course I couldn't finish this, so I shared it with one of the guys in the office.

Totally worth the price.

Since I hadn't tried any of the namesake items….that would be the cutlet or teriyaki; I ordered the Chicken Cutlet Plate ($9.95) on my next visit.

This was an interesting "mixed bag". The rice this time was horrid, dry, with hard pieces.

Cooked to order, this took a while but the chicken cutlet was fried perfectly. Even though it was white meat; it was moist and tender. The breading stuck onto the chicken and didn't peel off, adding that nice crunchiness to things. This was; I daresay, a bit lighter than other versions of katsu I have. On the other side of the coin; those two sauces were terrible; from the runny, what seemed mayo based (hana battah) sauce, to the other, mildly salty, runny sauce….it just didn't stand up to the fried food. I think I just might tell them to forgo the sauces the next time and bring my own katsu sauce.

By this time; the young lady had remembered me, and she recommended I try either the Spicy Chicken or the Marinated Beef Plate. I went with the Marinated Beef Plate ($9.95).

As you can tell by the photo; this pseudo "bulgogi cum teriyaki" was really bland. It had too much vegetables; which really watered down any soy-sweet-savory flavors. The beef was also on the tough side. This really tasted like Bann tried to add to the portion size by cutting it with veggies…..

Pass.

If you consider Bann to be "fast-casual" food; I'd say it's pretty good. The price point isn't too bad, the ingredients are decent, and that green salad quite good. Items are cooked to order and the young lady who works here is very nice.

Also, if you visit, take notice of the certificates from Le Cordon Bleu which got my attention. Yep, it's from Le Cordon Bleu alright…..Seoul. First time I've seen certificates from the Seoul campus. And it's for pastry and boulangerie…maybe why I like those croutons so much and my friend likes the biscotti they sell on the front counter.

For me; coming from a plate lunch and what I call "Korean meat-and-three" background, this isn't too bad.

Bann Cutlet & Teriyaki
9506 Miramar Rd
San Diego, CA 92126
Hours:
Mon – Sat 11am – 9pm