mmm-yoso – Page 183

Lima – Revisiting El Veridico de Fidel and Heading Home

April 15, 2017 mmm-yoso Airport/Airline/Cruise/Rail Food, Lima, Peru, Peruvian Restaurants, Seafood, Travel

I'm not sure why I take so long doing "last" posts on places we visit. Perhaps it's because I really didn't want our trip to end….or maybe I'm just too darn lazy? Go figure. Anyway, since I just posted on our last meal in Madrid, I figure I need to get Lima done as well.

The Missus's favorite eating spot on this trip was El Veridico de Fidel. She enjoyed Her meal so much, that before we left, we made reservations for dinner on our last evening in Lima here.

In contrast to our previous visit, which was during an early lunch, the place was humming!

When we arrived; the really nice young lady….the only one who we noticed that spoke English saw us, waved, and immediately came over….dropping off our menus, canchita, and even aji limo! I guess She remembered we enjoyed things "picante"! Great service.

As I mentioned earlier; our last visit was for a pretty early lunch. This time though…..we had no qualms about getting some beer and a pisco sour of course!

The Missus requested Her Pisco easy on the sugar and She really enjoyed it.

The Missus went straight for the Cebiche Lenguado; basically sole, and She really enjoyed the bracing, yet, not too sour leche de tigre.

The fish had been marinated well; it wasn't too "cooked" by the citrus and still had a nice tender, yet toothsome texture. Nice flavors all around. The Missus enjoyed a touch of the aji limo, which added a decent amount of fragrant heat to the dish.

Much had changed since our last trip to Lima all those years ago; I hadn't remembered seeing the interesting, creamy "leche de tigre" type dishes on menus before. Like a chilled, creamy, citrusy, savory cold soup. I had enjoyed the version eaten on my previous visit. So this time went with the version with chicharron de calamari. Basically, fried calamari….something I'd usually avoid in most restaurants.

Of course the Missus poached the camote (simmered sweet potato). The fried calamari was quite tender, the crunch of the batter and the texture of the squid really set a nice contrast to the refreshing; tongue coating, slightly tangy-sour leche de tigre. It was so refreshing and satisfying.

One of the "new dishes", that is, something I don't recall seeing during our first trip to Peru back in 2007 is Tacu Tacu con Lomo Saltado. Our Driver, Benjamin, introduced this dish to us on the way back from checking out the Nazca Lines. I saw that on the menu here and just had to try it.

First off, the beef was really tender and we loved the flavor of the peppers, nicely sweet. The flavor of the tacu tacu was quite mild and not very "beany" and the sauce could have had a bit more umami and saltiness for our taste. It was very filling and we were done after this dish.

We really enjoyed El Veridico de Fidel and will definitely return if/when we're back in Peru. Hopefully, it won't take another ten years!

El Veridico de Fidel
Calle Colon 246
Lima 18, Peru

We took a very roundabout way back to our hotel. I think there was a football game going on that day; this group of folks seemed to be celebrating something.

Strangely, at least for us, our flight didn't depart Lima until 1255 am. Luckily, we were flying Business, so we were able to take advantage of the Sumaq Lounge at Jorge Chavez International Airport. Based on how crowded the lounge was at 10pm; I'm guessing there are quite a few flights that depart at that rather late time.

The spread at the lounge was ok, but good golly, after being to a couple of these, I'm amazed at the feeding frenzy. It seems that folks are so focused on getting what they assume to be their money's worth I guess? I mean, really, do you actually need to have six mini-hamburguesas? Well whatever….to each their own……

I got a fair Pisco Sour as my "goodbye to Peru" gift…..for now!

Thanks for reading!

Madrid – El Rincon Asturiano II

April 14, 2017 mmm-yoso Madrid, Spain, Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine, Steakhouse, Travel

We arrived back in Madrid on a rather, at least the time quiet late Sunday afternoon. In spite of really enjoying Seville we were pooped….and headed home the next day. Just as on our arrival, we stayed near Atocha Station at the AC Carlton in walking distance to the train station and bus to the airport.

We decided on something close by and the front desk folks recommended a steakhouse named El Rincon Asturiano II which was close by.

We walked in….there was a grill near the doorway and was met with quizzical looks. The folks asked if we had reservations and we said no, so they whisked us down the block to another El Rincon Asturiano II??? Go figure. Though this place looked a lot more, well, local….with a bar set-up.

We were told to return in 15 minutes and a table would be made ready. So we took a stroll and returned and they indeed had a table ready.

Like I said before; El Rincon is basically a steakhouse who raise their own cattle from the region of Asturias in Northwest Spain. We decided to order a couple of items that the Missus was interested in and try out one of the "smaller" steaks.

Things started out with a gratis chorizo wrapped in pastry.

The Missus wanted the mushroom with jamon – Setas asturianas con jamon iberico.

A rather simple, but satisfying dish….the jamon added a nice saltiness to things.

Seeing it on the menu; the Missus had to get the callos.

This was a meat lover's version of Callos Madrilenos (tripe stewed in the style of Madrid ). It was quite thick, though very mild in flavor, the tripe quite tender, the morcilla – blood sausage, was fairly bland. It was nice and hearty, but the Missus still preferred the version from Posada de la Villa.

I wanted to try the beef and went with a smaller portion of Solomillo a la plancha, basically sirloin, "en su punto"; medium rare. Which it was.

Well, perhaps more "poco hecho" (rare) as it was "vivo, que muja"…..alive and still mooing! The steak had all characteristics of grass fed beef; an intense beefiness, with a chewy, toothsome texture. It was nicely salted without much else, which I enjoyed.

The chips were quite routine.

The Missus had a couple of glasses of wine; I had a couple of beers.

Quite a restrained last meal in Spain….but we wanted it that way.

El Rincon Asturiano
Calle Delicias 26
Madrid, Spain

I mentioned how much we really didn't care for the cattlepen like international gates at Madrid-Barajas Airport. So we decided to do what we usually do in Spain. Search for some Jamon Bellotta Pata Negra, bread, and olive oil to sustain us. We decided to walk up to Puerto del Sol…..

Along the way we passed a very peaceful demonstration.

And the Missus got to see what might be Her favorite landmark in Madrid; the Tio Pepe sign at night.

Unfortunately, our go to for jamon; Ferpal was closed. Luckily, we had a "plan B". The department store, El Cortes Ingles was open….just like Japan, there's a market/food area in the basement. One of the gourmet stores sells "5J" Jamon Bellotta Pata Negra and we picked up a pack of single use olive oil as well.

We wandered about the square….you never know what you'll see here. Like the guy I call the "Electric Cowboy". All lit up and shining brightly. I was a bit concerned that the drizzle was going to turn him into the "Electrocuted Cowboy", but he was safe on this evening.

We walked back to our hotel…passing familiar sights, like the "Vertical Garden" on Caxia Forum Square. All lit up brightly at night.

Things seemed so familiar now…..

As, unfortunately were the international gates at Madrid-Barajas Airport. But, having been through here before, we were "saved by the jamon" again!

Next stop….home.

Thanks for reading!

Tribute Pizza

April 12, 2017 mmm-yoso Italian Restaurants, Pizza

For a few weeks before we left on our trip, the Missus was really into pizza. She's kind of over Bruno for now and wanted to try other places. Of the several we tried; two became Her favorites and warranted, in some cases multiple visits. One of these was a place recommended by my good friend Candice……Tribute Pizza.

Located in the renewed and revitalized old Post Office on the corner of Grim and North Park Way, in what is now called the "North Park Post Office Lofts", and catty corner to one of my favorites, Lucky's Golden Phenix. We both liked the wide open industrial, but comfortable space, and the seats were in themselves fine. There's an interesting gastropub meets pizzeria vibe here. A big plus; the staff is very nice as well, with an ok beer list.

As you can tell in the photo on the right…..I guess some folks really want to take a photo of the place!

In addition to pizzas there's the now required cheese and charcuterie plates, which looked quite large and a couple of salads; like the "put on a egg on it brussels salad" ($11).

The Missus loves Her brussel sprouts and these were nicely shaved and topped with a lovely egg yolk. So you'd think She'd be just all over this. Strangely, She didn't care too much for this, as the dressing was a bit too sour and the egg yolk and pecorino romano really didn't add that mild savoriness and sweetness that brings out the best in brussel sprouts. In talking to our wonderful Server about this salad; we found out that we might…depending on how busy the kitchen is, get lardons and Balsamic on this salad as well….which would definitely make it a winna'. So perhaps in the future…..

Hands down, our favorite item here is the wonderful; yeasty, warm, slight crusty Sea Salt Focaccia paired with the spicy, spreadable salumi known as 'Nduja ($9).

The 'Nduja here has a nice bite to it and reminds us of a good porky spread tinged with Harissa.

When it comes to first trying out a new pizza place, the Missus prefers simple, and it doesn't get more basic than a Margherita ($13).

First off; the crust, like the focaccia, had a wonderful flavor and texture. For some reason, the rest fell rather flat. We didn't care for the tomato sauce, which we found watery and bland…….I look for that tangy-mild sweetness, that I call the "flavor of sunshine" and this didn't really have that. While I love the fork and knife style, slightly "wet", Neopolitan style pizza, the middle was way too soggy for us. The mozzarella was good, light milky-saltiness, but strangely, we found the basil tasteless. A mixed bag overall.

But the service had been great and we decided to return mainly for this.

And damn if this wasn't even better this time around; being a bit thicker and heartier.

If you've read enough posts, you know the Missus loves Her meatballs (yes, I know, there's a joke in there just waiting to come out), so we had to order it ($13).

We both loved the roasted peppers and onions; adding a bit of sweetness and pungency to a rather heavy version of meatballs. Ditto with the parmigiano reggiano, layering a bit of milky-saltiness. I actually enjoyed the very "meaty", yet moist and tender meatballs more than the Missus. She said these were a bit too heavy for Her, but still enjoyed them. The sauce was very hearty and thick, almost spreadable, a root vegetable marinara, that was very tasty.

Of course we had to try another pizza. And the theme of "Tribute", are well, tributes to other famous pizzas…..so we decided on the tribute to Chris Bianco's Pizzeria Bianco. If you're interested, Ed from Yuma has done posts on both Pane Bianco and Tratto. Anyway, we ordered the Biancoverde with Prosciutto de Parma ($18).

The crisp, slightly bitter arugula, savory-salty prosciutto, and garlic was such a nice match for the yeasty-bready crust. Chili flake kept your attention and the ricotta some creaminess and milky flavors along with the mozzarella. This was a nice pizza and one we'll have again.

For us, it seems that the star of the show at Tribute is the dough…..that focaccia and pizza crust is quite nice. We've really liked the friendly and helpful service as well. Interesting thing about ordering; when you walk in, you head up to the counter and can place your drink and/or food order there, before heading off to a table.

So, I guess the Missus is finally totally over Her "no-bread" phase in life….it makes for much better eating for us! And thanks as always for the recommendation Candice!

Tribute Pizza
3077 N Park Way
San Diego, CA 92104
Hours:
Tues – Thurs 5pm – 10pm
Fri 4pm – 11pm
Sat 11am – 11pm
Sun 11pm – 9pm

Tokyo – Horumon Dedesuke

April 11, 2017 mmm-yoso Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Tokyo, Kamakura, and the Kantō Region, Travel

It was great being back in Japan. Because this was going to be a rather short trip, our days were going to be quite busy and we'd be making good use of our JR Pass and Suica Card. While our flight to Narita was going to be arriving at around 5pm; I figured that by the time we got thru customs (pretty quick in Japan), got our pocket wifi, activated our JR Pass, got our train tickets for the following day, get to Tokyo Station, and check into our hotel, it would be around 830 or so. Which was a good estimate. Even though 9 or even midnight is not especially late in Tokyo; I still didn't want to be hunting around for a place to eat.

The Missus had really enjoyed the Horumon (offal) we'd had on our previous trip, I decided to make reservations at Horumon Dedesuke which was a mere 10 minute walk from our hotel in Ginza.

We found the place with little problem; having downloaded a photo of the storefront and using Google Maps.

One of the few phrases in Japanese I do know is "Yoyaku shitemasu xxxx des." As in "I have a booking for….." And they did have seats ready for us in a tiny corner as the place was packed.

In spite of flying Business Class…the seats on the San Diego – Narita route 787s don't go all the way to 180 degrees, so we didn't get much shut eye and we were kind of tired. So, a nice cold "nama biru" was just the thing. The Missus had a nice HiBall.

Our table top grill was prepped and some vegetables brought out and we were on our way……

First up, what was called the "Root of Tongue" on the menu……

This is the rear portion of the beef tongue; it was seasoned perfectly, was surprisingly tender, and very "beefy".

We found that we didn't need to use any of the typical provided sauces for any of the cuts we had. all were nicely seasoned.

Next to arrive was the one cooked dish; the Stewed Beef Tendon.

The "sauce" was that tasty salty-sweet we associate with Japanese cuisine; with an added Korean (as is with most Yakiniku places) touch of spice.

The tendon and associated beef parts were amazingly tender and a joy to eat.

I love "Harami"; skirt steak, so we ordered the prime skirt.

Man, this was really tender and beefy, just needing a slight sear on the grill…..rare was the best way to have this.

And then the "offal-ness" of it all started, with a triple threat.

With….from the left to the right; sliced small intestine, thymus gland, and large intestine. The small intestine was superb; quite fatty, toothsome, with a mild, pleasant, and surprisingly "clean" flavor to it. The large intestine, as expected was much more chewy, more "offal-ly", though also enjoyable. When I saw thymus gland on the menu, I immediately thought "veal sweetbreads", which is what I'm used too. These were quite tough and chewy; I'm thinking they were taken from an adult cow? That was probably the least enjoyable item we had.

This was a very good meal to start off our trip. The Missus has really taken to yakiniku and horumon. I just wished we had more of it here.

Horumondedesuke (ホルモンでですけ)

3-3-9 Ginza

Chuo, Tokyo

As we slowly strolled back to our hotel, we took it all in, the bright lights, the immenseness of it all, yet balanced out with the clean, the quiet……it was great being back in Tokyo.

Where in the world are we (again)? Part 2

April 10, 2017 mmm-yoso Japan, Kanazawa and Ishikawa Prefecture, Kyoto, Tokyo, Kamakura, and the Kantō Region, Travel

As you read this, we're probably just getting home…..

After another wonderful trip to Japan.

From the rather cold climate of our previous stop, we headed to warmer pastures.

To a city that houses one of the "Three Great Gardens" of Japan.

Which was quite impressive.

As was the fact that there was gold leaf everywhere….even on our sashimi.

Though we loved the dried/fermented/preserved fish here……cheesy-salty-savory….an umami bomb.

And of course there was "Japanese Breakfast".

Our next stop was a familiar one…..though we'd never been here during the spring. We lucked out and the Cherry Blossoms were in full bloom. As were the people, who seemed to be really enjoying themselves. In spring; life starts anew……and it seems like everyone celebrates….

Everyone is out having a great time; family, friends, of the two legged and four legged kind.

And in this day and age; you absolutely need a "selfie"…..

After all; who can deny how beautiful this is.

It's enough to make you want to massage a…ummmm…..cat?

All joking aside; it can be breathtakingly beautiful.

Of course we had to stop at the Missus's favorite Yakitori spot.

And how about some "Kogashi" (burned) Ramen?

And even a nice Izakaya stop with a wonderful shirako ponzu…loved the shiso flowers; which added just enough of that anise-basil flavor.

And then some what sadly, our time was almost up. And we ended up back in the city where we kicked things off…..though this time, staying in our favorite neighborhood.

Which meant a visit to our favorite restaurant.

And one final day trip…..

On a misty morning that added an air of mystery and drama to things…..

It's been a great trip again.

Though now it's time to stop monkeying around.

And head back to home and work.

Thanks for reading!

Where in the world are we (again)? Part 1

April 4, 2017 mmm-yoso Hida-Takayama and Gifu Prefecture, Japan, Nagoya, Tokyo, Kamakura, and the Kantō Region, Travel

It's been a tough couple of months and we needed to get away.

We'd had the outline of this trip planned for a while and after some consideration pulled the trigger.

It's easy traveling here and we learn something new and fun at every turn….like what a "Hanami Party" is. Folks here get (even more) goofy this time of the year…..I think this has something to do with it.

We started in familiar surroundings…..the Missus wanted Her horumon fix.

Check that one off the list.

We then headed to a city we've visited before, but spent a couple of days here this time.

And even went on a rather easy and fun hike on an ancient trail. Where you needed to ring the bells to avoid….well as the sign says.

In terms of eating, well we stayed with some of the "local specialties".

Including some really great noodle soup eaten on the Shinkansen platform of all places.

It had snowed a few days before our arrival at our next destination. And there were remnants everywhere.

We enjoyed the beef and the style of food here.

We're on the train to our next destination. Hope everyone is safe, sound, and warm, where ever you might be.

Noodling Around – Revisits to Menya Ultra and Pho T Cali

March 25, 2017 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Pho, Ramen, Vietnamese Restaurants

Just noodling around on this Saturday:

Menya Ultra Ramen:

I actually went back a couple of days after my first visit. There was no line, all the customers were Japanese and I got the Chashu Ramen.

The chashu while well flavored and moist, was just too much of a good thing and I left quite full. Still, the noodles were again perfect, just the right amount of pull with a bit of pull, nice and slippery, and a good vehicle for the collagen in the broth, which was, like my previous visit, a solid tonkotsu.

About two weeks later, I found out my haircut guy was working relatively close by and having read about the crowds in the comments on my post….I was curious. I got there at 1045…and no kidding; there were over 30 people waiting in line.

I'm usually not one to wait in line; but I was curious if this new popularity would change anything about the ramen at Ultra. So I put my name on the list….and waited about 30 minutes to get in.

I went with the Ajitama Ramen with an extra egg.

While the noodles were still perfect for my taste and the boiled egg was much better…..lukewarm instead of cold and not as "cooked". There were several things I noticed. The broth had less of a fragrance and indeed, while being fairly mild and nuanced before, was much less rich….more fatty, but lacking in the real noodle coating capacity. It was still good….just not quite as good as my previous two visits.

I'll wait a few months before going back. It'll be interesting to see how things progress. I think it's still the best straight up tonkotsu in San Diego.

Menya Ultra Ramen
8199 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

Pho T Cali:

**** Pho T Cali is now PT Eatery

In my Pho Duyen Mai "dem bones" post; I mentioned being told that the prices at Pho T Cali had gone up quite a bit. While Pho T Cali has never been a favorite of mine, I recall the prices being fairly reasonable. I think it was still under seven bucks when I declared it "aw pho".

Pho T Cali is basically within walking distance from my office…..but of course my previous experiences kind of keep me away….but I just had to see……had it really hit the "ten dollar pho" category?

Upon arriving and having the menu handed to me….I saw…yes indeed, the dac biet was now $9.95.

So for ten bucks I got this.

The broth had almost no color and had a strong onion taste. It looked like dishwater. While the texture of the tripe was good, it had a strange aftertaste; the tendon was decent though. The portion of noodles was quite large and adequately prepared.

The serving of sprouts and such was paltry to say the least.

I think this is why I saw folks (I was the only Asian in the place) dumping in loads of Hoisin and Sriracha into their pho.

On a rather amusing note; a few days later I received an email from "AlanH" regarding Pho T Cali….I'm hoping you won't mind me using a few excerpts Alan? Some of the, ahem, "highlites" of his email were….

"A -small- Pho "Chin" is now $8.95 (I almost walked out at that point, but was too hungry for Pho)"

"They have totally dumbed and stripped down the menu, which should have been my first warning sign…They have gone to the all photo model with a bit of basic text with prices. "

"The "herbal accessory plate" was its usual mediocre affair, but the basil was even more paltry and under-developed than usual (if the basil was human it would have needed a wheelchair)."

"As they do not serve / have Ngo Gai, I asked for a small portion / bowl of cilantro…THEY WERE OUT OF F'ING CILANTRO!!!!!" " Is there a cilantro shortage I was not aware of?"

"I just paid $11.00 (with tip) for a mediocre -at best- bowl of Pho. Is this Manhattan? No, this is not Manhattan……Manhattan would have had cilantro….."

All I can say Alan is…."I feel (or ate…or something like that) your pain".

Pho T Cali
7351 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

This has me wondering….in a very twisted way; if I were to think the Pho at Pho Mignon is still worse than this.

Tokyo – Oreshiki Jun

March 22, 2017 mmm-yoso Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Ramen, Tokyo, Kamakura, and the Kantō Region

Our trip to Japan had pretty much come to an end….there was still one more stop though. Much like what we on our previous visit, we left for Tokyo Station rather early, stowed our luggage, and went straight for ramen street. The last time it was Rokurinsha….this time the decision was a bit harder….the Missus wanted to share some Tonkotsu ramen so we settles on Oreshiki Jun.

We got our ticket at the vending machine, entered and was seated quickly…….it seemed like all the customers in the shop were Salarymen.

I went with the Deluxe Tonkotsu Ramen which featured a nice, albeit a bit salty portion of mentaiko.

The egg was perfect as were the noodles. I wasn't a big fan of the tonkotsu here as it was a lot milder in flavor….even for a tonkotsu broth than I prefer. It also lacked that nice tongue coating quality I enjoy in that style of broth in addition to being served a bit too cold for my taste. The chashu here is a bit leaner and more chewy than other versions, but makes up for that with a nice porkiness. I really enjoyed the "rayu" (chili oil), which in this case seemed to have some bean paste in it….a wonderful, spicy, savory, package of flavor.

I actually preferred what the Missus ordered.

A nice little rice bowl with raw egg, chashu, and bean sprouts, along with an extra order of bean sprouts, chashu, and negi….along with an extra boiled egg. All worked together quite nicely!

So, perhaps not the best last meal in Japan…..still, we had many memorable experiences again. I'm sure it's just a matter of time before we return.

Oreshiki Jun (Tokyo Station)
1-9-1 Marunochi, Chiyoda, Tokyo

One thing was quite apparent. The Missus really enjoys Tokyo Station City. To the point that She got Her "hair done" twice at this kind of "fast" hair salon named Fass. You basically go in and order your stuff on an iPad. Of course we couldn't really understand anything the first time around….so this really nice, adorable woman came out and the Missus had Her bangs cut. Well, with some time on our hands, the Missus decided She wanted a trim.

We walked in and it was the same woman….who got a kick out of seeing us. Apparently, they don't get too many foreign customers. This time the Missus wanted a trim and some styling, which she did with gusto. At the end, she couldn't stop giggling, telling us "kawaii….kawaii" (cute). I think she had more fun than we did.

You really couldn't help but love Japan……

Kyoto – Torito

March 21, 2017 mmm-yoso Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Kyoto, Travel

The Missus wanted Yakitori for our last meal in Kyoto and I had a place in mind.

But first, some shopping.

Teramachi Dori, one of the major shopping streets, was strangely quiet on this evening.

The Missus managed to do some damage at this location of Lupicia.

After which we took a nice leisurely stroll up to the Juingu-Marutamachi Station. On street level above the station was a rather discreet, but popular place named Torito. I was interested in the place because of the rather polarizing reviews, some folks declared it yakitori for tourists, yet other said it was amazing….the strange thing about that yakitori for tourists thing is….well, you'll see by what we ordered.

It was out last evening in Kyoto, a place that makes us feel quite comfortable…we just feel relaxed and at home here and our trip to Japan was coming to an end.

The Missus decided to get a Hiball, I had a Suntory Draft.

We noticed that we noticed quickly was that the guy doing all the grilling seemed quite young….also, there were English menus.

But what was on those menus wasn't quite your tourist yakitori items….though the tourists we saw come in ordered stuff like breast and chicken rice bowls, we went full speed ahead and started with some very smokey chicken gizzards.

Which was fine….though a bit too dry for me.

The Nankotsu was very, very good….perfectly grilled, nice and crunchy, but really pleasant to eat.

And followed with Tori no Tataki, seared, basically rare chicken.

This was dark meat, very clean, but definite chicken flavor. A bit too chewy for my taste, I should have gotten the white meat, which I think is much more tender raw. Tourist food, huh?

The Missus absolutely loved the "Kimo" (chicken liver) and declared it the best She's ever eaten.

The Kawa-su, chicken skin salad was a nice refreshing change of pace.

Up next was more Chicken Skin….but not "just" chicken skin, but we chose "Chicken Buttock Skin".

Very interesting texture….a bit more chewy, but man, the flavor was so amazingly distinct……

Next up was our Tsukune….this is what I basically judge my yakitori places on. First thing we noticed was that the tsukune was made to order. That is, when the order is placed, the chef forms it by hand. Now watching this guy was amazing as he juggled both the grill and the deep fryer, never missing a beat. As you can easily see; this was the tsukune I've ever had.

From the light and crisp exterior, to the creamy interior….I'm wondering how much chicken fat is in this….a quick dip in the egg; more richness and flavor. This by far is the best I've had.

The Wing Tips were okay, though a bit too hard and chewy for us.

One thing we were noticing was the perfect amount of salt was being used.

I absolutely loved the Hatsu…the chicken hearts, which weren't grilled too heavily…..just the right amount of smoke and salt.

Surprisingly tender.

There's a part of the menu which features local, Kyoto bred chicken (the tsukune is on that part of the menu) and we tried the chicken thigh with quail egg.

There was a more distinct chicken flavor in this; something that's missing here in the States for the most part. Loved the little piece of cartilage left on the meat, it added a nice textural contrast, as did the quail egg, though I could have done without that. The Missus though, loves Her quail eggs.

The Chicken wings were just ok…..especially after having all the previous dishes.

The skin on these was a bit too rubbery for us.

The Missus loved Her "finishing" dish (Shime), going with the rich and velvety chicken bone broth with meatballs.

She still talks about how rich and lovely this soup was.

I went with my standard; a nice, nutty, smokey, yaki onigiri.

A perfect end to a wonderful meal for us.

As we were finishing dinner, the Missus declared this Her new favorite yakitori shop. So I'm guessing we'll be back whenever we're in Kyoto.

The shop is rather discrete. From what I understand….you know, I'm basically about the food…Torito is a species of bird. So the best thing is to find the carving of a bird outside the door of the restaurant.

Torito
9-5 Higashi Marutamachi
Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan

As I mentioned earlier….Kyoto has a way of making us feel comfortable….in spite of all the tradition and sometimes, well, interesting stuffs…..

Okan Diner – A First Look

March 20, 2017 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants

Strange thing happened this past weekend….well, along with not having to go into the office to catch up on things, I had both of my planned dinner with friends cancelled….this up and down weather thing seems to be taking a toll on folks here. So, that first evening, I just headed out on Clairemont Mesa thinking I'd figure something out by the time I got to Convoy….and if not, well, I was hoping I'd be able to find a seat at Taisho. Right before passing over the 805, I glanced to my left and saw the Open Sign flashing in the window of Okan Diner. Then I remembered reading in the Eater that Okan Diner was doing a soft opening on this weekend. So I thought, "why not"?

The space looks about the same as when I visited during Izakaya Kanpai's short run. Looks like they've put up some portable dividers and other touches.

The menu, in current state are pretty standard appetizers; agedashi tofu and the like, Udon and Soba in both traditional and perhaps a bit strange and fusion versions…would "Mom" (Okan means Mom) make Vongole Udon…or even "Pho Udon"? And kamameshi; "iron pot rice". Many items are not yet available, but there was still quite a bit to choose from in those three categories.

I started with a favorite; Shishito Peppers ($5).

These were deep fried and as such a bit on the "oily" side. Very good quality though and every once in a while you'd get that one spicy pepper…aaah shishito roulette. The soy based dressing was good, not too salty, good vinegar, and the katsubushi added a good savory touch. Pretty much by the book and done well.

For some reason; I decided on the Kamo Udon ($15), in retrospect, I probably should have gone with Kakiage/Kitsune/Nabeyaki…something more traditional.

As you can tell by the portion size (I remember seeing these bowls in Kanpai), this wasn't very much. The duck was over cooked by my standards and had gotten tough in the broth. The noodles were excellent, nice pull and chew, though that 325 yen bowl at Mugimaru Yaesu Minamiguchi had noodles even better than these. The broth was on the weak side by my taste….though you can tell by my Kitsune Udon that I enjoy a more assertive flavor. This was just too watery for me, the dashijiru too weak.

Of course it was still during the soft opening period, so I intended on revisiting once they had the grand opening.

Then my next dinner got cancelled and I just decided to go back to Okan Diner.

This time I decided to try the Kamameshi and the Kakuni version ($17.50) of the iron kettle rice dish looked like it would fit the bill.

In terms of rice, this looked like more than I could handle. But surprisingly, I managed to finish all of it. The drill is simple; you mix the nicely flavored rice…….I was told it was cooked in a bone broth adding a layer of richness. I shredded up the pork, which, while a bit tougher than I prefer, was still moist and the seasoning was right on for Buta Kakuni in the soy sauce-sugar-mirin kind of way. You add the poached egg and mix in making a lovely gooey, but delicious mess. Scoop into bowl and enjoy. Next time, I'll go easier on the ginger as it tended to over power the flavors.

This was quite satisfying, if a bit on the expensive side. I'll probably try another version soon…though probably not the Salmon with Ikura as the bar for that has been set very high.

While I still prefer Wa Dining Okan, having a place like this is a nice addition to the neighborhood. The service was fine….the young lady with the glasses is super.

The other two young ladies were a bit unorganized…even though I know one of them from Okan. I'm sure they'll straighten things out.

Currently, the hours of operation is from 5pm to 1030pm daily. I'm hoping they'll eventually open for lunch.

Okan Diner
5430 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117