mmm-yoso – Page 186

Quebec City – Lunch at Le Saint-Armour

August 31, 2017 mmm-yoso Canada, Canada Food and Restaurants, Fine Dining, French Restaurants, Memorable Meals, Quebec City, Travel

We decided to cap off a fun morning in QC, with a nice lunch. During our walk around QC the previous day, we wandered away from Rue Saint-Jean and came across one of the restaurants I had on my list; Le Saint-Armour. The lunch menu, while not cheap, looked interesting. One of the Servers came out and chatted with us. Since the restaurant was a short detour from the way back to the hotel; we decided to stop and have lunch.

We were led to our table by the nice gentleman who chatted with us yesterday. He even remembered us.

The elegant, though simple exterior of the restaurant belies the charming, classy, and quite elegant dining area. A garden like ambiance, what seems to be a former courtyard is topped with a glass ceiling….the natural light and colors just give the place so much character. Quite romantic…..

It was easy to pick our choices from the lunch menu…I think we're getting a bit predictable these days….

The baguette was lovely and warm; which doesn't seem to be the norm in QC.

And of course, I started with the Foie Gras.

The foie gras was very refined; super smooth, perhaps too much for my tastes these days; which is now evolving to enjoy more earthy flavors. The purees were interesting; Sea Buckthorn Jelly, slightly bitter with a touch of tanginess and sweetness, and "Apple Spruce", which tasted like a basic apple based sauce.

The Missus's choice was more interesting, called "Asparagus Elegance".

The asparagus had such a nice, pronounced flavor, it seems that vegetables really shine in this part of the world. The parma ham was tender and added a nice salty component to the dish as did the cheese; a washed rind cheese from Charlevoix (in Canada), which added a fairly mild, milky-acidity to the dish. Of course there was that perfectly poached quail egg.

The Missus got the Pork Cheek for Her main, which She loved.

The mushrooms and sunchokes really added nice earthy tones to the dish. The pork cheek was perfectly braised…spoon tender; though the sauce was a bit too strong for my taste.

I got the "Red Deer"….possibly the most tender venison I've ever had.

I could cut that venison with my fork! The jus was seasoned perfectly and added a velvety, earthy elegance. The Missus loved the cauliflower and sweet potato purees. And that one lovely piece of mushroom in the corner had me wishing for a whole plate of it.

Dessert, is of course the Missus's department and She enjoyed both.

I thought the chocolate cake was very nice….not too sweet.

And then there was my shining moment. While waiting for coffee service, I walked over to the restroom. As I was returning, a party of four middle aged Asian women walked up and told the hostess, "we have reservations for xxxxxx". They were Japanese! They sat at the table right in front of us. The Missus was quick to point out the 20k Hermes bag one of the women had. They spoke very little English and the good natured Server was trying his best to explain items on the menu to them. In the end he smiled and said; "Madam, I can explain the menu in five languages….unfortunately, Japanese is not one of them…." I decided to seize the moment, walked up to the table, bowed slightly, and said "sumimasen", one of the few words I know in Japanese. Luckily, when it comes to food…perhaps it wasn't perfect, but I was able to go down the menu and say…."hotate……buta tontoro (while pointing to my cheek)…rokuniku….bīfu-sutoroganofu……." all the four women made that Japanese game show sound "aaaah"! They then asked me if I am Japanese and I mentioned that I'm sansei….so speak very little Japanese. They all thanked me and went ahead and ordered. I walked back to the table head held up high! As the Missus smirked, shook Her head, and said; "you're such a show off!" But even She couldn't bring me down. Heck, I milked what little Japanese I knew!

And heck, Le Saint-Armour was probably the best meal we had during this trip. Great food, superb service…..

Le Saint-Amour
48 Rue Sainte-Ursule
Quebec City, Quebec

We did some shopping at Place Royale on the way back to the room. Picking up a few gifts.

The Missus looked at this shop and laughed…..

Nope it's not "Prada"….it's Frada!

We were having a great time in Quebec City!

Bun Mam Thru the Years from Nhu Y

August 27, 2017 mmm-yoso Vietnamese Restaurants

We had a bit of cool down recently, which was great for having noodle soup. For some reason, I'd been craving Bun Mam; I hadn't had it in a while, so I decided to "scratch that itch" and headed to Nhu Y.

After being Nhu Y for a number of years, it seemed that the place went thru a couple of name changes over the last couple of years. Now, I think they're back to being Nhu Y. In spite of those changes; the heart of the menu has been the same for me. And the one item I get here is the Bun Mam, which has also gone thru a number of changes over time….I'll get to that at the end of the post.

Here's the Bun Mam circa August 2017.

I'm going to mostly stick to the broth on this post. Which was much "redder" than I recalled; more than the 2012 version. While it still has that rather swirly, darkish, cloudy, almost thick look and feel, this was much lighter than other versions. It was also less funky; I believe they don't use as much fermented fish paste as they used too. This had less of a savory punch and was more sweet and spicy.

As for the rest; well, I'm used to the catfish being on the muddy side here these days; the shrimp was actually deveined on this day. The eggplant was soft and velvety, the pork belly a bit on the chewy side.

I wore dark clothes and was careful to not spill any broth on my shirt.

After all these years; still a pretty good soup to have when you want something hearty and rich.

And I think they've gone back to being Nhu Y again….I think.

Nhu Y Restaurant
4712 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115
Open Daily: 7am – 9pm

As mentioned in the title and first paragraph of the post. The Bun Mam at this location has changed over the years. And just looking the photos tells the story.

From the first bowl of Bun Mam I had here in 2006.

Dark and pungent. The broth hit you from the first sip….perhaps not in the most pleasant way, but you just kept on going because it seemed to just get better and better. The catfish was quite good in those days and the pork belly was very "swiney" and tender.

In 2010 Nhu Y became Com Tam Thuan Kieu though the Bun Mam didn't change much.

To quote – "The broth was as before, salty, slight sweetness, pungent, and spice, all converging in a bowl."

Then, in May of 2012 my dry cleaner lady told me that Thuan Kieu had changed the recipe, so I dropped by and noticed that yes, it had indeed changed.

Less pungent fermented flavors and more spicy, sweet, tangy, and lighter. Though in terms of fragrance; "For the two women who stopped and sniffed the air and the one kid who actually whiffed his armpits when I walked past you at Nijiya after my meal. It was just me….'ol Mam Tom breath………."

By 2014; the place had become Com Tam Nhu Y. And it seems that the recipe had reverted back to a facsimile of the original.

This wasn't quite as thick and there's the addition of the stuffed jalapeno. It was still pretty potent though: "This was actually pretty close to what I had recently at Nhu Y Clairemont and I didn't have to wait until after 3pm to order it. Though that Hispanic couple who came in and sat behind me, then moved after my soup arrived may want that 3pm rule implemented here…."

And then the version I had at the end of last year.

Kind of on the "oily" side; a ton more shallot and garlic tones, the broth had started down the road of more sweeter than pungent tones. "It's quite a savory concoction……you want to make sure that you don't spill any of it on your clothes. Sammy will often follow me around the house after I eat this….must smell great to him!"

Who knows what the Bun Mam here will be like the next time I get that itch? I do hope it'll head back in the direction of that first bowl I had in 2006. At the least; I'm sure it'll be interesting.

Back to Luce Bar & Kitchen

August 21, 2017 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Gastropub

I know quite a few folks who love Luce. They're regulars and keep telling me that the place has really stepped up their game over the last couple of years. I hadn't been to Luce in ages, so while I haven't been wowed by my previous visits, heck the place is in my neighborhood…..

I've always had really great service here and I like the vibe; relaxed, very neighborly, decent beer list.

Looking at the dinner menu; well, other than the salads, it didn't inspire me very much.

I ended up getting the Smoked Tri-Tip Sandwich ($14).

This was not bad; not a particularly large portion of rather under-smoked tri-tip. Of course, I don't expect to be as good as my favorites, nor even like what I make at home. This was ok, a bit tougher than I enjoy. The roll was decent; though a bit dry. The caramelized onions was a nice touch as it added a much needed sweetness to the sandwich, I also enjoyed the horseradish crème fraiche, the sweet-pungency was perfect. I didn't care much for the provolone, which was too mild to add anything to the dish and would have preferred more tomatoes. The avocado added another layer of creaminess which was nice.

I actually enjoyed the fries most of all. Not too much truffle oil, places just kill you with that stuff these days, a nice amount of garlic…..fried to a nice crispness.

And then I noticed the chalkboards…..my goodness; sweetbreads? It seems that there are weekly specials served after 5 pm.

So I met my friend "Al" for dinner. She lives close by. Sadly, they erased the sweetbreads from the menu as we arrived. Still, there were several items to choose from.

Off the dinner menu we selected the Roasted Beet Salad.

The beets were very nice; though there wasn't much of it. The greens crisp and fresh, but a bit over-dressed for my taste. For some reason, both Al and I thought the goat cheese was overkill; there was just too much of it here.

The best dish of the night was the Tempura Shishito Peppers. Nice laquer batter; crisp and crunchy.

The cotija cheese was a surprisingly nice companion to the peppers and what seemed to be a wasabi based sauce. A very nice dish. I'd have this again.

We finished with the Octopus, which was a bit of a let down.

The seaweed salad really clashed with the grapefruit, it was a real odd combination. The octopus, a bit chewier than I prefer was lost in this dish.

Overall not bad, the food was better than on my previous visits. I'll be interested to see what else the kitchen comes up with beyond the regular pub grub. I will be back; the crew here is really friendly. And with the trolley coming in, it seems like places are trying to up their game a bit as the gentrification of this part of Bay Park continues.

Luce Bar & Kitchen
1959 Morena Blvd
San Diego, CA 92110
Hours
Mon – Fri 11am – 10pm
Sat 10am – 11pm
Sun 10am – 930pm

Noodling Around – Revisits to Minh Ky and Pho King

August 20, 2017 mmm-yoso Vietnamese Restaurants

It's been noticeably cooler the last couple of days. So, I thought I'd grab some noodle soup. As my post on Tu Thanh indicates; I'm trying to refamiliarize myself with City Heights.

Minh Ky:

I've done posts on Minh Ky so many times over the years. Though it's been maybe a year and a half since I'd visited. It was 830 on a Saturday morning; I'd be driving up to the office right after. I thought a bowl of egg noodle soup would do the trick, rather than my usual Beef sate Egg Noodle Soup "dry". Not quite knowing what to order; I went with the Combination Egg Noodle Soup.

Things were pretty quiet on this weekend morning. With the staff prepping condiments and stuff.

I couldn't believe the how much "stuff" was in my bowl of egg noodle soup ($6.95). Way too much noodles, I couldn't finish……

Good lord.

Like before; the char siu was decent in flavor if a bit tough. Squeaky fish balls, not a fan of the shredded chicken, he sliced fish cake was pretty good. But lordy, so much noodles! Which were nicely prepared, a bit of crunch and pull to them. The broth has gotten a bit weaker over the years and this was no exception.

I'd never been able to finish a bowl of noodle soup here…..until this day.

Service was a bit friendlier on this day. Maybe because when I arrived, the young lady had her hands full of produce and stuff and I helped her? Maybe that's why I got the jumbo noodle soup treatment?

Minh Ky Restaurant
4644 El Cajon Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92115

Pho King:

Can you imagine; it's been over a decade since that "Pxx Kxxg" Restaurant has been open?

And this parking lot has become just as bad as Minh Ky's right across the street.

I drove by at about 1030 am on a weekend and the place was pretty busy.

Noticed the 'B' in the window and also that when the couple complained about the blower over the door going full blast; the guy took a chopstick out of the receptacle, used it to press the switch to turn it off and returned it right back into the container! And….no one blinked an eye.

I ordered my usual here; the Hu Tieu Mi Kho; but apparently I didn't do a good job ordering and received the Hu Tieu Mi Nuoc. The place was super busy; so I decided to just have my noodle soup.

I'd never really enjoyed the broth at PK in the past, but this was not bad. Not too salty, a hint of pork, with a slight background umami. The fishballs and ground pork (hard for me to enjoy in a soup) were totally routine. The char siu tasted pretty good, but they serve it sliced really thin and almost shredded, so it's hard for me to enjoy. I enjoy the contrast of textures between the slightly crunchy egg noodles and the stretchy rice noodles. I'm also a fan of Chinese celery which is provided, along with bean sprouts.

So maybe I'll start ordering the noodle soups here again……

Pho King Restaurant
4658 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

Funny thing, I went and did a quick search for previous visits to link to while typing up this post and found the same two 'fer, at least it would have been, if I got what I had intended to order at Pho King. Guess I'm a real creature of habit.

Morning in Quebec City, a Visit to Paillard, and Épicerie J.A. Moisan

August 18, 2017 mmm-yoso Bakery, Caffeine Fix, Canada, Markets & Grocers, Quebec City, Travel

The rises early Quebec during early June; before 5am. And we took full advantage of it; heading out before six. We enjoy taking early walks when on vacation, especially when visiting places that are popular with tourists. Things look a bit different and you get to meander around and spend a bit more time admiring things. Like the La Fresque des Québécois, which celebrates the rich history of the city. There's a wonderful post on this mural on this site. It was still early so even La Maison Smith a very popular bakery and coffee shop wasn't opened yet.

The quiet lanes were very different at this hour, so peaceful, but still very charming and full of character.

There was nary a person to be seen; except for the folks walking their dogs in the light drizzle.

We headed back up Escalier Casse-Cou, deciding to head to Terrasse Dufferin and get another look at Château Frontenac. And wouldn't you know, unlike the day before, the sun decided to make an ever-so-short appearance. But it was enough time to take some lovely photos.

During winter there's actually a toboggan slide on Terrace Dufferin, must be qutie a thrill.

We took the steep stairs up La Promenade des Gouverneurs; the Governors Walk.

There are some pretty nice views from here.

Up to the Plains of Abraham, where the pivotal battle between the French and the British took place during the French and Indian War. This battle basically determined the fate of New France.

We'd seen some very in shape men and women running up and down the steps while walking up….I'd forgotten that La Citadelle was also located close by. It is still an active military installation and home to the Royal 22nd Regiment. We skirted the walls and headed down côte de la Citadelle.

Heading down one of the smaller side streets off Rue Saint Louis we came across this statue of Marie de L'Incarnation who was sent to New France to help establish the presence of the Ursuline Order of the Catholic Church.

You can read more about the story by enlarging this photo.

We wandered around a bit more; coming across places like Le Monastère des Augustines.

By now, some espresso and perhaps something light to eat sounded good. I had a place in mind on Rue Saint-Jean named Paillard.

Upon arriving, the Missus wasn't too impressed with the cafeteria like set-up. But I told Her that Paillard had a reputation for making a decent croissant; something we hadn't had much luck with in Montreal.

An espresso for the Missus, an Americano for me, croissant, and some sparkling water.

The croissant ended up being pretty good. Nice flakiness, a touch of butter, light saltiness, perhaps a bit too chewy, but we were satisfied.

We'd actually return the next morning for coffee and a light snack.

Paillard
1097 Rue Saint-Jean
Quebec City, Canada

It was still too early to start thinking about lunch. So I told the Missus there was one more place I wanted to see. To get there, we had to head up Rue Saint-Jean. Near the Porte Saint-Jean are the old fortifications/city wall.

The view from here was different.

A few blocks up Rue Saint-Jean resides Épicerie J.A. Moisan, established in 1871, said to be the oldest existing grocery in North America.

With over 3000 products, you can really take your time here. And we did.

It is a food lover's paradise.

Looking at the beer selection, I inquired about something local….the response? "Monsieur, this whole case is pretty much local." And the nice gentleman helped me pick something out.

We had a great time shopping for gifts…everything from sweets to JA Moison shopping bags.

I'm sure we'll be back again. Heck, we enjoyed the neighborhood so much, we might even stay in the Auberge upstairs.

Épicerie J A Moisan
699 Rue Saint-Jean
Quebec City, Canada

We really enjoyed the neighborhood, full of bakeries, pubs, restaurants, and yes, the poke fad has arrived here as well.

More of a residential area….it seems a bit Quebecoise-Hipster, but really neat.

And then there's this sign…..which I loved.

By this time we'd starting getting a bit hungry. It was time to find some lunch and we knew just the place!

Thanks for reading!

Quebec City – Walking Around the Upper and Lower Town and Dinner at Panache (now named Chez Muffy!)

August 17, 2017 mmm-yoso Canada, Canada Food and Restaurants, Fine Dining, French Restaurants, Quebec City, Travel

I enjoy train travel and while not quite in the same class as riding the Shinkansen in Japan, I enjoyed the three-and-a-half hour ride from Montreal to Quebec City. We were in business class, the seats were comfortable enough, the wifi decent. The Missus however got bored fairly quickly. I'd make sure that She had some movies and shows to watch on the way back to Montreal. We arrived at Gare du Palais; it was already about 430 pm, the sky overcast, slightly drizzly, but we'd been sitting long enough. So we walked to our hotel.

The one thing the Missus wanted on this trip as to "not feel like I'm in North America"…..well, QC sure didn't feel like we were in the US that's for sure.

We made our way to our hotel, which is now one the Missus's favorites, the Auberge Saint-Antoine. Things just seemed to be set-up perfectly for us, the rooms comfortable and cozy, the service was great, but not intrusive, the rooms quiet.

We had dinner reservations at the restaurant in the Hotel, named (at that time) Panache (more on that later). But the Missus really wanted to get going. Our location in the Old Town was perfect, quiet, but just a five minute walk to Place Royale. You want to feel transported to Europe? Here you go…..

Eglise Notre-Dame-des-Victoires crowns this small, but charming square, established by the "Father of New France", Samuel de Champlain in the 1620's when it was called Place du Marche. The name was changed in 1686 when the bust of Louis XIV was placed in the center of the square.

From here a few charming streets stretch out.

The most charming being Rue du Petit-Champlain which claims to be the oldest lane in North America. It's full of shops, cafes, restaurants, and boutiques. Touristy? Yes, but also quite charming and at least during our visit pretty chill and relaxed.

At one end of the lane is a funicular that takes you up to the Upper Town; but of course, this is the Missus, so we used the Escalier Casse-Cou, also known as the Breakneck Steps.

Built in 1630, this is the oldest stairway in Quebec City. There are actually quite a few well known stairways in Quebec. We'd run into a few during our stay. It's slight uphill walk on one of the oldest street in the city Côte de la Montagne, built in 1620, for many years it was the only street linking the Upper Town and Lower Town.

Taking a left at Rue Port Dauphin, you come to Cathedral-Basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec which, in several incarnations (having been burned down twice) has been here since 1647.

That's the Monument Du Cardinal Elzéar-Alexandre Taschereau. Taschereau was the Archbishop of Quebec from 1871 to 1898.

And just a short walk away is the most photographed hotel in the world; Château Frontenac.

That still looked mighty impressive, even on a drizzly day.

The wide open boardwalk that surrounds the hotel and extends parallel to the St Lawrence River is the Terrasse Dufferin. The views from here are quite lovely.

This is the monument to Champlain in front of the hotel.

Notice the Harp Player next to the monument….he kept playing thru the drizzle…..talk about dedication!

And there's also this rather odd looking "Elephant Sculpture" by Salvador Dali.

We noticed that QC has its own style….not overly formal….but just, well QC……and they seemed quite proud to be Québécois.

It started raining a bit harder, so we decided to head back to the hotel. Of course, the funicular was not an option.

We took a short stop at Parc Montmorency, which has quite a history. And quite a view…..

From the cannons.

We got back to the hotel, freshened up, relaxed a bit, then headed off to dinner, which was just downstairs.

The place was named Panache. I say "was" since the place has been renamed to….ahem, Chez Muffy at the end of June. Why "Chez Muffy"? Well you can read about that here.

So, I've decided not to dwell on this meal very much. I'll let you enjoy the photos. The service was excellent and this was far from a cheap meal. When we mentioned we'd be sharing; they split everything except the Celeriac Spaghetti.

I keep wondering why they serve cold bread here in Quebec. That just seemed like the norm.

Of course we had Foie Gras which was really great in a mulled red wine sauce and a not too sweet orange marmalade.

The wine it was paired with was outstanding, really elevated the flavors, both sweet and earthy of the dish, without being too cloyingly sweet.

Very nice.

Though perhaps my favorite item of the meal was the beet tartare, which was simply delici-yoso, the combination of capers, shallots, mullet row, and lemon confit really gave this simple sounding dish complexity.

Celeriac Spaghetti.

Elk.

The sautéed kohlrabi with pistachio was delicious.

Dessert.

Ume flavored marshmallows.

Panache (now Chez Muffy) – in the Auberge Saint-Antoine
8 Rue Saint-Antoine
Quebec City, Canada

Pho SaiGon Bliss

August 15, 2017 mmm-yoso Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Saigon Bliss has closed

Yes, the name of this place is Saigon Bliss, go figure. A couple of friends who live in Serra Mesa really like this place, so I decided to give it a try. If I recall, this used to be Kinkos….I think. This strip mall sure has changed over the years…..

Much like Pho Kitchen and other shops, the décor is what I call "modern pho"…..bright colors, clean, and a few enlarged photos of Vietnam and pretty girls to create a sort of nostalgic connection.

The young man who runs the front of house is really, really, nice….though he really doesn't need to call me "sir" every time he speaks to me.

The folks who recommended this place to me told me I "needed" to try the Nem Nuong Cuon. So I did and it was obvious they've never been to Brodard, or even Duyen Mai for that matter.

The ratios were off in the spring roll, the pork sausage wasn't grilled enough and while I admire the place giving you a hefty slice, it made the texture lean to the rubbery side. There was a single sliver of fried egg roll wrapper in this, not enough to make much of a difference. The sauce was really thin, too sweet, and lacking in that subtle savory flavor that makes so many folks enjoy Brodards.

I also got some pho; just the regular "combination" ($8.50).

The basil was starting to brown on the edges and there was hardly any sprouts, so I asked for a bit more. Of course the nice young man immediately got it for me!

Over the years, I've notice the typical "San Diego pho" broth has changed. It used to be pretty heavy on the msg……now it's typical to have the broth severely defatted, taking away the richness, with a flavor that's noticeably on the sweet side. This fits that bill.

The tripe was the best protein, nice crunch, no off flavors, not much tendon in this, the rare steak was on the dry side, and I'm not a big fan of overly squeaky beef balls. And the amount was on the scarce side.

The noodles were adequately prepared; though it was clump city all the way.

Still, the folks here seemed to be trying hard. And so…..I returned of course. But I really wasn't sure what to order. The young man told me that the Bo Kho was his grandmother's recipe.

This was actually half way decent. Though the stew was way too thin and defatted for my taste and could have used more acid to bring out the tanginess, it was fairly beefy.

Sadly, there was no tendon to be found; but the chunks of beef were tender and there were no off flavors.

The bread was light, warm, and standard issue stuff.

If you don't like a rich bowl of bo kho and hate beef tendon, you might like this. Sort of bo kho not to offend. Not terrible though and the best thing I've had here.

With this under my belt….no pun intended; I decided that perhaps a third time might be a charm and the young man had told me to try the Bo Luc Lac ($13.95).

Man, look at all those onions! I mean, I understand they need to stretch the dish and such, but golly. The beef was on the tough side and too salty for my taste. The sauce provided was sort of Muoi Tieu Chanh, but it tasted strange….perhaps using bottled lemon juice. The butter rice, colored with what seems to be annatto was moist, tender, and the flavor not too bad. I think it was the best thing about the dish as the bo luc lac seemed like something one would throw together at home, it lacked finesse.

Still, the service here is really nice. I heard that they really take care of military and veterans here. It's a decent neighborhood pho shop and I actually think it's better than some of the places around Convoy and Kearny Mesa. So I hope they do well.

Pho SaiGon Bliss
3755 Murphy Canyon Rd
San Diego, CA 92123
Hours:
Mon – Sat 10am – 9pm
Sunday 1030am – 8pm

This strip mall right off Aero Drive has always been a bit of an "odd duck" to me. It still holds a Sizzler and I think the taco shop might be the only business that's been around for a while. I remember back in the early 2000's the cook at the Chinese Restaurant in the mall was from Hawaii and on weekends they'd serve stuff like loco mocos and other stuff. Man, that seems like so long ago now.

Revisits to Places I Never Posted On – The Butcher Shop

August 14, 2017 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Sandwiches

So, in need of a getaway from the craziness at work, I decided to take a trip back in time….to another place I hadn't been to in maybe 15 years.

Ah yes, The Butcher Shop……..

Once owned by the De Philippi family, it's a symbol of a nostalgic bygone era….

From the red faux leather booths to the dark wood paneling, and the photos on the wall…Frank here….Dean there……

I knew I wouldn't run into anyone from the office here.

I got the Prime Rib Sandwich….which was probably the last thing I got here way back when; though I don't think it was sixteen bucks then. But, everything costs more these days. My Server was a joy and I ordered my prime rib rare, which is how it arrived.

In a nicely toasted onion roll. The au jus just tasted mainly salty, so I let that be. The horse radish sauce was very pungent….it belonged on the sandwich, in a well measured dose. The meat was tender, but on the bland side.

As I opened up the roll to spread the horseradish on it. One side looked like it belonged on Instagram…Snapchat…or whatever the social media site du jour is these days….

While the other half of the sandwich didn't seem like it belonged on the same plate.

The fries were crisp; but everything, except the horse radish sauce seemed strangely bland.

Though there seemed to be quite a few eating on this day…..I did feel like I was the youngest person in the room. "Old School" isn't always a bad thing, but this tasted and felt dated. Though I'm sure many have great memories of this place.

The Butcher Shop
5255 Kearny Villa Rd
San Diego, CA 92123

Bun Mang Vit from Tu Thanh

August 13, 2017 mmm-yoso Vietnamese Restaurants

It's seems like things are cooling off a bit. So, I decided to reward myself for working a weekend morning by heading up to City Heights. I'd make up my mind when I got there….and since it had been about a year since I'd last visited, an early lunch at Tu Thanh seemed perfect.

The menu here has expanded over the years…..

But I stick with the one dish that I first started having back…..well golly, in August of 2006, at Chi Tu Thanh Nha Hang, aka Chinese Kitchen.

The Bun Mang Vit.

I love how the earthy crunchiness of the rehydrated bamboo shoots as it contrasts quite nicely with the bun. These days, I don't drink the broth which is very light, until near the end. Once you finish dunking, saucing (that wonderful gingery and sweet nuoc mam gung), the herbs and veggies, and that duck into the broth, the flavor is transformed. The duck, which I think is the source for the broth is toothsome, but that gamy flavor is still quite pronounced. And of course that little bath in the nuoc mam gung just adds another wonderful layer.

Man, this looks like a lot more duck than I used to get here. There's still rau ram in the salad, but not as much banana blossom.

Still, this is comfort food. And I always leave feeling like I'd had a meal at a friend's house. And all this is still eight bucks.

Tu Thanh
4804 University Ave. #A
San Diego, CA 92105

Parking in the area can be a bit of a pain. On this morning, because Mucha Fruita (Cathy's post from 2015) was grilling stuff, there wasn't much parking close by. So I parked two blocks away. It gave me a chance to take a photo of this place.

Sent Cathy a text with the photo and she mentioned that this was one of three locations of the "Leaning Tower of Pizza" chain. Now it's a dive bar and tattoo parlor.

That's City Heights……

Cold Tan Tan Men at Menya Ultra and Shann Xi Magic Kitchen (99 Ranch Market Food Court)

August 9, 2017 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

Cold Tan Tan Men at Menya Ultra:

Some of the folks at work thought we'd hit up Menya Ultra before things get really crazy. And yes, because it was a foursome, I actually waited in line for thirty minutes. I'd been told that the Zaru Tan Tan Men was really good; so I decided to order that with an ajitama.

The egg was very good, nicely flavored, and in this case, having it on the cold side was a plus this time. The noodles were very nice and katame (firm)….on two of my last visits I overheard folks complaining the noodles were "undercooked"…….god help them if they go to Rokurinsha, Ippudo, or just about any street corner ramen shop worth a damn in Japan. As for the rest? Well, I find this version rather bland with not enough savory umph to be satisfying to me. Even with the onions, the seasoned ground meat…..well, I'll just stick with the Ajitama Tonkotsu. Though I'm not sure when I'll be willing to brave the crowds again.

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

Shann Xi Magic Kitchen in the 99 Ranch Market Food Court:

**** This location of Shann Xi Magic Kitchen has closed.

I needed something from 99 Ranch Market and it was around 11am this past weekend. I decided to check out this location of Shanxi Magic Kitchen to see how they compared to the location on Convoy.

It's obvious that the two kids working here really don't want anything to do with their customers….they'd rather work on their laptop or socialize. I was treated like a mere nuisance.

Of course I ordered the Yang Rou Pao Mo ($8.99), which is served here without the pickled garlic or chili paste….perhaps you need to ask for them? But you shouldn't have to……it's standard for the dish.

I've mentioned that I've given up on finding the Yang Rou Pao Mo that I really enjoyed in Xi'an. So how's this facsimile?

The lamb in this was very tasty, quite muttony. The meat nice and tender. The flavor of the broth was heavy in white pepper, but decent, you could still taste "the lamb". It was a bit thin for my liking….I enjoy a thick and hearty Yang Rou Pao Mo, and while this was scalding hot, it lacked the richness and tongue (and belly) coating viscousity. Not much bean thread in this, though I saw some lily buds and a few pieces of tofu which looked just like the waxy, pasty, counterfeit leavened bread. Overall, not bad, but I'll be going to the location on Convoy if I ever want this again.

Overall, the (lack of) service and broth was subpar.

Shann Xi Magic Kitchen
5950 Balboa Ave (In the 99 Ranch Market Food Court)
San Diego, CA 92111