mmm-yoso – Page 201

Sapporo – The “Crab Course” Meal From Hyousetsu no Mon

June 29, 2016 mmm-yoso Hokkaido, Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Seafood, Travel

Even though we had eaten and drank well in Otaru, there was one last, rather expensive, blowout meal that we had scheduled in Sapporo. In need of working up an appetite, we strolled around Sapporo for a while. Passing places like the Clock Tower (時計台, Tokeidai), which is a very Western style building. The clock was installed in 1881, by E. Howard & Company of Boston. Theclock in the tower still runs.

The Missus loves crab, I have never seen anyone destroy a pile of crab with speed and efficiency like the Missus and Her Cousins. So I decided on what I read was he oldest crab specialty restaurant in Sapporo; Hyousetsu-no-Mon. Located in the Susukino district, we had made reservations on our first evening in Sapporo. We had a rather difficult time finding the place the first time and we headed over a bit early just in case we got a bit lost. Funny story about our reservation. The restaurant is multi-level deal, you have to find the level with the front desk, which we did. The studious looking gentleman behind the front desk was very professional and serious looking. He spoke decent English and we worked out a time for our reservation. Then he took down my name…..with a big look of surprise….then a huge smile, "Aaaah, Xxxxxxxxx-san, Xxxxxxxxx-san!" He was so friendly, like a different person. He didn't think I was Japanese! He then wrote my name down in the book and showed it to me. Now, I'd never, ever seen my family name written in Japanese, so I just smiled and nodded. By this time, the Missus was cracking up!

The Missus couldn't help but laugh when we walked up to the reception desk, and the gentleman saw me and called out a greeting!

We were taken to one of the private rooms. The woman serving us was probably in her 60's, but was amazingly efficient. While walking to the restroom, I saw the youngers girls trying to keep up with her. When she slide open the door, I looked at the table and went "oh-oh". I dread having to sit on the floor, it's just an accident waiting to happen. Luckily, the floor below the table was sunken. Whew.

I had ordered the Live Hairy Crab and King Crab Course for the Missus (13,000¥ – about $125/US) and the King Crab Full Course (9,300¥ – about $90/US) for me.

Of course you needed sake; we started with something from Otokoyama, the kuniyoshi nona torizake (1,010¥ – about $10). A nice, crisp, and clean tasting sake.

While we met our guest of honor.

And the appetizer course arrived.

Man, we loved the crab roe!

The Sashimi Course was three hairy crab legs

So sweet, if a bit on the chewy side.

And a nice crab claw.

I gotta say, the King Crab Claw meat has maybe the best flavor of all the pieces I had. It was really sweet and had a very clean taste.

Then a portable stove and hot pot was delivered to our table.

We were both given King Crab Legs and some vegetables for the hot pot. This was nice, but no big deal. We just made sure not to cook the legs too much. For some reason, I thought the hot pot broth tasted quite good on its own.

The grilled king crab was nice, with rich, smoky touches, and quite delicious.

Then came what I call the Missus's course; the steamed hairy crab. I let Her have all of it; She does love Her crab.

While I ordered Chitosetsuru Junmai-Daiginjo (1,375¥ – about $14/US). Floral, on the light side.

While my steamed King Crab Legs arrived.

Rich and buttery, nice clean flavors.

Up next were the tempura courses; which both the Missus and I thought were light and crisp, but nothing especially distinctive.

The next two courses weren't our favorites. The crab in a vinegar sauce was too sour and you couldn't make out anything.

The King Crab Gratin was a bit too rich for us and you really couldn't make out any crab. It was quite filling though.

Our last sake was our favorite, simply called Maruta (935¥ – about $9/US). Considered one of the best examples of Ginpu (a sake rice grown on Hokkaido) Junmaishu.

Crisp with an interesting tongue feel.

I wasn't too sure about the Crab Nigiri, but it was quite good, served Aburi (torched) style, which helped to develop the flavors and texture.

We both enjoyed the final course, which was an egg drop porridge. It helped to finish things off and really did have that "aaah" factor.

And the serving was quite generous.

The nice palate cleansing sorbet was the dessert.

This was quite a meal. You'd think we'd be stuffed. But because of the pacing, both the Missus and I, while full, didn't feel like we were bursting at the seams. The service was excellent. While I don't think we'll be doing this again, it was a fun experience and we were glad we did it.

Hyosetsu-no-Mon
Minami 5 Jonishi
Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan

We really enjoyed our time in Sapporo and were kind of sad to be leaving the next day. So we took the long way back to the hotel……

Tokyo Deli

June 28, 2016 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Poke

**** Tokyo Deli has closed

I gotta say; as years have passed, the longer I live in San Diego, my reception of what's going on over "the coconut wireless" gets more and more faint. I think most folks use the four lettered word site to get their info these days. But here's one I got a day after posting on San Diego Poke Company. Anyway, he who wants to remain silent told me the poke at this tiny little, mostly take-out shop in the East Village was worth a try for the poke. I was warned off the nigiri and he knew I don't do the rolls thing. Which is how I ended up at Tokyo Deli.

Loved the shop which was sparkling white; the crew all Japanese, there are a few brands of soy sauce and other Japanese items for sale in a small retail area.

The drill is basic order at the counter and get your food. The folks are professional.

The poke bowls can be made on rice, as a salad, or half and half. They start at $9.80 with two toppings gratis and an upcharge extra items or even more for avocado and/or cream cheese…..cream cheese….on a poke bowl. So, no Flamin' Cheetos toppings or any of that stuff here, after all, did you want all kinds of "stuff" or fish, eh?

There's a glass display of items from the menu…..no, it's not plastic food.

Wanting something basic to determine how good the fish was; I went with the rice bowl, with tuna (of course), the sesame soy sounded closest to shoyu poke, with onions and cucumber.

It was delivered to me in a little plastic bowl, with a couple of butter lettuce leaves and shredded purple cabbage. This is not a big eater portion size, but it was enough for me. First things first, the fish was good quality, nice meatiness, no tough or mushy pieces. This wasn't too salty, decent balance in salty-sesame oil, but there was a wasabi kick to the sauce; but it wasn't a gooey-watery mess either. The rice was excellent, cooked perfectly. The onions and cucumbers did the job; pungency with a nice clean palate cleansing. The really nice woman who brought me my bowl also dropped off a cup of water; a nice touch.

Which if course, meant I went back; this time for take-out.

This time I went for the half and half; half rice half salad with tuna, the ponzu sauce, avocado ($1 upcharge), onion, and cucumbers.

There was a nice generous portion of avocado; but this bowl seemed a bit lightweight with all the greens; which by the way, wasn't dressed, and that sauce for the poke really didn't extend to all that kale. Also, the fish just didn't seem as good in quality this time around; low in fat and oil, and quite a bit of "that pink" bled onto the rice. The ponzu was ok, it could have had a bit more zip and I thought the fish needed to be dressed a bit better.

Now the really nice guy who recommended Tokyo Deli also asked me to try the Sushi Burrito……something I usually wouldn't go for. He also instructed me to get a whole one ($10.80) since half really would only do for a small snack. So, I went with the tuna sushi burrito (yeeesh) and since I was going to defy that little voice inside of me going "wtf", I chose the spicy aioli as the sauce. Man, this fish was dark, the texture was still good, but it was just getting to the edge of shelf life for me as I could make out a mild "smell". Still, it wasn't bad.

As before, the rice was prepared well. This was basically an uncut makizushi with poke as a filling, which wasn't too strange to me. It was kind of light on the fish; they piled everything in the middle before rolling, so the ends were tapered, with hardly any fish. The spicy aioli; was more aioli than spicy. At least to me. At least you'll get some greens and a nice portion of avocado. I did get full; but mostly on rice.

So, what do I think? This place is decent and would stretch to good if they can get consistently good fish. The place is clean and spotless and service reserved, thoughtful (remember the cup of water?), professional, with a certain dignified, understated approach that seems so Japanese. I like that. The portions aren't very large, but as a whole ok for me. They also serve Edomae nigiri sushi; which looks a bit better than what you'd get at a Japanese market. Sorry, I don't eat it there other than kappa maki and natto maki, so you'll have to try it yourself. There are also various rice bowls and the inevitable California and Philadelphia rolls on the menu as well.

I'll eat here again.

Tokyo Deli
871 G St
San Diego, CA 92101
Open Daily
11am – 7pm

Dordogne – Our Arrival in Sarlat-la-Caneda and Dinner at Bistrot l’Adresse

June 27, 2016 mmm-yoso Dordogne, France, France, French Restaurants, Travel

At one point in time, I had thought of ending our vacation France in Bordeaux. But one item on the Missus's Bucket list was a visit to the Lascaux Cave, so I went ahead and did a bit of research, and found that the Dordogne region was full of medieval cities, beautiful vistas, and villages cut into the cliffs and crags. When I read that most important food products of the region are walnuts, truffle, duck (!), goose (!!), and foie gras….stop right there, that's enough….we were going for sure. Plus, I'd read that the Saturday Market Day was something not to be missed. And to make things even sweeter, the Missus didn't seem to keen on Lascaux II, a replica of the original cave which has been closed to the public, so I found the only site in France with polychrome cave paintings that is still open to the public!

Getting to Sarlat from Bordeaux was a snap. It was a half mile walk downhill from the train station to our accommodation, a wonderful little B&B named Chambres d'Hôtes L'Unique. The place is run by a very charming and warm couple; the wife speaks only French and Spanish, and the husband some English. I believe there are only two spacious and charming rooms. We enjoy our privacy so staying at B&B's sometimes cramps our style, but this place was wonderful. We were given a key to the front entrance and could come and go as we please.

We got a nice recommendation for dinner and the breakfast (in a future post) was amazing!

Chambres d'hôtes l'Unique
20 Avenue Thiers
Sarlat-la-Canéda, France

Another plus was that the place was a few blocks from the center of Sarlat, but still far enough from the hustle and bustle (all relative of course), which we'd appreciate the next day.

To say that Sarlat charming is an understatement; with lovely cobblestone streets, meandering alleys, the Gothic and Renaissance stylings of the buildings, there's the feeling that you're breathing in the rarefied air of a medieval market town.

One that's filled with and endless assortment of Foie Gras Shops……

Which are everywhere. Find a picturesque square; this one is Place de la Liberte, and you'll know why Sarlat has been used as the backdrop for so many movies; like Ever After; The Musketeer, Timeline, Chocolat, and the Duellists.

And without a doubt you will run into another Foie Gras shop.

Or two……

Folks, this sign is no joke.

I Googled "how many foie gras shops in Sarlat" and I guess even the Internet didn't want to hazard a guess.

Look close enough and you'll start to notice interesting pieces of public art; like this bronze statue of a boy sitting above Place de la Liberte, named "Le Badaud", the Onlooker. We'd find out just what he was looking at the next day; during the Saturday Market.

We just kind of wandered around with no objective in sight; other than to make dinner reservations at a place recommended by the owner of the B&B. That was done quickly; which left us to our own devices; roaming the quiet alleyways of Sarlat.

It was a tranquil Friday afternoon. It seems that most of the day-trippers had headed back to their accommodations, resting up for the Saturday swarm. Every so often you'll come something like this medieval courtyard; Cour des Fontaines, with, of course a fountain, a remnant of an Abbey that was located on this site in the 14th century.

Or the Lanternes des morts (Lantern of the Dead). In 1147 St Bernard blessed the bread in Sarlat, an event called the "the miracle of the healing loaves" when the ill and infirm ate the bread and were healed. Though I've heard a couple of other stories about this distinct and very interesting structure which is one of the oldest in Sarlat.

They say "water is life" and this fountain, which flowed out of a tiny grotto was built in the 12th century, and for centuries the La fontaine Sainte-Marie was the main water source for Sarlat.

You can see that the Virgin Mary is still standing guard, protecting the water.

And then there's this square.

Named "Place de Oies", yep you guessed it, "Square of the Geese". Geese are actually traded here on market days between November thru March.

We'd worked up an appetite walking around, so it was time to head to dinner. We had walked over to Bistrot l’Adresse earlier and made reservations for dinner. Lucky thing too as the place filled up quite quickly.

Our Server was very nice, even though she was slammed, always had a smile for us. We had the middle table on the porch, which we really enjoyed as it was quite a lovely day. There were two combinations of a three course prix fixe dinner menu to choose from; so we selected one of each.

As for wine, we couldn't decide on a white or a red; so we got both. The white to start out with the first course and a red to follow. Since the place was super busy and popular, even with locals it seemed, we'd just relax and have a nice leisurely dinner, something that seems to be lost here in the States.

We are of course Asian, so we basically shared everything; passing plates back and forth, and had a great time.

After seeing all those foie gras signs, you know what we had to start with right? The foie gras mi cuit of course!

Along with the date chutney, this was totally delici-yoso! I mean really good; fairly light yet rich, amazing texture. Yes, I do call it Basque Butter as it seemed like the folks in Basque country treat it as a birthright. But perhaps I need to find some other name for this…..like "Dordogne Delight"?

Loved the simple, yet refreshing Salade de Gesiers de Canard Magret Fume.

Basically, a wonderful green salad topped with amazingly tender duck gizzards (Gesiers de Canard ) and tasty cured duck breast (Magret Fume). I could eat this everyday.

Loved the Magret de Canard which was served wrapped in a crepe/filo dough. Really moist, great flavors from all the herbs.

The potatoes; Pommes Sarladaises; "Sarlat Potatoes", were quite rich and delicious. From what I've read; this classic rendition of potatoes is made with only Goose Fat, Garlic, salt, and Pepper. What more do you really need?

The Tarte de Confit de Canard; which is actually in the back of this photo was good, but it really didn't grab us like the other entrée.

As for desserts….well, I'm not much of a dessert guy…unless one of them is cheese!

A nice, local Cabécou, mild, milky, with a nice finish.

The Missus just loved the Pistachio Ice Cream as it wasn't too sweet.

The prices weren't too bad at 22 Euros per person, the Chateau de la Jaubertie was 19 Euros, while the Clos Montalbanie was 20. Overall, this might have been our favorite meal while in Dordogne.

Bistrot l’Adresse
8 Rue du 8 Mai 1945
Sarlat-la-Caneda, France

We left fat and happy and took our time walking back to our room.

As darkness fell, the city, the only one lit by gas lamps in France; seems quite romantic under the warm glow.

This is what I'd always thought France would be like.

Thanks for reading!

What’s My Craving? The Blairsteak from Monkey Paw

June 25, 2016 mmm-yoso Beer, Cheesesteaks, Pubs and Pub Grub, Sandwiches

**** Monkey Paw has closed

It was about time for my Cheesesteak fix and the Missus wanted some waffle cut fries, so it was back to Monkey Paw.

The Missus loves waffle cut fries; I'm not such a big fan….so here She can get the "Stoner Fries with waffle cut fries"….basically waffle cut fries topped with cheesesteak fillings; beef, in this case provolone, peppers, onions, and mushrooms.

There's a reason they call it Stoner Fries…sheesh. She can never finish this, so we always tell them to drop off a box when they bring the food. The Missus will use the leftovers to make a hash the next day with eggs and some kale from the yard.

Of course I got the Blairsteak…..and got it with waffle cut fries for the Missus.

For years the Missus has told me how gross cheesesteaks were….but this one has made Her change Her tune. I think it's the combination of the soft Amoroso that has a bit of a gritty finish, combined with the milky provolone, the earthy mushrooms and the sautéed onions. I think She wouldn't even need any beef in this….but of course, I'd miss it. She now shares half the sandwich with me. This ain't cheap at about $16 with the upcharge for the waffle cut fries….but it's a nice treat every so often.

And then of course; there's the beer. On one of our visits I got a chance to taste the Ashes from The Grave, a smoked brown that won a Gold Medal at the 2016 World Cup of Beer.

Nutty Chocolate flavors, mild sweetness, and a good smokiness that gets you at the end.

The Missus's favorite here is the Monkey Gose Bananas with Tart and Black Cherry.

We've come to enjoy Monkey Paw as a guilty pleasure. Love the divey feel, friendly staff, and the temperature of the beer is always good. The neighborhood might be kind of terminally "in transition", but it kind of helps with the vibe, which we prefer to Hamilton's which was just way too "hipster" and quite unfriendly the three times we've tried the place.

Monkey Paw
805 16th St
San Diego, CA 92101

Clearing Out the Memory Card: 777 Noodle House, Santouka, and Sushi Yaro

June 23, 2016 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Ramen, Sushi and Sashimi, Vietnamese Restaurants

After all the heat over the last couple of days, it was to have moderate June weather. I figure most of you are enjoying that; so just a short post on places I've done a ton of times:

777 Noodle House:

Maybe just because I get a kick out of the way they always call me "sir".

Though that Hu Tieu Nam Vang Kho ain't bad for $5.77.

777 Noodle House
4686 University Avenue
San Diego, CA 92105

Santouka:

I've learned that when the Missus hears Santouka calling, She must answer……regardless of the weather.

Definitely not as good as Santouka in Asahikawa. Still, the shio toroniku is our favorite in San Diego.

Santouka Ramen
4240 Kearny Mesa Rd(In the Mitsuwa Marketplace)
San Diego, CA 92111

Sushi Yaro:

**** Sushi Yaro has closed

I dropped by on an evening where the temps were getting close to triple digits.

While not as good as what I recently had with Ed from Yuma; this was good enough. As I mentioned in a previous post, I'll often drop by when I need a "sashimi break"…..as I did on this visit.

Sushi Yaro
7905 Engineer Road
San Diego, CA 92111

Midweek Meanderings – Mike’s BBQ (Bay Park) Closes and Tasty Pot, Boba Bar, and Donburi Kitchen Coming Soon

June 22, 2016 mmm-yoso Blog

I haven't done one of these in a while, so I thought I'd play some ketch….ahem, catch-up.

Mike's BBQ in Bay Park Closes:

Driving by this strip mall, I noticed that the sign for Mike's BBQ had been taken down.

So I pulled into the mall and noticed that the place had closed down! Looks like there were some complaints from residents in the nearby apartment complex. One morning I mentioned this to a couple of the old-timers at Clairemont Coffee and got some interesting stories. I believe an abatement order was filed and I guess the rest is history.

Though I wasn't super impressed by the food I thought the folks here were really nice and they filled a niche in the community.

Sad to see things turn out this way.

3057 Clairemont Dr
San Diego, CA 92117

Tasty Pot:

Man, this strip mall has been busy lately with Baguette Bros, Green China Grill, and some Crawfish place recently opening. Looks like a hot pot place will soon be making its home here as well.

Thanks to FOY "Xiāng Jiāo" for the heads-up.

4698 Convoy Street
San Diego, CA 92111

Boba Bar:

Ever wonder what was going on with the old Dumpling Inn spot. Looks like it's becoming a boba-shaved ice-ice cream shop.

Don't we have quite a few of these already?

4619 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Donburi Kitchen:

FOY "Sandy" mentioned this in the comments of one of my posts.

I had noticed it a few weeks back when I dropped by Island Style Café. Donburi, huh? I'm interested to see what this place, in the location that used to be The Fish Bucket is going to be like. They might even be open already, so I gotta check again soon.

6030 Santo Road
San Diego, CA 92124

So that's it for now. Hope you're having a great week!

Where Did We Eat to Beat the Heat? Buga

June 21, 2016 mmm-yoso Korean Restaurants

Man, yesterday sure was a hot one! I walked out of the office to grab a quick lunch; this wasn't too far from the shore mind you….and it was pretty darn hot.

We usually get a couple of days in September or October that's pretty nasty….but this is June! Lot's of records set……

Heat usually dampens our appetite and this hot day was no different. We really didn't want to stay at home and stew in our juices, so we went through our options for dinner. If this was, say 2011, the choice would be obvious; it would be Ba Ren for Sichuan Liang Mian and Ko Shui Ji, but those days are long gone. Thai Papaya was one of the possibilities, or even some Gyokai Natto Don from Izakaya Sakura. In the end, the Missus made an interesting choice; Buga. While the Yukwe Bi Bim Bap and the Bi Bim Naengmyun had been among our favorite versions in San Diego; our last couple of visits after the ownership change had not been particularly delish. Still, it had been two-and-a-half years. It was time for a revisit.

It was interesting as the place always look empty from the street, but the parking lot was quite full on this day, as was the restaurant. The folks working here were really nice, in spite of basically running from table to table.

We placed our order and soon enough the panchan arrived right before the food we ordered.

On our previous two visits, we were thoroughly unimpressed with the panchan. This was totally different. Perhaps it was the fact that the cold dishes were nicely chilled, but I gotta say, the baechu (napa cabbage) kimchi had a bit of fermented flavor and the gobo (burbock root) glazed with a nice sweet soy based sauce was very good; earthy, salty, and slightly sweet. Those two items were the highlites.

Of course the Missus went with the Yukkwe Bib Bim Bap…..still served with the rice on the side.

I know the Missus was wishing for something like She had at Gogung in Insadong. But while the meat was sliced a bit too thick, it was nicely chilled, very fresh, with no off flavors. There was quite a pile of vegetables, which, when combined with the chojang made for a tasty dinner. I know as I got to finish off what the Missus couldn't.

Of course I ordered the Bi Bim Naengmyun, which looked different from what I'd had here before. The noodles were thinner and there was quite a bit of sauce/soup.

This might have been the best I've had at Buga. The noodles were perfectly elastic and stretchy; the sauce spicy-sweet-salty-savory…the Missus enjoyed the egg. A simple yet refreshing dish; perfect for a scotching day.

All finished with Sujoenggwa, the persimmon-cinnamon drink; still a bit too sweet for our taste, but throw in some ice cubes and it was just what the doctor ordered.

After having a couple of not so great meals here a few years ago, we were pleasantly pleased and surprised this time around. I guess Buga is back on our list.

Buga Korean Restaurant
5580 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117

So, what did you eat to beat the heat this past week?

San Diego Poke Company

June 20, 2016 mmm-yoso Poke, Seafood

**** San Diego Poke Company has closed

I know, it’s kind of rough doing a post on one of these fast-casual poke concept places right after doing one on the great, inexpensive seafood on rice in Hokkaido. But that’s the breaks. I’ve got really mixed feelings about the recent poke boom on the mainland. On one hand, it’s great that something I’ve eaten since “small kid time”, we’re talking almost half a century here, has gained general acceptance and popularity. On the other hand, much of it looks more style and hype over substance, jumping on the latest bandwagon, remember cronuts? Or maybe fro-yo? Or maybe (fill in the blanks). I’m not one who follows fads and I’ve always said, I’d never get poke from a place where I wouldn’t eat the fish without all the sauces or what not, but there I was in front of San Diego Poke Company. Mainly because one of their regular customers from their Farmer’s Market stall emailed me saying it was quite good.

I’d kind of made up my approach to trying these places on the way to this shop. Because I always like to experience the food at any eating establishment at its best, I’d never go on Sundays and Mondays (since I don’t know when their fish is picked up/delivered). Because, to me, poke is traditionally ahi/aku, Ala’e/sea salt, limu, inamona, and because of my background, shoyu, and onions, though I guess these days I make it all kinds of ways, I’m going to stick with fish from the tuna family at first.

The drill here is ordering perhaps a “specialty bowl”, or doing the fast-casual, have it your way thing, a base of starch plus seafood item, sauce, then any variety of toppings. Like Kirbie mentioned in her post, the world is your oyster, you can get anything from avocado to Flaming Hot Cheetos (whatever…) if you make it your own way.

Nice group of folks here, quite friendly. On my first visit, I went with the large OG SD ($11.95), which looked like a modification of shoyu poke. I thought the amount of fish used was much more generous than what I had at Poke Go back in August of last year. It also had a ton of rice.

The fish seemed to be better quality than what I had at Poke Go, though obviously not top grade. There were a couple of pieces that had quite a bit of “suji” (connective tissue) and a few pieces smelled a bit off, so I didn’t eat those. The sauce was a simple shoyu – teriyaki-ish based sauce which didn’t mess too much with the fish. Love onions in my poke, though this was a bit too much. The avocado added a nice creamy component to things. Way too much rice for me though, so I made note to just get a regular bowl the next time.

I like a good Poisson Cru and had two somewhat similar versions of it in Hanga Roa recently, so I thought trying the Koko Loko (regular – build your own bowl $9.95), a coconut, citrus, and sweet chili sauce base would be nice. Though when I asked the guy at the counter if this was similar to Poisson Cru or ‘Ota’ika, he looked at me weird and said, “no, this is koko loko….” Okay……shame on me for expecting he would actually know a bit more about something very similar. Food nerd malfunction.

The sauce was a bit too heavy in coconut for me, also a bit too sweet, and I thought it needed a bit more citrus. Cucumbers are a must for this type of poke/ceviche and I wish tomatoes were available. The fish was actually even better this time around, though I noticed that it looked like two different batches thrown together as there were some mushy pieces. For me, avocado always adds a bit of creaminess, even with the coconut based sauce, the masago adds a nice crunch as does the seaweed salad, though this “bled” all over the rice making it green. I stopped the guy after one scoop of rice in my bowl, that was enough for my carb needs.

In the end, while it wouldn’t make me forget places like Ono Seafood, Tanioka’s, or any number of places back home, this was better than other versions I’ve had in San Diego. Think of it as “Poke Chipotle”, which I guess is better than “Poke Micky D’s”. It’s worth a stop if you want something a bit more healthy and are in the area.

San Diego Poke Co
10387 Friars Rd
San Diego, CA 92120
Open Daily 11am – 9pm

Otaru: Sankaku Fish Market and Lunch at Ajidokoro Takeda

June 19, 2016 mmm-yoso Hokkaido, Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Seafood, Travel

After sampling a few brews at Otaru Brewery we walked back to the JR Station. Just to the right of that station stands a rather nondescript street and a very discreet doorway. Behind that door is Sankaku Market. It really doesn't look like much from the outside, but walk thru that door and you'll enter a bustling little market.

Full of some of the most wonderful seafood I've ever had a chance to see.

Opposite the stands are restaurants….more like stalls with tables. One of them had a crazy line of people waiting to eat. I looked at the menu and saw that it was the cheapest place in the market.

Right before that stood another shop, this one was also busy, but we decided to just take a chance. The woman in charge gave us a paper with a number and we stood off to the side to wait.

I went for a walk to the loo….which is how I noticed that the crowds here gather around the area where the restaurants were.

After about 15 minutes, the woman in charge found us and we were seated and a little bowl of ika; which looked like it was colored with squid ink was placed before us.

We were given menus and here's where I'm glad I took a photo of the menu since folks here don't believe the prices we paid for lunch.

Not realizing how much rice was in these bowls we ordered three! Later on during the trip, Kat mentioned that we could order half portions of rice. Which we'll do when we return.

We shared the three bowls. The first to arrive was the most expensive one (2000¥) a bit less than $20. Geez Louise, look at all of that sweet crab!

Which I thought was the weakest item in the bowl. The salmon was nice and mild in flavor, fatty, with a wonderful texture. I've had Hokkaido Uni before and thought it to be very briney and intense in flavor, but this was so creamy, slightly sweet, with the wonderful flavor of the ocean. Like you took a bite of the cleanest, sweetest, water of the Pacific. The ikura were perfect, briney, not overly salty, with a wonderful snap to them. For around twenty bucks!

We also ordered this which cost 1300¥. More of that wonderful ikura and those scallops were super sweet.

The ebi were tender, but very mild in flavor and not particularly interesting….but that ikura.

I was curious what a 980¥ (about $9.50) bowl of salmon would look like. Sheeesh……

10 pieces of fresh and delicious salmon. I'm very cautious about getting salmon in restaurants; but the stuff in the market looked so fresh and of good quality. We really didn't need the wasabi as everything tasted clean and fresh, just a bit of soy sauce for the salmon. We did feel bad having so much rice left over, but we'll know what to do in the future.

This was one heck of a meal for under forty bucks….remember, there's no tipping in Japan. I came back and mentioned how good the Hokkaido Uni was to Tommy at Catalina…..which he wasn't too happy about, but what the heck.

Ajidokoro Takeda (In Sankaku Fish Market)
3-10-6 Inaho
Otaru, Hokkaido

Man, we left fat and happy. We managed to get back to Sapporo and squeeze in a nap and a nice walk before dinner, which was to be at the oldest crab specialty restaurant in Sapporo. We sure were eating well!

Otaru: A Stroll Down Sakaimachi Dori, Sampling Sweets at LeTAO, and a Stop at Otaru Brewery

June 18, 2016 mmm-yoso Beer, Caffeine Fix, Desserts, Hokkaido, Japan, Pubs and Pub Grub, Travel

Leaving the Shako Festival and the Canal area behind us, we headed to Sakaimachi Dori, a lively streets with European/Western style buildings dating back to the days when Otaru was a major port city.

Full of historic buildings that are now glass and souvenir shops, tons of restaurant, and a little sweets kingdom known as LeTAO.

We loved the charming streets, the buildings just gave off a nice vibe, especially since things weren't especially busy.

We were getting a bit chilly, the warming effects of the umeshu was wearing off, so we decided to stop in at this charming little coffee and tea shop built in the former location of the Kubo Store, which was built in 1907.

The Missus got a nice cup of matcha and I a well made pour over, very smooth, but with enough of a nice kick for me.

The barista was a wonderfully dignified looking woman, who just rocked her lavender highlites perfectly. A study in aging well, gracefully, but with just the perfect amount of hipness and edge.

Refreshed and energized, we ended our little walk at LeTAO, which several folks told me I "had to" visit when going to Otaru.

This a multifloor deal, with a sweet shop upstairs, a very popular hot chocolate stand….but the item that LeTAO is known for is their cheesecake.

The cheesecake portion of the shop actually looks more like a jewelry store.

For some reason, I wasn't too keen on the stuff here, but of course, I don't have much of a sweet tooth.

LeTAO
7-16 Sakaimachi Dori
Otaru, Hokkaido, Japan

We headed back around and took Rinkosen Street back to the canal area. There was one last stop I wanted to check out before heading to lunch. I'd enjoyed the bottle of Otaru Weisse I had in Hokkaido. I also recalled Kat's post on Otaru Brewery, so I thought we'd give it a try. The place has quite the Bavarian Beer Garden look and makes some interesting claims on the English menu.

Hmmmm…..not hangover with the beer here, eh? Well, let me have at it! I ordered the Dunkel, which had quite a head. The finish reminded me of caramel-burnt sugar with a touch of stone fruit mixed with a bready yeasty fragrance. Not bad at 5.2 ABV….clean finish, sugary flavors lingering, not too bitter.

The place filled up pretty quickly as most folks were starting up on lunch. Several large parties; all Japanese came in, and a couple looked like they were doing some kind of brewery tour finished up as well.

For some reason, I just wasn't motivated to eat here…..we were in Otaru and I wanted to finish up with some seafood.

The Missus got the Weisse and like the bottle I had previously, it had that banana thing going on. I read that in addition to the classic Weisse wort used for the product, it's also sticking to the traditional brewing method and tightly controlling the 4 VG level (4-vinyl guaiacol), hence the increased banana flavor (iso-amyl acetate) and less of the spicy clove that I'm used too. It's quite a pleasant beer, easy to drink, light, high carbonation, very nice overall.