mmm-yoso – Page 201

Homestyle Hawaiian Pub & Eatery – Tierrasanta

October 5, 2016 mmm-yoso Local Kine Stuffs in San Diego, Loco Mocos, Plate Lunch

I saw the new location of Homestyle Hawaiian back in April. But I just kind of took my time heading on over. These days, I need to space out those plate lunch visits….especially since Homestyle Hawaiian's portion sizes were usually pretty generous. Plus, I'd been visiting HH since beginning at the Mesa College Branch, back in September of 2009. Since then, I've done a ton of posts on HH and had visited their other locations in Chula Vista and Midway. So, not anticipating a very different menu, I just took my time until last month.

I liked the interior; very local kine "gastro-pub-ish". There are about 20 pulls; with everything from Cal Creamin, to Kona Brewing….to Bud Light. Things seemed a bit confused as I didn't quite know what the drill was while waiting for a table. It seems at first the young lady was going to take my order….so perhaps this was fast-casual? But when I said this was for "here"….I was directed to a table. I saw this happen a couple of more times during my two visits.

I really enjoy a "chicken cutlet" when I'm back home. In local terms; katsu comes with local kine (usually ketchup based) katsu sauce, while cutlet means topped with gravy. Try that here in San Diego and you'll get blank stares. I did want to add a bit of gravy to my diet, so I went with the "Make your own Loco Moco" with Chicken Katsu as my base. The gravy a bit gluey, but went well (with some Tabasco…you can take the boy off the island, but….you know) with the nicely fried katsu. The egg was a bit over cooked. There was at least a scoop of rice under the proteins to go with what was topped with furikake. The rice was decent. The item that surprised me the most was the mac salad. I'd never been a fan of HH's mac salad, but it seems to have gotten better over the years. Today it was nicely chilled and decently salted and not overdressed with mayo.

The young lady who served me was very nice, if a bit disorganized and "spacy"…..she brought me my plate and then forgot my utensils having to bring me some, same with the Tabasco. Still, this was a nice enough meal.

So I returned with my coworkers Daniel and Calvin. Same really nice young lady, same forgetfulness. She almost brought us another table's food. Then Daniel's Lava Chicken arrived without any "sauce" on it.

I got the combination Korean Chicken and Katsu with (of course) gravy on it.

The Katsu was bit over fried this time around and on the dry side……thank goodness for the gravy which was nicely flavored. That Korean Chicken wasn't quite as good as I recalled; fairly low on flavor, a bit over fried with some burnt bits and on the dry side.

Perhaps they are still settling in, but things seem to be a hit and miss. I'll return in a couple of months to check back in. The location is prime for this type of concept, even with Island Style Café nearby.

Homestyle Hawaiian Pub & Eatery
10601 Tierrasanta Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92124
Hours:
Monday 5pm – 9pm
Tues – Sat 1130am – 9pm
Closed Sunday

Peru – The Nazca Lines and Lunch at Restaurante El Batan (Chincha)

October 4, 2016 mmm-yoso Peru, Peruvian Restaurants, Travel

While the main objective to our trip to Peru and Chile was to travel to Easter Island and check that one of the Missus's bucket list; I thought I'd go for a two-fer and also do the Nazca Lines as well. I did some research and found a well regarded company named Nazca Flights. It wasn't cheap, but we got our own private driver for the over three hour drive to Pisco. His name was Benjamin and he was just a joy to deal with. He arrived punctually at 630am to pick us up.

We arrived at the newly inaugurated, but not yet opened Pisco International Airport. The cargo terminals and one small private terminal was opened. Still, the place was buzzing with excited folks.

Have you heard of the Nazca Lines? I wouldn't be surprised if you hadn't heard of it. I recall of first reading about the lines in Erich von Däniken's Chariots of the Gods? Most folks I mentioned the lines to had never heard of them….except for the Japanese. No less than four Japanese Nationals and Ex-Pats mentioned the Nazca Lines, the most surprising was Taka-san at Taisho. When I mentioned we were going to Peru, he didn't mention Machu Picchu….nope it was the "Nazca Lines"!

When we arrived and checked in, we were handed this card with the various Geoglyphs we'd be flying over. Notice anything interesting?

Notice the languages? It's Spanish, English, and Japanese!

And when we got into the terminal area….guess what? It was nearly all middle aged Japanese; mostly women…..in Pisco!

The little terminal was rather charming….we saw the staff being briefed on various subjects and even being tested.

When it was our time to go; our boarding passes were checked and we were escorted onto the tarmac.

Our plane was a 12 seat Cessna, a bit larger than what we flew to Lana'i on a few years back.

The passengers? One British Gentleman, the Missus, Myself, and nine very excited middle aged Japanese women!

The Pilot was really good as I'll describe later on. Both pilots spoke Japanese!

The Missus and I found the whole situation to be quite amusing.

Getting to the lines was when things got even more interesting. There was one line in our packet that instructed us; "DO NOT EAT BREAKFAST THE DAY OF YOUR FLIGHT".

When arrived at the lines, the pilot would descend, then bank, first to his right, turn around and do the same to the left. The copilot would try to point things out; speaking in Japanese. You'd scan the ground below, wondering "what the heck am I supposed to see"?

Focusing in, you'd get a glance of something, a pattern……

And then you'd zero in….and oh my goodness…….

It's really something to see…..

Sometimes it was easier to look across the aisle when the pilot banked in the opposite direction and see things from that perspective.

This took me back to being that 10 year old bookworm, reading Chariots of the Gods under the blanket with a flashlight when I was supposed to be sleeping, dreaming that someday I'd see these myself.

The world never ceases to surprise and thrill us.

The woman sitting behind me was a hoot. The Missus told me that she had a very difficult time seeing the geoglyphs and basically gave up on taking photos. However, as we straightened after banking about 30 times, she stood up and gave the pilots a standing ovation!

Such enthusiasm is infectious and puts everyone in a good mood….though there were a few women who had to have seat….a bit green around the gills and all that.

This was a great experience. One that I'll never forget….and I don't think anyone else who was on that flight will either.

Our driver, Benjamin was such a great guy he displayed the perfect balance of professionalism and warmth that was just outstanding. He really made the difference on the rather long drive. We wanted to buy him lunch. We let him choose and we stopped right next to a gas station in Chincha.

The place was pretty busy and we ordered a bunch of standards, except one new twist on a favorite.

I got the Chicha Morada which was pretty good…not too sweet, with a hint of cinnamon.

Of course the Missus wanted some Cebiche de Lenguado. The leche de tigre was decent if a bit mild; but the fish was marinated a bit too long and had started getting mushy.

I ordered some Tiradito; the "tricolor", strips of corvine with three preparations; "clasica" with leche de tigre, aji amarilla, and aji rocoto sauces.

The fish was prepared well; though I found the sauces to be somewhat thin and watery for my taste.

The seafood on the Causa was quite good; cooked perfectly. The potatoes were bit on the dry side, though the flavors were nice.

The surprise dish was one that Benjamin ordered. He told us that this is the newest version of one of my favorite dishes; Lomo Saltado. This is the off the menu version that combines Lomo Saltado with the classic Peruvian beans and rice dish; Tacu Tacu. Meet the Tacu Tacu con Lomo Saltado.

This was very tasty….the beans and rice actually outshone the lomo saltado with the mild earthy-beany flavor combining with the slightly salty, soy based sauce. The acid of the tomatoes and the sweet-pungency of the onions just went to well with this. The Missus just loved that beans and rice!

This was a nice meal with great company.

Restaurante El Batan
Panamericana Sur Km. 197. 5
Chincha Alta, Peru

We got back to Miraflores making good time. We showered and managed to sneak in a short nap before heading out for the evening.

Thanks for reading!

Kind of Kelaguen and Fast Finadene

October 3, 2016 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes

The first dish that comes to mind when I think about Chamorro style dishes is Kelaguen, specifically Kelaguen Manok, the chicken version of the dish which is what you'll find in all the Chamorro/Guamanian restaurants in the greater San Diego area. After making the drive up to Guahan Grill a couple of times early last year with the Missus, She asked if I could just go ahead and try and make the stuff already.

So I did….after a couple of tries, I had it kind of dialed in. The Missus has a couple of coworkers who are from Guam and they make Kelaguen a lot….mostly using leftover rotisserie chicken and…ick, boiled chicken! After trying things a few different ways; I've settled on boneless, skin on chicken "legs", actually quarters, grilled over hard wood charcoal. Again, this is "kind of Kelaguen"…… I noticed that versions I've had here in San Diego lacked coconut. My solution was to use organic, non-sweetened coconut flakes and a tablespoon or so of coconut oil, which adds to the moisture, and provides for a nice fragrance. I use skin on chicken because it tends to preserve the moisture of the meat.

Even with all of this; I noticed that I could not get the lemon flavor dialed in; it just never came out the way I wanted. That's when one of the Missus's co-workers told Her that everybody "back home" uses "Yours Lemon Flavored Powder"! Which I wasn't able to find here, but you gotta love it; I actually found it on Amazon. I was a bit dubious about this stuff…looking at the label, "Ingredients: Citric Acid (Trehalose), Natural Lemon Flavor, L-Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Sodium Citrate. Made in Japan." Hmmm……

But in the end, this is what I needed to make the Kelaguen taste right.

At the same time, I was trying to put together the classic sauce/condiment for the kelaguen; Finadene (Fina'denne). After going thru a couple of iterations, I found that rather strangely, since I've said not to use said shoyu for sauces; Kikkoman actually worked the best for me. Along with Distilled White Vinegar and one other item to give it just a bit more umph; Spiced Sukang Maasim (cane vinegar). The slight spice and sour gave it a nice kick. As for the chilies….I've used everything from Chili de Arbol, Thai Chilies, Red Habaneros, Scorpion Peppers, to Ghost Peppers……it's all good! Actually the Missus is partial to white ghost peppers.

So now the Missus's Guamanian coworkers actually request that I make this; so I guess it's got their seal of approval.

The Missus really likes to saturate Her Kelaguen with Finadene. And I've actually used the Finadene in other dishes….even stir fried bean sprouts which come out like namul on jet fuel.

Kind of Kelaguen:

The Chicken
1 1/2 lbs of skin-on boneless chicken quarters
salt
black pepper
granulated garlic
one lemon sliced in half
ghost pepper salt (optional)

– Season the meat side of the chicken with salts and black pepper
– Season the skin side of the chicken with salts, black pepper, and granulated garlic
– Grill over charcoal. Squeeze the juice of the lemon over the chicken while grilling
– Once the chicken is cooked, remove to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

1 Tb coconut oil
1-2 Tb shredded coconut
2-3 stalks scallions sliced
1 Tb Yours Lemon Flavored Powder diluted into 2 Tb water
salt, black pepper, and sliced chilies to taste

-Remove the chicken from the bowl reserving the juices; the objective is to conserve all the flavor you can.
– Remove the skin from the chicken and consume later….it tastes really good fried up.
– Chop or mince the chicken to your desired texture and add back to the bowl with the juices from the chicken
– Add coconut oil, coconut, scallions, and chilies and mix
– Add the lemon flavoring mixing well.
– Season with Salt and Pepper to taste.

I'm going to give you what I started with when I decided on my final array of ingredients for the Finadene. Think of this as being a 1:1 ratio of soy sauce to vinegar. I think it's a good starting point. You can adjust to your taste from here. Actually, you might like to add some calamansi juice to replace some of the vinegar.

Fast Finadene:
1/2 cup of Kikkoman Soy Sauce
1/2 cup Distilled White Vinegar
2 Tb Spiced Sukang Maasim
2 stalks of scallions sliced
1 small sweet onion thinly sliced
sliced chilies to taste

-Combine ingredients. Taste and adjust flavor as desired.

Enjoy!

Yakitori Hino – A Quick First Look

October 2, 2016 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants

Back in May I noticed that the former Mama's Grill was becoming Yakitori Hino and based on the ABC notice, the applicants were none other than than Yakyudori. At the end of July the sign went up. And this past week no fewer than three "little birds" whispered that Hino was doing a soft opening with the grand opening planned for yesterday, October first. This past Friday was a fairly tiring one for me and by the time I was ready for dinner; it was past 5pm. I decided to sneak on over to Hino, I had a feeling that they might be pretty quiet since few people knew they were open.

There was one other person in the place when I arrived. The folks were surprised to see someone they weren't too familiar with; though "Nao", Taka-san's Thursday relief guy, sort of recognized me. He's the chef here now.

The place does remind me a bit of Japan and also looks somewhat like Koubou with the high bar and such. There are two semi-private looking booths in the back as well.

The menu is also an interesting cross between Yakyudori and Koubou, with a salad that I saw folks getting that looks similar to Koubou's, but with a mayo based dressing. There are items on the menu that neither Taisho nor Yakyudori have. Strangely, the prices here seem higher than Taisho.

I started with the Chuka Kurage (Jellyfish Salad), which I really enjoyed.

A nice balance of sweet-salty-sour-spicy, which does well with the crunchy jellyfish. This is without a doubt an appetizer sized dish….but I found it to be quite good.

It was nice to see Nankotsu (chicken cartlidge) on the menu. This version was fairly simple.

A bit too salty and dry; though that crunchy texture was quite enjoyable.

I really miss the karaage at Taisho. They took it off the menu a couple of months back. I'm wondering if it was because of Hino? Anyway, it's on the menu here.

A nice portion size, light and crunchy, though it's lacking the flavor of the karaage I've had at Yakyudori and Taisho. I'm hoping that this will improve over time.

The Teba was the only truly disappointing item of the night as it was way too salty and really not prepped well as in not having the flesh and skin splayed out for maximum area and enjoyment.

The Kawa; chicken skin was interesting as this version was straight up salted, without tare, but held up fine.

Crisp on the edges, tender interior, a very nice rendition.

When I ordered the Tsukune (chicken meatball), I was asked if I wanted an egg yolk with it……."yes please"!

I was rather uninspired at first glance, but this turned out to be decent; fairly smooth and creamy interior, quite a bit of flavor from the tare if a bit unappealing to the eye. The egg yolk adds an even more creamy rich texture.

I was quite pleased to see Yaki Onigiri on the menu. I love grilled rice balls. This version was interesting as I noticed it was heated in a pan before being grilled.

The familiar smoky flavor was there, though the exterior was more gummy than crisp and crunchy. In this case Koubou definitely holds the edge.

So, in the end, I spent more at Hino, minus the celebratory beers I bought for Nabe-san and Nao-san, than I would for a usual meal at Taisho for the Missus and myself….kind of strange. I believe the food was better here than at Koubou, which is what seems to be the main competition. Though I've heard things at Koubou have gotten better recently, so I'll be dropping by again soon.

Still, the service was great….and it's nice to have more choices in the neighborhood. For now, the hours are 530 pm to 1230am Wednesday thru Monday.

Yakitori Hino
7420 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

Tokyo – Breakfast at Mugimaru Yaesu Minimiguchi and a Visit to the East Gardens of the imperial Palace

October 1, 2016 mmm-yoso Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Tokyo, Kamakura, and the Kantō Region, Travel

It was drizzling when we awoke after a fun evening in Ebisu with our friend Reiko. We decided to just hang around Tokyo on this day; which didn't mean sitting around and doing nothing….but just enjoy a nicely paced day.

We headed out and along the way passed what I believe are the offices of Ajinomoto Corporation, who had their Christmas gift sets out on a on display.

We headed into the "underground Tokyo Station City", which is an apt description of the floors, street, and underground passageways that surround Tokyo Station. We needed something small to eat and decided to stop in at this little udon shop in the underground.

There was a gentleman making udon in the window, obviously a good draw for the place. But what made us stop was the sign….I asked the Missus, who can read Kanji, "does it say what I think it does"? And She said yes; "Udon, all the broth you can drink, all the tea you can drink, and rice ball….325 yen." That's like $3.25…… Okay…..

The set-up is cafeteria like; I got the special, plus extra cup of tea, and some veggies for like five bucks….really!

A simple dashi based broth (we saw folks going back for more), nice chewy noodles, onigiri, and tea……….more than a decent breakfast for us. I'm not sure when I spent five bucks for breakfast for two……

When we got back, I tried to find out what the name of this place was…to no avail. Thanks to the help of FOY (Friend of Yoso Kat - who recently celebrated her eleventh year of blogging) Kat, I actually managed to find the place. Which is located right at the corner of……

Mugimaru Yaesu Minamiguchi
八重洲2-1
八重洲地下街南1号 B1
Chūō, 東京都〒104-0028
Japan

Like I've said, you can eat for 300 yen or 30,000 yen in Tokyo….it's your choice.

Interesting little note; we'd never exited on the Maronouchi North Exit of Tokyo Station, which was (when we were there) being renovated. There's a European feel to the façade.

Since we decided on hanging around the Chuo and Chiyoda area on this day; we headed off to the Imperial Palace which was fairly close by.

The East Gardens are open to the public.

This was the location of Edo Castle and you can easily see the fortifications that once protected the Tokugawa Shogunate.

These days, the East Gardens are open to the public which include portions of the the honmaru ("main circle") and ninomaru ("secondary circle") of the palace grounds.

The "ninomaru" is hwere the Japanese gardens are. It's amazingly tranquil, especially on a rainy and quite day as when we visited.

Though a quick look above and you realize you're in a major metropolitan area.

It was a nice relaxing way to spend the morning…..

But before we knew it; lunchtime had arrived…..

It was time to head off to lunch!

Thanks for reading!

Tokyo: Ebisu – Tatsuya and Oumiteipurasuwan

September 29, 2016 mmm-yoso Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Tokyo, Kamakura, and the Kantō Region, Travel

By the time we got back to Tokyo Station from Kamakura, dusk was quickly approaching.

We got back to the tiny apartment, freshened up and relaxed for a bit. Then it was off to Ebisu Station to meet our good friend Reiko, who we hadn't seen since we had dinner at Tanyaki Shinobu. Hearing that the Missus loved Yakitori, Reiko wanted to take us to an "old school" yakitori "joint" named Tatsuya.

It is a place where salarymen and old timers hang out shoulder to shoulder at the bar, drinking and filling themselves with reasonably priced skewers…..

The business hours; 8am to 5am (?!?) kind of tells you what kind of place this is.

To be honest; the yakitori here is fairly generic…….the Missus and cracked up when we actually had problems figuring out what was kimo (chicken liver), because all of it looked kind of alike!

It was an interesting view into life in Tokyo…….. And super reasonably priced as well. And I'm sure this stuff would be great after like 3-4 (or 5-8) beers. It was a fun experience.

Tatsuya
1-8-16 Ebisu-Minami
Shibuya, Tokyo

Reiko had another stop planned, but the place was closed. So we decided to walk into a nearby yakiniku shop.

Reiko rarely has yakiniku so she was all for it.

So we ordered a couple of plates and some beer for us.

Good lord this stuff was so good!

I mean, the beef tongue and highly marbled rib meat (A5 Kobe) was great as expected. But the Missus just loved the liver and I was just amazed at how almost buttery and tender the horumon was. And the flavor from the charcoal…….oh man!

It's amazing how a little serendipitous moment can turn into such a great meal. So now, I may have to find a great yakiniku place the next time we're in Tokyo.

There's no info in English on this shop; just a rather light entry in Tabelog.

Oumiteipurasuwan
1-8-10 Ebisu-Nishi
Shibuya, Tokyo

Arriving back at Tokyo Station….walking past all the all the men displaying what we call the "Asian Gene", we had to smile.

Yes, Tokyo is a lot of bright lights, hustle and bustle….there's something going on all the time, the folks here walk really, really fast….but a few blocks away you'll find a serene moment. It's that charm that makes me want to keep on coming back.

Kamakura: Jochiji, Lunch at Kamakura Yamaji, and the Daibutsu (Giant Buddha) at Kotokuin

September 28, 2016 mmm-yoso Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Tokyo, Kamakura, and the Kantō Region, Travel

After visiting Kenchoji we headed up the road a short way to check out Chojuji.

Founded by Ashikaga Takauji founder of the Ashkaga Shogunate around 1336.

The temple the Missus really wanted to see (among several) was Jochiji located up a trail away from the main road.

Jochiji is one of the great five temples of Kamakura.

There were a couple of interesting things to see; the Kanro-no-I, the "Nectar Well", one of the "Ten Wells of Kamakura".

But we enjoyed the statue of Hotei; the "God of Happiness". The friendly folks encouraged the Missus to rub his belly for good luck and prosperity. He does look like a jolly fellow, doesn't he?

The Main Hall features statues of the "Three Buddha's", Amida, Shaka, and Miroku.

There are quite a few caves on the temple grounds and it was quite an interesting visit.

Also, from here, if you're in the mood, is where the Daibutsu Hiking Trail begins or ends…depending on which direction you care to take.

We decided to pass. I was getting a bit hungry so we headed back to busy Komachi Street to look for something to eat. We came across this rather charming looking doorway.

Looking at the sign, there was an English translation; of which there was an English translation, it became apparent that this was a soba restaurant. We weren't quite sure to start, but decided to have lunch here.

There's a nice walkway to the restaurant. Which seemed formal, understated, but welcoming at the same time.

Heading down that walkway you enter the restaurant and we instantly saw that they made their own soba here, which sealed the deal.

The place was just starting to fill up….with tourists….Japanese tourists, which wasn't a bad sign.

Since it winter, we went with the hot soba.

The Missus had tororo; grated mountain yam…that somewhat pleasantly gooey and gluey, and mildly sweet stuff.

I went with the Tempura Soba.

The tsuyu was very pleasant, rather light, the noodles were nicely drained, slightly springy, with a nice pull. For some reason, the Missus doesn't care for the lightly battered tempura, which I like….She prefers the rather dense style you find in tempura places in the US….sigh…..

The one thing both the Missus and I didn't care for was the slightly "floury" soba cooking water (soba-yu) that they provide at the end.

The Missus says it tastes just like jiaozi cooking water that they also consume in Qingdao; so go figure.

Overall a nice meal.

Kamakura Yamaji
1-7-3 Yukinoshita
Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan

After lunch, we headed back to the train station and caught the Electric Train on the Enoden line and got out at Hase. A short walk away is Kotokuin Temple.

This temple is famous for the iconic Daibutsu; the Great Buddha of Kamakura. While the Bronze Buddha of Nara is larger; the outdoor setting makes this rendering of Amida Buddha seem more impressive.

Don't you think?

On the way back to the station we passed this tiny temple.

It's Shugenji Temple. If you scroll down a bit on this website you can read the rather interesting story of the temple and the individual who formerly lived on this property Shijo Kingo.

We contemplated checking out the nearby Hasedera Temple. But decided on returning to Kamakura on another day. We needed to get back to Tokyo, to rest up a bit and then meet a good friend of ours for dinner.

Thanks for reading!

Revisits – Pho Cow Cali and 777 Noodle House

September 26, 2016 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

A couple more stops for "honey doo" weekends.

Pho Cow Cali:

I really wanted the Banh Mi Bo Kho from Pho Lucky unfortunately, they are still still closed for remodeling. At least the sign has changed and said "closed for painting". So I decided to see how the Banh Mi Bo Kho was at Pho Cow Cali. They sat me in the section by the restrooms in back….then proceeded to forget about me. Luckily, I managed to flag one of the army of servers down and place my order ($7.25).

So, beyond the rather odd serving dish…..I'm guessing there was a sale somewhere, what to say about this. In keeping with "Cow Cali" there's quite a bit of meat….it's flank and brisket and is quite tender. I really missed the tendon though. The broth was much too thin and this was really salty…as in the "MS heebie-geebies" salty. The bread was nice and warm though I'll stick with the pho here next time.

And of course, there's the typical pho shop service.

Pho Cow Cali
9170 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

777 Noodle House:

Even though I think that Ly Heng has surpassed 777 with regards to Hu Tieu Nam Vang Kho, I still like the folks here, and the variety. I went with the Pork Intestine Egg Noodle Soup, still a bargain here at $5.77.

This was pretty good; the broth was a bit richer than what I've had in the past. The intestine was prepared well; slightly "offal-y", but quite clean. The noodles nice and chewy with a bit of stretch and the blanched bean sprouts adding a bit of crunch to things.

A bit better than I recalled….and a nice choice on this morning.

777 Noodle House
4686 University Avenue
San Diego, CA 92105

Sunday Sandwiches, the Cubano Edition – Embargo Grill, Havana Grill, Andres, and Tropical Star

September 25, 2016 mmm-yoso Cuban Restaurants, Latin American Cuisine, Sandwiches

I set out on a bit of a mission the last couple of weeks. A couple of months ago, I was asked what I thought the best “Cubano type” sandwich in the area was. I quickly said Embargo Grill. Then then quickly thought that I’d hadn’t been to other places in the area in quite a while. So I decided to head off in a quest of sorts and managed to hit up four places before I’d seen enough pork, ham, cheese, and pickles for a while.

And while Embargo Grill still came in on top; here’s the places in order…..favorite to least.

Embargo Grill:

**** Embargo Grill has Closed

I think the Medianoche at Embargo Grill has gotten better over time.

The pork here, sort of a “pulled pork”, was nice and moist and wasn’t too salty this time around. That porky flavor combined with the slightly milky cheese and just the right amount of pickles did it for me. The bread was nicely crisp, toasted well, and the bread was nice and light, not too chewy. The one component I really couldn’t make out was the ham.

The Yuca Frita was nicely fried. When done the way I like it; the smaller pieces have a light, airiness to them, while the larger pieces, are denser. The mojo was better than on previous visits.

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

Havana Grill:

**** This location of Havana Grill has closed

It’s been about 6 months since I last visited and the menu has changed a bit; though the “El Cubano” is still there.

At first I thought this would be much too bready and not toasted enough, though it was done adequately. Here the flavor of the ham comes through quite well; teaming with the mustard and pickles. The plantain chips were cold this time around and not very crisp. The sandwich was a bit on the dry side but this is a very solid #2 pick for me.

Havana Grill
5450 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

Andre’s Cuban Restaurant:

**** Andres has closed

Good lord; could it actually be almost 11 years since I last visited!

My goodness; stepping in here is like talking a walk back in time. Plus, this was the only true “restaurant” of the places I visited.

The Cubano here was fairly mediocre.

The bread to filling ratio stood a bit too far on the “bread side” for my taste. The pork was rather dry and tasteless; though the nicely melted cheese shone through quite nicely, but it all came through as rather bland. Luckily, I ordered the Yuca Frita….I ended up pouring a good bit of the mojo on my sandwich. For some reason, like Tropical Star below; this was just too much for me to finish.

The Yuca Frita was decent; loved the smaller pieces which were crisp and creamy. The larger slices got cold pretty quickly and became quite hard. I do like the mojo here; while it could perhaps use more citrus; it is very garlicky and it looks like there’s bacon or ham in it.

If you’ve ever walked to the back or the side banquet room at Andre’s, you’ll realize just how large the place is. The small façade belies that. This place is in my ‘hood, I really should get here more often.

Andre’s Cuban Restaurant
1235 Morena Blvd
San Diego, CA 92110

Tropical Star:

Here’s another place I haven’t visited in a while.

I had noticed that over the last couple of years; TS had expanded, then retracted back to what it once was. A charming little Latin Grocery that served rather inexpensive Latin American food. I thought it right that I should have the Cubano here.

This was totally by the book; slice of pork, check, thin slices of ham…check….cheese on both sides, check…pickles, yes indeed. It was indeed pressed; though the bread had seen better days. Overall, quite filling….partially because of all the fries; nice and hot, but lacking salt…but I only finished half.

I don’t recall seeing Diet Inka Cola before……..even in Peru!

So not quite stellar, especially when compared to the others….but it was the most inexpensive. Plus, I like the older gentleman behind the counter. I always bus my own table and he seems to appreciate that.

Tropical Star
6163 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92111

Silvia Pupuseria

September 20, 2016 mmm-yoso Salvadoran Restaurants

I first noticed this place during my first visit to Poke Etc back in early summer. I really hadn't noticed it before.

It got me thinking…when was the last time I had decent pupusas. The answer would be, perhaps several years.

My curiosity piqued, a took time out on a weekend morning to visit. It's nice that they open at 930am.

The gentleman working was quite friendly and was fascinated that I asked about a couple of dishes on the menu; specifically Pacaya, the male inflorescence of the Chamaedorea tepejilote a species of palm. We really enjoyed the version we had in Honduras and while versions we've had in San Diego were obviously bottled and not as good, we still enjoyed the texture and slight bitterness.

But I was here for the pupusas and I ordered the Chicharron and the Loroco ($1.99/each). Things started off with some pretty good chips; crunchy, not greasy, with the typical Salvadoran style thin "salsa".

I also ordered some Horchata; which wasn't overly sweet, but also seemed a bit too watered down for my taste.

The pupusas arrived nicely griddled. I thought it was perhaps a bit burnt, but that wasn't the case. I thought the tortilla to be on the thick side for my taste, but it was fairly crisp.

The loroco was the better of the two. The pork in the chicharron was rather greasy and quite salty throwing the overall flavor out of whack. And while the flavor of the Loroco, the green bud of the Fernaldia pandurate was rather mild, I really enjoyed the flavor of the slightly milky queso and the rustic tortilla. I'm thinking the simple queso con frijol (cheese and beans) might be worth trying.

The curtido; the slightly fermented; in this case more like pickled cabbage was fine, it would have been better being slightly more sour and tart, though it had a nice oregano and an almost clove-fennel flavor, along with obviously being pickled with beet juice.

This was decent, if not outstanding, and as I usually do when trying out places, I returned for a follow-up visit.

I had Pacaya on my mind. Unfortunately, it was not to be as the young lady told me, "no pacaya today"! Bummer, so what to do? In need of some healthy collagen, I went with the Sopa de Pata, cow hoof stew ($8.50).

This was an interesting, almost roller-coaster ride for me in a way. When the bowl arrived, I was shocked at how much tendon was being served….it really seemed like an entire lower cow leg. The tendon was wonderfully prepared, gelatinous without being too hard and chewy. The overall soup however, left something to be desired. First off, the soup was very thin and much too light, even bland, in flavor and texture. It truly lacked richness, something that hoof soup should not be. I'm used to some tripe in my sopa de pata, also at least one nice chunk of potato, and corn, all of which was nowhere to be found. There was some sliced cabbage and carrot sticks, like you'd find in the produce section of the local supermarket. Not quite the sopa de pata I know and love.

I'll probably try and return, just to try out the pacaya…if they have it. Other places don't have it on the menu anymore. I think I need to check out El Salvadoreno, it been a while.

Nice folks, cash only, they open at 0930am.

Silvia Pupuseria
916 E 8th St
National City, CA 91950