mmm-yoso – Page 266

Yes! Pingo

September 19, 2013 mmm-yoso Taiwanese Food and Restaurants

**** Yes! Pingo has closed

For some reason the name of this place just didn't motivate me to visit. After reading posts by Kirbie and Jinxi, I did feel a bit more motivated. I really hadn't had decent Taiwanese food in San Diego, so I recruited my buddy Candice, to see if Yes! Pingo would fill the bill.

For some reason, the name of the place makes me think of the Hello Kitty gate at Taipei Airport. the interior has that fast-casual, boba/tea shop look.

I liked the menu which was full of standard Taiwanese "snack" items, many of which were familiar to me having spent five years living in the SGV.

So where to start? Well, I thought the classic oyster pancake (omelete) would be a decent choice.

My preference is for a bit more egg and a bit less flour/starch, which made this gummy. The usual ketchup based sauce could have used some flavor as this was kind of bland and runny. The oysters were decent, though rather sparse.

I like a good Ba-wan, pretty much a glutinous meatball, called Taiwanese Meatball on the menu.

This had a couple of large chunks of pork, tasteless and tough. This also lacked flavor and was rather disappointing. I never thought I'd be wishing for something from the now defunct 168 Restaurant.

Looking to improve our luck; I went with another Taiwanese standard that almost never fails. The fried pork chop.

Loved the texture, crisp and light. But whomever seasoned this must have dead tastebuds because this was extremely salty….unpleasantly salty.

One of my favorite Taiwanese dishes is Three Cup Chicken……

Loved the color, but this was also way too salty…almost bitter in flavor. I was wondering who was in the kitchen?

We met our final dish with trepidation…..Niu Rou Mian, beef noodle soup.

The best thing about the broth was that it was hot……other than that…well where to start. The noodles were overcooked, the beef tough, dry, and cold in the center. The worst was the soup, which was insipid, tasting like a beef bone was merely waved over it. This needed more of everything….

At the end of the meal I asked Candice what she thought the best dish was. Her response? The pickled vegetables that came with the pork chop! I also asked an acquaintance of mine who is from Taiwan about the place. He laughed and told me the owner is a well intentioned recent University Grad with no restaurant experience and that the kitchen doesn't have much either. It just seemed that the dishes here were really skewed on our visit; either very bland or way too salty. It wouldn't be too bad if one or two of the dishes were this way, but all five were. I know other folks really like the place, so perhaps it was a bad day. I really don't know what to say…..

Yes! Pingo
4813 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Revisiting Buga since the ownership change

September 17, 2013 mmm-yoso Korean Restaurants

If you've passed by Buga recently, you can't help but notice the new sign. Well, that's not the only thing new at Buga. According to my sources, there's been an ownership change. One of the partners of Manna has taken over Buga. This also explains the slight remodel of the interior as well.

So it was only natural for the Missus and I to drop by and check the place out, right? We ended up visiting twice over the last couple of weeks and though we didn't order BBQ, we had a couple of interesting dishes.

Things have been modernized, from the signage to the menus, to the addition of a "wine" and dessert list as well.

Buga's menu design has been modernized in terms of lettering and style…gone are the Korean Romanizations, all items are either spelled out in English or Korean.

There's a large list of new appetizers and though I believe that many of the other dishes existed in the old menu, this fresh rewrite actually had me looking it over…..and trying to figure out what they were, since the Romanization was gone.

I'm thinking the panchan is a great place to start. On our first visit, we noticed that the variety of panchan, along with the quality and flavor were sorely lacking.

This seemed like really cheap AYCE quality panchan. Nothing very interesting and the item that I consider my baseline, the standard baechu (napa cabbage) kimchi tasted like sour cabbage with very little spice and none of the wonderful fermented flavor I really enjoy.

On our revisit, the dishes had grown from 6 to 8. While the flavors were better, this was still mediocre when compared to what Buga used to offer…….

During our visits, I went with a couple of appetizers, items I believe are new. Like the Kobe Beef on Sizzling Stone ($13).

For the price I didn't expect much….surely not "AAA" Kobe…..this was decent wagyu, nice flavor, the stone adding a good crust on the bottom. Lightly seasoned, the beefy flavor came through, though this was a more chewy cut, we both thought it was not bad.

You know me and chicken wings….so I had to try the Buga Crispy Chicken Wings ($7). The wings were frenched, an attempt at creating a more refined look.

To me this backfires when you send out product like the drumette whose bone had snapped, making this look rather amateurish. The coating was too light, more flaky than crispy. The sauce was a rather fruity, much too sweet, chili sauce.

The Japchae ($10) was cooked to perfection; not too oily, the noodles having a nice pull to them.

I thought this needed a bit more flavor. We asked for sesame oil which added a savory nuttiness that definitely brought the flavor up.

The Missus was looking for Her favorite hot weather dish; the Yukkwe Bi Bim Bap. I found it on the menu as Beef Tartare Bibimbap ($15).

She had this on both visits. The hot rice for the dish is now served separately, probably due to health code. The portion size seemed a lot larger. Along with cho-jang and sesame oil….well, this is still a favorite.

I actually went with the Kalbitang, yes soup, on one of our visits. It's on the menu as "Kalbi" Beef Rib Soup ($12), something I don't recall having at Buga before. I'm not sure it was on the old menu….

This was just rich enough with enough beef flavor for us. I do wish that the place had sea salt instead of iodized salt in a shaker…maybe that's coming? The ribs were just soft enough, without falling apart nor being mushy in texture.

We've got a pretty long history going with Buga, going back to August of 2005, so a change was probably in the cards. It seems that quite a few of our regular haunts are going through changes in the last year. I guess we've been doing this for quite a while now…..

I'll do another post after we check out the Korean BBQ.

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

Recently Consumed

September 16, 2013 mmm-yoso Cooking

I'm feeling a bit lazy today, so just something quick…….here are a few dishes I've made recently.

More fun with triggerfish. This one with Tomato-Basil-Caper Sauce:

This one with a Lemon-Basil-White Wine Vinegar sauce.

I've been using my Weber Smokey Mountain at least once every weekend…except when we were in Ciudad Obregon. It's usually just chicken or ribs….I like smoking half chickens, then searing them off in a skillet when I'm ready to eat.

This past weekend, the Missus needed some smoked chicken for work…..I really didn't want to take up the entire day so I decided on brining then smoking some chicken thighs.

After cooling I chopped and sent Her off with BBQ sauce…..of course I saved some for me. It was a BBQ Chicken Salad.

See those "black bits" on top of the chicken? Well, the skin really doesn't get super crisp. So what I do is remove them; pat dry, chop, then deep dry….deep fried smoked chicken skin. Man, that was good! Made for a nice topping on my BBQ Chicken Sandwich along with some coleslaw.

I'll finish off with a nice sandwich I made with grilled wagyu skirt steak…..man this was good!

Thanks for visiting….we'll be back with a post on another restaurant tomorrow!

Sultan is back to only Baklava, Saray Restaurant opens in its place

September 15, 2013 mmm-yoso Persian Restaurants, Turkish Food

*** Please note – Sultan is back serving kebabs. This time in the Gaslamp. You can read a short post here.

This past week we decided to make our monthly drive out to El Cajon. We were craving some Turkish food from one of our favorites, Sultan. You've probably read at least one of perhaps a half dozen posts we've done on the place over the last couple of years.

Imagine our shock when we drove into the parking lot and saw "Saray Restaurant" instead of Sultan Kebab & Baklava. We were confused when we saw that the Sultan Baklava sign was still in place.

New signs, paintings, and posters adorn the interior of the place and we didn't see anyone we recognized. The folks running the place, a husband and wife team are very nice and welcoming.

The menu was a combination of Turkish and Persian dishes and a bit confusing.

More than the menu, we were kind of concerned about the (former) owner, who always made us feel welcomed, always stopping for a short chat. We hoped that he was doing okay…..

All was soon cleared up when he appeared, walking through the front door, waving to us, then coming over for a chat. He explained that between taking time for the baklava; his booth in the Famer'sMarkets, having the restaurant was getting to be too much of a burden, so he has decided to sub-lease the restaurant to this couple. He brought the owner out to chat. We found out that he was previously one of the chefs at Sufi Restaurant; the one next to Balboa Market. They took over the restaurant side of things about two weeks ago. After the chat, they both went back to the kitchen area where it looked like a whole lot of intruction was taking place……..

We ended up having a decent dinner; the prices seem a bit lower and the portion sizes a tad smaller. Here's what we had. Since it looks like they're just getting started, I'll reserve my opinions until we revisit in a couple of weeks.

Saray Restaurant
131 Jamacha Road
El Cajon, CA 92019

We are sad to see Sultan close down the restaurant part of their operation. Sultan inspired us to travel to Turkey, a country we've fallen in love with. Yet, I fully understand why the former owner wants to dial things back and am glad that he is well.

Saturday Stuffs: What’s going on in the former B.H. Chung Spot? Ditto Mr. Fish and Chips. LW’s San Diego BBQ coming to Bay Park.

September 14, 2013 mmm-yoso BBQ, Chinese Restaurants, Seafood

Just a quick post on a lovely Saturday.

So what's going on with the old B.H. Chung spot?:

On my way to lunch a couple of days ago, I drove by to see what was happening in the old B.H. Chung spot.

I know, doesn't look like anything, right? A closer look reveals a sign:

Both the Missus and "Xiang Jiao" told me it's going to be a "porridge place". I'm trying not to mentioned the lovely parking lot in this post, but can't help myself….

Stay tuned…..

4646 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

What's up with Mr Fish and Chips?:

"Soo" mentioned that a fire closed Mr Fish and Chips in the comments of this post. I believe they were supposed to reopen at the end of June, but the place is still empty. AT least the sign is still up; which is a positive indicator.

This whole strip mall is being renovated and some new structures are being put up as well. I've had some preliminary messages telling me that a Chinese restaurant may be opening in this mall as well.

Mister Fish & Chips
5647 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92111

LW's San Diego BBQ:

This sign has been up for a couple of months.

This used to be the location of Chinese Garden, an ABCDE (American Born Chinese Dining Establishment) whose main clientele were folks from the assisted living apartments behind the mall. Not quite sure what "SD BBQ" is…though a picture comes to mind of ribs par baked in foil, then finished over mesquite or something like that…….I'm hoping not, so we'll see.

3057 Clairemont Dr
San Diego, CA 92117

Ghost Pepper Infused “Fugu” Vodka

September 12, 2013 mmm-yoso Cooking

So we were shopping last night and the Missus mentioned that one of Her colleagues loves to infuse his vodka with peppers…."smack to the head"…of course, what a great idea.

Just then I passed the perfect "label" to infuse…Ballast Point's ultra-filtered, "Fugu" small batch vodka.

Not much to say here, make sure to wash the pepper well, slice in half, put in bottle…….I thought about removing the seeds and stuff, but that would be no fun.

So that was last night….the Missus and I couldn't wait, so we had a taste with dinner….holy smokes……it's very floral, but that heat! I thought I'd need at least a week. It is literally "fire water"!

It went well with the Bison Nahm Tok I made.

I'll be sharing this and leaving it with friends this weekend (maybe I'll document what we create) since I'm not really into spirits….though that doesn't mean I won't do this again!

They just do it right in Ciudad Obregon

September 11, 2013 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, Sonora, Mexico, Taco Shops, Travel

This past weekend, I did a world-wind weekend in Ciudad Obregon. I wouldn't blame you if you've never heard of C. Obregon, I hadn't. But I'll tell you this much, if you asked me to return tomorrow, I'd be on a plane in the blink of an eye. Two of my good buddies…we'll call them Samuelo and Q-nito came with me to attend the wedding of our good friend Akira, who I've mentioned in previous posts…. How a young man from Sendai ended up marrying a wonderful young lady from Ciudad Obregon, well that's a story for another day. In fact, I'll leave it up to you to tell me if you'd be interested in posts about this trip; which included flying out of Tijuana Airport….getting to the airport was an adventure in itself. Oh, and if you've never heard of Aereo Calafia before; neither had I, and we travel all the time!

They really know how to do it up here…. It was quite amazing to go from the formality of the wedding…..

To the reception….which went on until 2 in the morning! The band was amazing……

Then there was Q-nito, who just couldn't stop dancing….though it was Samuelo who challenged the various musicians to a "dance off"…..

Which is how we three earned our reputations….Samuelo talks to anybody, Q-nito dances with everybody….and me? Well, I was pretty much sidelined with a little injury…..

So of course….I drank everything!

Then there was the after-party…….the highlite of which was watching the bride and Q-nito do Gangnam style in the middle of the street at 4am.

Two hours of sleep later found us having Birria de Chivo for breakfast at a roadside stand.

Then it was off to buy gifts, followed by a road trip to the sea side village of Paredoncito in the municipality of Benito Juarez, Sonora.

the horse drawn carts ferried people and products back and forth from the boats….it is shrimp season here…..I had some of the best shrimp ever.

After sunset we headed back to Ciudad Obregon….to the bride's house, for what else, well dinner of course! While the local carne asada (it's cattle country) was grilling over the mesquite…..

The bride's father waved us to the front of the house…where we were greeted with a Mariachi Band!

Q-nito and I ended our meals in Ciudad Obregon with adobado from a stand in the back of the hotel for breakfast. I went with the dorados.

And a double helping of what the owner of the place calls "power"…..

We loved our time in Ciudad Obregon; the bride, her warm and generous parents, and friends were wonderful hosts. We can't wait to return the favor….or even, return to Ciudad Obregon! The only thing hotter than the triple digit weather was the warmth we felt as guests…three Asians in Obregon!

So there you go…….I'll let you decide if I should write more detailed posts about our trip. I've got a ton of stories….and heck, there's even an appearance by this guy……

And maybe even this…….

Hope you're having a great week!

Memelas & Thai Bistro

September 10, 2013 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops

**** Memelas & Thai Bistro has closed

I was down in Bonita recently with my stomach growling…it was time for lunch. Sadly, the place I had wanted to grab a bite had wasn't open, so I decided to head back up the 805. right before hitting the freeway I noticed this shop……Memelas & Thai Bistro…hmmmm……Mexican and Thai, huh?

I thought why not?

The interior has a rock music theme…which is interesting…Mexican-Thai-Rock n Roll… It does look like one of those modern fast-casual shops. The music is a bit on the loud side, but not intolerable.

The menu is basically Mexican or Thai, half a page of Mexican items the other half Thai. There were very few items that I'd call "fusion" other than throwing some sate chicken on a tortilla and such.

I was tempted to order a memela, basically a pizza like masa "cake", much like a huarache, originally from Oaxaca, topped with mole negro, black beans, guacamole, and queso fresco. But I wanted to get a feel for the various protein options so I went with some tacos……especially since I was told that the tortillas were hand made.

They were out of one of my choices, so I asked the friendly young lady for a recommendation. She told me the Shrimp taco was excellent, so that's what I added to the Satay Chicken and "New York Steak" (carne asada) tacos I ordered.

The batter of the Shrimp Taco ($2.75) was pretty gummy and soggy, mostly batter, without very much flavor. The crema seemed heavy on the mayo. The tortillas were kind of disappointing being very gummy and doughy, lacking in a good masa flavor. Didn't care much for the iceberg lettuce either.

The Satay Chicken ($2.50) combined with some nice crisp items seems like a natural for a taco.

But I didn't think this was particularly good. A sparse amount of tasteless chicken with a runny, overly sweet "satay like" sauce. This needed some "umph" to really get going and perhaps a crisp bed of cabbage as well.

The best of the three was the New York Steak taco ($2.25), the house version of carne asada.

The beef had a mild chew but was tender enough for tacos, this was nicely seasoned as well. It went well with the cilantro and onions, though I wish the place would just give you a condiment tray and let you dress the tacos yourself. This was nicely done.

Nice service, prices are decent, but there wasn't anything that really stood out about the food. In fact, I thought the shrimp and the chicken satay tacos were below par in terms of flavor, portion, and presentation. This one is pretty much a "one and done" for me.

Memelas & Thai Bistro
3001 Bonita Rd
Chula Vista, CA 91902

What we ate during the hottest 2 weeks of the year: Revisits to Izakaya Sakura, The Original Sab E Lee, Grandma Tofu and BBQ, Manila Fast Food and Desserts, and Champions Mariscos Truck

September 5, 2013 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants, Food Trucks, Japanese Restaurants, Korean Restaurants, Mexican Restaurants, Seafood, Sisig, Thai Restaurants

Man, the last two weeks have been brutal….call me a soft San Diegan, but I've been feeling the heat and humidity. I told Cathy that I wish it would just storm like crazy so this weather would break. No such luck so far!

Well, regardless of the weather, you've got to eat, right? So here's some of what we had during the last two weeks.

Izakaya Sakura:

It had been a while and I was craving some Ebi Kakiage cold noodles, so Izakaya Sakura it was.

This time it was the cold udon version, which hit the spot.

This really hit the spot!

Though I could have done without having to listen to Wilson Phillips Greatest Hits throughout my meal….

Izakaya Sakura
3904 Convoy St #121
San Diego, CA 92111

The Original Sab E Lee:

**** This location of TOSEL has closed

Spicy Thai food is a natural for us during hot muggy weather…..not sure why.

The usual suspects at the Linda Vista location.

Man, that Grilled Duck Larb just hit the spot…right between the eyes.

I swear, I recall TOSEL having A/C? Well, not on this day. The result of spicy food with no A/C had me wondering if it was the Salted Fish Fried Rice….or was it me?

The Original Sab E Lee
2405 Ulric St
San Diego, CA 92111

Grandma Tofu and BBQ:

I wanted some Bibim Naengmyun, but Buga was closed for renovation (they've since reopened). So I ended up going to Halmouny…Grandma Tofu and BBQ.

Love the flavors….bracing and refreshing. The noodles however, seemed were really rubbery, like rubberbands, I mean, naengmyun is always rather elastic, but these just would not give way!

Grandma's Tofu & BBQ
4425 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111

Manila Fast Food and Desserts:

I was up in the area and decided to grab lunch. I hadn't been back in here in almost 9 months or so.

A quick look at the steam table made selecting what I wanted easy.

The Beef Mechado was much more tender than the last time I had it. The flavor was also better, much more tangy flavor and decent salt. It was on the greasy side though.

The sisig was not bad; nice pungent, sour, spice, salt….. would have been nice to have a bit of crispness in it since it was typical "SD Sisig", left-over lechon kawale. But overall; no complaints, better than I've had recently.

Manila Fast Food and Desserts
8979 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

Champions Mariscos Truck:

So, just as in the previous four weeks, I broke out the smoker during Labor Day weekend. I needed something fairly close by before I started the ribs, so I headed over to Champions Mariscos Truck in the parking lot of Toys R' Us on Morena.

Consomme might seem to be a bit much on a scortching day, but I can never turn it down. This was a bit too water for my taste, with a bit too much celery flavor. Not as good as my previous visits.

I went with the Arrachera y Camaron…the surf and turf taco. Not enough caramelization on the beef, but it was decently tender. The shrimp were moist and flavorful.

I decided to go with the Taco de Marlyn again.

Man, they really loaded this thing! Unlike my previous visit, it didn't seem to have too much queso…perhaps due to the amount of filling! All this "stuff" seemed to water down the flavor of the smoked fish though….but this wasn't too bad.

Champions Mariscos Truck – In the parking lot of Toys 'R Us on Morena Boulevard

So there you go….we may be overheatin', but we're still eatin'. Hope everyone is staying and keeping cool!

Ba Ren’s legacy – Fu An Garden

September 3, 2013 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants

*** Fu An has closed

*** You can find updates here and here

*** The folks that used to work at Ba Ren are no longer here.

*** 07/06/2016 Fu An is now Fuan Seafood

The first real inkling of something happening at the defunct BBQ Chicken site was announced in Eater San Diego. I did a quick post once the sign went up. FOY Candice even told me that she went to investigate and recognized one of the folks there, though she really couldn't remember where. I was pretty much burned out on Sichuan in San Diego once Ba Ren closed, and "Shifu" Chen, yes, he was a certified Master Chef from Chongqing (the original head chef of ChungKing Restaurant in Monterey Park), moved away. All of the places seemed to be serving stuff from the same playbook……..with either Spicy City or Dede's being the source. After having a couple of mediocre meals at Szechuan Chef, followed by a dreary meal at Spicy House with their "new chef", I'd had enough. Still, I thought I'd stop by Fu An Garden and take a look at the menu, when the most surprising thing happened…..

As I walked to front of the restaurant from my parked car, I almost jumped out of my pants when someone started pounding on the window. I looked closely….and my goodness, it was the assistant chef from Ba Ren! Upon entering he grabbed my hand and shook it vigorously. It was really nice seeing him. I made a promise to return with the Missus the next night, which we did. I returned with friends and solo a couple of times more.

The design is a million miles from Ba Ren…the restaurant is pretty small, but three's a large banquet style area behind some door in the front. The place is rather stylish in a Chinese restaurant sort of way. The place is owned by the family of the former prep cook at Ba Ren.

The menu is the modern, typical many photos scattered about and is sometimes confusing. There are at least a 169 dishes on the menu.

What follows is a listing of what I've had at Fu An Garden over the last couple of weeks, from the good, to the ones that I didn't enjoy as much. I will say, I've enjoyed the food at Fu An Garden much more than any other Sichuan restaurant in San Diego.

Back in fall of 2009, Ba Ren had a dish on the seasonal menu that we just loved. We didn't see it on the regular menu, but I thought the chef might just be able to make it for us. So I had my good friend "YZ" write it down before I went to visit with a group of friends:

We were delighted when our Server, the very friendly "Grace" asked the chef, who agreed to make it for us.

It was called Steamed Fish Filet with Green Onions and Chopped Chilies at Ba Ren. This looked like a carbon copy and was delicious! Though I will say, like many of the dishes, this one is not as spicy as the versions at Ba Ren, even when we order it "La" . Other then that, it's pretty close, the fish is tender, moist, and almost melts in your mouth, the sauce is a complex combination of flavors, there is bean thread on the bottom which adds to the enjoyment. I'm thinking of bringing some ghost peppers so we can get the heat up to snuff, but this is one of my favorites. My friends ended up taking photos of the Chinese name of the dish and have kept coming back to order it. Much like what happened at Ba Ren, I have a feeling this one will end up on the menu.

The Fried Intestines with Dried Red Pepper ($10.99) is also a winner.

Love the texture of these….crisp, giving way to a nice offal chewiness. Like many of the dishes, it could stand to have a bit more Sichuan Peppercorn, but this is one of my "go to" dishes here.

I believe that Chef Hu used to prep a lot of the Liang Cai – the cold dishes and these are a strong spot on the menu.

My favorite here without a doubt is the stomach/intestines which has a nice salty crunch to them. The pig ear is prepared well too.

My favorite at Ba Ren, the Fu Qi Fei Pian is cut correctly, but lacks the zip that I love. It's not bad, but not great.

My good friend "YummyYummy" loves the chicken feet…..

If there were any dishes at Ba Ren that I considered "comfort food" it would be the next three dishes. Each of which were close……

I loved the Sichuan Liang Mian at Ba Ren, it was comfort food to me, when the temperature rose I'd be craving it. So I just had to try it, called simply "Cold Noodle" ($6.99) on the menu.

At first I was thrown off as it looked nothing like what I expected. But as I mixed the noodles all those familiar scents rose in the air. And indeed, the flavor was there, the sesame paste, the vinegar, the mild spice, all the savory flavors melded together. This was almost spot on in terms of flavor….except that the noodles were really bad; hard, brittle, with an almost powdery texture to them. This was so close……

The portion size for the Chopped Cold Chicken with Chili Pepper Sauce ($12.99), Ko Shui Ji – mouthwatering (alright, let's call it the way it is…"Saliva") chicken was quite large.

The flavor was there, but very muted, like there wasn't enough of anything…it needed a whole lot more spice, more everything. This needs a bit of tuning, which I'm hoping will occur……

As did the Won Ton with Chili Sauce ($6.99) – Long Chao Shou.

This was a bit on the water-logged side and the won tons really didn't have the "kou gan", the mouth feel I was looking for.

The Lamb in Dry Pot ($12.99) was passable.

I prefer a thicker cut for dry cooked dishes, this was bit too close to shabu-shabu cut meat. The flavor was a bit too much soy sauce and not enough Sichuan peppercorn and spices.

The Fish Filet with Pickled Pepper (Pa Jiao – $11.99) was similar in lack of a complex spicy flavor.

Of course I had to order the Shui Zhu Yu, the classic "Water Boiled Fish" ($12.99).

The fish was prepared spot on, melt in your mouth tender. The flavor fell short in the "ma" category as it wasn't very numbing, and could have used more spice as well. The sauce was kind of flat and was very salty, but lacked the savory bean paste flavor. This is a favorite; I'm hoping it was only a mild "hiccup".

All of these dishes were edible, some more than the others. The dish I liked the least was a total "Convoy Sichuan" dish; something that everyplace makes….and not very well at that. In this case, they call it Twice Cooked Fish. A part of me was wishing for this, one of our favorites at Ba Ren:

Unfortunately, it was basically the same dish you can get at any of the "Sichuan" restaurants on Convoy – the fried then tossed with peppers dish that lacks real complex flavors.

It really wasn't very spicy and the batter was very powdery and crumbly with an odd sweet flavor that the Missus likened to cake mix.

So what's my verdict? Well first off, the service here is very nice. If you recall how surly things got once Wendy left Ba Ren….this is a very nice group of folks. The potential is there; the chef cooked for 9 years under a Master Chef and while it maybe just like the other places on the street with regards to a well worn playbook, we aren't talking about ChongQing Taxi Driver cooking here…this chef has a pedigree. I'm hoping this is a jump off point for Chef Hu and the sky's the limit.

Fu An Garden
4768 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111