mmm-yoso – Page 274

Guai Wei Yu – Strange Flavor Fish (怪味鱼)

May 4, 2013 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes

In keeping with the Missus' wish to never have the same fish dish for more than two or three times (there are exceptions of course) I have to keep coming up with various preparations, most of which include some kind of sauce. I'll readily admit that sometimes my answer to the Missus's, "why don't you make something good for a change" can be a hard sell. This one is a good example. I've been missing Chinese flavors, so looking at the nice piece of halibut, I thought why not guai-wei, also known as "strange flavor", but probably even more well known as the flavoring for a popular Sichuan dish called "Bang Bang Chicken"……bang bang ji si. It's basically a combination of "fish flavored" (yu xiang – 鱼香), sesame paste, and Sichuan Peppercorns.

To the Missus this seemed like heresy, She had never heard of such a preparation using fish….but I've made guai wei ji si in the days when the Missus used to eat chicken. Still, She really doubted that I could pull this off………

In the end, She loved it….well, She loved the sauce. You talk about the classic suan-tian-ku-la-xian, the sour-sweet-bitter-spicy-salty metaphor for a flavorful, yet balanced dish the Chinese use.

The fish was prepared in typical Chinese fashion. The basic marinade step for the fish is simple:

2 Tb Shaoxing Wine
2 Tb Grated Ginger
White Pepper

Combine and let fish sit for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile the strange flavor sauce:

3 Tb Chinese sesame paste, mixed well
1 tsp sesame oil
2-3 Tb Chili Oil
1 tsp ground, toasted Sichuan Peppercorns
2 Tb Premium Light Soy Sauce
1 Tb sugar
Salt to taste
water or peanut oil to thin out the sauce

– Combine the first 6 ingredients, mixing well until the sugar is dissolved
– Add oil or water if the sauce is too thick
– Taste and adjust flavors, add salt if desired

I then dust the fish with potato starch and pan fry. Spoon on the sauce, garnish with scallions, cilantro, sesame seeds and some really spicy red chilies.

Drizzle with more chili oil.

I served this with Jinan style purple cabbage slaw on some mizuna.

I lived to cook another day………

Smacked Cucumbers – Pai Huang Gua (派黄瓜)

May 3, 2013 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes

It's really feeling like record heat isn't it? For some reason, I enjoy dishes like this, called Smacked Cucumber because you smack the cucumbers with the flat of a cleaver a couple of times before cutting. The sauce is that wonderful combination of sour-salty-sweet-spicy-numbing that I find refreshing.

Fuchsia Dunlop has a nice version in her latest book, Every Grain of Rice. I enjoy a bit more of everything, but the recipe in the book is a nice place to start. Even though it might not seem so; the version I made this evening has 6 cloves of garlic, which I grated into a paste. Because there's so much flavor, you may not notice just how much garlic is in this until after your meal…..garlic breath, the gift that keeps on giving. I also cut down on the normal 1:1 ratio of sugar to vinegar because the Missus enjoys this less sweet.

You can cut the cucumber whichever way you choose, either into quarters or use rolling cuts….I just do whichever I feel like. This is more than enough sauce for a pound of cucumbers….I just tend to like more sauce, which you can actually save and use for another batch.

Smacked Cucumbers – Pai Huang Gua:

1 pound Persian or Japanese Cucumbers
1 Tb salt
4 tsp Chinkiang Black Vinegar
2 tsp Sugar
2 Tb Chili Oil
4 tsp Premium Soy Sauce
1 tsp ground toasted Sichuan Peppercorns
2-6 cloves garlic minced

– Smack cucumbers with the flat of a cleaver to loosen and tenderize the flesh
– Slice/chop cucumbers as desired, salt and let rest for 10-15 minutes in the refrigerator (I like this chilled)
– Meanwhile combine the last six ingredients until sugar dissolves. Taste and adjust flavoring.
– Drain cucumbers and pour sauce over and mix. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
– Eat!

There you go……

Sister Pee Wee’s Soul Food

May 2, 2013 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Cajun, Southern, and Soul Food

**** Sadly, after many years, Sister Pee Wee's has closed

My lunch at Red Rooster Catfish put in the mood for some fried chicken or pork chops. It also triggered a bit of nostalgia. During the mid to late 90's I did a bunch of consulting stints in Arkansas and Georgia, managing to stop by Alabama, Tennessee, and South Carolina during the over year and a half I spent in the area. It was a big change for the boy from Hawaii. And while I sorely missed all the good grindz and Asian food…..I recall the folks I work with taking me to a "Japanese" restaurant in Columbus, Georgia that served converted rice….yep, good ol' Uncle Ben! I did gain an appreciation for the hearty, soulful, food.

With that in mind, I decided to hop down to Sister Pee Wee's on Imperial. The last time I'd been here was probably back in 2001. Still, the exterior of the place looked the same.

I think the interior has been changed a bit, though it's hard to put my finger on what exactly it was.

I know there must be at least a couple more bumper stickers, photos, or memorabilia on the walls….

The cherubic, friendly, and smiling gentleman greeted me with a big grin and a "you're early, you must be real hungry today!" And of course there was Sister Pee Wee, peering out from behind the counter.

A couple of things you ought to know about Sister Pee Wee's, the place consists of a single counter, with maybe ten chairs or so, it's cash only, and if you want to know what Sister Pee Wee is serving, you need to check out the grease board, either outside, or the one hanging behind the counter.

The last time I was here, over a decade ago, it was the smothered pork chops. Today, I went with the fried chicken, with all (3) the sides ($10). Sister Pee Wee asked me if I wanted some fruit punch, but I decided to do without all that sugar; I'd be getting enough calories as is…….

I really took to the concept of "meat and three" when working down South. And why wouldn't I? Doesn't this kind of look like a plate lunch?

In terms of the sides. The green beans were typical canned and cooked, the gravy was nice, but the rice a bit hard. I really enjoyed that potato salad, tangy and creamy, it really did well by me.

I was warned that the chicken was going to take 15-20 minutes, which didn't bother me…this isn't KFC! The batter was crisp, with the flavor teetering on the edge of salty without tipping over. The meat…..all dark meat I'm glad to say was very moist. It was good basic eats, nothing fancy, but I really didn't want nor expect more then decent grindz.

Since I was the only person in the place, Sister Pee Wee came out front when I was almost finished with lunch. We had a nice chat….well really, Sister Pee Wee did the talking, I did the listening. Last time I was here, she told me about adopting some kids. Today it was about driving up to Yuma to go fishing. Sister Pee Wee has been doing this for over 30 years……there's lots of stories to keep you entertained as I was on this day. Just like the menu, you never know what the special (story) of the day will be. That's part of the experience here.

Which for some obtuse reason got me thinking about that Japanese restaurant serving Uncle Ben's. Wonder what the sushi was like? Well, perhaps I'd better not…I shudder to imagine! Now the world has gotten a lot smaller since then and things have probably (hopefully) changed. But there are some things that shouldn't and hopefully won't……. like Sister Pee Wee's.

Sister Pee Wee's Soul Food
2971 Imperial Ave
San Diego, CA 92102

Posted Hours (I understand that they'll close when they are out of food):
Mon – Fri 8am – 7pm
Saturday 8am – 5pm

Pho Nhu Y – Clairemont

April 30, 2013 mmm-yoso Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Pho Nhu Y has closed

Just a couple of weeks after my visit to Pho Cali in Clairemont for my Kearny Mesa pho round-up, FOY (friend of yoso) MrZ told me that the place was under new management. I wasn't quite sure what they meant by "new management"….was it the same name, just new folks, or what. So imagine my surprise when I drove on over and saw a very familiar name.

Of course that location became Thuan Kieu, then turned back to Nhu Y again. Of course, the first thing I thought about was the Bun Mam. We're sorely in need of something other than Pho in the area…..heck even the Pho isn't very good around these parts. A friend of mine, when mentioning another Pho shop linked a comment from that four lettered site. Basically that poster said something along the lines of, "I know good Pho, I worked in the mecca of pho in San Diego…." wait for it, wait for it…. "Kearny Mesa….." yikes, really? Wrong Mesa……

Anyway, if you just took a peak into the restaurant, you'd never have realized that an ownership change had taken place.

Much like the other Nhu Y, there are specials listed at the front of the menu. Unfortunately, the dish I wanted wasn't on the menu. The young man working here was very friendly, perhaps a bit too much for me, but I'm sure other folks appreciate him.

So I decided to settle for the Bun Cha Hanoi which was priced rather nicely for San Diego at $7.95. I was really interested to see how this would turn out.

As a whole, this barely passable. Actually, the best part of the dish was the mildly spicy pickles. The pork meatballs were bland and the marinated pork slices, though better in flavor was on the tough and dry side. Everything else was fine, the greens and herbs fresh, etc, etc……

Still, I wouldn't have been motivated to return if hadn't seen the greaseboard specials……where Bun Mam was prominently displayed.

So I returned a couple of days later and ordered the Bun Mam……and time seemed to stand still. The young man looked at me and really didn't seem to know what to do with me. So he walked over to the older gentleman eating at a nearby table….returned and told me, "sorry, no Bun Mam until after 3 pm." Say what? "Oh, okay, why not?" Reply: "because the smell disturbs our lunch customers…." Really? Bummer……

Let's call that strike one.

Strike two was when the young man told me, "I didn't know Korean's like Bun Mam!"

Strike three was Com Tam Dac Biet, the House Special Broken Rice ($9.95).

You can tell by the photos how this was, right? A symphony of dry; the com tam (broken rice), bi (shredded pork), and the pork chop. Greasy; the Tau Hu Ky (bean curd wrapped shrimp paste) and the shrimp. Bland; the cha (steamed egg and pork). Perhaps I should have complained and sent this back…..so in the end it was my fault…for:

1 – Ordering the Bun Mam before 3pm

2 – Looking (at least to the server) Korean

3 – Ordering the #1 item on the specials menu.

Still, I left on a mission. I was now determined to get that Bun Mam, or die trying……. I explained my mission to the Missus, who thought I'd gone nuts. But I'd be damned if I didn't get me a bowl of that Bun Mam. So I returned about a week later…….after 3pm……. The friendly young man remembered me. and so I finally did get my Bun Mam ($10):

The Bun Mam at Nhy Y/Thuan Kieu on El Cajon Boulevard had changed over the years. It had gotten much more sweet and spicy. This was the version I had back in 2006. Pungent and savory with a touch of spice….it was very hearty. The Bun and the vegetables/herbs added a nice texture and took a bit of the edge off the fermented fish flavor.

There was a generous helping of eggplant and more important pork belly.

Overall, a nice and hearty meal. I explained to the server that I really enjoyed the complex flavors, the combination of salty-sweet-spicy-pungent…umami in this dish. I'm even willing to suffer through the catfish that is served in it. I order stuff that I'm curious about, or enjoy, and I do like the Bun Mam at Nhu Y and recommend that folks give it a shot. Dont take my word for it Ed from Yuma enjoys it too. Apparently other folks do as well. A couple seated behind me ordered a two-fer…Bun Mam and Durian Shakes!

I'd found out from my good buddy "YY" that the older gentleman is actually Nhu Y. So when I went to pay at the register I asked him how his other restaurant was doing. He told me he had sold that restaurant ans was now here.

I guess one day I'll have ot try the pho here. I'll probably do it if I decided to have a meal here before 3pm.

Pho Nhu Y Vietnamese Grill
5375 Kearny Villa Rd
San Diego, CA 92123

Hours:
Daily 9am – 9pm

Eating on the hood of your car: The Mariscos Alex Truck

April 29, 2013 mmm-yoso Food Trucks, Mexican Restaurants, Seafood, Taco Shops

So there I was running low on petrol in City Heights. I decided to stop and fill up at the station on the corner of ECB and Fairmount and what do I see but a mariscos truck! I've passed this corner dozens, maybe hundreds of times and had never seen this truck before.

Since it was almost lunchtime and I was famished, this seemed like the perfect stop…..all the stars were aligned it seemed.

All the standard mariscos offerings were present on the menu posted at the rear of the vehicle. I did find it kind of strange that there were no prices posted, except for fish tacos which were a $1.25.

The woman manning the window looked familiar…..was this truck once one of the Mariscos German fleet? She always seemed a bit gruff before and this time was no different.

The consomme was decent, way too much celery for my liking, but not bad.

I ordered a fish taco and a gobernador, which came out to $6.25.

As fish tacos go, this was ok. All the usual suspects. The crema was mild and the tortilla routine. There was too much batter on the fish, which was on he gummy side. The fish tasted a bit off as well.

I hoped my Gobernador would be an improvement and while not as good as, say the original Mariscos German(no tomatoes), Beyer, or El Pescador, it was not bad.

The shrimp were plump and juicy, though the vegetables were undercooked for my taste. The cheese was perfectly melted and this was super hot, though it could have used more seasoning…oregano, salt, pepper. Still it wasn't too bad.

So I returned the following weekend for another try. Same gruff woman, though she must have a heart of gold as she gave the homeless guy a fish taco……me on the other hand, I just a "yes" as she looked down at me. This time I ordered the tacos de camarones and a taco de marlyn, which cost $7.50 total.

Quite a bit of shrimp in my taco, though this confirmed that I'm not a big fan of the gummy and not especially crisp batter. The tomtoes were green and not very good. The rest was decent.

The taco de marlyn….smoked fish taco was the best item I've had here.

The fish had a nice smokiness to it and while the versions at many places teeters on salty, this one isn't.

Again the peppers, celery, and onions weren't stir-fried long enough, making it them and raw tasting.

It was also a decent sized portion though another customer ordered the same thing while I was leaving and was only charged $6.50. Shades of Vietnam!!!

I'm hoping the pricing was a mistake. I wouldn't want to think the place does random pricing based on customers.

Overall, just ok, not quite in the same league as other trucks I've been too.

Mariscos Alex
In the parking lot of Qwik Corner Service Station
4357 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92105

Big Island: A revisit to Teshima and other stuffs

April 28, 2013 mmm-yoso Hawai'i - The Big Island, Japanese Restaurants, Poke, Travel

On our last full day on the Big Island we decided to just relax. We took a walk down Ali'i Drive then back around Kuakini Highway.

It was a quiet day, so we just drove around a bit and talked about lunch…..yes, you know us. Teshima's"old school Japanese restaurant" charm had really gotten to the Missus. So with not much else to do, we drove back up to Kealakekua and stopped by Teshima for lunch.

The Missus was craving fish so She immediately went for the "Fresh Catch" Sashimi Tray ($17.50) which was ahi.

For some reason, the Missus really enjoys the old fashioned tsukemono and sunomono. Ditto the old school miso soup.

The fish was very, very fresh, and the Missus scarfed up all twelve pieces in no time.

I went with the "Monday Special" ($12.75). Now I've read some complaints about the prices and portion sizes at Teshima…..but take a look at this for $12.75……..

Geeez…..really?

Five slices ahi sashimi, the teri beef was very "local" a bit chewy. The fried fish here is quite good as well.

The makizushi and inari sushi take me back to "small kid" time…though combined with a chawan of rice….man, that's more carbs than I usually consume in a whole day, or two, nowadays.

The Missus got the fried fish, tsukemono, sunomono, and miso soup.

So I had an order of the famous shrimp tempura($7.25) as well.

If you like crunch, these will fill the bill. The tempura is surprisingly light and crisp.

We both thought that it tasted a bit of old oil that needed to be changed though. There seemed to be a bit of an off taste and even some greasiness to all the tempura.

So in the end a good meal, but not wow'd by the tempura.

Teshima Restaurant
79-7251 Mamalahoa Hwy
Kealakekua, HI 96750

We spent the rest of the day "just cruisin' around". Went to various stores, including a couple of health food places and walked around a bit.

After a very typical afternoon nap, we went out and took another walk around……through Long's, Hilo Hattie looking for gifts for the Missus's relatives and friends.

As it was getting to late afternoon, we discovered we were still pretty full. So we thought we'd go for some poke and beer for dinner. We walked back to the KTA and the pre-packaged selection looked terrible, so we went across the street to Sack n' Save. The poke selection there was better. I eventually settled on some ahi limu with inamona and of course boiled peanuts (not pictured), which went well with the Mehana Humpback Blue, which was the best of the three we gried during this trip.

This was ok. Not the best quality fish, the ogo kind of tough and dry, but passable.

I'm not a big fan of seaweed salad, but the Missus likes it……

As evening settled we saw a good number of locals who seemed to know each other parking in the back of the King Kamehameha. It seemed like there was a big party going on. So after eating and a quick shower we headed downstairs and strolled over to Kailua Pier.

That's Ahuʻena Heiau in the foreground. I guess some company was having their Christmas Party….yes, it was that long ago.

The chatter and laughter brought smiles to our faces as we just sat and took in the wonderful Kona evening. We had a great time in the Big Island. It had been too long since we were here last. We'll be back again soon……

Saturday Stuffs: Moby Dick gets harpooned, what’s up with Viet Bakery and Pho, and Paris Bakery and Thanh Son Tofu do the shuffle

April 27, 2013 mmm-yoso Korean Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants, yoso-silly

Haven't done one of these for a while, so I thought the time was right.

Moby Dick is now "70 Bobcha – Taste of Korea?:

Whatever that is…..

From the day I first saw the sign to actually eating there, I just had a feeling this incarnation was doomed. The owner seemed to have a thing about creating and opening places. The menu was all over the place, the quality of the seafood was decent during my visits….it should be, the guy who owned the place also owns Ocean Harvest, a seafood wholesaler. The spot was humongous and rather difficult to maintain, even with Kazumi manning a sushi bar in the back.

I have no idea what's up with this place now….I'll have to find out soon.

As for Kazumi. He was last sighted at the Snooty Asian, per Eater San Diego.

4805 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

What's up with Viet Bakery and Pho?:

It's actually kind of spooky. I first mentioned noticing this place in the same post as Moby Dick.And just like Moby Dick, this place just didn't do it for me. The dishes were uneven, as was the service, by the time I actually had a chance to try the pho the entire menu had changed. Everything that made the place seem special was gone.

The place isn't "officially closed" though, as you can see by the sign. I know for a fact that at least one offer was made to take over the spot, but it seems that the owners want to try again. They are currently using the kitchen for catering and such. As for the "we'll be opening soon", I wish them the best, but we know that this is often the kiss of death.

3904 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Paris Bakery and Thanh Son Tofu does the shuffle:

So I'm having a really lousy bowl of Bun Mang Vit and notice that Kien Giang has been replaced by Thanh Son Tofu?

5296 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92105

Which got me wondering…..what's going on with the (former) Thanh Son Tofu spot. So I actually drive all the way down there to see. And to my surprise……

I see the Paris Bakery coming soon sign. So either Paris Bakery is moving here, or this will be a second location. There's a good deal of space in this place, so I'm sure they'll be cranking out banh mi and baguettes like crazy. The parking kind of sucks though……

4616 El Cajon Blvd Ste 15
San Diego, CA 92115

Some days you just don’t feel like cooking……

April 26, 2013 mmm-yoso Cooking

Man was the weather nice today……too nice to be cooking. Plus, I've been busy at work so I was a bit too lazy to cook.

So why not have something like this for dinner on a warm evening……

From left to right; nem chua, speck with blue cheese and whole grain mustard, truffle pate, head cheese with cucumber, and tongue and red leaf butter lettuce with whole grain mustard.

Don't kid yourself. Two or three rounds of this with a couple of nice saisons and you'll be full and happy.

I know I was.

I could have used some pickles or something with a bit of acid and maybe some red onion for some pungency, but I really wasn't complaining. Loved the head cheese and the tongue with mustard is nice. We were surprised at how sweet the new chua, a gift from a friend's mom was when lined up with items that are more salty.

This was all we wanted, and really, all we needed tonight.

Here's wishing a happy Friday to you all!

Roadtrip two-fer part 1: Song Long Restaurant – Westminster (Orange County)

April 25, 2013 mmm-yoso Orange County, Road Trip, Vietnamese Restaurants

Time sure flies. Back in mid-February, the Missus and I did a two-fer road trip to Little Saigon. Both destinations were recommendations. The first was made by "Kha" commenting on this post. It was in regards to Cha Ca Thang Long, which is basically fish which uses two items not often mentioned with regards to Vietnamese cuisine; dill and tumeric. The dish is a specialty of Hanoi and we ate it at Cha Ca Thang Long Restaurant in Hoan Kiem District. We've had it at what I thought were the two, Vien Dong and Ha Noi best Cha Ca restaurants in the Little Saigon area. So when Kha mentioned a place called Song Long, which someone else inquired about before, mt curiosity was piqued. Kha then added that he'd had Cha Ca Thang Long at the namesake restaurant in Hanoi as well and his parents thought the Cha Ca at Song Long was better, well…….

Song Long Restaurant:

The interior of the place look like a diner/coffee shop and there was a funny combination Tet/Valentine's day display that was hilarious.

The menu is French influenced Vietnamese, with Bun Cha on one page and Nicoise Salad on the next. Since this arrived just after we sat down, I guess everyone get some bread.

Of course we got the Cha Ca Thang Long ($16.95) and guess what?

This was really good. The fish, which we were told was catfish, something that I usually won't order in the US, wasn't muddy tasting in the least. Tender and moist….and with a lot less oil than the stuff in Vietnam which is literally swimming in two inches of oil, topped with a liberal amount of fried shallots and dill, and a base of onions was delish with the huge amount of the usual suspects of bun, fresh herbs, and vegetables. The mam nem, a heady and wonderful mixture of fermented shrimp paste, a touch of chili, a sweet component, and acid was addictive and the Missus couldn't get enough.

So Kha, as far as we're concerned, your parents are totally right about the Cha Ca Thang Long.

Curiosity got the better of me as along with the fish I ordered the Escargots de Bourgogne ($6.95). Vietnamese love their snails and whelks so I expected this to be pretty good, but it was not.

This was rather cold, the herb butter greasy, and the snails were beyond rigor mortis. This was not good eats.

Overall, the service was decent, not particularly attentive, but this was Bolsa Avenue, so I didn't expect much. I'll be back for the cha ca thang long…..and I saw a bowl of Banh Mi Bo Kho walked pass me that was calling out to me. No more snails though.

Song Long Restaurant
9361 Bolsa Ave Suite 108
Westminster, CA 92683

Hours:
Open Daily 9am – 10pm

Thanks for the recommendation Kha! Thank your parents as well, they know how to pick 'em.

As you can tell, we really didn't load up here as we had another stop after this one.

Stay Tuned!

Frog Legs and Snapper from Red Rooster Catfish

April 24, 2013 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Cajun, Southern, and Soul Food, Seafood

**** Red Rooster Catfish has closed

So there I was on a bright sunny Saturday afternoon, exploring the empty Jacob's Center off of Market.

There's absolutely nothing going on here on Saturday about 1130, so why the heck was I here? Well, I was searching for a rooster….not any rooster, but a Red Rooster, a place named the Red Rooster Catfish. I'd heard about this place from two different people. One of them gave me the address 404 Euclid, which looked real nice on the GPS. It's not until you look around a bit that you realize that 404 Euclid is actually the Jacob's Center, which is set a good distance away from Euclid, with the main entrance on Market.

Which left me wandering around the Jacob's Center with some major doubts about finding the Red Rooster. There was nothing that even looked close to a restaurant.

Until I turned a corner……..

And saw this sign in the window……

And it still fooled me enough that I went around the corner thinking there'd be door to a restaurant or somethin'.

Which was not happening.

It's then I realized that this take-out window was the place and the two tables were it!

So I went back to my car and drove to this side of the parking lot. At about 1135 the place opened, two girls rushed out of nowhere and got to the window in a flash….I guess this was Red Rooster.

I had exactly what I wanted in terms of the mains in mind…….just about everything on the menu is fried. I just didn't know which side to get. The really friendly and tall gentleman named Joris recommended the spicy fried green beans. So of course that's what I ordered, the 3 sets of legs and fried snapper plate ($14). You should know that you don't rush things at places like this, so I had a fairly quick fifteen minute wait. During which I could contemplate things like….if this is "where mmm kisses aah", would "mmm-yoso" do the same?

I gotta say, these were fried very well. It wasn't 100% cornmeal, so while crunchy, the breading wasn't gritty. On the snapper it was perhaps a little too hard, but well seasoned and nothing to really complain about. The batter holds up rather well, I just can't put away all of that fried food like I used too, so over half of it came home for the Missus to try.

The spicy green beans were crunchy, nicely seasoned, slightly spicy, and went well with the mustard – aioli concoction called "mmm sauce".

The snapper just tasted like it had been frozen for a while, from the rather mushy texture to the fishy-slightly sour taste, it really wasn't my thing.

The frog legs on the other hand were really good. Crunchy, moist, and very mild in flavor. It lacked the rather off sourness of "old amphibian/reptile" and was very pleasant to eat. I saved a, ahem, "nice set" for the Missus who really enjoyed it. Loved the meaty parts where the legs, joined, the ah…well how to put it? I guess it's "where mmm-yoso kissed rump"? Something I'm sure many folks always wanted to see……

I'll be back to Red Rooster Catfish the next time I'm craving some good fried frog legs and perhaps try a good variety of the sides…..most of them fried. Joris is very hospitable and friendly. I hope this literal "hole in the wall" does well. I know they fry well……

Red Rooster Catfish
404 Euclid Suite 119
San Diego, CA 92114
Hours:
Tues – Sat 1130am – 7pm
Sunday 1130am – 5pm

Everything is fried to order. Call ahead at 619-795-8684 if you don't want to wait 20 minutes for your food.