mmm-yoso – Page 280

North Park Produce (finally) opens in Clairemont

February 21, 2013 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers

Like I earlier, it's almost like we've been stalking the place. But honestly, it seems like forever since I first noticed the coming soon sign back in September. So this afternoon, on my way home from work….I took my usual "stalker's glance" and saw folks walking into North Park Produce with shopping carts!

So the Missus and I stopped by on our way to dinner. I found out that they opened today, though their official "Grand Opening" is a couple of days away.

The shelves were full, but some of the produce bins are still empty and there's a section with a brick oven and kitchen area that's not ready yet. I'm thinking fresh baked breads and hopefully prepared food are soon to come.

Like every other location of NPP, this one seems to have it's own focus. I'll take a couple more visits to confirm. So here's the rest in photos.

And as usual….there's always something interesting that I had never noticed before.

They were quite busy, so I didn't have a chance to get their hours….I'll do that next time.

North Park Produce
4220 Balboa Ave.
San Diego, CA 92117

Big Island: Akaka Falls, Hilo Farmer’s Market, Suisan, and other “stuffs”

February 20, 2013 mmm-yoso Farmer's Markets/Night Market, Hawai'i - The Big Island, Poke, Travel

Our little road trip took us from the Keauhou Farmer's Market, through Kamuela, with a stop at Village Burger. Just outside Hilo, we made a stop at one of those "old familiar places", Akaka Falls State Park….which actually has two waterfalls; the smaller Kahuna Falls….and the "Big Kahuna", Akaka Falls.

The trail here is really easy, about a half mile total and was a good opportunity for the Missus and I to get out and stretch our legs.

Not much has changed here….except there's now a $5 parking fee.

There's something about bamboo that cools me and gives me that relaxed "aaaahhh" feeling.

Before heading to our hotel, we drove into Hilo, near the airport and hit up Big Island Candies.

I've often recommended visiting Big Island Candies when in Hilo, but always add on…."make sure to bring money." They'll start serving you samples from the time you walk in the door, don't be surprised if you've done the ol' credit card damage before leaving. I was surprised not to see a tour bus or two in the parking lot while we were there.

Instead of staying around Banyan Drive, we opted for the Dolphin Bay Hotel, in a semi-residential area, right across the Wailuku River from downtown Hilo. The place reminded me of those 60's-70's apartments I grew up in. No A/C, but there was a kitchenette….so we decided, as we often do, to self cater.

I'm lucky enough to remember the fish auction at Suisan, long gone now. Suisan is still the major food and seafood distributor on the island and of course the shop on Lihiwai Street is still open for business.

The Missus was shocked when She asked for samples they'd give Her a couple of pieces of fish to try. I was surprised at the quality of fish for the price.

We ended up buying some "stuffs" for dinner.

If you're staying on Banyan Drive, Lihiwai street is close by.

It also seems that if you buy fish from Suisan, you can take it to the shop next door and they'll fry it up for you.

Suisan Company Limited
93 Lihiwai St
Hilo, HI 96720

We were happy to arrive on Saturday, because Suisan, like most of the other shops in Hilo is closed on Sunday…….we often joke that everyday feels like Sunday in Hilo, so Sunday feels like Christmas Day without the festivities!

We wanted to hit up one of our favorite places in Hilo, the Hilo Farmer's Market. We'd be leaving early the next morning, so even though the place was winding down, we wanted to see if things were as we remembered.

Even though the Farmer's Market runs 7 days a week, Wednesdays and Saturdays are the busiest, with the most vendors. You can get everything from rambutan to musubis here. The Missus loves the papaya from the market.

Located on the corner of Kamehameha Avenue and Mamo Street, you really shouldn't miss it if you're in Hilo.

Hours:

Mon, Tues, Thurs, Sunday 7am – 4pm

Wed and Sat 6am – 4pm

It really seemed like Hilo hadn't changed much……. After driving back to the hotel, the Missus decided on going for a walk….a loooong walk. We'd pretty much seen most of Hilo during our previous visits, so I thought why not.? We walked from the hotel right off of Puueo Street onto Kamehameha Avenue, drifting in and out of businesses, finally stopping on Bishop Street….here you can see a bridge over the Wailoa River.

It hard to believe that this area was once Shinmachi "New Town", a "thriving community" which was wiped out in the tsunamis of 1946 and 1960. If you ever have the chance, check out the small, but interesting Pacific Tsunami Museum in Hilo.

It was getting a bit sticky out and we headed back….stopping at KTA to refresh ourselves in the A/C and pick up some liquid refreshment. Dinner itself was quite satisfying, all the great veggies and the saussicon we bought at the Keauhou Farmer;s Market.

Because we had samples of the poke from Suisan, we knew we'd enjoy it. Though there seemed to be a lot of "sauce", the two poke we had weren't salty. The Missus preferred the wasabi poke.

There was just enough wasabi in this with a touch of sweetness.

The furikake poke was also good, though not quite as good as the wasabi version.

We both really took to something they called "Hawaiian Candy" at Suisan. It's very crisp, dried fish….crunchy like candy, salty like dried fish, it has an addictive quality that we both enjoyed.

Since this doesn't need refrigeration it lasts and we snacked on it during the rest of our trip. Good stuff!

We had tried the Mehana Red Ale earlier in the trip, so we opted for the Pale Ale, which turned out to be a bit too "hoppy" for the Missus. I still enjoyed it though. I would have enjoyed visiting the brewery, but we were in Hilo outside of their hours…..we'll get that in next time.

Of course, we had to have some boiled peanuts which the Missus just couldn't get enough of. I think She would be perfectly happy if all we ate was poke and boiled peanuts the entire time we were home.

We also finished up the tamarillos…..

Because we'd be getting an early start the next morning, we crashed early….but man, those coqui frogs, an invasive species of tiny, quarter sized frogs from Puerto Rico which make a very loud "KOOO-KEEE" sound kept me awake. I don't recall it being this bad before. Yikes! Oh well, we were on vacation, so what a couple of million frogs mating outside our window, right? Perhaps things had changed in Hilo since our last visit after all…….

San Diego’s Ramen Renaissance: Revisits to Raki Raki, Ramen Yamadaya, and Santouka

February 19, 2013 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

Ramen has been picking up a good head of steam in San Diego the last couple of years, now it seems that just about everyone is serving the stuff. I call it San Diego's Ramen Renaissance…so I thought I'd go and grab some ramen. In Part 1, I revisited Underbelly for some hipster-ramen. In Part 2, I checked out Tec Chan, a Yakyudori wannabe. Now part three gets kinda boring as I revisited three places….a couple of which I've probably posted on ad nauseum in the past. My apologies….but it's kinda ramen weather out there tonight, right? So why not?

RakiRaki Ramen and Tsukemen:

It seems that the place is blowing up, at least according to The Eater, which has RakiRaki as one of the 19 hottest ramen shops in the US.

I did enjoy the Tsukemen and love the noodles, but have been less than happy with the really salty broth and the rather skimpy; even for ramen portion sizes. The menu seems to be ever changing and living partially on the alkaline water hype.

Every time I visit, there seems to be another page added to the menu. On this visit, there's now a line of "Super Deluxe" ramen? Which of course, I just had to try. So there went $11.75 for the Shoyu Tonkotsu, with flame blistered prime XO Underbelly Chasiu. Man, these guys are really hyping it up……which is what it ended up being, as I wasn't too impressed with "Super Deluxe".

The noodles were just wonderful as always, nice crunch and all. The chasiu slices were as thin as playing cards, slightly dry, and very low on the flavor scale. The broth was served at too low a temperature, giving it a slight greasiness, rather than being rich. For me, the most disturbing thing about the broth is how salty it was….man I just blew up like a gorged tick. Now for all the we use alkaline water, health benefits, and all that, I'm wondering, do these folks use MSG?

Still, I decided to return yet again. And guess what? Another handy, dandy, new page to the menu! It seemed like a good deal, ramen combined with a rice bowl. What really struck me was how they like to associate "names" with everything here. Now I don't know who the poster boy Chef Takeo Araki is….but I have heard of Junya Watanabe….at least, Junya Watanabe the fashion designer. Well, maybe I shouldn't have mentioned that. I'll go turn in my "man card" tomorrow. Based on the size of the ramen, there's almost no doubt that this was created by someone who needed to keep his models slim and trim. For a scale perspective, compare the amount and size of the bean sprouts to everything around it.

The piece of charred lean pork, tasted like charred lean pork. The noodles were perfect and this wasn't nearly as salty as what I had before, though still pretty high on the sodium scale. The broth has some seafood tones to it as well.

The rice bowl had a good quantity of rice, making this a bit of a carb bomb.

I enjoyed the texture of the chicken karaage which was crisp and light. I really don't think it shouldbe burdened with what basically amounts to a cloying sweet chili sauce, but that's just my opinion. Just as it's my opinion that the folks working here are really nice and getting more efficient with every visit.

Personally, I'm going to give RakiRaki a rest….when the weather gets a bit warmer I'll drop by for the Tsukemen. I'm wondering how large that menu will be by then? How many different types of "premium super-duper delux-a-rooney" tsukemen will there be on the menu? Be still my heart……

RakiRaki Ramen and Tsukemen
4646 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Ramen Yamadaya:

**** Ramen Yamadaya has closed

So the Missus was asking me why I've been having all this ramen and She hasn't? Well, She's kind of ummmm… shall we say selective? But after being married all these years, I have an understanding of Her tastes and preferences.

She loves Santouka, but I finally knew there would a bowl to compete with Santouka's Tonkotsu at Yamadaya. It's the Kotteri Tonkotsu with Kakuni Pork and extra firm noodles.

This clocks in at about the same price as RakiRaki's "Super Deluxe" ramen. The Missus loves a rich tonkotsu style broth, with that wonderful think broth that coats your tongue and tummy. This is also one of the least salty tonkotsus out there as well. When the temp of the broth is right, all the Missus can say is "aaaah".

The problem is that the Missus is not fond of the standard issue Hakata style straight noodles. Even though we order it extra firm, it just never holds texture for the entire bowl.

The kakuni is preferred over the chashu, though it may seem a bit over the top to some.

I've had it when it just wasn't right here, waxy and a bit tough, but most times it's decent.

Speaking of temperature….we were speaking of temperature, right? The place is nice, warm, and cozy right now, though based on my previous experiences, I'm wondering if they have the heat under control, because it got really hot in here during the summer and fall. Well, at least they've got the outside seating squared away. Service has been ok, sometimes things are forgotten, on occasion you get the idea they are trying to get you out the door…..well mainly because of the mass of humanity waiting outside in the wind and rain, so that'sunderstandable. This is another place to hit up early on in the evening if possible.

Ramen Yamadaya
4706 Clairement Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

Santouka Ramen:

Which leads to the shop which I think got the ball really rolling on this ramn-mania back in 2008. I really wasn't too impressed on my first visit due to broth temperature problems. Luckily, things got straightened out and I've never had a BTM…."broth temperature malfunction" since then. and of course, the Missus' favorite version at Sanotuka is the shio toroniku style, with fatty pork on the side. So of course after requesting and eating at Yamadaya for the second time I just had to ask Her which She preferred…..Yamadaya or Santouka. This led us to grabbing some ramen at Santouka, for research purposes of course.

Shio Toroniku Style……..

I kind of know which way this tree is falling, so to put it in the Missus's words. "The noodles at Santouka are much better, firm, with a slight crunch, they also hold texture for the entire meal." The pork for the toroniku style ramen has a better flavor, more porky, though tonight's pork is on the tougher side, it is usually much more tender." "I prefer the broth from Yamadaya, because it's less salty and also almost velvety. But the broth at Santouka seems to retain heat better; perhaps it's the bowl, but that makes it very comforting." "I guess it depends on what kind of mood I'm in." "We're going to have to find my perfect bowl." Uh-oh, that sounds like a never-ending quest.

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

I'm sure you folks have a ramen place that's your favorite for whatever reason. I think it's great to have choices!

Revisits to Da Nang Food to Go and Pho Viet Cali almost seven years later….

February 18, 2013 mmm-yoso Bun Bo Hue, Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

It's quite easy to fall into a routine, going back to those places that have proven to be "tried and true" or convenient. This year, I'm trying to make it a point to revisit some of those places that had kind of slipped from my mind for one reason or another. Here are two places that I last visited in….are you ready? 2006……man, I've put a whole lot of miles on the odometer since then. What were you doing in 2006?

Da Nang Food to Go:

**** Da Nang Food to Go has closed

It's easy for this place to just kind of slip your mind. Located in a teeny spot next to a 7-11 and a jewelry store on El Cajon Boulevard, it's one of those blink and you'll be past it kind of places. Add to that the fact that there now only seem to be five parking stalls(down from 7) now available…….

The place looks just about the same as our visit back in 2006. Same wood siding, same tables, same chairs…..

Menu prices seem to have gone up about a buck….not bad really.

The food is based on Central Vietnamese specialities; Bun Bo Hue, Banh Beo, Banh Bot Loc, that kind of thing. Feeling kind of hungry I started with some Banh Bot Loc ($4); which I thought were pretty good all those years ago.

These were huge by Banh Bot Loc standards and the tapioca flour based wrappers were way too gummy for my taste. There was a nice piece of shrimp inside, but these dumplings were just too much wrapper.

Of course I had to try the Bun Bo Hue ($5.95), which arrived appropriately steaming hot.

Strange, but I noticed that the usual pork hock was MIA in this bowl. The noodles were pleasantly slippery and firm, and the herbs, sprouts, and vegetables were fresh, though it was mostly bean sprouts, lettuce, and cabbage.

The soup seemed a bit odd to me; it was very sweet and lacking in spice. The thick cut meats were in attendance, but there was nary a piece of tendon to be found…… I wonder if they "gringo-ized" this? I still enjoyed the Gio Lua here, the nice peppery flavor and meatyness makes it one of my favorite versions.

I do want to try other items on the menu, if I can remember to return. Funny thing, I mentioned this place to MrQ…..even though he grew up near by, he hadn't a clue this place existed. Da Nang Food to Go is funny in that way I guess.

Da Nang Food to Go (aka Quan an Da Nang)
4745 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

Pho Viet Cali:

*** Pho Viet Cali has closed

Here's another place that I visited back in 2006. I really didn't care for the Pho, but I was on the West side of Mira Mesa Boulevard, so I thought why not?

Like Quan an Da Nang, this place looks just like it did in March of 2006.

Pho Viet Cali has remained in my memory because it was the first place where I saw Pho for over six bucks….a threshold that's long been passed by most places. So now a $6.95 bowl of pho doesn't faze me.

I got the #4 – Well Done Steak, Flank, Brisket, Tendon, and Tripe.

Man, other than the noodles….and the soup being hot, this was pretty bad. The soup was on the unpleasant side, bitter, and quickly gave me the MS heebie-geebies…..I've got a decent tolerance of the stuff, but this was too much. I recall the bowls having a good amount of meat, but things have apparently changed.

I guess the tripe and tendon were out sick on this day and the flank had that stale "ice-box" flavor that made it inedible.

Instead of going through this in excruciating detail….I think I'll stop here. I'm sure you get the picture, right?

Pho Viet Cali
6755 Mira Mesa Blvd. #113
San Diego, CA 92121

I'm hoping for better luck next time……

Djerba (Tunisia): Restaurant de L’ile and it’s Tunisia Night!

February 16, 2013 mmm-yoso North African Food, Seafood, Travel, Tunisia, Tunisian Food

After watching the low keyed fish auction and having a cup of "Cafe Express", it was obviously time for lunch. I had a place in mind….down the streets of the Souk…..

We found Restaurant De L'ile. The place was immaculate…clean and bright in the very Mediterranean way. It was also totally empty for lunch…..perhaps the combination of of "all inclusive" resorts and Arab Spring was having an effect.

The menu had a ton of Tunisian "standards" and toruist dishes….but this was Houmt Souk, on the island of Djerba….we were having seafood.

Things started out with some "amuse/appetizers" to stimulate our appetite and tastebuds.

Along with the standard bread and harissa was a carrot "puree" of sorts…the Missus was ready to hate the stuff, but really enjoyed the spices mixed with a touch of sweetness.

Along with this was a plate of "thon" (tuna) with braised potatoes which was very tasty.

First up was the "salade aux fruits de mer"…..a seafood salad.

Nice, well prepared seafood, nothing fancy, but quite solid.

Then tuna with tomato sauce…..

The tomato sauce had a touch of spiciness and was very tangy. They cooked the fish to death.

If you've read my previous posts on meals in Tunisia, you'd know how much I'd taken to brik, the wonderful deep fried pastry, filled with a fried egg and sometimes seafood. This was the "Brik aux fruits de mer"…the seafood filled brik.

This one wins the "runny egg award"…..I was almost mesmerized by how runny the egg was.

The yolk was profoundly "eggy", reminding me of how eggs used to taste when I was a kid. It was a bit too much for the Missus, though I enjoyed it.

There is of course, the communication barrier, which displayed itself in the calamare….we ordered it "grille", but got it fried. The squid was very tender, thought the batter oily and mushy….oh what could have been.

We finished off with the Octopus in Tomato Sauce. I'm not sure why most of what we have here in the states is like tire rubber. This was quite tender, though not as good as our favorite.

In the end, this was the best restaurant meal we'd had in Tunisia.

After lunch we found a taxi….on the way back to the resort, the Missus saw a pastry shop and had the cabbie stop…..to buy pastries! You know, this being Tunisia, he didn't bat an eye and the Missus bought him a box of confections for his trouble.

We had a nap in the afternoon, went for a walk, and as is our "MO" went to dinner early. After our previous dinner, with the themed "Italian Night", we were curious what "Tunisia Night" would be like.

We peeked out to the patio and saw that the really nice young man…the one who had gotten the Chef de Cuisine to get the Missus some mechouia the night before was working. He waved us over to the little two-top he was waiting on….there was no doubt that we wanted him to be our waiter tonight. We went out and grabbed our plates and when we returned he had created a little bouquet of sorts for our table. This was such a sweet touch…..

And while I felt bad for the folks who had to be "in character" for the dinner……

We also found a dish we really loved…..it was black and tarry looking and was in a container that looked like a flower pot. The flavor however was profound….rich, beefy with some heat, and a tongue coating texture that we found enjoyable. No one seemed to want to eat this stuff….in fact, the Chef de Cuisine came out to talk to us, just because he was happy to see folks enjoy this so much.

It was made with something we had never come across before Molokhia….of course we came home and found the stuff being sold in Nijiya, but at that time this was all new….still is, because we were told this preparation takes two days.

In the end, even though I'm not fond of these "all-inclusive" resorts, we did enjoy our time.

As our cab took us to the airport and back to Tunis, we reflected, not only on the Tunisian Cabbies dream….they all want Cadillacs and Lincoln Towncars….really! But also on how relaxed and kind folks we came across were…..

The Missus’ new favorite restaurant; Sushi Tadokoro

February 14, 2013 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi

Man, the Missus sure had changed over the last couple of years…..it used to be that She would only go for the Albacore, Hamachi, and Salmon at sushi bars…..and I'd get the "good stuff". But Take-san at Tadokoro has changed all that. The Missus has come to trust him totally….and Take-san has really picked up on what the Missus enjoys and has gotten Her to try things She never would have.

I think it all started with the ankimo. She loves the version here.

And of course the sashimi, which is how we usually start our meals…..

What has really amazed me is how eagerly She'll go for items the She "never knew were so good!"

Like ika……

And tako…..

Culminating in the Missus actually trying Shirako (cod sperm sac) tonight!

Which the Missus loved! This was melt in your mouth soft, with a slight milky edge to it. I'd had it many times…..with it being more often than nought…well terrible. This was very good. I didn't even realize it's Shirako season.

We'll often get a something a bit different, like this hobo (robin-fish) wrapped around ankimo(he knows the Missus loves his version) and scallion with ponzu.

A wonderful contrast of textures……..

Or perhaps some anago broiled over bamboo leaves…..

Which is such a nice surprise when you give yourself over to the man behind the bar.

And of course there are our favorites like engawa, the dorsal fin muscle of hirame (halibut).

Or any number of other "standards" done well……

Take-san paid us a very nice compliment the other evening when he told us, "most people who order Omakase don't really know what that means, but you, you really do."

And it's quite easy when someone understands your taste and still tries to push the envelope a bit when he believes he has something top-notch on hand. This is what makes dining enjoyable. Whether it's a simple bowl of noodles from a stand in Luang Prabang or dinner at Urasawa it's all about experiences, learning, and enjoying. And we've been enjoying Tadokoro quite a bit recently.

Sushi Tadokoro
2244 San Diego Ave
San Diego, CA 92110

Open: Mon – Sat 5pm – 10pm

Like I said before:

Go early for best selection and a more relaxed pace and atmosphere. Even better, make reservations and go early.

San Diego’s Ramen Renaissance Part 2: Tecchan Yakitori and Izakaya

February 13, 2013 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

*** Tecchan has closed

Here's one that slipped under my radar…..if it looks familiar, this is the former location of Yakyudori in Hillcrest. Man, yet another shop serving ramen……that's so surprising…..

It's a bit strange for me; I'm not sure if it's really Tec-chan, or is it Tecchan like the sign….well, whatever, I go with what the sign says. I hadn't been here since it was Yakyudori, though I passed by the place when it became Raku, but had never really been motivated.

So what brings me here now? Well my good FOY (Friend of Yoso), "YY" told me that they really enjoy the spicy miso ramen here. Personally, I've never really found a version that I've enjoyed, but if it's good enough for YY, it's well worth a try for me. But I just couldn't find the time to visit. Until Super Bowl Sunday….you see I really wasn't interested in halftime (which seems to get longer every year) and the Ravens seemed to be blowing out the 49ers. So I just jumped in the car to see what was up with this place….they say they open at 6, but were open a bit earlier on this day.

And I did get the Spicy Miso Ramen as instructed, with "thin noodles", which turned out to be your standard issue Hakata style noodles. The price wasn't bad at just over 8 bucks.

First the good; the noodles were done to the al dente, almost crunchy texture I enjoy and the egg was nicely cooked. The chashu pork was mild in flavor, but they had hit a nice balance in texture, not too firm and not falling to pieces….too bad it was ice cold, something that seems to be happening much too often nowadays.

And while this broth was indeed fairly spicy and not as salty as other versions….it really tasted like Japanese Kimchi base. You know, the stuff to make short cut kimchi? It wasn't really my cup of tea……

On the other hand….due to the immensely long halftime and the infamous "lights out", I actually made it back home in time to watch the last half of the 3rd quarter!

After thinking over things….yes, though I may not sprout the "Tao of ramen", or contemplate the meanings of the Hexagrams in I Ching, nor has anyone mistaken me for the "gangster of love" or ever called me "Maurice" (age check here!), I actually do think about what I eat….. I decided to just return and try the straight up tonkotsu ramen.

This time I went with the "flat noodles", which were just your standard issue ramen noodles, but were done up nicely.

The broth seemed a bit light to me. I prefer my tonkotsu a bit more rich. Also, there was a flavor that reminded me of burnt onions that I really didn't enjoy.

It wasn't terrible……but not something I'd go out of my way for.

The service was friendly, though one of the servers here has the kind of voice that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. But that's my problem, not hers. I also tried some of the other menu items……but that's for another day.

Tecchan Yakitori and Izakaya
3739 6th Ave
San Diego, CA 92103

San Diego’s Ramen Renaissance Part 1: Revisiting Underbelly

February 12, 2013 mmm-yoso Ramen

It's hard to believe that as little as 3 years ago, I was thrilled to have two basic choices for ramen in San Diego, Santouka and Yakyudori….sorry folks Tajima and Izakaya Masa just didn't cut it for me. It seems that overnight, "ramen-mania" took over…..shades of "burger saturation"! Now of course, it seems that every place is getting into the act. In fact, I've started to separate my ramen into "tiers"; the better quality, usually more expensive, richer, more complex versions are tier 1. The cheaper, get it on the run, rather generic, mostly just for nourishment versions are tier 2. I hope never to have a tier three….well maybe there is a tier 3, I can check my cupboard to see if I might have a package of the stuff in there from the last decade!

I thought I'd do a series of posts on places that have opened over the last year-and-a-half or so, part of what I call the "ramen renaissance". All these are revisits except 1…….so let's start slurping.

The last….and only time I visited Underbelly, I thought it to be over-priced and somewhat underwhelming.

I did think they were trying to serve a good product, so I thought it would be nice to see how things have progressed. I was really happy to see the folding windows/counter were securely bolted down. There's now some outdoor seating, which is a "no-beer zone" as well.

A bunch of folks asked me why I didn't mention the "no spoon" policy at Underbelly. Well, based on history with this group…the no ketchup at Neighborhood, no vodka at Craft and Commerce, the place has this "minus one" type of thing going on. They are into the Paris Hilton school of any buzz, be it negative or positive, is good. A couple of good friends of mine are big fans of this groups restaurants/bars so I always kid them about the next "minus one concept" restaurant they'll be opening…..some examples, "Madison Square Garden", where you get MSG (get it???) laden food, but no water is served, or "Origami" where beautifully folded paper representations of dishes grace the table, but no real food is served…. Okay, well, I've already spent too much time on this.

As before the drill is look over the menu, order and pay at the bar, get a number and grab a seat. At least this day wasn't too windy or cold as this corner can be pretty chilly.

I ordered the Underbelly Ramen and added Beef Brisket, so this rung in at $15…..

The standard Nishimoto Trading noodles were prepared much better this time around, actually attaining a bit of pull. The proteins, even the smoked beef brisket, which didn't taste like it was smoked last time worked well. The egg was wonderfully runny and the chashu was a perfect match of tenderness and flavor.

The broth wasn't quite as oily as my previous visit and was like the atmosphere here, served a bit too cool for my taste. It lacked that tongue-coating richness and didn't have much flavor. Dare I say…bland?

If it's all about the protein for you, I guess you might like Underbelly. Me? Well, I still think there's a hipster ramen upcharge for eating here…..

UnderBelly
750 W. Fir St
San Diego, CA 92101

Las Vegas: Around the Strip and Honey Salt

February 11, 2013 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Las Vegas, Road Trip

I am without a doubt somewhat of a creature of habit, there are certain "rituals" that I follow……in Vegas after dropping the Missus off, I'll take a walk up and down the strip to see what's new. I'll usually do this in the morning to avoid the crowds. It had been four years since our last trip here and for me, the biggest change was the massive City Center complex…..

Things had shifted a bit since our last visit….there are now a good number of suite-style offerings; larger rooms, small kitchens, away from the hustle, bustle, cigarette smoke, and noise of the casinos.

We actually stayed at the Fairfield, not quite on the strip, good sized rooms, and away enough from it all to kind of chill. It was easy to get to the strip though….the shuttle to the Mandalay Bay, the tram to Excalibur, a short walk through Monte Carlo to the tram station from Aria to the Bellagio…..

Soon enough you're staring at the Paris……

Which was enough time for me to head back and catch the shuttle at New York, New York, back to the Fairfield.

As for lunch; well, I usually go off the strip. I'd heard about a newer place in Summerlin, that did…well, that much too often used description, "farm to table comfort cuisine"……yet it came highly recommended. So I took that 20 minute drive. I'm sure the distance really wasn't that bad, it just seemed that way. The restaurant, named Honey Salt, was tucked away in the corner of a strip mall…..

Looking very unassuming from the outside, this place was really happening….so many "women doing lunch". It reminded me of places I've been in say, Scottsdale or Buckhead in Atlanta….. The Hostess was very nice telling me they would have a table for me in a few minutes….but I opted for the mellow bar area……

Which must have been fate….I asked the bartender if "it's okay if I sit here…." His response? "Eh, you from Hawaii, huh?" We call "Vegas" the "9th Island", so many visit and so many have moved there…you can't help but run into someone from "home". And once he introduced himself as "Bozo"…..I knew he was the real deal. This was going to be a great lunch……regardless of the food.

Anyway, beyond the pleasantries…..there were many of the typical, "whea' you from" discussions…, eventually things headed to the menu. I had a couple of things in mind, Harissa crusted strip steak salad and Big Eye Tuna Tartar with Crunchy Quinoa came to mind. But MrB told me the two most popular dishes, at least on his watch, which led me to order items I would never had considered.

Starting with the Turkey Meatballs ($9)…….really, turkey meatballs, when was the last time I ordered these? Try never…..

Caramelized onions and a touch of horseradish added some sweetness and pungency. And though the acid was a bit too much, I gotta say, these were the most moist and tender turkey meatballs I've ever had…literally melting in my mouth. You could easily have mistaken them for veal.

For my main, Bozo told me the Biloxi Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich ($13) was the best seller.

The chicken was very moist, though I would have appreciated a bit more "crunch" to it. The brioche was mildly buttery without being too sweet. The slaw completed without overpowering and added a bit more texture to the sandwich.

Actually, I really enjoyed the salad….the kale and edamame really balanced things out…to the utter joy of the Missus who eats and juices kale by the bushel.

I actually enjoyed the food here more than Urban Solace……

Of course, during our meal, another "Bruddah" stopped by for take-out….what can you say? In the end this was a nice meal made better by eating at the bar and talking to another ex-pat Kama'aina and also the young lady from South Africa who convinced Bruddah Bozo (in slang that means "Boy"), a third generation "Bozo", that he needed to check out Lotus of Siam soon. I also got a nice tip on grabbing some poke too…….

Honey Salt
1031 S Rampart Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89145

Happy Lunar New Year……and some photos from Spicy House

February 10, 2013 mmm-yoso Blog

Both the Missus and I had to work this year, so not much going on. For some reason, we seem to end up in Vegas close to the Lunar New Year……this is the third time. Anyway, the Bellagio always does a nice Chinese New Year set-up in the atrium. This is a from our visit a couple of weeks ago. As you can see, it's the year of the snake.

And…..because this is a food blog, we do need some some food photos, right? MrS treated us to a nice meal at Spicy House. It was great seeing "YY", MrQ, MrS, and especially Akira, whom I haven't seen in a while.

Spicy House
3860 Convoy Street #105
San Diego, CA 92111

Anyway, whether you say it xin nian kuai le (新年快樂), chúc mừng năm mới, or some other way, we just want to send you our best wishes for a great year!