mmm-yoso – Page 281

A Week of Sushi, the Traditionalist: The enigmatic Kaga Sushi

February 1, 2013 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Memorable Meals, Sushi and Sashimi

**** Kaga Sushi has closed

I first heard of Kaga Sushi what seems like a lifetime ago….probably around 2002. One day, while purchasing some wagashi at Hogetsu, I noticed the very non-descript sign on one of the buildings. Well….here was the Kaga Sushi that I'd heard so much about. Granted, a good part of that discussion included words like racist, sushi nazi, etc…… Also, I understand that one of the graduates of Kaga's mentorship is a pretty, well how should I say it, rather temperamental fellow himself. After seeing him treat customers badly on my two visits there, I don't think I'd return. In fact, the last time there, I was with a friend from Japan who made it a point after leaving to tell me, "I want to let you know….REAL Japanese are not like that!" 'nuff said. Another word that has been used in various discussions is exclusivity, which kind of rubs me the wrong way…..I'm just not like that. What really changed my mind about Kaga Sushi was a discussion with Mrs Takeda of Hogetsu-do. She basically told me that the couple who run the place want to only serve traditional sushi and don't speak very much English. They basically feel uncomfortable with people they don't know and can't communicate with…there would be an additional addition to this a bit later on. I did try to get past this door with the neon open sign twice back in 2005……

And just to make the story short; I looked the part, but couldn't recite the lines. And that was just the way it was going to be. Folks I knew who were Nihon didn't want to go there….folks who thought their Japanese wasn't good enough were afraid. Still, this past winter, I was having a nice Friday drink when "Xiang Jiao" came along. For some reason, I happened to mention Kaga Sushi, and my own "xiang jiao" (which means banana in Mandarin) difficulties. Now being young and all, XJ saw a challenge….she was fascinated. As a plus, her beau (MrT) is from Tokyo and works for one of the major Japanese companies in San Diego. She asked me if I'd be up for Kaga Sushi. Thinking that nothing would come of it I said sure. And during our porcine party, XJ came up to me and blurted out a date….huh? She then reminded me of our discussion….we had a date set for Kaga, which was postponed once, but there I was standing outside that door on a rather cold late December evening. We also had XJ's friend "Trang" and her boyfriend, Masa, who is also from Tokyo for back-up. We walked through that door…..

Now I'd like to say it was all dramatic and such, but the interior is quite humble and warm….much like what you think a neighborhood sushi place would be like in Japan.

The menu, written on very old-school style wooden slats were in Japanese. The couple who ran the place seemed to have aged quite a bit in the last 7 years and now looked like they were in their 70's. The woman who simply showed me a reserved sign and nodded "no" in 2005, now seemed like a doting grandmother….plus, she seemed a bit hard of hearing, which would make dealing with English speakers more difficult.

There was a Hispanic Couple in the place when we arrived, also with a Japanese couple….so this was not an "exclusive club" even though it seemed to cater to the Japanese Ex-Pat community. MrT, ordered, in what he later told me was in the "most respectful way" that it would be Omakase for us.

So after being presented with a wonderfully prepared tako appetizer which we all had to restrain from gulping down, the plate of sashimi arrived.

And let me just say, this was very, very good. Unadorned and traditionally straight forward, but very good…..

No fruit or vegetable carvings……no sauce "swooshed" on the plate, no neat little trinkets, no huge lump of yuzu kosho killing the hirame (my one really bad dish at Kaito)…..this was just plain no hiding, no holds, delici-yoso. MrT told me that in terms of just prep and quality, this was much better than Ota, Kaito, Shirahama, or anything else in San Diego. The o-toro did melt in your mouth, the Saba was perfectly cured, milky, but without venturing into "cheesiness", the texture was just perfect. The shoyu ikura was like the kiss of the ocean with ika that had an excellent chew. The akami was interesting, the cut included a bit of chu-toro, which made for a textural exchange.

I've never been a fan of the typical awabi (abalone) served in sushi bars, and am still not, though it does make a nice visual impact.

Next up was a short respite with a very well done broiled saba. Nice oil, balanced salt and sweet…..

Then came the nigiri.

The first thing that struck me was the amount of komezu (rice vinegar) in the sushi-meshi…..it reallycaught me off guard. MrT and Masa thought it was just lovely. For me, the nigiri was not as thrilling as the sashimi. The highlites….well the blue crab was just plain delicious, the kohada was cured well, nice and lightly milky…the mirugai was good. The Ebi, in this case wild Mexican Shrimp was delicious as well.

Based on what I'd already eaten, I had high hope for tamago. Though I've never really bought into the "you judge an Itamae by how they prepare the humble egg" school of thought, I do like a light, mildly sweet, melt in your mouth tamago just like everyone else.

This was not it. It was served ice cold which killed the flavor. The omelet was also too hard and not particularly pleasant to eat.

There's some irony to this whole meal. We'd had all this sashimi and sushi, but the one real talking point for us after the meal was the miso shiro….yep, the miso soup.

As we took the first sip of this rich, yet balanced simple miso shiro with daikon, the three guys looked up…… I'm not sure what it was, but there was that simple comforting feeling this soup gave the three Japanese "boys" in the group. Like a warm blanket wrapping around you on a cold day…. Nice ratio of miso to dashi, not too salty, the daikon cooked to very tender, but not melted away. This was so nice.

After our meal, the Itamae came and spoke to MrT….when he found our XJ wasn't Japanese, he was amazed that she wanted to eat sashimi and nigiri and not just rolls. Hopefully, that contributed to a stereotype being torn down. The folks here just seem to want to do their thing. Even though I still don't agree with the way they do it; having grandparents who never spoke English, I understand it. MrT told me that he had heard this building had been sold and was going to be torn down and the owners look like they are close to retirement. I'm hoping that Kaga Sushi will give a little in who they serve. Though I don't think I can get into the place without someone fluent in Japanese even after eating there……

Kaga-Sushi
1216 3rd Ave
Chula Vista, CA 91911

A Week of Sushi, the Modern – Traditional Shop: Sushi Tadokoro revisited, mostly in photos

January 31, 2013 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi

I really enjoyed my one and only visit to Sushi Tadokoro back in August and was really wondering how they were doing. So I decided to return.

I arrived just at about 530………I always like to eat early at a sushi bar if possible, you're assured of getting the best of what they have and if the Itamae is a really nice guy like Take-san, you'll get a full explanation of what's being served. I was quite amazed that Take remembered me, even what my preferences in taste….he even remembered my visits to Surfside even though I sat in front of Aki….something Akinori didn't even recall. In the end, I ended up returning with the Missus so if I went ahead and wrote everything up, I'd still be going at it tomorrow, so you'll just have to be happy with mostly just photos.

And while I'm sure most folks will focus on the toro, the item that really got my attention was the "hobo sashimi" sitting right in front of the kanpachi (amberjack). Hobo is Sea Robin, something that I'd never had before.

Next was another new presentation – Hirame with Himalayan Pink Salt and Finger Lime.

Even though Take-san makes traditionally focused sushi, he isn't above incorporating new flavors within classic flavor guidelines.

Kohada (gizzard shad):

Mebachi (Big-eye tuna/ Ahi) Zuke with Shiso.

Marinating the ahi for a short period really was a nice touch, with the shiso clearing your palate.

Hobo:

Some of the best ankimo I've ever had.

I sent the Missus a photo of this from my phone…..She immediately responded by saying "we're going there tomorrow night".

Nikiri painted Ika with Shiso:

Uni:

Shoyu Ikura:

Quite good.

Take-san wrapped things up(no pun intended) with what he called an "Ice Cream Cone".

Toro, uni and tororo (grated yamaimo) temaki.

I made reservations for the Missus and I for the following evening….Take-san was surprised and couldn't help but laugh.

Of course we returned early and Take-san told me, "you are lucky, we have some good things today".

Hamachi, Kanpachi, Toro, Mebachi, and what was a pleasant surprise, a favorite of mine since having it at Urasawa, Sayori, Halfbeak, a Hikarimono (shiny fish), a category that includes Aji and Kohada.

The Missus has really gotten more adventurous and it paid off as She loved the Sayori.

There was of course the Ankimo.

She told me this was the best She's ever had and we placed a second order for Her.

My Sayori Nigiri.

The Missus got a Saikyo Miso Chilean Sea Bass.

I got Kohada Nigiri, this time with Yuzu Rind on it.

Take-san told me that because I was just here the previous evening, he needed to prepare items I've had before slightly different.

Aji(Horse Mackerel).

Hirame.

At first I thought the sauce topping it was made from uni. But seeing how much we enjoyed the ankimo, Take-san made a sauce with ankimo, ponzu, yuzu rind, and a couple of other items. Really good!

Hobo sashimi topped with ginger and green onion. We were provided with a bowl of the "ankimo sauce" for dipping, which turned out to go well with the Robinfish. Rich, creamy, hints of citrus, with a mild tangy flavor.

I asked Take how common hobo was. He told me that folks in the city usually don't eat it as sashimi, but in fishing villages it is quite often eaten that way in Japan.

Mirugai for the Missus and I.

Clean, this refreshed our palate. No wonder "YY's" Dad calls this "cucumber"!

Mebachi (Big Eye Tuna) Zuke Nigiri. This time with yuzu kosho……

Great combination for the flavor of Big Eye Tuna.

Next up asari clams.

Finishing off with some uni for "dessert".

For me, Tadokoro defines what a nice neighborhood sushi restaurant should be. Good product, clean, understated, atmosphere, an Itamae who remembers his customers and their tastes. In terms of price, the meals here were the cheapest per person of all the places this week. It was funny that I mentioned Take-san to Aki and vice versa…..having both worked together at Surfside, they had very nice things to say about each other….both classy guys.

Sushi Tadokoro
2244 San Diego Ave
San Diego, CA 92110

Open
Mon – Sat 5pm – 10pm

– Go early for best selection and a more relaxed pace and atmosphere

– I'm sure selections change from day to day. I'm hoping you'll have the same luck we did

A Week of Sushi, Going New School: Akinori Sushi

January 29, 2013 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi

**** Akinori Sushi has closed

From then end of summer last year through winter, I heard a lot of good things about the newly opened Akinori Sushi in Hillcrest. So near the end of the year, I called and made reservations for an "Omakase" meal to share with my good buddy Candice. Having eaten at Surfside Sushi a couple of times, in front of Akinori twice, I already knew of his friendly, accommodating, and laid back demeanor, so I was sure that this would, at the least, be a nice meal.

The interior of Akinori is spartan, but neat and comfortable looking. There's nothing stuffy about the place. In this way, it reflects Akinori's personality.

We had seats front and center….and Candice, ever the beer-maven, quickly noticed that Aki-san had brought in some local brews from Monkey Paw. I quickly noticed that the "heritage" of al the fish being served was listed on the chalkboard on the wall.

We happily chatted and munched on our amuse…..

And our first course of kazunoko and gobo…..

Of course, all attention went to Aki-san as he prepared our next course…….

You can't really make it out, but a lobster was being dispatched……

Not quite as fast as say…..Hiro-san, but quick enough.

It was interesting watching the head of lobster still bobbing around as our plates were being prepared…..

Which looked wonderful.

The hirame (halibut) was cut paper thin, something I really enjoy as cutting it in that manner really changes and heightens the texture. Of course the uni, being local, and "gold" grade was outstanding, that was to be expected. But what really surprised me the most was the Ise Ebi (lobster) sashimi. Personally, I'm not a big fan of lobster sashimi, for me it's sort of bland and rubbery…..even when having been prepared by Urasawa. This however was sweet and quite tender…..very nice local lobster.

Next up was the nouvelle course….the new style presentations.

This was an interesting mixed-bag. So much of the Itamae-customer relationship is based on multiple visits. It's tough trying to figure out a new customer who walks in the door saying "feed me". So some of what I got, like the by-the-books saikyo miso Chilean Sea Bass.

Was good, but really didn't wow me. I make this every couple of months for the Missus.

And I'm just not a big fan of the burnt pseudo-mayo-cream cheese "roll" thing called the roll with Tokyo Bam Bam aioli.

On the other hand…….uni and hotategai (scallop) is a classic pairing, so the Hotate with Uni paste was a fantastic take on a classic combination.

Sweet, sweet, ocean….would probably be a wonderful name for this!

And yet, it wasn't my favorite item on the plate…….which was the "uni tofu".

Think of this as a sort of whipped uni cake, almost like a decent tamago. Light, spongy, permeated with the ocean-custard flavor of uni. I could have easily have eaten a whole tray….then die with a smile on my face.

Next up was a wonderfully refreshing Kumamoto Oyster with ponzu paired with one of my favorite things; ankimo (steamed monkfish liver "pate").

It funny, both Candice and I took bites of our ankimo simultaneously….we both stopped and looked at each other. The texture of the ankimo was perfect, but there was a certain, almost cheesy pungency to it. Whoa…. it was pretty heady stuff!

All during the meal, Aki-san is conversing with us….and being the sharp Itamae, I think he picked up on my preferences with regards to fish along the way as the next item up was a wonderful, lightly sweet, chewy, piece of engawa (halibut dorsal fin muscle), the most treasured part of the fish.

Right up next was something I would never have thought of……

Yes, it was a really nice piece of hirame….but sprinkled on top was a really fragrant truffle salt! For some reason, I really took to the fragrance and flavor of this. I'm almost thinking of sneaking that jar of truffle salt I have in the cabinet and ordering hirame sashimi from Wal Mi Do. Now that would be pretty funny, huh?

And while the mebachi (Big Eye tuna) looked good, but was nothing special, I had time to appreciate how Aki-san put together his rice…….not too tight, which allows the rice to disperse easily upon eating.

The kohada (gizzard shad) was lightly brushed with a mild nikiri, which really helped since the flavor didn't have quite a pronounced milky flavor.

As good as the engawa and hirame was, nothing could compare with the Aji.

We watched as a huge layer of fat was trimmed from the fish….we already knew this was going to be good……. The texture was just plain decadent, something I never thought I'd say about aji. The fish almost melted away in my mouth and yet kept that wonderful lightly milky flavor of Spanish Mackerel. Best aji I've had, maybe forever……

Next item needs no description……

It was very good….but because of the timing, was only the second best miso shiro I had that week. (more on that later). Still lobster miso shiro….c'mon.

I wasn't a big fan of the anago, which felt kind greasy to me.

At this point, I was waving the white flag….so Aki-san told us, "just one more item". And it was some item.

Uni lovers of the world unite……uni risotto, topped with shoyu ikura, tororo (grated yamaimo), and uni. Nice uni flavor with hints of sesame oil. A excellent rice dish, perhaps not up to Raku's Kamameshi, but what is?

In the end, it was a very good meal. Because Akinori is not familiar with me, by no means did I expect a perfect meal. We'll save that for maybe two meals down the road….which based on the price; this was $70 without booze, is doable. Like I said, the relationship between the customer and Itamae is a sacred one….something folks forget. A while back I had a conversation with one of those "sushi snobs" who really had nothing good to say about any other sushi bars except his favorite…he's loyal, which is nice, but is also something that colors his judgement. There's no place that makes everything perfect, every time……now folks who know me realize that I'm a very boring, pragmatic, person…so I ask the guy a simple question- "how many time did you give these places a try?" His answer? "Just once, they never lived up to how good xxxx is." "So how many times have you been to xxxx?" "Well, we go sometimes two times a week, xxxx-san knows me there and know what I like!""So you give these places one try and say they don't know you like xxxx-san, then hold it against them….what do you do?" "I'm a barber…." "So what if I came into your shop and had you cut my hair and told you….it's not as good as my regular barber I go to every month? What would you say…." Well…..he just cursed at me and moved a few seats down at the counter of one of those one-and-done sushi bars that-would-never- be-as-good-as-his-favorite.

Give Akinori a try….or two….or three….. oh, and if you plan of having the Omakase, call ahead.

Akinori Sushi
1417 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92103

Oh and if you ever wonder why I don't read that four lettered review site; when I mentioned visiting Akinori to a friend of mine, he pointed me to this. Good grief!

A Week of Sushi, Starting with the “Old School”: Sushi Bar Kazumi

January 28, 2013 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi

**** Sushi Bar Kazumi is no longer

For some reason, I'd accumulated a small collection of photos from visits for sushi over the last couple of months. Each place had it's own personality. I thought it would probably be appropriate to start with my visit to what I call "transplanted Kazumi", now located in Moby Dick Fishmarket. Before there was Sakura, Kaito, or Shirahama, there was Sushi Bar Kazumi. Kazumi was actually the first sushi bar I ate at back in the late 90's. My clients were located in the Hillcrest area and Kazumi was within walking distance. And to take things even farther back, from what I've been told, the current location of Sushi Yaro, was the original location of Sushi Bar Kazumi, before it was Ishikawa. After moving to San Diego proper, I always found parking to be a hassle in the area, so I didn't return until about early 2005. By then Kazumi had started looking a bit run down and the sushi I had that evening kind of reflected that. Eventually he closed down……Zo-san, who I seem to run into all over the place told me that Kazumi was looking to reopen in the Convoy area. But I never expected him to reopen in Moby Dick Fishmarket and Grill. The concept seemed a weird marraige of fishmarket, pseudo fast-food, combined with sushi bar in the evening. Still, I was delighted when reading Kirbie's post on Kazumi, it seemed he had returned to form. Nothing nouvelle about it, but good, solid, old-school sushi.

I had made reservations and I arrived finding the sushi bar empty, but groups of patrons, "roll-a-holics" all on the tables in the restaurant. I took my seat and saw Kazumi moving at the speed of light, a one man show, with a single Server, efficient, and just friendly enough.

He had a pile of fish sliced in front of him when I arrived and I just told him that I'd take whatever he thought was good, and not to worry and rush. To my surprise, he immediately started making nigiri of the fish in front of him, stopping only to cut two pieces of engawa, and within minutes things were started with a rather shabby looking eight pieces of nigiri.

When I asked, I was told that the tuna was Bigeye, aka Ahi, and what my relatives called "mebachi". That explained the rather lean chu-toro….which still looked like it had part of the dark blood line it in, making it look rather unappetizing. The akami was dry and had broken into pieces before being placed on the rice. The hamachi was dry and stringy…..not a good start at all. Though the engawa, the dorsal fin muscle of the halibut was very good, very mildly sweet, with a nice chew, it was also cut in a rather haphazardly way.

To me, this just seemed like "neta ( the topping of nigiri) fail" and just kind of sad overall. Yet Kazumi was working like a madman putting together roll after roll, even handing me a negi-toro (fatty tuna-green onion) temaki.

The chu-toro in this handroll was actually better than what was on the nigiri…..I love negi-toro and negi-hama, so this pleased me. I was once told that temakiwas actually invented in the United States! I also noticed that Kazumi's sushi-meshi was not quite as strong in the vinegar department; though time could be a factor here.

After a few minutes, the dust had settled and things had slowed down a bit. Kazumi then got down to work……opening and cleaning a Hotategai(scallop) and creating a combination of scallop nigiri and hotate-uni gunkanmaki.

The gunkanmaki seemed a bit sloppy and the uni was not of the highest quality, but it was not bad. Kazumi had not put any wasabi on the hotate nigiri, which was an excellent choice, as the wonderful sweet and mildly briney flavor came through quite well. That was quite a treat. Kazumi had wound down a bit and started making conversation with me as well……I still enjoyed his wit and sense of humor.

I enjoyed the saba-kazunoko (fish roe) temaki.

Great combination of textures.

I love shiromi, white meat fish, but the hirame (halibut) I was served was dry and on the gummy side.

Amazingly, only 40 minutes had passed at this point…….but I was just about totally gassed, so I gave the sign for "just one more"……which ended up being pretty good. This was a cured-"smoked" salmon, which I really enjoyed.

This was something that all the "old school" places used to serve ages ago, but I don't see much nowadays. I asked Kazumi about this prep……..he mentioned salt and hickory, but not smoking. Then I realized, this is cured in a combination of salt and liquid smoke! Man, I got to figure this one out.

Dinner ended on a high note, and I'm sure that he'd do a good job if not inundated by orders for 6 California Rolls and 5 crunchy rolls at a time. Also, this dinner ended up being the most expensive of the four at over $80, so I'm not sure I'll return, especially in this format/ locale.

Sushi Bar Kazumi (Inside of Moby Dick Fish Market & Grill)
4805 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111
(619) 988-6522

Djerba (Tunisia): The Houmt Souq Fish Auction and a cup of Cafe Express

January 27, 2013 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers, Seafood, Travel, Tunisia, Tunisian Food

After visiting El-Griba Synagogue and Borj El K'bir Fort we headed into the village of Houmt Souq, the largest town and the capital of the place Odysseus called "Land of the Lotus Eaters".

The little town is quite charming and the architecture quite unique. Most of the buildings in Houmt Souq have that Mediterranean whitewashed look, but are square and somewhat formidable looking. I was told that this was because of the location of Djerba there used to be a constant fear of attack.

The alleyways and distinct vibe made us wish that we had stayed here instead of on one of the resorts on the island.

Houmt Souq literally means "the marketplace" in Arabic….so of course that would be Marche Central (the Central Market).

By now, Ben understood that we were interested in the food and cuisine of Tunisia. He led us through a small portal and into a courtyard. At the end stood the fish market.

Here amongst the fish stands one can witness the daily fish auction…..no it's not the havoc and craziness of Tsukiji Fishmarket, but rather something on the other end of the spectrum….very relaxed, casual, and amazingly laidback.

As you milled amongst the booths you noticed that chairs were being hoisted up upon the very counters that held the fish….this happened in a very subtle way, without any fanfare. Older gentleman then climbed up, sometimes with a bit of help and sat at their mighty fish "throne". A person to the left would then "show" a string of fish, octopus, or other type of seafood, then hand it up to the person who is auctioning the fish off.

The folks who had been milling around then suddenly all come together……some I guess to bid, other maybe just to watch?

The process seemed fairly quiet and calm……

And after the highest bidder got his prize, the crowd would slightly disperse and the whole thing started over again.

In the case of something that there was something no one wanted, the crowd would simply thin out….folks losing interest.

Until the next "juicy" item came up for bid…….

There was something mesmerizing about the whole thing. We decided to stay and watch for a little while longer and let Ben off the hook. This was where we parted ways, we'd catch a cab back to the Green Palm.

After watching for a few more minutes we decided to move on…..we found a coffee shop in the middle of Marche Central and sat down to just take in the whole place with a cup of "cafe express" – espresso.

Aah…..now we were really doing things at our pace…..

Of course, there was the question of "what's for lunch?"

Recently Consumed

January 25, 2013 mmm-yoso Cooking, Sandwiches

I haven't done one of these for almost a month…..so here's a post for a wet Friday here in San Diego.

I noticed how much was lost when we fried merguez from Whole Paycheck….so trying to get the most out of it, I first pan fried the lamb based sausages, then pan roasted potatoes in the rendered fat from the merguez. Man….this was really good.

Here's an interesting fun experiment…..pinenut crusted halibut.

Man, I wish our broiler worked….I'm sure we'd have gotten some better carmelization. As served, this was so moist….I think the Missus know understands that you can do some nice fish in the oven. The drizzle of black garlic olive oil I made was a nice touch.

Then during the middle of our coldest evenings….we had Oden.

You gotta love those portable butane stoves….I think every household should have one. If just as part of their "disaster kit".

Of course I made too much broth…..adding this to some major laziness means that I availed myself of whatever dried product I had on hand.

So wakame, dried mushroom went in………there was some tofu in the fridge…..I poached some of the Missus' dandelion greens for some pungent bitterness. But this didn't become complete until I made an omelet with Chinese preserved radish.

I've been kinda lazy the last two nights…..so while I've made stuff the Missus wanted to eat for dinner, I've stuck with making sandwiches for me.

So last night was beer braised veal bratwurst which I then wrapped in bacon and browned. This was really nice on some sauerkraut seasoned with some oregano over melted Swiss cheese and Dijon Mustard. Some sweet pickled red peppers completed the sandwich. The Missus had a bite and now wants me to have this during the weekend.

Tonight was a simple steak sandwich…after all, I need to use up those rolls.

It was the bed of peppers and onions sauteed with a touch of white balsamic that really made this tasty.

So what have you been made at home recently?

COMC Calorie Bomb Edition: Carmen’s Mexican Food, Harry D’z BBQ, a Caliente Burger, and one repeat

January 24, 2013 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, BBQ, Burgers, Mexican Restaurants, Plate Lunch, yoso-silly

I know that my timing tends to suck……I have a tendency to do these posts right after the New Year. It’s really not on purpose…really. What happens is that I try to close out the previous year and always seem to have some of these “one-off” type photos, so I basically have stuff for a “COMC” (Clearing Out the Memory Card) type of post. So anyway, here’s some “stuffs” from the last quarter, of last year.

Carmen’s Mexican Food:

A couple of folks have mentioned Carmen’s to me and I tell them that I had eaten at Carmen’s back when they were located in Linda Vista, across from what is now K Sandwich. I really wasn’t impressed with the food, which seemed more Am-Mex, then Mexican. Eventually that whole area was razed and Carmen’s was gone. I did feel a twinge of sadness, because even if I didn’t care for the place, a lot of folks did. Then a couple of years ago, Babylon Cafe closed down, and Carmen’s reopened in that location.

I was still not really motivated to eat there, but more than one person mentioned how good their Carne Asada Fries were. After my post on Yesenia’s, I actually received two recommendations for Carmen’s. So after a short CAF recovery period, I decided to drop by for lunch.

The crew here was friendly and all the customers seemed to be regulars, talking about kids, vacations to Disney, Disney cruises, relatives, not seeing “so and so” for a while….you know, that kind of stuff. I actually kind of felt like an outsider, but this gave me an understanding of how the place has cultivated a customer base over the years.

Everything was cooked to order so it took a couple of minutes before my Carne Asada Fries were ready.

This really wasn’t my cup of tea. First, thought I love my dinner fries, I’m not fond of them in my CAF. Since there’s always some guac-crema-salsa action going on, I prefer a higher ration of crispness. Second the guacamole was kind of pasty with no flavor. Third, the carne asada was a lot more tender then it appeared, but was rather tasteless. I’m sure they make their own salsa here, but for some reason it reminded me of Pace Picante. Nothing against Pace, but several decades ago I had a coworker whose second favorite hobby was….how shall I say it…partaking of the “cash crop”. We’d go over for beers and would instantly know when he was enjoying himself….he’d be having this concoction of melted Philadelphia Cream Cheese mixed with Pace Picante and chips. Ick……

The rather substantial pool of oil at the bottom of the plate could either be an added treat or not…depending on your point of view.

Still, like I’ve said many times…there’s a big difference between “favorite” and “best” and I understand that. There are many reasons why folks hold a place close to their hearts and the food may not be the main reason(hey, I’m just as guilty). Based on the rapport between the two guys working on this day and the regulars, I’m thinking this is one of those places.

Carmen’s Mexican Food
4937 Diane Ave
San Diego, CA 92117

Harry D’z BBQ:

During one of the early days of the Morena’s Farmer’s Market…..having not been back in a while, I’m wondering if it still running? I passed a couple of weeks ago and na-da?? Anyway, it was getting close to evening and I hadn’t had lunch and this little stand looked interesting.

Actually, there should be some kind of law against sticking pork in front of a starving man’s face…..

So I decided on the pulled pork sandwich, which was a reasonable $6.50.

The pork was quite moist, but I had a hard time believing it was really smoked based on the mild flavor. The sauce was too sticky sweet and what seemed molasses heavy for me……

The Caliente Burger at Tommy’s:

**** This location of Tommy’s has closed

I’m not sure what it is about San Diego’s Tommy’s, but it just doesn’t seem to be the same as the Tommy’s back in LA…even the one in our old neighborhood. But there I was, standing in line at Sprouts and the two customers in front of me were going on and on about this “new” burger at Tommy’s that was “oh so good, but so spicy”. Now what kind of bonehead would actually go visit Tommy’s after overhearing two women talking about something “oh so good”??? Hello, I’m bonehead, nice to meet you……

The young lady at the counter was really friendly and told me that they top the chili burger with pickled cascabel chilies and chipotle cheddar. She was very nice and even gave me a little tray with some extra chilies in them. Funny, these reminded me of the bottled Del Monte Chilies I used to eat when I was a kid.

The burger was actually better then I had during my last visit, maybe five or so years ago now. The chilies weren’t really that hot. I’ve kind of noticed that the chili at this location is heading into two divergent directions….as it becomes more and more like refried bean glue in texture, the flavor becomes more watered down. Right now it just seems like heartburn fuel…..though I’ve only had heartburn once in my life(a funny story) and it wasn’t from Tommy’s

Serves me right to eavesdropping on folks in the grocery line……

Original Tommy’s
7415 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111

So there you go….man, that’s more then enough calories and saturated fat…sheesh.

I think I’ll go and quietly have my plate lunch in the corner now.

Las Vegas: Aburiya Raku Restaurant Four Years Later Part 2

January 22, 2013 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Las Vegas

We had really been enjoying our meal at Raku, but I sensed an upcoming lull waiting for the item the Missus was looking forward to having. So I decided to just kind of go for it, ordering some sashimi from the specials board. Having really enjoyed the Shima Aji (striped jack) during my lunch at Mitch's, I wanted the Missus to have a taste.

Along with the pristine slices of fish was a small bit of nice tartar featuring avocado, cilantro, along with the shima aji. The fish was quite good, firm, with a mild sweetness. The Missus just loved the fresh grated wasabi and was actually eating the stuff straight up! I really didn't think much of the sashimi and fish dishes at Raku on our previous visit, but this changed my opinion.

I then decided to take a bathroom break……now why would I mention this……a "TMI" moment. But if you recall, I thought the restroom set-up was quite unique the last time we were here. The faux grass and stone path to the potty are now gone…..but the greenery on the ceiling of the restroom and tweeting bird sounds are still there. I also enjoyed the photo collage of various dishes on the wall.

And of course there are still flower petals lining the floor…….

As I returned, one of the dishes I'd been waiting for arrived……the foie gras with tare. With the ban on foie gras going full steam in California, I needed my fix. The Missus thought I was insane ordering a $16 skewer of foie gras, but what arrived was pretty impressive.

I was surprised at how good this was…….it was really ready to melt. The look on the Missus's face when She had Her first bite was just priceless. So luxurious……I told the Missus that this was so good I wanted "to kick myself". We took our time on this, enjoying every single morsel. When the server came to take the plate away, I thought the Missus was going to do bodily harm on the very efficient guy. The empty plate remained on the table….I actually thought the Missus was going to lick all the rendered fat off the plate!

The final dish of the night was the sake kamameshi, the salmon and ikura iron pot rice. It was a chalkboard special the last time we ordered this and at $35 was probably the most expensive rice dish I can recall ordering. Now you can order it by the cup….well, the Missus ordered 3 cups! That's three cups of uncooked rice……which came to $30 bucks anyway!

This was just as wonderful as on our previous visit. The Missus had the extra bonus of pouring off all the rendered foie gras fat on Her bowl of rice. This was way too much for us to finish of course, but like last time, they made us onigiri with the leftover rice. Which I had as a snack over the next two nights.

The service was reserved but nice. The one male server was pretty amazing in his efficiency. He would pick up on every tiny drop of spilled sauce and get things cleaned up and plates changed and removed with great speed.

It could be that we understand what we enjoy at Raku, making this visit more enjoyable than our last……but I honestly think Raku has improved over the last four years. I can't wait for our next visit!

Aburiya Raku Restaurant
5030 Spring Mountain Rd
Las Vegas, NV 89146
(702) 367-3511
Hours: Mon-Sat 600pm – 300am

Las Vegas: Aburiya Raku Restaurant Four Years Later Part 1

January 21, 2013 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Las Vegas

Man, time sure does fly, huh? It seems that it was only yesterday that we had a wonderful meal at Raku. But time had indeed marched onward and it was time for the Missus to renew Her certifications….which strangely, you aren't able to do in San Diego. Not that I'm complaining mind you, not in the least. This was actually fairly last minute, but I've got a wonderful manager and a great team who had no problem covering for me in spite of the rather late notice. This time, instead of the Missus flying out and I meeting Her a day later, She just picked me up at work and we drove up to Vegas. Of course this meant that we'd be getting in rather late, but since I usually get into the office before 6 (pssst, what they tell you about needing less sleep as you get older seems to be true!), She could pick me up at a bit after 3pm. In need of a late dinner, Raku, open until 3am immediately came to mind. We made reservations for 10pm, but actually got in before 9, checked in…..it was easy since we weren't staying on the strip….the Missus isn't fond of the crowds, cigarette smoked, and the noise of the strip. We arrived at Raku early to see if they could take us…..and being a rather quiet Wednesday, they had no problem.

Combined with the chalkboard items, the robata-ya, oden, and the rest, there's quite a bit to choose from at Raku. Luckily, we'd been here before and knew what we enjoyed….and more importantly, what we didn't. It made ordering….well not easy because of all the great stuff we had before….but perhaps a bit easier.

We'd had a long drive, so I thought the "Raku Tofu" ($4.50) would be the perfect way to refresh ourselves. Plus, Kirbie made it look delicious.

As per the program, the very nice Server told us to have this first with the matcha-shio (green tea salt), then with the whatever we wanted. While the matcha-shio experience was nice, this was just plain heaven with the house blended soy sauce…..nice mild hints of ume in it. The tofu, while soft, is not quite silken, but still wonderful and I thought the Missus would actually start chugging that shoyu……

Next up was what the Missus thought would be an interesting combination……it wasn't strange for me, but She thought the "gooey on gooey" would be different. Thus we ordered the Poached Egg with Sea Urchin and Salmon Roe ($9). This was really a nice combination. I've always been a fan of the ikura (salmon roe) that Raku serves….it isn't the overly preserved and salty stuff you see at most places. Here's it's briney with a nice "pop".

I loved how the flavors wrapped themselves around my tongue. You mixed the whole thing up…the tororo wasn't just grated, but a combination of diced and grated, so you got the nice, very mildly sweet effect. The flavors created were so complex, sweet and custard like from the uni, a mild "green taste" from the thin slices of okra that seemed like a bonus everytime you had a slice….you get the point, right?

Then the robata items started arriving. First the enoki mushroom wrapped in a nice mildly smoked bacon.

Then the Kobe Beef Fillet with Wasabi….very tender and beefy, with the wasabi adding that nice fat cutting pungency….much like horseradish…..

The tare was nice, not too sweet.

Then something we had on our previous visit, the Duck with Balsamic Soy.

We'd really enjoyed this the last time….this time around…well, I didn't care for it at all. First, the balsamic glaze tasted burnt and bitter to me and the duck was really tough.

The Missus had never had Pork Cheek robata style, so I thought it would be a nice time to try it.

Well, She liked the flavor, but the texture…….at first bite, just like pork, but then chewy and tendon like, freaked Her out.

At this point, it seemed that the one item that the Missus really wanted was still a few minutes away….so what to do?

Stay tuned!

Pho-raging around Kearny Mesa: Pho T Cali, Pho Mignon and Grill, Pho Cali, Pho Fusion, Phuong Trang, Pho Convoy Noodle House, and Viet Bakery and Pho

January 13, 2013 mmm-yoso Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

A couple of months ago, I was having a particularly terrible bowl of Pho in the Kearny Mesa area. Thinking I'd try to be especially witty, I texted "aw-pho", sorry, it was a bad pun exacerbated by bad soup, to a bunch of my friends. Which started a terrible round of bad phopuns lasting almost two days….I think it ended when I texted something using "pho-lam-bouyant", yikes! The one sane person in all of this, "Yummy Yummy" set me off on a mission with one profound statement, "yes,it's sad that there's no good pho in Kearny Mesa." Really…..really??!!?? Then I stopped and thought about it…..perhaps she was right. I had to find out for myself. So I ended up going to seven different pho shops in the next two weeks….sorry, at the end, I just couldn't see myself going to Quoc Te….I was "pho-ride"…my apologies for that one!

After all of this, I had to think about how to do a post……I mean really, there was the possibility of maybe 2,000 words (I'm alread past 170). So pardon me if I just kind of blaze through these, ok? Plus, I'm still suffering from P(ost) T(raumatic) M(SG)D(disorder).

Pho T Cali:

**** Pho T Cali has closed

This is the place that got me posting "aw-pho".

Broth that looked, and sort of tasted like dishwater…..salty dishwater, with very little beef flavor, and not much else. Mushy overcooked noodles. Though the cuts in this, flank and brisket especially were decent, but I had to send out a search party for my tendon. Oh, let's add insult to injury, the scallions in the broth were turning brown as well.

Actually, this is almost exactly the same as my last bowl here, so this can't really be a fluke, right?

Formula in the perfunctory service. Sad….

Pho T Cali
7351 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

Pho Mignon + Grill:

I gotta say, the service here is nice….perhaps not efficient, but very nice. Still, I haven't had much luck here. It's kind of bad when the best item you've had from a shop with Pho in it's name are the french fries. I've struck out twice on the filet pho, so I went with the "trolley bowl", which according to the menu is "flank, well done steak, tripe, tendon, and meatballs".

Man, there's something about this broth that I find strange, beyond how it's totally defatted. This time around it had a burnt shallot flavor with a "tinny" finish.

The noodles were fine, the proteins mediocre, except for the tendon which was pretty good, and I still haven't figured out why the ngo om with pho? I'm missing something here.

Sorry, I just couldn't do the broth at all……I hate to waste, but this just doesn't agree with me.

I love the idea of craft brews…..the service is sometimes a bit scatter-brained, but always nice. But man, I just don't like that pho.

Mignon Pho + Grill
3860 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Pho Cali & Grill:

**** Pho Cali and Grill is now Pho Duyen Mai

Man, it's been a while since I've been here.

This would have been totally MOR (middle of the road) pho, if not for the super salty broth…..super salty, as in there wasn't enough lime to cut the salt. And the meat being on the dry and tough side.

The noodles were clumped, but fine….but man, this was salty.

Pho Cali and Grill
5375 Kearny Villa Rd
San Diego, CA 92123

Pho Fusion:

Man, here's another place I haven't been to in a while.

This really looked like a lighter version of Pho Mignon….I really didn't have high hopes for it. The broth had a very mild beef flavor and was pretty weak overall. The noodles were done well and I gotta say, this was the best tendon I had while doing this. The rest of the assorted protein wasn't too bad, though the flank cuts are on the dry and tough side.

I also should say that the service I received was very good. My water refilled twice and when I looked at the rather skimpy amount of herbs and bean sprouts, the young man told me, "please let me know if you want more, we'd be happy too…."

Pho Fusion
8038 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

Phuong Trang:

What to say about the poster child for MOR (Middle of the Road) Pho, other then man, has it really been three years since I had Pho here?

This place has usually been consistent, though on this visit the broth was rather cloudy. The broth is rather light on the beef, but at least you can make out hints of anise-onion-clove. Noodles were fine.

The meat was meh…….flank tough, tripe soapy tasting and scant in quantity, tendon tough and not much of it….you get the picture.

The older gentleman who always used to make me laugh wasn't here. In his place was a very friendly young man……..who I thought was quite charming….until he brought me a fork for my pho? Lets call it what it is….a "pho-pa"….

Phuong Trang
4170 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111

Pho Convoy Noodle House:

**** Convoy Noodle House has closed

This used to be a dependable stop, but I was sorely disappointed on my last visit. I wondered, was that a fluke? So I had the same thing, #2, well done steak, flank, fatty brisket, tendon, and tripe.

And while the broth had recovered a bit…..slight beef flavor, mild anise, still a mere shadow of what I recalled; the meat, especially the already chewy flank….was almost inedible and without flavor.

The noodles were fine….but I still remembered the pho being much better here. I'm not sure what happened.

Pho Convoy Noodle House
4647 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Viet Bakery and Pho:

*** Viet Bakery and Pho has closed

Based on my previous visits, I really wasn't looking forward to having pho here. But since the place had "pho" in its name (though probably based on pho ga), I thought it only proper to grab a bowl here. The shop had undergone a major overhaul with regards to looks since my last visit. It looks less like a bakery and more like a proper restaurant.

There really fussy menu has been replaced with something perhaps a bit too spartan, but perhaps that's the right fit. And i'm sure you can get any combination of items you really want. I went with the "Pho Viet", with rare beef, brisket, and meat balls.

I really don't like having preconceptions when having a meal at a restaurant, but based on history, perhaps I expected the worst. This was actually not bad….not good, but not bad. The broth was on the cloudy side, but had a decent beef flavor. It was light with regards to the anise-clove component, but at least wasn't too salty.

The meat, being the rare steak or the brisket didn't appeal to me, being tough and dry. The meatballs tasted exactly the same as what Mignon Pho served. The noodles were a bit overcooked for my taste.

Still, this was much better than anticipated.

Viet Bakery & Pho
3904 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

So there it is…….. and after having all these bowls of pho, I can only conclude that "YY" is pretty much correct. And after thinking about it; whenever I think about having a nice bowl of pho, places in Kearny Mesa never come to mind.

What do you think?