mmm-yoso – Page 31

Revisits – Spicy Noodle and 777 Noodle House

January 12, 2025 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

I don't know if it's old age or what, but for some reason it just seems colder this year? Well, at least it's good weather to get some noodles and noodle soup. Here are a couple of revisits for ya'.

777 Noodle House:

I was actually trying to head to Ly Heng, since it had been a while since my last visit. However, there's some crazy road work happening on University between 44th and 46th. They seem to be putting in roundabouts in the street. Anyway, there was just no parking to be had, so I headed further down University for my next choice, Tu Thanh, but again no parking near the restaurant, even on side street 3-4 blocks away. Which left me with one choice….

777 Again 01

Well, I wasn't too sure about this since my previous visit was not very good. Still, I've been coming here since 2010 and the same folks are still working the front of house and all, so why not give it another shot, right?

777 Again 02

There was only one table occupied when I arrived. I was waved to a two top and handed a menu, though I knew what I was going to order.

777 Again 03

The Hu Tieu Nam Vang Kho of course, which is now $11.97, kind of cheap for these days, but I still remember it was $4.77 when I first visited back in 2010!

777 Again 04

It looked like the same ol', same ol'.

777 Again 05 777 Again 08 But, any doubts were soon dispelled when I started mixing things and eating. The shrimp was decently plump with no off flavors. There was more ground pork than on my previous visit. Of course the sliced pork is chewy and quite rustic, but it flavor. There was still only a single lonely fishball in the bowl.

The hu tieu was decently al dente and well coated with the savory-sweet-salty sauce.

777 Again 07 777 Again 06 The pork hock has gotten smaller over the years, but the meat on this one was more tender than on my previous visit and the soup, while still heavy on the msg, had a bit more flavor and a dose of white pepper.

The bean sprouts were nicely blanched and still had a bit of a crunch to them.

While I did mention to my friend "CY" that I never thought I'd see the day when I'd consider a $12 bowl of noodle soup to be inexpensive, that's how things are these days. I'm just glad that my Hu Tieu Nam Vang Kho was satisfying on this chilly day. I'd been here so many times and would you believe this is my 29th post on the place?

777 Noodle House
4686 University Avenue
San Diego, CA 92105

Spicy Noodle:

From a place that I've done nearly 30 posts on to one that I've only done one previous post on in March of last year, Spicy Noodle. I was looking for a fairly early lunch and I recalled that Spicy Noodle opens at 1030, so I headed on over.

Spicy Noodle Rev 01

And yes, they were open.

Spicy Noodle Rev 02

I had a seat and placed my order via the QR code. The nice woman brought me a pitcher of water.

There was one item I enjoyed during my previous visits, the Fat Intestine Noodle which is still priced at $15. I was shocked that my bowl arrived in less than 10 minutes after I placed my order. Spicy Noodle Rev 03a Spicy Noodle Rev 05 But a quick bite of the "fatty" intestine assuaged my doubts. It was tender and full of "bungy" goodness. Don't stare at the intestines too long; you might start seeing things…. Nice mild funky-savory tones.

The broth doesn't strike me a being too spicy; there's a bit of ma-la going, on this visit it was decently rich, if a bit on the salty side of the tracks.

The noodles were nice and stretchy-chewy, it was a good vehicle for picking up the soup.

Spicy Noodle Rev 04

Overall a decent visit; I do wish the soup had a bit more "kick", but did fine on a cold morning. The folks working were very nice. While there seemed to be several takeout orders, I was the only person dining in during my entire visit. I'm hoping they do ok.

Spicy Noodle Rev 06
Spicy Noodle
8046 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111

Saturday Stuffs – Phuong Nga Opening a Second Location, Inka’fe Replacing Humble Bean, and by Request, More JJ Photos

January 11, 2025 mmm-yoso Caffeine Fix, Vietnamese Restaurants, yoso-silly

Just couple of things for this Saturday.

Phuong Nga Opening a Second Location:

In the comments section of my latest post on Mien Trung, "FOY" Elle, who always has the "scoops" on City Heights and Mira Mesa mentioned Phuong Nga was possibly opening another location near World Foods where Tan Ky Mi Gia used to be. It just so happens that a couple of days later, the Missus was craving the Bun Rieu from Phuong Nga (you can read that post here).

So, I decided to head into the parking lot at 5237 El Cajon Boulevard and wouldn't you know it…..the sign reads:

MM Jan 2025 01

So, when I had a moment when picking up my noodle soup from Phuong Nga I asked the young lady working. She confirmed that this will be a second location because "business has been very good". So they are not moving. There was a line forming so I didn't ask any other questions. Good to see that their business is doing well!

5237 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

Thanks as always for the info Elle!

Inka'fe Replacing Humble Bean:

I took JJ for his first grooming appointment. We decided to try a place fairly close by. Since this was his maiden voyage, I decided to get a bite to eat and also take a walk. I was surprise to see that the Humble Bean, which I've bean been to is being replaced by something named Inka'fe?

MM Jan 2025 03

With a name like that I'm assuming it'll be Peruvian Coffee? It's interesting because the drive thru Gold Soul Coffee is nearby and right down the street is the now crazy busy Superbloom.

2615 Denver St.
San Diego, CA 92110

I did note that Google said the place was open, but it definitely wasn't on this day.

As for JJ, what do you think about his haircut?

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Which leads me to….

By Request:

In the comments section of my post on Bica, "FOY" Junichi requested some photos of JJ, so here you go….

Been taking JJ exploring a bit, you might recognize these places.

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JJ would like to thank his "Uncle Junichi" for the attention!

Cinque Terre – Passo del Termine, Monterosso, Gelateria La Scogliera, and Trattoria Gianni Franzi

January 10, 2025 mmm-yoso Cinque Terre/Genoa, Liguria - Italy, Desserts, Italian Restaurants, Italy, Seafood, Travel

So, on our first morning, the Missus was rarin' to go. She wanted to do the typical hike from Vernazza to Monterosso. Unfortunately, due to some landslides that oceanside hike was not available. So, instead it was decided to do the Via Passo del Termine route, which is over 4 miles long and considered at challenging route, sigh.

Instead of starting where the Alltrails hike starts, we went up to the beginning of Via Brigate Partigiane, like we did the previous day.

Because frankly, the views are fabulous.

And also because of the lovely, serene cemetery that resides on a hilltop.

Those "residing" here have one of the most beautiful views of the village. You can read more about it in this post by Rick Steves. Cemeteries were located outside of town by law for hygenic reasons in the early 19th century.

And then we were back on the trail again.

Sometimes you'd get a peak at Vernazza below.

And soon we ended up in a clearing and this church.

This is the Santuario di Nostra Signora di Reggio. And right on the other side is a road that leads to Highway 51.

It was fairly easy to find our way as you'll look for the "signs"…..

We started walking among the terraces; grapes were grown along the steep hills. There were often these devices on rails that went up and down the terraces so folks could maintain and harvest the grapes.

From here we walked along the highway, until we saw the signs indicating the way to Monterosso. At that point we got back onto the trail. This would be the last view of Vernazza on the trail.

And of course, what goes up, must come down.

And soon enough we could see Monterosso in the distance.

And then it was really "downhill all the way". Alltrails says the elevation gain is 1,771 feet and my knees could feel every foot as we descended. Said joints didn't recover until we were in Paris later on during the trip.

Somehow, we ended up in Centro Storico, the Old Town of Monterosso. Monterosso al Mare is made up of two distinct "towns" which are separated by a pedestrian tunnel. One of the first buildings we saw was the Oratorio di Santa Croce o dei Bianchi.

In need of a break, we decided to take a look inside.

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The Oratory was built in the 15th century as is named for the brotherhood, who ran the hospital and dressed in white (Bianchi) robes.

From here we headed toward the shore on the main street in the Old Town, Via Roma.

Taking time to stop at a few more churches; the Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista….

And the Oratorio Mortis et Orationis – Confraternita dei Neri.

Basically, the Oratory of the Dead.

So, we'd seen the "White Brotherhood"; this was the home of the "Black Brotherhood" who took care of burials for those who could not afford it. The interior is adorned with skeletons and skulls.

Eventually, you get to the railroad tracks….the actual station is in the New Town and right past the tracks is the beach.

Monterosso is the "resort" town of the Cinque Terre with hotels and beaches.

We took the pedestrian tunnel over to the New Town. And took a stroll along the Fegina, the waterfront of the New Town. This being winter, things were quite peaceful and relaxed. That's the distinctive "Eden Rock" in the photo below.

At about this time, I wanted a break. It was indeed winter, but I thought some gelato would be nice. And this shop is right along Via Fegina.

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And the tables with a view of the beach across from the shop were unoccupied. It was a nice and refreshing stop.

And the view was wonderful as well.

Gelateria La Scogliera
Via Fegina 20
Monterosso al Mare, Italy

After a nice break, we strolled, or in my case "lurched" our way to the Monterosso Train Station…. I'm kinda glad the Blue Trail back to Vernazza was closed due to blockage because there ain't no way I'd make it back.

Needless to say, it was nice to be able to rest my aching knees back at the apartment. When dinner time came around we picked a spot that had been recommended to us; Trattoria Gianni Franzi, which was located right on Piazza Guglielmo Marconi.

The waves were riding high on this day and it had started drizzling so there would be no al fresco dining on this winter evening. The warm and cozy interior of the restaurant was quite busy on this evening, yet we were able to get a table.

The menu is quite large and there was a section of "typico" dishes, which is where we made our selections. The prices were 4-5 Euros more per dish than on the previous evening. The service was a bit rushed, but professional.

We ordered two Antipasti and two Primi. First up was the Pulpo con Patate, yes octopus and potatoes.

Sometimes simple is best, like in this case, the pulpo was just the perfect texture, firm, but not chewy, with a mild "oceany" flavor highlighted by the olive oil. The potatoes brought a bit of starchiness to the dish.

Now, if you wanted an umami boost, well, the Accinghe Salate, salted anchovies had that in spades.

The textures of the anchovies were almost buttery, the flavor was very salty-briny and umami….while I wouldn't call it fishy at all. Just a plain umami bomb.

Of course I got the Trofie al Pesto.

I didn't enjoy this as much as what I'd had the previous evening. The flavors seemed watered down. And indeed, there was a pool of thin liquid at the bottom of the bowl as if the pasta had not been drained properly. I would have also enjoyed a bit more pesto on this as well.

The Mussels in the Spaghetti ai Muscoli might have been the highlight of the meal.

I enjoy my pasta to be nicely coated, not overly drowned in sauce like many places do in the states, so this version perfectly al dente, coated in peppery-fruity olive oil, with a hint of garlic and hidden red peppers did fine. Those mussels were very good, sweet, tender, and without any grit. This got us ordering mussels when we'd see it on the menu from this point forward. And though we'd have even better mussels a day later, this paved the way for our future ordering.

Even though we were eating in touristy type restaurants; we were enjoying our meals

Trattoria Gianni Franzi
Piazza Guglielmo Marconi 1
Vernazza, Italy

When we got back to the apartment, I took a quick look at my walking distance for the day.

Whoa….164 floors! No wonder my knees were screaming for mercy!

Ujin – Soft Opening Visits

January 8, 2025 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

So, I recently got word that Ujin Ramen, whose storefront I first noticed in March of last year had finally opened. Man, what's with Renaissance Towne Center? Remember Kuljem Chicken & Beer, that was first supposed to be JJ Chicken and then Honeyjam Chicken, before the final renaming? Well, I remember when Ujin was going to be named Ramen Hanyuzur?

Anyway, I thought I'd check things out during the soft opening. Our friend "Google" and the other four-lettered site said Ujin opens at 11am. So, having some time I headed on over and for some reason easily found parking at 1115. I then walked over to the shop.

Ujin 01a

Where I found a gentleman opening the door. I walked on over and was told that they weren't opening until 1130…..fine, it's the soft opening period, so I went for a short walk and returned at 1130.

Ujin 02

The interior is quite modern "trendy – artsy"??? There's a huge statue of Mercury at one of the corners. There are a few tables indoors and some al fresco seating, along with the standard bar area. There's also a communal 12 seat table where I was seated by the very sweet young lady.

It also seems that they may make their own ramen noodles. I asked about that, but never got an answer.

Ujin 03

The menu is brief, something I actually like; especially when it comes to stuff like ramen. You don't see any of the good ramen shops in Japan making all styles of ramen…it's only here where places like Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai will have to start making tonkotsu ramen.

The ramen did seem kinda modern with porcini and mushrooms featured in the soup for several versions. There are two mushroom type broth, the tsukemen, shoyu, and shio soup features chicken.

Ujin 04

Well, I just wanted to get some ramen, so I went with the "Classic Tokyo" Shoyu Ramen ($17.95). When my bowl arrived, I quickly noticed the noodles which were quite straight. I've always thought of Tokyo style ramen to have curly noodles of am medium thickness. Also when does a classic version of shoyu ramen have truffle and porcini?

Ujin 05 Ujin 06 You could make out the scent of truffle. If you took a look at the broth, you'd notice little flecks of black. The more flecks, the stronger the truffle flavor. The broth was very light and in my mind could have used a bit more richness. The savory flavor of shoyu was barely evident. More of a mushroom broth to me.

Two of my pet peeves were instantly fulfilled when the menma and the tamago were delivered ice cold. The egg could also have used a bit more time marinating.

Ujin 07

Ujin 08
The noodles were of the thinner variety and a bit overcooked for my preference.

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The meats were interesting.

Ujin 10 Ujin 11 The chashu had been grilled before serving; which totally changed the texture and taste. I like a nice "buttery" chashu and the grilling had made it rather tough and stringy. The flavor was on the lighter side as well.

The chicken breast was an oddity. At first glance I thought this was gio lua. Perhaps the thought was that it would be something decadent, almost like a pate or foie gras, instead the texture was odd, dry, fairly chewy, the flavor quite bland. Really did not enjoy that.

It was an interesting bowl. Consumed while under the watchful "eye(s) and wings" of Mercury.

Ujin 12

One thing good about the location….it's fairly close, so I decided to try the shio ramen….sorry mushroom/vegan ramen is just not my thing. On this visit, even though I confirmed an 11am opening time before I left previously, I arrived at 1130 just in case. Well, even with this buffer Ujin was not open. The young guy who mans the cooking area came out and told me they weren't opening until noon. Ah yes, the "softest cushion" of a soft opening. Luckily, I needed to get a couple of things from CVS and managed to kill time that way.

When I returned at noon, there were already several parties seated, so I'm guessing they opened before noon? Well, anyway, I decided to order the 3 piece Chicken Karaage ($6), along with the Shio Ramen. There are three different proteins you can have with your Shio Ramen; the Chicken Breast Chashu…..based on my previous visit, no thanks, Sliced Beef, or Wagyu. I decided on the sliced beef version ($18.95).

I was a bit hesitant about ordering the Karaage; after all it said "3 pieces", so I kept thinking it would be 3 typical sized pieces of karaage, but I was mistaken as these were quite large.

Ujin 13 Ujin 14 I must say; this was fairly good, at least in terms of how moist, tender, and for the basic marinade/seasoning. The coating could have been a bit more crisp or crunchy as it deteriorated quite fast. Much of that was probably due to the overly sweet and sticky glaze used.

Still, this was much better than I thought it would be and definitely has potential.

Ujin 15

As for the ramen. Well, the "beef" in the ramen was beef teriyaki-bulgogi like.

Ujin 16 Ujin 17 There were some definite improvements on this visit. The noodles were firmer, the menma and tamago were not iced cold.

The beef was really low quality, lots of "sugi" (chewy fat and connective tissue), quite tough, the teriyaki style; sweet-soy-ginger type marinade was kind of interesting and really clashed with the large amount of savory-salty-oceany katsuobushi provided. The beef was really like something you'd get at a low-level Hawaiian BBQ type place.

The thin broth was dominated by the katsuobushi. There was just too much going on here in my opinion.

Ujin 18 Ujin 19 Overall, the service was unobtrusive, the young lady working the front was very sweet.

While I'm glad things are moving on from San Diego being "tonkotsu city", I'm not quite sure about the ramen here. I enjoy shoyu ramen to have the flavor of shoyu; if the chicken is used in the broth, perhaps there should be a reflection of that. To me, the perfect home for Ujin would probably be North Park, South Park, or Normal Heights…

Perhaps I'm just out of touch and this is the future of ramen in San Diego? And perhaps I'll return after the soft opening period. Perhaps….

Ujin 00

Ujin
8935 Towne Centre Dr.
San Diego, CA 92122

Takeout Revisits – Golden Island and Noble Chef

January 7, 2025 mmm-yoso Chinese BBQ, Chinese Restaurants

Just a couple of recent revisits for you.

Roast Duck from Golden Island:

We were taking JJ for one of his favorite things; a car ride. And for reason headed up to Mira Mesa. The Missus was wanting to have some roast duck, so we decided on just getting a half roast duck from Golden Island, which I last visited in January of 2022. Things have changed since then; the Manager, Michael now runs Diamond Palace in City Heights which I need to post on one of these days. So, while the Missus and JJ did some window shopping, I went in a placed a takeout order for a half roast duck ($19.99).

Golden Island Duck 01

And then we went off for a nice stroll with JJ returning to pick up our order about 20 minutes later.

The roast duck looked pretty good, good color, but I quickly noticed a couple of things, the usual nice fat layer on the bottom of the container was missing.

Golden Island Duck 02

As was the "fowl-ly" – five spice fragrance. The fat had nicely been rendered, the skin adequately textured, but this was mighty bland. The flesh was moist, not overly dry like recent versions, but again this was sorely lacking in flavor. I tried mixing up a concoction of duck fat, five spice, and the duck sauce, then basting in the air fryer, but all was for naught.

Golden Island Duck 03

Golden Island
10660 Camino Ruiz
San Diego, CA 92126

A few nights later, the Missus was wanting to do takeout from Noble Chef again, so we placed a takeout order for dinner. Yes, still following the instructions I got from "FOY" Candice years ago who said that dinner was when the owner cooks. And her advice has been pretty on point.

Noble Chef:

We took JJ, placed an order and like Golden Island, went for a walk returning to pick up our order. Man, Noble Chef was already packed at 530pm! We ordered three dishes.

Of course we had the Roast Duck. This was going to be interesting. On our last visit, which was for takeout the duck was not up to par. So, how would it fare this time?

Noble Chef Yet Again 01

Well, this was much better; the flesh more moist and while the fat had been nicely rendered, there was still a trace of it left making things nice and rich. Much better flavoring. I used the sauce and fat on the bottom of the container to baste and crisp up the skin in the air fryer which worked nicely.

The Missus was craving the Steamed Pork with Salted Fish, something She hadn't had in a while.

Noble Chef Yet Again 03

This was a huge portion. Hardly any salted fish, which left the dish somewhat lacking. It was really tough and chewy, a mere shadow of it's former self.

And of course, since we've gotten our air fryer we can now do the Salt and Pepper Pork Chops for takeout. Something I would never have considered before.

Noble Chef Yet Again 02

The pork chops were a bit thinner than last time, which made the "crisp to meat" ration better. The meat even stayed moist after doing the air fryer thing the next day with leftovers. Good salty (msg) – garlic – pepper flavors, with a touch of spiciness. A definite "keeper".

The Noble Chef
6159 Balboa Avenue
San Diego, CA 92111

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So, tell me my "FOYs"…any good takeout recently?

Bica

January 6, 2025 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix, Dog Friendly, Sandwiches

Recently, the Missus mentioned a place in Normal Heights that was pet friendly and supposedly made good coffee, named Bica. JJ enjoys riding in the car; but gets major FOMO. He does enjoy the walks, so recently I headed on up to Normal Heights and easily found street parking a couple blocks away from Bica, which is basically across the street from White Rice Bodega.

Bica 01

Indoors there's a counter for ordering; the Barista working there on both visits was very friendly.

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Prices aren't too bad either.

Bica 03

There's a small menu of "tartines" – open face toasts and sandwiches. It was different on both visits.

I went and ordered a Cold Brew and Mushroom Tartine ($12), paid and walked over to the patio area.

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While the furnishings in the patio area were pretty packed in; it was not fully occupied and was quite nice and relaxing.

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The place just gave off a nice vibe and JJ did well, just hanging while I enjoyed my Cold Brew, which tasted lighter, but had a nice caffeine "kick".

Bica 06

As for my Tartine; well, it looked lovely.

Bica 07a

Loved the bread. Wish there was more mushroom…more savory-earthiness would have been appreciated. A bit too much stracciatella cheese. A bit too much sour-acidity, but overall a decent breakfast.

JJ enjoyed his pre and post breakfast walk as well.

A few weeks later, the Missus decided to join us on another visit to Bica.

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I told the Missus to just order me a Cold Brew and order a sandwich for us to split. JJ and I then just headed over to the patio.

The Missus had gotten Herself a Cortado which She loved.

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As for the sandwich; well, I was surprised that She ordered a Cubano ($17)!

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Once again, we loved the bread, which was perfectly toasted, crusty and crisp, sturdy enough to hold up thru our entire meal.

The pork was tasty, as were all the individual parts. Though when taken as a whole, there was a bit too much pork in this for us. Of course, I'm sure all the swine lovers must love this. For us, proportion matters and more acidity and pungency would helped to balance things out.

The Missus loved the pickled veggies.

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We again enjoyed the vibe and walked JJ all the way to Kensington. Funny how people react differently when you have a pup in tow. Folks were wishing us a "good morning", several women stopped to pet JJ….and being the little ham that he is, we would roll on his back to get his tummy rubbed!

Overall, we enjoyed Bica. Heck, if they were in our 'hood we'd be regulars. Plus, the Missus enjoyed Her Cortado and we actually returned just for that a week later.

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I also noticed another place during our time in the neighborhood that we'd end up visiting and enjoying as well!

Stay tuned!

Bica
3569 Adams Ave.
San Diego, CA 92116
Current Hours:
Daily 630am – 4pm

Saying Goodbye to Lucky Wong of Lucky’s (Golden Phenix) Breakfast

January 4, 2025 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch

I was saddened to have heard about Lucky's passing on 10 News on Thursday. Lucky Wong, the namesake of Lucky's Breakfast, which will always remain Lucky's Golden Phenix to me passed away on December 30th.

I wish I had one last chance to drop by and tell him how much I appreciated his kindness, sense of humor, and generosity. In fact, when I mentioned "During the middle of last month I headed up to North Park to grab a late breakfast from a place I hadn't been to in a year or so. Sadly, the place was closed….I'm not sure what's going on but will do an update once I get all the info." in my post on Rising Sun, it was Lucky's I was referring to. And then, in the middle of last month, I took this photo of Lucky's when having our Happy Hour at Finca.

Goodbye Lucky 01

About 30 minutes later, Lucky walked up to check the mail and was entering the building. The Missus told me that I should walk on over and see how things were with him. I told Her that I didn't want to bother him. Ah yes, regrets……

I've done only five posts on Lucky's over the years, starting from that first visit in 2008, though I've visited a couple of more times.

"CC" sent me a text yesterday about Lucky's passing. She had actually dropped by to pay her respects. Over the years, she's done a couple of posts (these days you'll find her on Instagram) on Lucky's, the last being in 2019.

Mary of This Tasty Life (who is also now on Instagram) has also done a couple of posts on Lucky's as well. As has Dennis, who has made his blog private.

That is the "Lucky effect"!

Not only were his breakfasts inexpensive, check out the prices at the end of 2023, when I last visited.

Luckys Rev 04

Remember, this is North Park, right? I once asked him why he kept his prices so low and he told me "everyone needs to eat breakfasts, young people, students, even old people like you!" I loved his sense of humor.

He loved to give health tips as only a Chinese Grandfather could. I once asked him for no butter on my toast. His response? "Are you a health nut? You gonna be old and look like me one day, do you want to stay that way forever?"

And then there's the line that Lucky would use on older women ordering coffee: "You too young for coffee, it will stunt your growth!"

When a gentleman insisted on decaf Lucky exclaimed: "why you decaf, it's full of chemicals, you're already looking like you have too much chemicals!"

Ah yes, Lucky's words of wisdom: "you need to butter your toast, it's good for your complexion!" I should wrote a book!

Reminiscing on my visits, I decided to drive on over so JJ and I could pay our respects.

Goodbye Lucky 02

As several folks had already done.

Goodbye Lucky 03
Lucky would often give out "gifts" especially during Christmas and New Year.

On one of my non-post visits one of the customers forgot his wallet and was told to come back next time and pay. Lucky would also often "round down" the amounts on checks.

He was a humble man and I still recall on one evening in 2012, the Missus and I were walking past Lucky's. We looked into Lucky's and saw him watching a portable television in the back of his restaurant.

You would always get Fortune Cookies with your check. Something that was probably left over from the days when Lucky's served Chinese food. This was my fortune on that day.

Luckys Rev 08

Lucky….we'll miss you! We were the "lucky ones" to have gotten to meet you.

Vernazza – Exploring the Town and Dinner at 5 Terre Bistrot

January 3, 2025 mmm-yoso Cinque Terre/Genoa, Liguria - Italy, Italian Restaurants, Italy, Seafood, Travel

We had really enjoyed exploring Milan, but it was time for us to head to our next stop. The Cinque Terre, five towns that hug the Ligurian coast had been on the Missus's "list" for years. In doing a bit research, I found that trains from Milan took only three hours to get to Monterosso, the largest and northernmost village. From there the local train service runs every 15-20 minutes or so to each village. The Cinque Terre is a very popular tourist destination, so I thought visiting during the early winter….after all, if we wanted beaches and such, we'd just head "home", right? I figured…quite correctly that the villages wouldn't be swamped.

Our train left Milano Centrale right on time at noon and we got into Monterosso a bit after three. From there, we found the local train which took 4 minutes to get to Vernazza, where we were staying. I decided on Vernazza after looking at all the wonderful photos, it just seemed like the right place. There basically one main street, Via Roma which heads downhill from the train stop.

As you can see, it was pretty quiet when we arrived. Our AirBnb was wonderful, the kitchen, the awesome bedroom, the views. But first, you needed to climb up a good amount of winding stairs…huff…huff…

And the flat was actually two floors with a kitchen on the bottom and the bedroom, bathroom, and a sitting room above.

All the stairs were worth it….just for the views.

You see the couple in the photo below? Well, they were from Australia. We'd end up seeing them almost 5-6 times during our stay. They were so nice and inspired us to travel "down under".

Later during our stay there would be a rather stormy evening and the waves would actually crash against our window.

Of course once settled, the Missus wanted to head on out. So now, it was back down those stairs. It seemed much busier as we headed to the main piazza and the harbor.

Vernazza is known for having the only natural harbor of the 5 villages, there's a breakwater and the waves were indeed breaking!

We would actually see waves breaking on the piazza later on! Folks sitting having drinks got soaked!

The pastel toned buildings, the green mountains….which house vineyards, make for a lovely backdrop.

Right past the waterfront buildings on the Piazza is the Church of St. Margaret.

Which was built in 1318! We took a quick look inside. Saint Margaret is the Patron Saint of Vernazza. And for an even more interesting story, check out this page.

The Missus really wanted to see a bit more of the town, so we, you got it, took more stairs from behind the church.

Where the views start getting really nice.

Then more stairs….

And somehow ended up at the beginning of Via Brigate Partigiane, where the walk begins to the cemetery, which we'd see the next day.

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We decided on taking a walk part of the way up anyway.

Where we could see the vineyards on terraces along the hillside. And get a good view of Doria Castle, which used to protect the village from pirates.

Another place we'd visit a bit later on during our stay.

It was so lovely. There were simple things, like this parked scooter that just seemed to be posed for a photograph…..like a two wheeled, Instagram ready, Vernazza "influencer".

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And the cats, which seemed totally unafraid of anything.

We'd see one scaring the crap out of a huge mutt in the Piazza the next evening! I guess you don't fool around with the felines here!

Of course all good things must come to an end….so it was back down all those steps. My poor knees!

We headed back to the flat and took a nice rest.

When dinner time came along, instead of heading down to the harbor and piazza, we decided on a place on Via Roma named 5 Terre Bistrot. While the street seemed fairly sedate.

The al fresco tables of the restaurant, which overlooked the pedestrian street were busy.

The menu is small, with a total of maybe 12 items, but I still needed a Negroni to help me make a decision. Plus, we hadn't done Aperitivo time on this day! Yikes, a mortal sin!

In end we had one antipasti, one primi, and one secondi.

We started with the Pulpo e Patate con Bottarga. I'd read that the combination of octopus and potatoes is a Ligurian specialty, so I thought we'd try it here. This version also featured cured mullet roe.

This version is in the form of a Tortino e Patate, a potato based pie. The pulpo was so tender, the potatoes nice and starchy, the cured mullet roe was very savory….an umami blast.

Of course this is Liguria, so I had to have the Trofie al Pesto.

My goodness, what's up with Ligurian Basil?!? This was bright and peppery, nice garlic, the pasta a bit over cooked, but still that pesto. I enjoyed the pesto so much, we had it I think the first 5 straight days in Liguria?

The secondi was Calamari. This version came with a Garbanzo cream, nice and nutty, dots of nice sour lemon jelly, and sweet and sour pickled onions.

The calamari was surprisingly tender, the breading added a nice textural contrast.

This was a nice meal to start our stay in Vernazza. From this point on, we'd be having seafood and pesto all the time! The service was friendly and relaxed; perhaps too much so. But we really enjoyed our meal.

5 Terre Bistrot
Via Roma 44
Vernazza, Italy

After dinner we took a stroll down to the busy, but not crowded harbor.

It was so relaxed….well compared to Milan where we'd been the night before, that it felt like we were on a different planet.

I was looking forward to a nice restful night. Especially since the Missus had a hike in mind for the next day!

Thanks for stopping by!

Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai Revisited

January 2, 2025 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

Man, it was 41 degrees this morning in Bay Park! Yikes, my "San Diegan" bloodstream seemed frozen! Well, it was definitely ramen weather for me. My typical ramen choice to temper the cold climate would be one of the usual suspects. But, in the end, I wanted something different from the ubiquitous tonkotsu style ramen that seems to be everywhere. I hadn't been back to Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai since they first opened back in July of 2023 (I almost said "last year"…but it's now 2025!) so I thought it would be a good time to check them out again.

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I arrived a bit after the 11am opening time and was surprised to note that only one table was occupied and the counter where I was seated was completely empty.

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The two folks manning the dining area were very nice and I was handed a menu. I quickly noticed that there's a lunch special available.

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Under the auspices of the lunch special, one could get a side of karaage for $2.80. So, I could get a small Kitikata Ramen for $13.95, the tamago was now $1.50….looking back, I noticed that it was $1.90 back in July of 2023. So, could there actually be something that is now more inexpensive?

I also noticed this sign….the place seems to enjoy having these little signs.

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I had always found the noodles here a bit on the softer-mushy side, but now I could get it "katame" (firm), which seemed like a good option. I did find the broth to be on the saltier side of things, but decided to do only "one change at a time".

So, all of this for $18.25.

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Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai Rev 06 Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai Rev 07 The bowl was delivered nice and hot. The tamago was now provided on the side. The yolk was adequately soft, the marinade a bit weak….but of course…my pet peeve, these were ice cold….sigh.

The chashu had the "fat cap" I recalled; though was cut thicker than I remember. It was not as nicely marinated and was also a bit chewier then before.

Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai Rev 08 Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai Rev 09 The broth seemed more full-bodies then on my previous visits and while still a bit on the saltier side, I found the added richness more enjoyable . It's still seems fairly straight forward in flavor, but I think that might be a good thing in this case.

The added firmness of the noodles really made a difference for me, as I found that the additional "pull" combined with the curliness which managed to really "pick up" the soup added to my enjoyment.

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Well, at least to me, on this visit, it seemed like Kitakata had gotten better since I first visited.

Well, the ramen that is. As for the karaage.

Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai Rev 11 Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai Rev 12a Unevenly coated, not crisp or crunchy enough for my taste, on the blander side. The flesh was fairly juicy and tender though. Not a big fan of the sesame like dressing provided either.

Still, I thought the Kitakata Ramen was good, an nice contrast to all the tonkotsu in San Diego. Though, looking at yet another sign; I guess they are making tonkotsu here as well? Which I'm probably NOT going to try.

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Unless one of you, my great "FOYs" tell me it's worth my attention?

Like I mentioned, the two young people working were quite nice….though I'm not sure about the customer base? One couple kept calling them "hey! hey!", a guy in another group kept using the "come here finger" gesture….when they got what was requested, no one said "thank you"? What's going on these days?

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Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai
7951 Othello Ave.
San Diego, CA 92111
Current Hours:
Mon-Thurs 11am – 3pm, 5pm – 9pm
Friday 11am – 3pm, 5pm – 10pm
Saturday 11am – 10pm
Sunday 11am – 9pm

Hope everyone had a wonderful New Year!

Happy New Year!

December 31, 2024 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers, yoso-silly

Ah yes, another year passes and we turn the page to 2025!

Just like I've been doing every NYE morning since way back in 2005, I went to check out what was going on at the various Japanese markets. These days, it's mainly Nijiya that does Osechi.

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It seems that Mitsuwa does preorders and I'm not sure about Tokyo Central, which didn't have anything out when we visited.

I got some stuffs from Nijiya as well as Kinpira Renkon, Konasu Karashi, and Karashi Mentai Takana from Niitakaya, the Tsukemono stand in in Mitsuwa. It made for a nice lunch.

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Instead of having this as basic okazu, the Missus wanted a salad. So, I put one together.

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This was a nice lighter lunch. We would be having NYE dinner at Et Voila, taking JJ along. I'll get that post done in a bit.

While walking on Adams, we noticed a wedding taking place at the Adams Avenue Theatre. On New Years Eve???

Well, the groom ain't got no excuse for not remembering their anniversary date, right?

Anyway, as we upend the calendar for 2024, and turn the page to 2025, we'd like to wish everyone a wonderful, safe, and delici-yoso New Year!

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Happy New Year!