mmm-yoso – Page 330

Tonight’s Dinner – Fried Chicken Skin and Sisig from Conching’s Cafe

December 30, 2010 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants, Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt

*** Conching is now Erlinda's Filipino Cuisine & Ice Cream Parlor

"It's the most unhealthiest time of the year……"

Or something like that. At least that's the tune going through my head while crunching away on the deep fried chicken skin portion of my dinner from Conching's Cafe:

I ended up getting dinner here after spotting Sisig……. which isn't always available from the steam table at Conching.

Strangely, after looking through my posts I noticed that I've never done a post on Conching's……… even though we've been there a number of times. The only thing I found was a post which included the sisig which I've always thought was among the best. This wasn't quite as good….falling a bit short on the vinegar. It's still better than most…..

Still…… fried chicken skin and sisig…… I think I'll be eating a bunch of salads after the New Year.

Oh, and when you visit Conching's, you can't forget the ice cream…… Ube and Avocado used to be the Missus's favorite (I like Jackfruit)…… but those have been replaced by……

Corn and Cheese…. yep, corn and cheese. Well, cheddar cheese is what they told the Missus. It's not what you think. It's not too sweet, but rich and creamy…. and no, there really isn't a big cheese flavor….perhaps something closer to a light cream cheese?

While waiting for Her Corn and Cheese ice cream, a Young Lady was asking a boy, possibly her son what flavor he wanted. Standing tippy toe, the boy exclaimed, "I want chocolate!" The woman smiled and looked down at the child and told him, "you can have chocolate anywhere, but when you're here you need to try something new and different!" Amen, lady, amen……

Conching's Cafe
3400 E 8th St.Ste 115
National City, CA 91950

Song Huong – Mira Mesa

December 28, 2010 mmm-yoso Bun Bo Hue, Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** This location of Song Huong has been replaced by Saigon Corner

I've been kinda hesitating "pulling the trigger" on this post. Based on comments and emails I've gotten, it seems that opinions of Song Huong are somewhat polarized……. But after a recent third visit to Song Huong I decided it was time for a post….. and I still waited and visted one more time….just to make sure….. When my good FOY (friend of yoso) "Yummy Yummy" told me that there was going to be a second Song Huong opening in Vinh Hung Market, I had mixed feelings. We've had a couple of decent meals at Song Huong on El Cajon Boulevard, but it just seems that the same dish was never the same twice…. perhaps some would find the somewhat whimsical preparations an interesting surprise. For us it was just plain maddening.

And then they opened….. and folks started emailing and commenting. On one side, "Yummy Yummy" and "Janfrederick" were thumbs down. On the other hand "Joe" (you can read his comments on this post) enjoyed it. "Melanie" (thanks for the emails!) was more on the positive side. By the time I finally visited I already had some recommendations……and some dishes to avoid as well!

If this doorway looks familiar, this is where Chibugan used to be (more on Chibugan at the end of the post).

Looking at my photos of Chibugan; it seems that the folks removed a good amount of the interior clutter and opened the place up a bit…… I never realized how high the ceilings here were!

The place does end up being on the cold side, and things tend to echo.

Like the ECB location; this place seels all manner of shakes and drinks, one thing which the Missus always enjoys at the ECB shop.

I pretty much knew what I wanted to order…… Melanie and Joe recommended the Banh Cuon. So I went with the Banh Cuon Dac Biet ($6.50):

As things go; this was decent by San Diego standards. The rolls used Banh Cuon Uot, and the pork was fairly bland and dry. The Nem Chua was pretty good, I like mine a bit more sour, and there was only one slice of it.

The Banh Cuon were a bit drier than I enjoy as well. The Nuoc Mam Cham also tasted watered down. The Cha Lua – lean defatted pork sausage were decent. Overall, I thought this was better than the version at Tan Ky Mi Gia, but not even close to say, Banh Cuon Tay Ho. Of course nothing beats having it made fresh in the morning. To be honest, I returned at a later date and had this again, this time it was much better(though they gotta bump up that Nuoc Mam Cham)……. so I guess YMMV??

I sitll wasn't quite sure about this place, so I returned and got the very thing I was told NOT TO get….. the Pho. "Joe" did mentioned that the place had changed Pho cooks, so perhaps my bowl of Pho Tai, Chin, Nam, Gau, Gan, Sach….. heck just call it #6 ($5.75) would be ok.

I swear, this could be the twin of the bowl I had at Vietnamese Cuisine on Miramar Road. It was cloudy and lacked any distinctive character…. it was far from terrible, but maybe a "C-". The garnishes were fairly scarce. The noodles however, were prepared perfectly.

Where this bowl fell really short was in the protein department…..

For some reason all the cuts of meat were very dry, none more than the flank which was tough as well. The worse was the tripe which had that unpleasant soapiness to it.

Still, I returned…… And when I ordered my Banh Cuon the second time, I was starving so I decided to try the Thit Nuong Cuon (grilled pork spring rolls – $3.75):

Aside from being a bit too wet, and the bun being on the mushy side this was ok. I also thought these were on the skimpy side, and would have appreciated more herbs to cut the saltiness (in a good way) of the thin slices of the pork.

Being on the wetter side, these started falling apart pretty quickly.

I guess I'm a glutton for punishment because I returned to Song Huong one more time…… this time for the Bun Bo Hue ($5.50):

All thoughts that this was going to be a "bland bowl" went away as the bowl arrived, and the funky fragrance of Mam Tom, fermented shrimp paste hit me before the bowl arrived. For me, the over-riding smell sends mixed signals, as what passes for Bun Bo Hue in most Pho shops is a basic clear broth with Mam Tom and chilies, something which totally misses the mark. And unfortunately this was, well, that. I liken it to having a trio play something designed for a quintet…… all the music is there, but certain parts aren't played. The plate of finely shredded cabbage and bean sprouts, though on the small side did fine. I could have used a bit more mint to add a herbaceous flavor to the bowl. The lime came to good use…. it helped me cut through the strong shrimp paste flavor.

There was a tiny speck of meat on the pork hock, and the thick slices of beef were tough and dry…. and to think folks complain about the meat at Mien Trung, which along with Hoai Hue is in a total different league.

On the good side; the broth was scorching hot; as must for this type of soup, and the noodles were cooked properly.

In the end, the food here is not terrible; but when it comes to everything other than the Banh Cuon, in my opinion there are other much better options in the area. I do really like the young lady who I believe runs the place…. she is quiet, but very nice…..they've never charged me for tea, and "round down " my check. As to whether I'll return? Maybe after a fairly long break….

Song Huong
10550 Camino Ruiz
San Diego, CA 92126

Postscript:

So what happened to Chibugan? Well, they moved over to a smaller space one door over:

One thing I've always liked about Chibugan is that they serve vertically challenged folks like me! Hah, just kidding…. but that's the first thing that went through my mind when I read "We make short orders!!!" Got a crispy pata for shorty over here?

Merry Christmas

December 25, 2010 mmm-yoso Cooking

Every year, we take a drive around the area, just like I’m sure many do; to check out how folks have decorated their homes….. it puts us in the Holiday spirit. In spite of the deluge SoCal has had to endure over the last week……things cleared up just in time for Christmas Eve.

I’m wondering how much this homes electric bill was? Still we really enjoyed stopping…..

This year the Missus wanted Sukiyaki as Her Christmas day meal (my recipe here), so of course that’s what we had.

And now it’s time for another post Christmas tradition……. our post meal nap.

I just wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a Most Merry Christmas from the mmm-yoso gang!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Guess where this is?

December 23, 2010 mmm-yoso Chicago, Markets & Grocers

Just something short for tonight…. I'm guessing most folks have more pressing matters at hand…. like finishing up all that Xmas shopping!

Of course most will know just by the facade……

Yes, it's Mitsuwa Marketplace of course! But where?

I realized when I walked through this Mitsuwa how important design is….. this one is set-up basically the same. It is much larger than the Mitsuwa in San Diego. And so is the the food court, with a variety of restaurants…

And of course there's a Santouka Ramen…….

But also a Chinese Fast Food shop and at least one Korean influenced food stop to go with some other interesting offerings.

First off; the name makes me think that the burgers here are pork. Having already had an R Burger, whose ahem, buns are fortified with collagen (you know, I should just have someone provide me with the best collagen bun line…. there must be thousands), a teriyaki wasabi burger doesn't sound that strange. The fries here do sound interesting as you can choose various options like curry and cheese flavored or corn soup flavored fries…… I almost gave in…. well, maybe next time.

There are several more restaurants in this rather large food court.

I noticed that the market itself had quite a few Korean products…. more on that later. There were also local products…… and you just know that there are folks out there who can't go a day without Phil's Fertile Eggs, right?

Can you imagine the untapped marketing potential for Phil's Fertile Eggs!!!

There are of course more conventional Japanese items.

Ok….enough with the guessing game thing….. this Mitsuwa is located in Arlington Heights, about 25 miles outside of downtown Chicago. When my Admin Assistant was nice enough to book my overnight accommodations, she told me that I'd be staying in Arlington Heights….. I had no idea where Arlington Heights was….and neither did she. So I obviously saw the irony in the fact that there was a Mitsuwa almost right across the street from my hotel. Of all the places in the greater Chicago area….

It did look like business was pretty slow. After waking from my post Hot Doug's nap, it was already 6pm on a Friday, but the place was pretty dead. And there were several of these in the Marketplace.

I do hope they make it. I'm thinking I'll stay in this area if I'm in these parts again. As I drove down East Algonquin Road into Mount Prospect, i couldn't help but noticing all the Korean Restaurants….. there was even a restaurant named Dae Jung Keum……sound familiar???

Mitsuwa Marketplace
100 E Algonquin Rd
Arlington Heights, IL 60005

Chicago: Hot Doug’s

December 20, 2010 mmm-yoso Chicago, Hot Dogs

**** Hot Doug's has closed

It was pretty chilly on the day I drove from Madison to Chicago. Walking to the car I encountered something that I don't see very often here in San Diego…… that would be frost.

I'm also not quite used to temperatures in the 30's either.

Instead of the usual rest stops like we have in SoCal, there are stops above the highway that looks like an overpass. These are called Oasis and contain various fast food shops, restrooms, ATMs, and Gas Stations.

My curiosity finally got the better of me, and I stopped at the Belvedere Oasis. The place was very clean, and also had a nice view of the I-90.

As another tidbit; did you know the Federal Regulations forbid commercial development of rest areas? Other than a few rest stops that were "grandfathered in", only toll road can offer these type of services. (23 CFR Part 752.5)

I had decided to spend an extra day in Chicago for one main reason…… to eat of course! And there was one place that was a "must try" on my list…… Hot Dougs. Admittedly, I really wandered if Hot Doug's would deliver. My luck really hasn't been that good with places generating so much attention and hyperbole…… the Kogi Taco Truck comes to mind. But after seeing the place for the umpteenth time on No Reservations, and reading numerous reviews and posts (like Passionate Eater's) on the place, even from a couple of San Diego based Food Bloggers like Canine Cologne (read her post here) and Liz of Fooding 411 (her post here), it was without a doubt on my list. Which is why I started driving from Madison at 745 am on a Friday morning. My intention was to arrive at Hot Doug's a couple of minutes before opening…….. well Doug's opens at 1030, and I finally found my way there, found parking on the street, and saw a line had already formed out the door at Hot Doug's.

Stepping into line and overhearing conversations, it seemed that at least half the crowd were not from Chicago. As for the line, a suited gentleman in front of me, who had a page from a legal pad full of "orders" told the couple in back of him that, "this is nothing….it seems to be a pretty slow day."

So, on this slow day, I made it to the second set of front doors by 1045, and actually into the shop proper at 1050.

The line was moving fairly quickly….. and the menu read like a sausage junkie's dream.

Having a couple minutes to read the menu and check out the dining area, something struck me. First off, you can't grab a table or seat until you place your order and pay. Second, Doug Sohn, manning the front counter moves at an unhurried pace. This combined with the fact that folks are eating sausages mean that the dining area turns over very quickly, and it seems that most everyone gets a seat.

Now as to what I came here to eat…… well there were just two things……

Of course I was going to have the Foie Gras and Sauternes Duck Sausage ($9). When Doug asked me how I wanted these; I asked him to make it the way he eats it. Doug replied with a smile, and a simple "ok, very good….." Yes…… it was very good indeed.

So good I think it deserves another photo…..

I thought that perhaps the truffle aioli would just overpower everything; but this was wonderfully rich… decadent…..I felt like I needed a shower afterwards. The sausage with its mild sweetness was no slouch, and the Foie Gras Mousse with a light sprinkle of sea salt. was pure fatty joy.

I've had Duck Fat Fries before, but wanted to try the version here ($3.50 – Fridays and Saturdays only). These were typically Chicago "Natural" style fries, skin on.

These were nice and rich…..the duck fat doesn't really add too much flavor; mainly an additional richness to the fries. They also don't hold up for very long and seem to start getting a bit greasy fairly quickly.

I had intended to hitting XOCO for dinner, but my failure was based on the most basic item on Hot Doug's menu….. the simple Chicago Style Hot Dog ($1.75):

Yes, this was my downfall….. Overall a nice, though not amazing Chicago Dog. The dog didn't have quite the snap I like. For once I had enough celery salt on my Chicago Dog… but man, after eating this I was beyond stuffed; I was cross-eyed stuffed and really needed a nap. When I awoke, I just couldn't muster the energy to drive from Arlington Heights, back into Chicago proper…. such is the power of the encased meats at Hot Doug's.

As I left, about 1130, the line outside Hot Doug's stretched down the street.

Amazing!

Hot Doug's
3324 North California Ave.
Chicago, IL 60618

Open Monday – Saturday 10:30 am – 4:00 pm

Pho Xpress – Mission Gorge Road

December 15, 2010 mmm-yoso Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

A couple of months back, the Missus sent me on a mission…. of course it was mission She wanted no part of. You see, the Missus claimed that a certain feature wasn't working on Her camera, and had bugged me about since we had gotten back from China. Of course the Missus wasn't about to take the camera in, or even accompany me… since, good lord, "it's technical, and god forbid, you might have to change batteries and stuff…." So I arrive at the camera shop, and walk to the counter and explain that my wife claims the camera isn't working properly. The guy kinda smirks, and then tells me, "this model doesn't come with that feature…." He then calls to the guy in the back, asking him to confirm. Of course the guy in the back is cracking up….. I'm glad I made their day. As I slunk off out the door I swore I heard the sound of laughter in the background……. When I told the Missus that the camera does not come with the so called "feature", She laughed and said, "oh really, how funny….." Yeah….. how funny.

On the way home, I decided to soothe my bruised ego in a bowl of Pho. I'd passed Pho Xpress a couple of times, and decided that this was the perfect time for a bowl of Pho.

Like many Pho shops that have sprouted up over the years….. the set-up looked like a conversion from a steam table fast-foot joint. Or perhaps it was built that way. There's a small dining area to the left of the counter and steam table and I had a seat.

This pace was a typical "A-B" (All Business) Pho shop, at least on this morning it was, I was pointed to a seat without a word, a menu placed in front of me, and water arrived soon after.

I requested a small "combination" minus the rare steak ($5.99). Based on the herbs and bean sprouts placed before me, I mentally set the bar very low…..

But taking one look at the broth when my bowl arrived changed all of that.

The fragrance of the broth was nice and comforting and the soup clear . The flavor, while straightforward, was quite good, perhaps lacking the anise-clove tones, but nicely beefy, and fairly rich as well.

The various cuts of beef were prepared well, nothing spectacular, but better than average. The amount of meat provided was a bit on the stingy side; but it's the broth that makes the Pho for me, and tis was good. The noodles were a bit on the soft side, but passable.

If this is the norm for Pho Xpress, I'd put this in my top 5-6 bowls with regards to Pho broth in San Diego. I'll need to return soon. My good FOY "YY" told me that the Pho Xpress in the Gaslamp is also pretty good; not as rich and the broth a bit lighter, so I'll need to check them out soon.

Like I mentioned before, service here was all business. I'm not sure that anyone spoke more than a single word to me the entire time. If you're expecting a Pho meat-fest go elsewhere. Still, the soup was hot, it tasted good, and was the perfect salve for a bruised ego on this day……

Pho Xpress
6533 Mission Gorge Rd
San Diego, CA 92120

Open Daily from 9 – 9

Madison – Lao Laan-Xang (Williamson St location)

December 13, 2010 mmm-yoso Lao Restaurants, Madison, Wisconsin, Thai Restaurants, Travel

**** This location of Lao Laan-Xang has closed

One of the restaurants I had on my list from my previous visit to Madison was Lao Laan-Xang. Though it seems that many regard Lao Laan-Xang as a Thai Restaurant(and the sign does say Laotian Cuisine), the Owners are Lao, and there were more than few Lao style dishes on the menu…… and it had been a while since I've had good Lao food. Luckily, the weather had cleared by my last evening in Madison, and I was able to head down to the Williamson Street location of Lao Laan-Xang.

The tiny, but very warm and welcoming shop brought back memories of my first experience with Thai Food at the tiny Keo's on Kapahulu Boulevard back in the very early 80's. Keo's has of course gone to greater things, but my memories of that tiny but welcoming restaurant stay dear to my heart. This was before the great Thai food boom, and indeed I recall when I told one of my dates that we were going for "Thai Food", she asked me if "this was a chicken place?" (Thigh food, got it?) Which had me laughing the whole evening……. it was also on that very evening we saw a very petite woman with big hair and big…. ummm….well, anyway it turned out to be Dolly Parton. On another night, I spied Steve Perry from Journey having dinner there. And though this dining room would never reach the orchid filled heights of Keo's, there was something cozy that just reminded me of that place.

And amongst the Crab Rangoon, Fried Rice, and Curries, there were two of my favorite Lao dishes. The first was hard to find since it was under it's Thai name of Khao Tod Nam Som…. but there it was, what I call one of my "Death Row Dishes" – Nam Khao ($9.50):

Before I continue, let me apologize for the photos. It get's pretty dark on "The Willy" at night. This version of Nam Khao was not bad, but lacked the amount of crunchiness I enjoy. Also, it was less sour, lacking that fermented sourness I enjoy. Still this was ok, I've had worse, though it was miles behind the versions I've had at Aisa Cafe, Vientiane Restaurant in Garden Grove, and not even close to what I had in Vientiane…. as in Vientiane, Laos. It was also fairly pricey, about 30% more than what you'd pay in San Diego.

I also ordered the Mok Pa ($15.99), with some reservations, as the only decent version I had of this dish was at Vietiane in Garden Grove. But this was very good.

I had learned how to make this dish after taking a cooking class at Tamarind Cooking School in Luang Prabang, and loved the complex flavors so much that I've made this at home, though I end up steaming it rather than grilling it. This dish did not disappoint; the fish was wonderfully moist and tender, but not over-cooked, and did not have any muddy flavor at all. The flavor of dill was there, adding that refreshing clean taste without over-powering the dish. The lindering flavors of the herbs was excellent. The portion size was quite large, almost enough for two.

About the only thing not very good about the whole meal was the very low quality of the sticky rice. It was off-white and I bit into some terribly hard pieces of rice. i'm thinking it must be pretty hard to get good quality sticky rice in Madison.

I won't go into the bland steamed "gringo" vegetables, because heck, this happens everywhere in San Diego as well.

We received good service, our Server was friendly, and our waters were refilled. The food was quite good, so I'll surely be headed back here the next time I'm in Madison.

Lao Laan-Xang
1146 Williamson St
Madison, WI 53703

Convoy Yakitori Story Part 2 – Yokohama Yakitori Koubou

December 12, 2010 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants

Seeing that I'd spent so much time tracking the opening of Yakitori Koubou, I really don't know why it took me so long to visit the place. I finally got my act together, and along with FOY (Friend of Yoso) Candice paid Koubou a visit.

The place looks pretty big from the outside, but much like Tsuruhashi next door, the place is relatively small with a bar area, and a few tables near the East wall.

The menu has the Yakitori "standards", but also a few other items which Yakyudori doesn't have.

We decided to order a couple of items for comparison and a few other things that caught our fancy.

As Dennis noted in his post on Koubou (please check it out here), a shot of milk is served before alcoholic beverages to help prevent the ravages of over-indulgence.

We started with an order of Torisenbei – basically chicken flavored chips/crackers.

These were surpringly low with regards to chicken flavor, and I felt were kind of oily.

Even though the Gyu-tan (Beef Tongue) seemed priced on the high side at almost four bucks a skewer….. we couldn't resist ordering them.

As I noted in previous posts, I like a thinner cut with a bit of charring around the edges. This was cut very thick, lacked flavor, and was on the tough side. I also found the flavor imparted from the Binchotan here to be a lot milder than at Yakyudori….. if you find Yakyudori's flavors to run too intense (which I do not) perhaps this will be more to your liking.

It would be crime if I didn't order the Kawa Ponzu – Chicken skin salad:

We started noticing something as this dish arrived…… the portion sizes seemed a bit larger than what I've grown accustomed to at Yakitori/Robatayaki places. The chicken skin was chopped into rather thick un-uniformed pieces, and not enough ponzu was used, making this dish pretty weak with regards to flavor.

The Buta-shiso was also a non-starter for us.

Even though it looked nice and moist, it was pretty dry and on the tough side.

The Tsukune was not bad.

As Dennis noted, the chicken is ground coarser at Koubou, versus the mousse like texture of the Tsukune at Yakyudori, not necessarily a bad thing. The tare here is still very mild, and I think the exterior could have been grilled a bit more to add another dimension of texture to this.

After this, we moved on to a couple of different menu items.

Our favorite of the night by far was the Nankotsu Piri Karaage (Spice deep fried chicken cartilage):

These were fried right….. good crunch on crunch action here along with mild spice and a touch of saltiness. I usually like a cartilage chopped into pieces a bit more substantial than these. There were times I felt I was eating deep fried chicken gizzards….. Good beer food.

Candice had seen Tendon Stew on the specials board…… 'nuff said.

Not much tendon….. mostly tough meat…..

I had high hopes for the Tebakara.

These lacked the crispness I enjoy in these type of wings. When dipped and served right away, there's usually a good amount of crackle still there, but not in this case. The weak tare was also in display here…… it obviously needs a bit more time to ripen.

When eating at a Yakitori place, I usually end my meal with something substantial…. Chazuke, Natto Gohan, and the like. We decided to check out the Natto Omelet.

The omelet itself was a fairly hefty affair. The egg was nice and fluffy, but sorely in need of some additional flavor because the natto sure didn't do it. Sure, the filling was natto-slimy, but the wonderful flavor of the natto was almost non-existent.

Since Koubou just opened a few months ago, I think I'll give them a pass on this one. Along with the tare, the cooking techniques and flavoring seems a bit "raw", so I'll try them in a couple of months to see if things improve.

Yokohama Yakitori Koubou
3904 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111

Madison – Sprecher’s Restaurant and Pub

December 10, 2010 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Beer, Madison, Wisconsin, Pubs and Pub Grub, Travel

*** Sprecher's has closed

In an email before my trip to Madison, Cathy reminded me to be careful, since it seemed that there was always something happening on every other trip we've taken….. Earthquake before our trip to Peru, riots before our trip to Thailand, and of course, having to fly through an eerie Mexico City Airport on the way back from Guatemala right when the 2009 Swine Flu Pandemic broke. Between those trips we visited Vietnam/Cambodia, I travelled to Madison, and of course our trip to China. So I guess I was due……..

It wasn't anything too bad, just the strongest storm ever recorded in the Midwest. The rain and 60-70mph winds discouraged me from driving, so we decided to stick close to the hotel. A couple of those restaurants on my list would just have to wait until next time. Still, I really didn't see myself going all the way to Madison and eating at Denny's. On my first evening in Madison, during my drive back to the hotel, I noticed a pretty busy looking restaurant/bar, and the folks exiting looked local, not like folks from all the hotels in the area. The name of the place was Sprecher's, which I later found out is the same as that of a very well known Milwaukee County Brewery of the same name. According to the story, Sprecher Brewery was founded by Randal Sprecher who is originally from….. California. Sprecher had a degree in oceanography, but was unable to pursue a career in that field due to a little problem…… he got seasick! Don't know if it's true, but it's a nice story.

After making our way from the freezing parking lot we entered the dining area which looked like a Bavarian themed Rock Bottom, or something of the sort. The menu really didn't thrill me much either with items like Thai Lettuce Wraps, Crab Cakes, Seared Tuna, and Cajun Pasta on the menu. Until I found a couple of items more befitting of a place called Sprecher's.

The beer list was a bit more interesting. And I noticed that "tasters" were offered at three for $4.50 and six for $9. So I thought I'd go for the six, after all, I had envisioned 2-3 ounce pours…. but what I received seemed to be much larger than that.

Our server, named Anna was a joy…. efficient and cheerful, I had her choose my six beers, which she had arranged for me, from light to dark. She had also taken the time to list each beer in order by hand. Anna told me that they used to have print-outs for folks ordering the sampler but stopped doing that a while ago, she thought I'd like to know and remember what I was drinking.

This is the El Rey, a very effervescent Mexican Ale. My favorite was the Abbey, slightly fruity, perhaps edging on the sweet, but I enjoyed it.

If you've read my previous posts on Madison, you'll have a pretty good idea of what I was having as a starter….. it's Deep Fried Cheese Curds ($7) of course!

As Fried Cheese Curds go, these were just ok. Not even close in flavor or texture to those at the Old Fashioned, but serviceable. More gooey and stringy then other versions I've had.

And just because I'm so predictable, of course I had the Sprecher's Brat with Beer Cheese Potatoes ($9):

This was just ok, and really tasted like concept brew pub food, being very corporate in presentation and flavor. The brat really didn't catch my attention, and it was covered with a load of flavors….whole grain mustard and sauerkraut I can take, but the caramelized onions with what seemed to be bacon was a bit much. I really couldn't taste much beeriness in the beer cheese potatoes, in fact it was pretty bland as a whole.

Perhaps in the end, the corporate chain-like food didn't impress me very much; but the service was excellent, the prices not bad, and I really enjoyed the company. It sure beat being out in the wind and the rain.

Sprecher's Restaurant & Pub
1265 John Q Hammons Road
Madison, WI 53717

Convoy Yakitori Story Part 1: Yakyudori Ramen & Yakitori

December 9, 2010 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants

I'd gotten so many requests for a Yakyudori Yakitori post, but through pure laziness, I just kept collecting photos. Finally, I thought I'd better just go ahead and get it done. As a bonus, I was able to join my good FOY (Friend of Yoso) Candice for a meal at Yokohama Yakitori Koubou….. after all, I'd been keeping track of the progress of the restaurant while it was being built. I had so many photos, that I first decided to keep it to about 40, but then, it just seemed so much, that I decided to make this into a two part post….so my apologies ahead of time, I'll try to keep the verbiage to a minimum.

Part 1 Yakyudori Ramen & Yakitori:

Yakyudori has really become quite popular, and with good reason, as many of the items are quite good. I've made it a habit of visiting on Sunday or Monday evenings….. recently they've starting serving Yakitori at 530, so finding the place this empty is quite a rarity.

I like the menu at Yakyudori, it has some variance from ramen, which I've covered before to Chazuke as a way of finishing your meal and filling up. The prices for Yakitori may seem high, but that's because everything is priced at a "two skewer" level. And even though it clearly states that there is a two skewer item minimum for each item ordered, it was made clear early on in my visits that you can order just a single skewer of any item.

A must try item whenever I see it on the menu is Kawa Ponzu. Sliced chicken skin topped with sliced green onions and ponzu sauce.

This version has a nice sprinkling of togarashi to add a mild hint of spice. The amount of ponzu is good, and the chicken skin is sliced into nice uniform thin strips. I enjoy this version.

One item I'm not a big fan of at Yakyudori is one of my favorite dishes; Chicken Karaage.

While I enjoy the mayo-shoyu provided; the two times I've tried the Chicken Karaage the flavor seemed too ginger heavy for my tastes. I also prefer the Karaage I eat in restaurants to be lighter and more crisp than the version here.

I know you're asking….well what about stuff from the Yakitori menu? First off, I appreciate the use of Binchotan, the fragrant, hot burning charcoal. So let's go down the list, beginning with Gyu-tan, beef tongue:

I prefer my beef tongue sliced a bit thinner, and charred around the edges. The first piece on the skewer was perfect, a crisp perimeter, chewy near the center, full of smokey bicho flavor. The other pieces were decent, but not as good as that first slice.

It seems that the latest "hot item" in produce this year is Shishito, something we've been eating as long as I can remember. Though my favorite way of eating Shishito is as tempura, with perhaps some matcha shio, I also enjoy it grilled.

I think these could have been grilled a bit longer. I do enjoy Yakyudori's "Tare", the shoyu-mirin based basting sauce used for Yakitori/Robatayaki. The version here is less sweet than many others I've had, but has some complexity.

One of my favorite items here is the Buta-Shiso:

Basically pork rolled around shiso. The times I've had this, I really enjoyed it. I could make out the mint-anise hints of the shiso, a problem with versions of this I've had elsewhere. The pork itself, betrayed its' "other white meat" heritage, and was fairly moist, and the smokey flavors of binchotan really does well with pork.

The Tsukune at Yakyudori is also excellent, if a bit on the rich side.

Instead of the usual course ground chicken meatball…… in this case the chicken has been worked into almost a mousse. The exterior, touched by the charcoal adds a crisp counter-point. Here you can really make out Yakyudori's Tare. At times, it does seem a bit too rich and filling for me, but is hard to resist.

Where Sasami (chicken breast) can be a downfall for many Yakitori shops, here it is moist and with a line of ume based sauce very light and tasty.

I love the combination of flavors presetned in the Gyu-Oroshi.

While it could be argued that the beef is lost under all of these flavors, I appreci ate the combination of textures.I also enjoy that the daikon is almost finely julienned rather than grated into pulp, this reduces the amount of astringency, while still adding a wonderful crunch. Ponzu, green onion, and daikon is a wonderful combination of flavors. And I believe that the beef toothsome yet not tough has had tare applied ot it, since I catch a bit of sweetness as well.

Of course, if you know me, chicken wings are a must.

And while there's a lot to appreciate about these simply seasoned and grilled wings……. they are stretched and splayed on the skewer maximizing surface area, thus ensuring a good amount of skin exposed to the charcoal. I enjoy the Tebashio at Izakaya Sakura, and think the Tebasaki at Raku more. The two times I've had these, the crispness of the skin left something to be desired, and there just wasn't enough salt for my tastes. Adding on salt after the grilling is done just won't do it for me either. For now, I'll just stick to making it at home on my own Hida Konro.

The simple Momo (Chicken Thigh) was fine.

Nice bincho flavor, decent salt, good chicken flavor.

The Asparagus Bacon……

Was nice, though I think the bacon could have been grilled a bit longer.

On every visit, I will usually get the Ninniku.

Or the entire head of roasted garlic…… This is roasted garlic, sweet, with a hint of bitterness because of the roasting style. I love this with a touch of salt. When I was a child, my mother used to pan fry cloves of garlic after doing a saute or pan frying meat. Though that garlic was much more bitter and hard; this brought back nice memories.

The Negima (Chicken thigh with green onion) wasn't bad.

But I thought it could have used a bit more time on the grill.

The Eringei (King Oyster Mushroom) was grilled well.

Coated with just a touch of the tare; I didn't think this was anything special either since I often grill King Oyster Mushrooms at home.

Whew, that's a bunch, huh? Actually it's just a part of all the photos I have from Yakyudori. Due to the length of the post, I'm going to stop after one last item. There is one thing I must have to finish up my Yakitori visits to Yakyudori; it the Natto Gohan – Natto Rice:

For some reason, the way Yakyudori prepares the natto, the combination of flavors used strikes a real note with me….. it brings me back "home".

Yakyudori Ramen and Yakitori
4898 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111