mmm-yoso – Page 344

Eating on the Hood of Your Car: El Gallito Tortas Ahogadas

October 19, 2009 mmm-yoso Food Trucks, Mexican Restaurants

**** El Gallito Tortas Ahogadas is no longer

On my second visit to the Mariscos El Pescador truck, I noticed a second truck, right past the entrance to the RTA and Toys R Us parking lot off L Street in Chula Vista. One side of the truck was painted a bright red, and claimed Tortas Ahogadas. Curious, I did a quick search on “Tortas Ahogadas” and I think Wikipedia’s entry was short and sweet. Tortas Ahogada is a specialty of Guadalajara, and the best way to describe it would be as a “dipped” sandwich…..or perhaps more appropriately a “drowned” sandwich that had been submerged in a brew which features chilies as a main ingredient! Talk about right down my alley…….

So instead of the Mariscos truck, I decided to give the Torta a try on my next visit.

I parked my car and walked up to the truck. The first interaction was interesting, a brown hair “gringo” walked up to me, and started asking me questions, all of which led to the same question, “did you read about the truck in the Union-Tribune”? After telling the guy that I decided to check out the truck after seeing it while eating from the Mariscos Truck forty yards away, I was given a disapproving nod and told, “you must have read the article in the U-T”. Unfortunately, I guess I’m just not that “plugged-in” to the food scene…. Anyway, here’s what I found in the ‘Street Blog’, and the guy also pointed to a “hard copy” pasted onto the side of the truck. He was so adamant in his belief that I could not have found this without the help of the U-T……. it was strange, perhaps he was the person who wrote the article???

There are two versions of Torta Ahogada served at this truck, and of course I chose the “original” version. And I chose it spicy as well. I was quickly warned off by the very friendly woman at the window, telling me “most people can’t eat the spicy version, are you sure”? I said, I’d like to try the spicy version…. the woman replied, “it’ll grow hair on your chest”. I pulled out the front of my t-shirt and looked down at my hairless Asian chest, and said, “well perhaps this will help me out, because I could use a bit of hair on my chest……”

And so it came to pass that I received a spicy Torta Ahogada…….

Which looked a resplendent bright red as I arrived at the hood of my car…… First the good, the bread was wonderful, almost amazing I’d say, the crusty Bolillo stood up perfectly when drenched with sauce. It was the best part of the sandwich, as the pork and everything else was totally over-shadowed by a singularly “one-note” chili arbol based hot sauce.

For me it was just a singular lip and front of mouth heat, that lacked nuance and over whelmed everything else. I like to think that I’m not a shrinking shrinking violet when it comes to spicy food. I just felt as if something was missing…….

A few weeks later, when Captain Jack and I did our Taco Crawl, I encouraged him to check out the Torta Ahogada truck, which by then had moved to a closer position right in front of Toys R Us. CJ, told me without prompting, “man the texture bread is good, but all I can taste is the spice, like drinking hot sauce… something is missing”.

I’d still encourage you to check out the truck, and maybe just order the non-spicy version drizzled with what looks like a mayo-mustard kinda sauce, because that bread is really good.

El Gallito Tortas Ahogadas
1008 Industrial Blvd
Chula Vista, CA 91911

Chiang Mai: The Sunday Market

October 18, 2009 mmm-yoso Chiang Mai, Thai Restaurants, Thailand, Travel

Before I get to the wonderful Sunday Walking Market in Chiang Mai, I thought I'd share what I thought was an odd bit of "safety equipment" found in our room.

For some reason, the thought of placing a plastic bag over "mi cabeza" disturbs me……

Chiang Mai's Sunday Walking Market is something to be seen, stretching from the Tha Phae Gate all the way to Wat Phra Singh, streets in all directions are filled with booths selling all matter of goods.

Unlike the merchandising hell that is the Night Bazaar, the Sunday Market is more relaxed, especially since we got there just when the market started, at about 4pm. Our hotel was located just a half block from the the street the market was on, which made things very convenient for us.

When we arrived folks were still setting up…..

Not many tourists were seen, possibly due to the rain which seemed to fall for a short while every afternoon, scrubbing the sky and the streets clean. Of course the Thai locals took everything in stride….

And since this is Thailand, food stalls are everywhere. You couldn't go but a few steps without running into a food stall.

This is Thailand and snacking is a way of life here. I was more than happy to participate……

If you wanted to give up grazing and get something more substantial, we quickly learned that the courtyard of every Wat along the way was loaded with food booths.

The Wats it seemed, became de facto Food Courts.

And the range of food was amazing……

Bamboo Shoot salad….

Nam Prik…..

And of course things would not be complete without some TFC (Thai Fried Chicken):

And of course, there were scores of "items on a stick". Which got me wondering how many wooden skewers were used on every Sunday?

I wish I took a better photo of this woman. Her beef jerky was fantastic…..

I felt no need to partake in the surprising amount of sushi available from dozens of booths.

The variety was indeed breathtaking. From the "standards"…..

To items that were a bit more interesting….

And of course there were the items that were a bit more "challenging"…..

Fried silkworm is delici-yoso stuff…..

But there was stuff that I thought was even too strange for me…..

Before you knew it, we arrived at Wat Phra Singh…. and things had gotten pretty crowded.

It was time to turn around and head back to the hotel…but not without a couple of snacks along way……

Arriving back at the Tha Phae Gate we noticed a huge crowd of folks, and young men and women were dancing on a stage.

Apparently, there was some kind of dancing contest going on. We decided to get away from the crowds and head up to our room, where we snacked (yet again), and watched the proceedings.

The Sunday Market was an enjoyable experience for us…..

As much as we enjoyed the Sunday Market, we did have a few regrets. The Missus really wanted the quail eggs from this stand.

We decided to get them on our way back to our room, but couldn't find the stall….

And of course, we regret not being able to bolt on a second stomach…..

Copan Ruinas, Honduras: Copan Ruinas Archaeological Site Part 2, and wandering around Copan Ruinas

October 17, 2009 mmm-yoso Honduras, Travel

Not much food on this post, but if you enjoy Mayan Ruins read on……

After visiting the Museum of Sculpture we headed off to the ruins. Though the Archaeological Park is not very large, it is believed that at its peak Copan was the cultural center of the Mayan civilization. As you enter the ruins that first place you usually start at is called the Great Plaza:

We arrived during the end of the dry season, but it’s easy to imagine the green fields…..

One of the more interesting things about the great plaza are the intricately carved Stela placed among the plaza. We were told that these Stele represent various rulers and gods.

Do you notice the red pigment?

The red pigment is a mixture of mercury sulfate and other items, and it is believed that all the Stele were once covered with this pigment.

Another Stela grabbed our attention. If you look closely at the carving of the face, it looks almost Asian, doesn’t it? As does the head-dress.

Our guide told us, that she believes that the original Mayans and Incas came from Asia, across the Bering Straight and into the Americas.

Another popular area in the park is the Mayan Ball Court and the hieroglyphic stairway.

The ball court is the second largest in Central America.

Yes, folks have been playing ball in Meso-America for over 3000 years. Of course there were some serious ramifications, not for losing, but for winning the game. We were told that the Captain of the winning team would present himself to the losing Captain, who would behead him. It was thought to be the highest honor…..

Right past the ball court is the hieroglyphic stairway.

The stairway consists of 63 steps and 2,500 glyphs forming the longest known text of the Mayan civilization, is quite impressive. Unfortunately, it is also part of a tragic storyline.

At the time is was built, 753 A.D., the city was losing prestige, and the stairway was not built as soundly as other structures. Eventually the stairway collapsed, and only a few rows were found in original position. At some point in time, I’ve read both the early 1900’s and in the 1940’s, the stairs were reassembled. Unfortunately, the stairs were reassembled in a random order!!!!

At this location, I found a sign which illustrated how Mayan structures were built, one on top of the other. Each new ruler, built over the structures of the former ruler.

This would be interesting a bit later on….

Due South is the East and West Courts, also featuring wonderful stonework.

Also in this area are two tunnels under the East Court. The price at $15 each for two short tunnels is a bit on the steep side, but since we probably won’t be coming back, it was worth a try.

In the first tunnel, is the actual Rosalila Temple, which can also be seen in part 1. This sign shows how the temple sits under the structures above.

You enter the tunnels and travel in dimly lit tunnels… by slight stretch of the imagination, one can imagine oneself as an actual explorer walking into the unknown.

Coming right up to something like this can be downright dramatic.

Our visit to the ruins at Copan was the highlite of the trip.

Even though Tikal was indeed grand, it was the detailed and intricate stonework, and what seemed to us to be a intimate setting that made the Copan Ruinas Archaeological Site stand out in my mind.

And lest you think a visit during the hot and dry season means lots of brown and grey colors, you’ll see brilliant flashes of color, from these….

There are flocks of wild Macaws adding color….. boy did they add color….

The Copan Ruinas Archaeological Site is just 1 Kilometer from Copan Ruinas town which makes it a nice little walk, even when it was hot and humid.

We were happy to return to our room in time for a short break and nap. Oh, the joys of air-conditioning.

As I mentioned in a previous post, much of what goes on in Copan Ruinas happens around Parque Central. To the North of Parque Central is the Mercado.

During the day folks are coming and going from the Mercado.

The combination of tourists and cowboy hat donning locals made for an interesting sight. Fruit vendors also line the streets in front of the Mercado, and the Missus purchased some marañon (cashew fruit) from one of them. The Missus wanted only just one, but was given a whole bolsa (bag) of mangoes and marañon…..

During the afternoon the vendors switch….and there’s no labor laws to keep the children from working….

During the early evening the vendors change again…..and one of the Missus’s favorites is available.

But of all of the vendors, the Missus’s favorite was the “Mango Man”……

On one morning we saw a line standing out side the back of a huge truck on a side street.

The truck was full of mangoes, and the Missus bought a few, which She really enjoyed. Later that day, we saw the truck on another street. During the evening, the truck was at another location, and I swear as we were walking back to our room, I could hear snoring coming from the back of the truck. I’m guessing, much like the Durian Lady in Chiang Mai, these guys fill the truck with mangoes and head to town, selling mangoes from the back of the truck. When the mangoes were gone, they drove back to whence they came….. such is the life of the “Mango Man”.

Copan sure had a way of charming you……

Thanks for reading!!!

The Kebab Shop – Mira Mesa

October 15, 2009 mmm-yoso Mediterranean Restaurants, Turkish Food

Because we were never able to make it to the Kebab Shop in the Gaslamp, the opening of a branch in Mira Mesa seemed like a golden opportunity for us.

The restaurant is located in the same strip mall as In-N-Out and Ralph's, and the shop is big, with a ton of open space.

I was particularly interested in the Kebab Shop because according to sources, it specializes in the European-Middle Eastern style Doner Kebabs. Doner Kebab is "the fast food item" in Germany, and is so popular that it outsells Burgers and sausages…. probably even in Hamburg! I've read that even that the Doner Kebab was brought to Germany by Turkish immigrants and workers, and it took over the fast food scene…. now German "Doners" are exported from Germany, back into Turkey!

The menu is small and simple with thirteen "mains" and eleven "sides", and prices are reasonable. everything is under nine dollars. The guy who works the front counter is very friendly, and seems to be eager to explain and serve.

The Missus loves Falafel, so we started with a side order ($2.25):

These weren't very large, but there were ten falafel on the styrfoam plate. The falafel were good, cirsp on the outside, with that excellent paradoxic falafel interior….. to us, it is both creamy and gritty at the same time. The falafel was served with a mild, and kinda runny yogurt based sauce, which didn't do anything for the falafel.

I of course, had a Lamb Doner Kebab($6.25). Right away, you can tell that there's a difference from a Gyro, the Doner Kebab comes wrapped in a flat bread instead of a pita, and was as long as my forearm. Instead of the usual iceberg lettuce and tomato, this Doner has romaine lettuce, purple cabbage, and shredded carrots. In fact, at first glance all I could see was "veg", and I wondered where the meat was.

But after one bite, it was quite obvious that there was a good quantity of "lamb loaf". The meat had a decent amount of seasoning which didn't overwhelm the lamb flavor. In other words, you knew that lamb was being consumed. Under these circumstances the yogurt based sauce did well to compliment the lamb, as did the vegetables. This was pretty filling, and even though the Missus poached a good amount of the Doner Kebab, I was pretty full. At $6.25, we think this is very reasonably priced.

The reason the Missus made off with much of my Doner Kebab, is that She didn't care for the Iskender Kebab($8.25):

Though She enjoyed the roasted Anaheim Chili, it was the combination of the tangy tomato based sauce, the yogurt, and the savory seasoned meat turned Her off. She didn't care for the combination of flavors, nor the bread on the bottom which was soggy by the time She got to it.

Still, the Missus really enjoyed my Doner Kebab, and loved the Falafel…. enough so, that we returned a few days later.

This time, the Missus got the Lamb Plate($8.25). You get one hot side and one salad to accompany your lamb, and the Missus chose the falafel (duh!) and the Algerian Eggplant as Her sides.

The Eggplant salad was nice, with a good nutty-smokey grilled flavor. This time, the falafel looked like it had been burnt. Lucky for us, it was not, I guess maybe the frying oil was just a bit "dark". The texture and flavor was as before, except that this time the it was way too salty…. and this coming from a pair of salt-lovers. Talk about thirst inducing! The lamb strips were as before, mildly seasoned, with a good lamb flavor.

This time I got a Lamb Shawarma ($6.25). I guess the rules go, if it's wrapped in a flat bread it's a Doner, if it's in a bun it's a Shawarma? The whole thing was placed in a paper sleeve, with the tentacles of meat calling to me like some Chthonic creature luring me to my doom.

It was messy, but in a good way. It also came with the same set of veggies as the Doner Kebab, and there was that yogurt sauce, which was much thicker this time, and really did seem like Labneh Yogurt. I think, I prefer this to the Doner Kebab, mainly because the roll was nice and crusty.

As with the Doner Kebab, the Missus preferred what I ordered to what She had gotten. Again, this was well worth the $6.25.

I'm sure we'll be back to the Kebab Shop, though we'll stick with the Doner Kebabs and Shawarma. And though it was lamb all the way for us, there's a Chicken Doner as well. The prices seem right, and on both visits we didn't leave hungry.

The Kebab Shop
9450 Mira Mesa Blvd #E
San Diego, CA 92126

One last interesting item…..

The Missus asked me what kind of kebab this was, and I replied Turkish via Germany. She responded by saying, "Turkey, that makes sense…" And pointed to my receipt:

Would that be how the Turks spell "Kirk"????? It kinda does rhyme doesn't it????

Revisiting the Rotation: Mien Trung and Izakaya Sakura

October 13, 2009 mmm-yoso Bun Bo Hue, Japanese Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

A couple more revisits to our rotation.

Mien Trung:

Our recent cold weather meant an immediate return to Mien Trung, easily my favorite Bun Bo Hue in San Diego. I've had my share of Bun Bo Hue and keep returning to this little Mom and Pop shop. It is literally a Mom and Pop shop; back in 2007 Mien Trung was closed for almost a month. When they reopened we asked why they were closed for the better part of a month. The answer was simple, "Mom was on vacation. No Mom, no soup!" It does beg the question of what happens when Mom decides to retire…. But let us consider more pleasant thoughts for now.

The Bun Bo Hue:

The soup was as usual spot on, full of lemongrass flavor with a nice lip and back of throat heat, and a mild savory fermented component to boot. One aspect I think is important with Bun Bo Hue, is the temperature of the broth. The main reason being the shredded veggies served on the side. The vegetables to me, are an integral part of the dish, and the soup needs to be very hot to soften the veggies a bit. I've become used to the thicker cut meat in Bun Bo Hue, those who want the tender rare steak, should stick with Pho Tai, as at all of the more traditional Central Vietnamese shops that serve Bun Bo Hue serve it that way. The noodles always seem to be served a perfect al dente at Mien Trung.

The perfect panacea for the cooler weather…… I have encountered a problem with eating Bun Bo Hue and Bun Rieu. It is the matter of attire, slurping around the annatto tinged broth, you are better off wearing something where little red dots aren't so conspicuous. I mention this because Ed from Yuma always seems to wear white or other light colors when we've eaten at Mien Trung……

Mien Trung Restaurant
7530 Mesa College Dr
San Diego, CA 92111

Izakaya Sakura, yet again:

Yes, another place that we've posted on many, many, times. Though if you think we pay a bit too much attention to Sakura, you should check out Dennis's posts on Sakura, which truly defines the word obsession dedication, the heights of which I've never seen in the world of blogging. I'm kinda glad cooler weather is upon us, since I haven't seen Kazu around much during lunch hour. No Kazu means no Chirashi, no natto-maguro don, etc, etc…..

So on this day, the Missus got Her usual, the Unadon – Unagi Rice:

The Missus really enjoys this… perhaps a bit too much, as She now visits Sakura solo. That in itself is not too bad, but She always makes sure to call me and let me know what a great lunch She's having!

I went with the Curry Udon:

The pleasantly hot, but somewhat thin broth was topped with a "slick" of Japanese Curry.

A little stirring with the chopsticks, and viola!

The curry added some heat, richness, and flavor to the rather thin and bland broth which I tasted before mixing. The noodles had a nice pull to it, which of course posed another problem….has anyone invented a "slurp proof" shirt yet??? Maybe Dennis might know!

Even though the curry had bits of ground beef in it, I had thought this would be a bit short on the protein, and it in fact was, which justified my ordering the Chicken Karaage.

I usually end up making my own Chicken Karaage at home since it's so easy, but I think Sakura's version is nice and light, if a bit short in the flavor department.

So I guess with all these visits, Izakaya Sakura easily stays on our rotation.

To finish up, I just thought I'd throw in a coupla photos of the ever changing "special bento", just for the heck of it.

Anyone know where I can get a "slurp proof" shirt?

Izakaya Sakura
3904 Convoy St Ste 121
San Diego, CA 92111

Revisiting the Rotation: Chinese Breakfast at Chin’s Miramar

October 12, 2009 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants

**** This location of Chin's is no longer.

I usually update our "rotation page" a couple of times a year, and thought this would be a good chance to do so. So over the course of this week, I'll post a few revisits and come up with a revised page at the end of the week.

I thought I'd start with"Chinese breakfast" at Chin's, since there are a couple of changes. First, service now starts at 930 am on Saturdays and Sundays, something I posted on here. Secondly, there's the English translation of the menu, which has been in place for a while. It does seem that the menu is missing a few items though…… oh, and prices have gone up a bit, 20 to 50 cents per dish. We are, of course waiting for Chin's on Convoy to open up…..

And yes, the interior still looks like it was once a Marie Callendar, or some other corporate restaurant:

The "backbone" of our order does seem to revolve around the same items, like the Suzhou Smoked Fish, which my MIL tells me tastes just like China:

The Shao Bing with Five Spice Beef, a dish of which FOY "YY" tells me, "I would eat breakfast more often if I could have this all the time….":

And one of my other favorites, the Steamed Bun with Pickled Mustard Greens and Mushroom:

It's not always steamed perfectly, but when it's on, it's quite good. Hot and fluffy, the filling a melange of sweet, savory, and a pleasant mild bitterness that just hits all the right spots for me.

Enough of the reruns, here's the third newish thing about this location of Chin's; a seasonal specials menu:

I'm not sure about the seven bucks for shaved ice, but we did order the Da Bing with Smoked Meat ($6.25 – the first item on the menu):

I probably would have enjoyed this much more if I hadn't had a wonderful version of this at Northern Restaurant in Rosemead. The smoked meat was very mild, and somewhat artificial in flavor, almost like the stuff you'd buy at 99 Ranch Market, and instead of a hearty and savory pork and fermented bean dipping sauce, this was straight up hoisin. The Da Bing was good, if a bit on the oily side, but it was actually the best part of the dish. I did consume all of it, because, well, I'm a sucker for these type of dishes. Overall, decent and I'll take that in a pinch.

A bit later while talking about this meal, the Missus told me that the second item on the specials menu was Tea Smoked Chicken Leg. Of course I exclaimed, "why didn't you tell me?" To which She replied, "I really didn't like you much at breakfast!" She had a point, getting paged at 1am in the morning will do that to me…. But to add insult to injury, instead of Tea Smoked Chicken, I got Kaufu (wheat gluten)!

How does that saying go; "there hath no fury like a woman scorned….."

Chin's Seafood & Grill
9355 Kearny Mesa Rd
San Diego, CA 92126

Chinese breakfast served 930 am to 2pm Saturdays and Sundays.

Pardon me while I have a burger…….

October 11, 2009 mmm-yoso Burgers, Chains

If you live in California, Nevada, Arizona, or parts of Utah, I'm sure you'll recognize this….

It is of course, a classic "Double-Double" from…..

Funny thing, the first time I had a burger from In-N-Out, I remember telling my buddy Richard, "what's the big deal???" At which Richard, being a life-long resident of SoCal gasped as if I had committed heresy. Richard demanded that I perform an unusual act of contrition by…ahem, "kissing his buns" if you will. Realizing that I had verbally stabbed Richard in the heart, and also that he was my ride to the airport for my flight back home, I backpeddled stat.

But after moving to SoCal, and after having more than a few burgers from In N Out, I'll readily admit that the unique smell emanating from an In N Out can really get the stomach rumbling. I often tell the story of sneaking In N Out burgers into movie theaters, only to have someone whisper, "who's eating a double-double" several rows away.

I usually order either a "Double Meat", or just a regular ol' "Double-Double"…. there's no "secret menu" animal-style, protein style, flying dutchman, or as I heard one elderly woman once order, "doggy style(!!!!)" for me. I like the bite of raw onions, and the slight crunch of the toasted bun (but no "extra toast" for me).

OK, I just realized that I've taken three photos of my hand holding a "Double Double"…

I've ruminated long enough on two pieces of charred animal flesh topped with gooey melted "curdled milk from an old cows udder". I bet that still didn't turn you off from this burger, did it?

Enough, I've waited until October to have my first "Double-Double" of the year….. my other posts will have to wait a day!

Eating on the hood of your car – under the cover of darkness edition: La Princesita 2 Taco Truck

October 10, 2009 mmm-yoso Food Trucks, Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops

Recently, while driving home from dinner, we noticed a new taco truck in the old service station lot on the corner of Clairemont Drive and Balboa. Over the years, we've seen a couple of taco trucks, and even a BBQ truck testing out this corner lot. Most were gone within a week or two. But on a recent evening, I noticed that the truck was still in business, and decided to stop.

Driving into the parking lot and past the light show, I thought that something about the signs looked familiar.

Parking my car, and seeing the back of the trailer confirmed it:

This was La Princesita 2, the sister taco truck to the very popular truck parking in the lot of Joe's 99 cent store in Linda Vista. Thing were looking up. This trailer sold tacos, burritos, and tortas, and if I recall, the carne asada at La Princesita 1 is pretty good.

Tacos are priced at $1.50, so I got four……

Two Carne Asada, and two Lengua….I had wanted a Tacos de Cabeza, but they were out.

The Carne Asada was better than most of the something 'Berto's and the other taco shop chains in the area.

But suffered in our opinion, probably because we had just had some very good carne asada from El Poblano the night before. This was decent for carne asada done on a griddle, with some nice caramelized pieces, but lacking in a strong marinade. The occaisional piece of gristle didn't help things. Along with the decent salsa, onions, pickled onions, and cilantro, this wasn't bad, though I think the original truck's version is better. The corn tortillas were fine….

The Lengua (beef tongue) was too waxy, and lacked the nice gamey-beefy flavor of good lengua.

As it stood, this wasn't a very good version of lengua. If you're afraid of lengua, this is so mild, that if you can get over the texture, it'll be nice version for a first try.

It is nice to have some decent tacos in the neighborhood, and by what the folks were ordering (12 adobaba tacos!!!). I hope La Princesita 2 sticks around.

La Princensita 2 Taco Truck – on the corner of Balbo and Clairemont Drive.

Banh Mi…. from Cafe Chloe ???

October 7, 2009 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, European Restaurants, Sandwiches

**** Cafe Chloe has closed

I usually don't post on these type of restaurants (there are great food blogs, publications, and of course Chowhound to keep you abreast). But on our last visit to Cafe Chloe, I wasn't able to resist ordering something from the menu that I was itching to for a while…..

Located in East Village, this little Bistro has become a favorite of the Missus, and especially of Her "ladies who do lunch crowd").

And other than some rather normal blips in service(when you spend at least $50/60+ for lunch or$70+ for dinner for two, you tend to be a bit more picky), we have always had nice meals at Cafe Chloe. Most of the offerings seem both rich, and yet light at the same time. And of all the gratines, tartines, and amandines (yes, I know it's just a topping of almonds, but it just sounded right), the Missus adores the Meatloaf when it is offered as a daily special. Sorry to say, no meatloaf today.

Call us predictable, but we always start with basically the same two appetizers, well kinda, sorta, as you'll see. We always get the Charcuterie Du Jour – today it was a wonderfully rich, yet balanced Pork Rillette, a wonderful pork spread, appropriately sealed with a layer of fat on the top.

The mustards and pickles help to cut the richness. We're talking serious good here. No it won't assault your tastebuds with a ton of different flavors going everywhere, but it will make you go "mmmmm".

The Missus enjoys the Tarte Flambe, a classic flatbread, topped with a smear of crème fraîche, caramelized onions, and bacon…….. Need I say more????

Though I find the bread a bit on the thick side for a tarte, this is a nicely balanced offering. The bacon, thick sliced, is a far cry from the sodium loaded stuff you buy in packages. If anything, it was bit too mild for my tastes, but the Missus loves this, and orders it everytime. and of course, there are the mixed greens that seems to be on almost every plate…..

The Missus went with the Tartine du Jour – the open faced sandwich of the day. In this case it was a Curried Chicken Tartine:

Before grabbing a bite of this, I really didn't have my hopes up. It was however, very good, it looked over-dressed in mayo, but was not. A great combination of flavors and textures. And I really thought the bread was perfect for this, slightly nutty, with a mild hint of sweetness. I believe that Cafe Chloe gets their bread from Sadie RoseBaking Company, whose products I love. The pasta salad was dressed with a nice balsamic vinegar based concoction, but the pasta was hard and brittle. I guess I just expected a bit more.

So why am I doing a post on Cafe Chloe? Well there's something on the menu that I've been wanting to try……

Banh Mi??? In a French inspired Bistro….why not? I mean Banh Mi is undoubtedly French inspired, so why not…. it'll be like going "Back to the Future"!!! I love Banh Mi, and have probably eaten my share of them. And at least for me; it's a far cry from a French Baguette Sandwich to a Banh Mi, though I do think most things would taste better in a Banh Mi, even uni….umm oursins.

This was a case of the sum not being equal to its parts, and has probably been the only item I've been totally disappointed with at Cafe Chloe. Each item taken individually was good; I loved the crusty baguette, but it was too hard for a Banh Mi, in which the bread stars by being light, airy, and more flakey than crusty. The pate was nice, but very mild, and was totally lost in the sandwich. The Do Chua, the pickled vegetables which adds a crunch along with a palate cleansing flavor were replaced by a variety of greens. There were too many veggies in this, and the watercress and other greens were too bitter, and with the radishes, overwhelmed the entire sandwich, I couldn't even taste the aioli. There is always a nice savory component to a good Banh Mi which was missing here.

As if to really tell me to order something else next time, the Gaufrettes were burnt and bitter……

There's alot on the menu to enjoy at Cafe Chloe, steak frites, duck confit, the meatloaf the Missus will kill for. I'm sure we'll be back soon; the Missus would eat here a couple of times a week if She could. I won't be ordering the Banh Mi again, though……

Cafe Chloe
721 Ninth Ave
San Diego CA 92101

Maxim’s Seafood Restaurant

October 6, 2009 mmm-yoso Chicken Wings, Chinese Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

Maxim is a restaurant on the periphery for us. We pretty much never head there as a destination. For some reason, I have a hard time remembering this place, until you drive past it on ECB.

The menu is varied, as is the customer base. On any given visit you’ll see African American families enjoying the Orange Chicken and other ABC (American Born Chinese) favorites, a pair of Hispanic working stiffs ravenously attacking a plate of fried rice, a Filipino family chowing on a sizzling plate or two, and large parties of Vietnamese ordering up plates of seafood usual seated in the larger dining area on the right side of the restaurant.

And the menu is as varied as the clientele, with everything from Yu Hsiang (fish flavored) and various clay pot dishes, to the inevitable Chop Suey and Orange Chicken, to Bun and Pho! That’s a lot of territory to cover, and honestly, not everything at Maxim’s has been good. That said, the prices make it worth a try. Funny thing, they’ve pretty much got us pegged… they start talking to the Missus in Mandarin as soon as She enters the place.

So here’s a sampling of what we’ve had over the last couple of months at Maxim’s. Starting with the good:

The Sizzling Beef Sate ($10.99):

We’ve had pretty good luck with Beef dishes at Maxim’s, and this was very nice. The beef was tender, and the sate rich though only mildly spicy. It was a bit on the greasy side, but pretty good.

Actually, we’ve had pretty good luck with anything Sate at Maxim’s, the Sate Shrimp($8.99) was no exception:

The shrimp were perfectly cooked, moist and tender. The garlic-peanut flavor was good. Again the only problem I had with the dish was the distinct lack of spice. Being that we believe the folks who run the place are Chiu Chow(I’m sure someone can tell us for sure), it’s not surprising that they do a decent Sate.

The Salted Fish and Chicken Fried Rice ($8.99), was sufficiently pungent:

But lacked the deep savory flavor of a good salted fish fried rice. The rice was decently stir fried, but lacked a decent “wok hay” that would have taken this up a notch.

The Seafood Pan Fried Noodle ($8.50) was pretty ugly looking, and I didn’t care for the noodles used, and there was a distinct lack of “seafood”:

But the flavor of the gravy, a nice salty-garlic taste, with a hint of sweetness, made this palatable. When looking at this dish, I started noticing something about the dishes at Maxim’s….. most of them were kinda, well, “fugly’ looking. The dishes really didn’t look that appetizing. And thus, Maxim’s became the place where things “tastes much better then it looks.”

The Flavor Duck ($9.50) was a very large portion of soy sauce stewed duck.

The duck suffered from star anise overload, as the anise flavor, along with excess saltiness took over the whole dish.

A heavy handed star anise and ginger flavor, along with a much too thin “gravy” also ruined the Special Beef Stew Clay Pot ($8.99):

Too bad, because otherwise this would have been a pretty good clay pot, as the meat was tender.

One day I noticed…gasp, Salt and Pepper Chicken wings($4.79) on one of the signs posted on the wall. There was no way I could resist.

This was interesting, the chicken had a batter that reminded me of something that came from a box with the letter B-A-N-Q-U-E-T written on the side. It also topped with fried garlic that obviously came from a jar….. not good eats.

One day, we went for the “Vietnamese Menu” and the Missus ordered the combination Com Tam (broken rice) dish ($6.99):

This was an interesting dish. The broken rice wasn’t very fragrant, but who doesn’t love a fried egg?The “Bi” (shredded pork) was extremely dry, but that “char grilled beef” was quite good. In fact, it almost tasted like a less sweet Mongolian Beef, and was very tender. I ended up poaching most of it off the Missus’s plate.

I ordered the Phnom Penh Noodle:

The broth was deceptively clear, it had a lot of flavor, but gave me the MS – heebie-geebies, perhaps a bit too much of the three letter flavoring. The noodles were done well, with a nice al dente pull to it. The combination of meat was fine, I didn’t care much for the slices of liver, and the fish balls were “meh”. The rest of it, chunks of what looked to be roasted pork and some offal were fine. Not that I’d have this again, but it was fine.

So what is my suggestion? Give Maxim’s a shot…… heck, you might find something that “tastes much better then it looks”!

The pricing structure with most items under ten dollars, makes Maxim’s a decent value. and they are open until midnight. Think of it as a sort of Sam Woo of the neighborhood…….

Maxim’s Seafood Restaurant
4616 El Cajon Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92115

Open Daily – 10am to midnight