mmm-yoso – Page 348

The “Real” Food Court at Plaza Bonita

August 14, 2009 mmm-yoso Chains, Filipino Restaurants

A couple of months ago, our good FOY, "MG" asked me if I had been to Plaza Bonita after the recent (sort of) renovation. I said that I'd been to Beard Papa (sadly now closed), and so I'd seen the new, and relocated food court, which looked a lot better than what I remembered. MG laughed and told me, "I don't think you've seen the REAL food court at Plaza Bonita". "Where's the real food court?" Her answer, "you need to go down the escalator…it's next to Target". I asked her what was comprised the "real" food court, but was just told that I needed to go check it out myself. So back in April, I found myself in the area, it was pretty early, 930 in the morning and I didn't think anything would be open, but I thought I'd just pop in a check it out………

And Plaza Bonita was indeed very quiet, until I walked down the escalator (it wasn't even turned on yet), and just plain cracked up.

It was the "terrible trio" of Filipino Chains in one place; Chowking, Jollibee, and Red Ribbon Bakery. Of course all are owned by JFC, Jollibee Foods Corporation. At this time in the morning, it was a haven for "mall walkers"…….

Admittedly, over the years, I've become less and less enamored of the food served at Jollibee and Chowking, but I must say, that the young lady working the counter at Jollibee was very pleasant, and of course they do table service, versus the lady at Chowking, who had somehow maneuvered a stool behind her perch behind the counter…she did love the microphone though, "thirty-four…..thirty seven…."

So you can get it all here…..from the fried chicken that cooked to order, and nice and moist.

Though I find the batter a bit too crumbly, on this visit it wasn't quite as greasy as I remembered. The gravy has that strange artificial flavor, but you just can't help pouring it over the rice…..

Speaking of artificiality, is there anything that looks more like plastic food than the Pancit Palabok from Chowking?

Unfortunately, according to the Missus, this tasted like plastic food, not the best of what Chowking has to offer.

The Missus did enjoy Her slice of Mango Cake from Red Ribbon bakery, though.

So, in case you need your Filipino Fast Food fix……the "real" food court at Plaza Bonita might fill the bill………

COMC: Stockdale’s Fine Southern Cuisine

August 11, 2009 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Cajun, Southern, and Soul Food

****Stockdale's has closed

You'll be able to tell, how long ago our visit was based on the photos, thus the "COMC" (Clearing Out the Memory Card) preface. We've been meaning to return but I don't forsee that happening in the near future, so I thought it was about time I posted. Actually, getting to Stockdale's was an interesting enough story. Stockdale's had been on my list for a while, and one day the Missus came to me asking about some of those restaurants. I mentioned Stockdale's, and told Her that the restaurant was located in the former location of Papa Doc's.The Missus told me that Stockdale's sounded like a great idea, and made plans for dinner….. without me! A couple of weeks after Her dinner with friends we made it to Stockdale's:

You can tell by the "decoration" about when this was, right? The interior didn't look like it had changed much since it was Papa Doc's.

Because the Missus had tried a bunch of things with Her friends, She was able to make some suggestions regarding the menu.

Based on Her previous visit, She had determined that the Fried Snapper was the best of the trio of fishes offered. and went with a Fried Snapper entree ($11.95):

The Missus was right, the snapper was moist, the breading well flavored, it was spot on. The Missus got Hushpuppies and Collard Greens as Her two "sides". The collard greens were bland and disappointing, and I thought the hushpuppies bland, and on the greasy side. The Missus, who has never met a hushpuppy She didn't like, thought they were fine.

I ordered the Fried Chicken ($11.95). I was told that the Chicken is cooked to order, even on buffet nights, so it would be a 20 minute wait. For piping hot fried chicken? No problem:

The chicken was delivered piping hot, and each piece was fried to a perfectly. I found the flavor to be on the bland side, and the batter to be very light, but not in an unpleasant way. I had also gotten the collard greens. I also ordered smothered red potatoes, which was pretty good. I wish the potatoes were a bit softer, as some pieces were hard. The gravy was also light, but had a nice flavor. In fact, I think smothered chicken might be the way to go.

Knowing that the Missus loves Fried Okra, I ordered some Okra as an extra side:

These were lightly battered and a bit short on the seasoning, but not bad.

We were the only customers in the place during our visit, and found the service to be very warm and welcoming….in a downhome way. Stockdale's claims to serve "Alabama style" Southern Cuisine, but I'm not quite sure what that is. The location is in the corner of a strip mall off of University with there's lots of parking. Stockdale's also offers "all you can eat" buffet nights – I believe 6-8pm Mondays is AYCE Fried Chicken and Fridays is AYCE Fried Catfish, you may want to call to verify. Overall, I thought the food ok, and perhaps we'll return, but I'm not sure when.

Stockdale's Fine Southern Cuisine
6523 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92115

(619) 265-1494

Hours: Mon, Wed-Thu 1100am – 800pm
Fri-Sat 1100am – 1000pm
Sun 1200pm – 800pm

Roadtrip: Northern Chinese Restaurant – Rosemead (Los Angeles)

August 10, 2009 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Los Angeles County, Road Trip

**** Northern Chinese Restaurant has closed

On our last trip to the SGV (San Gabriel Valley) it was our intention to stop by Northern Chinese Restaurant first, since I read that they open at 1030 am. We'd grab some small eats and head to the next place on hour list. But things change quickly in the SGV, hours are rearranged constantly, and when we arrived at the strip mall that houses Northern Chinese Restaurant, Shin Sen Gumi Hakata Ramen, among others, we were told that Northern doesn't open until 11am (even though the menu lists their hours as 1030am – 10pm). Which is why we ended up doing a return trip to Hunan Chilli King, whose sign says they open at 11am, but were open and going full tilt at 1040 am…..go figure!

After building up a good sweat at HCK, we went through my ever shortening list of places to hit in the SGV, and decided to head back to Northern Chinese Restaurant. When we arrived, the restaurant was fairly empty, but had a table full of take-out orders. In fact, there was a steady stream of customers picking up their orders while we ate. We quickly looked over the menu, and made our selections, which came out extremely quickly….I mean really quickly!

First out of the kitchen, in a flash was the Stir Fried Mushroom ($8.88):

Maybe it was the curse of having Hunan food before returning to Northern Restaurant, but we both found this interesting stir fry of various wild mushrooms to be unsatisfying. There was an interesting combination of textures, but some of the flavors, especially the small, hard, somewhat astringent tasting mushrooms, were rather unpleasant.

Next up was the Suan Cai Yang Rou (Pickled Sour Napa Casserole with Lamb – $9.88):

First off the good; the lamb was prepared well, great texture, good gamey flavor, nie ratio of fat to meat. The wider cellophane noodles went well with this dish. The bad: there was too much cabbage, and not enough Suan Cai, a pickled cabbage much like sauerkraut. This made the broth terribly bland. There was also a large amount of ginger cut into triangles which were bothersome, unless you love biting into pieces of ginger every three bites or so. For my money, I prefer the version at Tianjin Bistro, though the lamb was prepared better here. I had leftovers a day later, and the broth was still much too bland……

For our last dish, the Missus ordered the Xun Rou Da Bing ("Smoke meat and Cake" on the menu – $4.95):

Here we have a winna! Unlike the Niu Rou Chuan (Beef roll), this came deconstructed. You smeared a good amount of the pork and bean paste on your slice of Da Bing, added the shredded scallions, and a slice of the mild, but savory pork. Roll it up, and you have at it! As much as I really, really, enjoyed the bean paste, it was the bread that did it for me. The Da Bing was prepared perfectly, at least for me. Usually, either too much, or not enough oil is used, making the flat bread greasy and soggy or too dry and unpalatable. In this case, it was crisp on the exterior, yet pliable, the thin middle layer was moist and almost flakey, and not greasy at all.

It appeared that we had gone through the menu rather hastily, because looking over my photos of the menu, there were a few items we missed:

We were impressed by the woman who waited on us, she answered all of the Missus's questions in detail (in Mandarin of course), and displayed a good knowledge of the food, to the point of describing the different mushrooms the stir fry, now lost to posterity. According to the Missus, the accents of staff were decidedly "very Northern, like Shenyang Northern", which makes sense. The restaurant is clean, and thankfully on the day we ate, had the A/C going at a nice level. I think we'll be back for the Da Bing…. and maybe some Shenyang Fake Dog Meat????

Northern Chinese Restaurant
8450 East Valley Blvd.
Rosemead, CA 91770

Sunday Stuffs: Eddels is now Chibugan, a Noble Chef revisit, and a couple of “stories”.

August 9, 2009 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Filipino Restaurants, yoso-silly

Just couple of things for Sunday……

Eddels is now Chibugan:

As reported by FOY Toshiko. Eddels is now Chibugan.

I was in the area this afternoon so I dropped by. Chibugan is indeed open, but looked to only have four or five offerings. I had already eaten lunch, so I'll grab a bite on another day.

Thanks for letting me know Toshiko!

Chibugan (In Vinh Hung Supermarket)

10550 Camino Ruiz
San Diego, CA 92126

A COMC post on Noble Chef:

Last week, another FOY (Friend of Yoso), RossC sent me a really nice email. Ross has relocated, and said, "I now have a much greater appreciation for what San Diego had to offer". One of the places Ross mentioned was Noble Chef. I realize that I've done a few posts on Noble Chef, but I had these photos saved for no reason in particular, so I thought I'd just do a quick COMC (Clearing Out the Memory Card) post. This one's for you Ross! The "old" Noble Chef was one of our favorite haunts for cheap eats. The older Gentleman who worked the wok sure knew his stuff. The Shrimp with XO Sauce Fried Rice was great, "wok hey", great garlic (and I'm sure MSG) flavor, a touch of spice! When the folks finally retired and the new owners took over there was something missing. The "breath of the wok" was gone, and the food seemed underseasoned. That's not to say that the food was terrible, it was still decent, but having eaten there quite frequently, I could tell the difference. On the other hand there were some changes that were for the good. The place had been freshened up, the prices were still reasonable, and I detected even more of the "good stuff" (i.e. shrimp) in some of the dishes. So now, every 8-9 months, I drop by to see how the food is progressing at Noble Chef.

I will always order the Shrimp with XO Sauce Fried Rice. For me this was the dish that put Noble Chef on our list. There was a ton of shrimp, at least ten in the fried rice. It was still priced at $7.55, very reasonable.

It still lacked the wok hey, spice, and garlicky goodness of the version the old Noble Chef version. It was not bad, just not as good.

I also ordered the Shrimp with Tomato Sauce Rice, which had gone up a buck to $7.55, but you really couldn't complain based on the portion size.

Now this was much improved over the version I had on my previous visit. It could've been that the tomatoes were of better quality since there was a nice "tang" to the sauce. I counted a whopping eleven shrimp in the dish. The shrimp were cooked with much more finesse, they were tender, not overcooked. The sauce was nice and velvety, and I even detected a bit of spice….nice…..

I hope the things just keep getting better. I'll keep checking back every couple of months. I'm waiting for the Shrimp with XO Sauce Fried Rice to get back to where it once was.

The Noble Chef
6159 Balboa Avenue
San Diego, CA 92111
(858)278-8688

Thanks again for the wonderful email Ross!

A North Park Produce Story:

A couple of weeks ago, I dropped by North Park Produce to pick-up some Feta for the Missus. As I was being rung up at the register, I noticed that the previous customer had forgotten his milk. I handed the young lady some cash, and told her to hold my change while I go and find the gentleman who forgot his milk. I jogged out the back of NPP, and saw the gentleman turning the corner on El Cajon Boulevard. I yelled out, "hey, you forgot your milk"! At the sound of my voice the guy started off at a sprint down ECB!!! Caught up in the moment, I, for some reason gave chase! A few things you need to know…..the gentleman was almost a foot taller, and maybe twice the size of me. He was bigger than Captain Jack. So picture a little Asian Guy chasing a six foot five inch monster down El Cajon Boulevard waving a carton of milk……. Dude must be in some beeeeg trouble! About a block and a half later, dude suddenly realizes that I'm just trying to get him his milk. He stops. Totally out of breath, huffing and puffing, I hand him the carton of milk. Not only is he twice my size, but he is obviously in better shape as well………. Sweating profusely, I walked back to NPP to retrieve my feta cheese and my change…….

A Bronx Pizza Story:

The fellas at work love Bronx Pizza. So one day, we decided to order a whole pie from Bronx. The place is quite close to work, so I volunteer to call in the order and pick up the pie.

I place the order on the phone, and the final part of the conversation goes like this:

BG (Bronx Guy): Name?
Me: Kirk
BG: David??
Me: No Kirk, K-I-R-K…
BG: It'll be under David…
"click" He hangs up the phone……..

David? What the heck? Did I just walk into a Seinfeld episode??? So I go to pick-up the pie….

BG: Name?
Me: It'll be under Kirk or David…
BG: No pie for Kirk or David….what didya order?
Me: A Porko
BG: We got a porko here for xxx (I can't remember the name)…..

Now I know all about the Bronx attitude, and most of the time it's all fun and games, but come on. But I decide that two can play the same game, so as I leave:

Me: Hey
BG: What
Me: No wonder Lefty's and Luigi's is kicking your …!

Guess I won't be going back to Bronx for a while, huh?

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

Chiang Mai: Food on the side of the road – Durian, Durian Rice, Mango and Sticky Rice, our Favorite Fried Rice, and yes, more Kanom Krok

August 8, 2009 mmm-yoso Chiang Mai, Thai Restaurants, Thailand, Travel

I was once told, "you won't have to eat in a restaurant in Thailand, it's all on the side of the road". Never have words rung so true. Though the scents of food doesn't waft down every street and alley in Chiang Mai, there is more than enough to keep you stuffed.

Much like Luang Prabang we quickly developed a routine of sorts. Up early, after a small breakfast, which was free at the hotel. Unlike other folks we didn't load up on the free stuff, saving ourselves for later. We'd get on our way early. On our first morning, we headed off to the Chiang Mai Cultural Center. As we took the turn on Ratwithi an "escort" joined us:

As if he knew that we weren't from around these parts, this mutt walked alongside the Missus making sure we made our way to the Museum.

He guided us almost to the doors of the museum, and seeing that his duty was completed, he looked up at us, with almost a smile on his face, and went on his way. It was pretty remarkable…..

We enjoyed the Museum, and learned a lot, but forgot even more!

There was a good collection of interactive displays.

There was one display that was a bit too realistic. We noticed this display, and kept wondering what part the stuffed cat played in the display. Then the cat sat up and yawned! I almost jumped out of my shoes!!! It seems this cat has found the perfect spot to take a nap……after all, what better than the lap of a (semi-) human????

On the way back we passed a small booth on the side of the road.

It was obvious that they made the classic sticky rice with mango, but the Missus pointed to one of the pots and even though the couple didn't speak any English, they knew what the Missus was asking about. When the young man opened the pot, the fragrance instantly hit me…….

It was the making of Durian Rice! The Missus ordered some Sticky Rice with Mango and Durian and tapioca pearls with sticky rice.

Which we brought back to our room and devoured…….

After our "snack" and quick shower, we'd head off, and grab some lunch (we'll cover that later), and do something like head off and visit a few Wats. The Missus loved the Wats, and She'd take advantage of every opportunity to ~~accost~~ talk to the Monks.

After the Missus saw this sign on the grounds of Wat Chedi Luang:

We returned the next afternoon, and while the Missus ~~high-jacked~~ did Her hour and a half "Monk Chat" I walked the grounds.

A Buddhist University is located on the grounds so this was a great chance for students to practice their English, and the Missus to talk to the young men, starting with the inevitable "I thought Monks are vegetarians, and aren't supposed to eat meat, how come monks in Thailand eat meat?" Sigh……..

The restored Chedi (Stupa) at Wat Chedi Luang clocks in at about 200 feet and is a good landmark when walking within the "Inner Moat" part of Chiang Mai. It was originally built in 1441 and was restored by UNESCO and the Japanese government. The Chedi lacks a spire because no one is really sure what it looked like. Another interesting tidbit. There are six Elephant sculptures along the Chedi, five of them are restorations. Only the one with no ears and trunk is an original.

After returning to our room, we'd head off for something to eat, often stopping off at Pratu Chiang Mai, or something up the street at one of the other markets.

There's always food in sight, and you will run into something. One night while walking up the Moon Muang we ran smack into a market, and a couple of food carts. One of which featured meat on a stick….who can resist?

These looked a spooky white in color….

OK, all the red specks were the only pieces of meat in this sausage……… it also tasted kinda strange….sour, but a strange sour.

And of course……

We could not pass a Kanom Krok cart without stopping. This Guy was busy, and couldn't keep up with demand. The Konom Krok we got was overcooked and solid in the center……it tasted fine, but was hard through and through. No molten, lip melting center for us this time.

Every evening after dinner, we'd head back to our room. But we'd always end up waiting at this stand a block from our hotel:

I'm walk over to the 7-11 (there's one on every block in Chiang Mai and Thailand) for water and some, uh, liquid refreshment, while the Missus would wait for ~~Her~~ our 35 Baht ($1) Fried Rice.

For those who complain that Sab E Lee puts too much white pepper on their fried rice and Pad See Ew, check this out. This was soooooo good…..

And of course, there's always a Durian story…… On our second night we noticed a pick-up parked alongside the road, loaded with Durian.

The Missus couldn't resist! There was fresh Durian that had been cleaned sold on a folding table next to the pick-up. The Missus bought some, and declared it the best She's had to date. So of course we went back the next night and bought more.

While the Missus enjoyed the Durian, and the Montri did not have any "no Durian" signs posted, I felt bad for the folks cleaning our rooms. I tried to ease my guilt by leaving a bit of a larger tip everyday for the folks having to suffer through cleaning our rooms.

Chiang Mai was an interesting city. On one side quite the tourist town, with a bustling visitor industry. On the other, an ancient walled city…….. with a real spirituality that we saw over and over. It was a fascinating balance.

Roadtrip: A return to Hunan Chilli King – San Gabriel (Los Angeles)

August 7, 2009 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Los Angeles County, Road Trip

I rarely post on revisits of places in the San Gabriel Valley. But I hope you don't mind if I do a return visit.

It seems that the Missus has been taken by Hunan food in the SGV. On a recent visit, we decided to return to Hunan Chilli King. On the last trip, I had been almost blown to bits by one of the dishes, but apparently I hadn'tlearned my lesson. The Missus had wanted to try several items She had noticed previously, and I had one particular preparation in mind as well.

In actuallity, our strategy was to hit another restaurant first, with food a bit milder, than grab a bite at Chilli King on our way home. Unfortunately, the restaurant we had in mind had changed their hours, and wasn't open when we arrived. So it was off to HCK.

This time, the Missus decided to not even bother with the menus, but to order items listed on the colorful strips of paper lining the entire restaurant. One thing I did notice; many of the items lining the walls, are also in the menu. Perhaps it's their way of letting us know everything is good? One thing about me and very spicy food….I will sweat profusely, to the point of embarrassment, and sometimes concern from the staff of a restaurant. But I almost never have lingering "complaints" from my GI system. The Missus, on the other hand, can tolerate incredibly spicy food with nary a drop of perspiration on Her brow. She has however, known the feeling of, how should I put it….. magma making it's way to the ocean…..

This being fairly early in the morning for spicy eats, I thought some Beijing style yogurt would be a nice proactive step.

It does help that I love this stuff…..

After having the Pork Intestines with Pickled Green Beans and Chilies at Xiang Wei Lou, I wondered how the dish would fare at Hunan Chilli King since we thought the pickled green beans and the chilies were much better here. So of course, we had to have the Suan Do Jiao Chao Fei Chang:

Having not learned our lesson on our previous visit, we ordered this "Big Spicy". For some reason, this didn't seem quite as hot. Notice, there weren't as many chili seeds this time around. That's not say this was very tame….

Just as before, we love the way HCK prepares their pickles. The intestines were fine, but I thought that Xiang Wei Lou does a better job of it. To me, the pork intestines from Xiang Wei Lou, cooked with these pickles and chilies, by the folks here would be the perfect combination.

The Missus saw a Dry-Cooked "small fish" dish posted on the wall, and we decided to order it.

A bowl of semi-dried fish that had been dry-fried with dried chilies, black beans, and leeks hit the table. The fish were chewy, and you ate them head and all. In spite of looks this wasn't a particularly piquant offering. It was very fishy and unpleasant…..

This coming from a guy who has had Prahok, Padek, and various other fermented fish and shrimp ingredients. Of course, for us there's a distinct difference between savory fermentation and rotten…. at least to us.

The Missus was intrigued by a dish that was simply called "steamed eggplant" on one of the placards. Inquiring didn't provide any clarification or demystification of what that dish was. At $10.99, it was pretty pricey as vegetables go in the SGV. For comparison sake, a whole steamed fish at Hunan Chilli King is priced at $7.99! In spite of the generic description, the Missus was assured that the dish was very good. So we ordered it…….

What arrived was a surprise. First was the preparation, which was almost exactly like Hunan Steamed Fish. Secondly, we counted a total of five whole eggplants were used to make this dish. The texture of most of the eggplant was excellent; I believe it was "oil blanched" before steaming. The flesh was creamy and wonderful, though we had to remove the skin because it was hard and basically inedible. The sauce was that wonderful soy sauce-oil concoction with fermented black beans and some chilies, when combined with rice is like crack! This was the best dish of the day.

We left with a ton of leftovers……. With our next stop on our minds.

Hunan Chilli King
524 East Valley Boulevard
San Gabriel, CA 91776

Nazca Grill Peruvian Restaurant

August 4, 2009 mmm-yoso Peruvian Restaurants

**** Nazca Grill has closed

Lately, the Missus and I have been fondly recalling our trip to Peru. And while it's been less than two years since we've been there, we're starting to speak of our trip in that faraway tone….. Funny thing is, as much as we marvel at visiting the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, it is the moments we treasure like walking into a dirt floor shack and grabbing some Chicha de Jora, a frothy alcohol beverage made from maize. And yes, the the fermentation process is actually started by moistening the maize in the maker's mouth. And of course it was the food, from Cebiche at Pescados Captiales, a fantastic meal at Astrid y Gaston, to the meal that was the most memorable, sharing dinner of home made Cuy (guinea pig) with a warm and gracious family in Cusco. You could say we've developed quite a fondness for Peru. So of course we were thrilled when we saw the sign for Nazca Grill go up. And even more thrilled when I noticed that the place had opened.

Nazca Grill now occupies the spot that both Aji Seco and the attached Taco Shop stood. The interior has been freshened up a bit, and in the open kitchen(actually the jerry-rigged kitchen of Aji Seco) stands a rotisserie. This could only mean one thing….. Pollo a la Brasa! Peruvians love their rotisserie chicken. You can't walk a block in Lima without running into a Pollo a la Brasa shop.

And yes indeed, Pollo a la Brasa was featured on the menu, as were Peruvian standards that would make any Peruvian ex-pat's heart sing. Stuff like Papa a la Huacaina, and those "Chifa" (Peruvian Chinese dishes) like Chaufa, basically a fried rice dish, and Lomo Saltado, which is basically a beef stir fry, featuring the unique Peruvian touch by including Papas Fritas (basically french fries). What else would you expect from Peru, where potatoes originated .

Pollo a la Brasa sounded good, but I was in search of something to refresh and revive me from the heat. If this ain't Cebiche weather, I don't know what is! We started with the Ceviche de Pescado ($10.95):

The cancha (fried corn kernals) and choclo (peruvian corn) were perfect and spot on. We really would have preferred a proper Camote (sweet potato) prepared in the Peruvian way, or even some purple sweet potatoes. The fish looked, tasted, and had the mouth feel of what they call "Corvina" in Peru(white sea bass), and was prepared well, with just the right amount of "cooking" from the citrus. It was however, a bit weak in the flavor department, you could say that the "Leche de Tigre" ("Tiger's milk" – the marinade for the Cebiche) lacked claws. It was very bland, which made this much less satisfying than the version at Latin Chef.

The Missus ordered one of Her favorite dishes, Pescado a lo Macho ($10):

First off, I gotta say this place really makes some good rice. The fish was cooked well, but again this was a bit lacking in the flavor department. The Missus prefers a version with a bit more spice and tomato for a nice mildly spicy-tangy kick. It was good, but not great.

Not in the mood for anything hot, I excitedly ordered the Tiradito Nazca ($11.95). I've developed a love for this supposedly Japanese influenced Peruvian dish. Every version of Tiradito I've had has been different. So I've come to think that this dish is a great way of a Chef displaying his, or her individuality, rather than sticking to the basic rules of Cebiche. I've had some fantastic versions, and some versions that looked amazing, but were train-wrecks. But I've never been bored by a Tiradito….until now:

When the dish arrived, the first sentence out of the Missus's mouth was; "where's the rest of it"? This tasted like the Cebiche with a bit of equally bland "crema" on it. No zing, no personality…… I was excited seeing this on he menu, as on my last visit, I learned that Latin Chfe no longer makes Tiradito….bummer.

After dinner, driving home, the Missus texted Her Peruvian friend. When She inquired as to whether he had been to Nazca Grill, he replied "of course". The place had only been open a week! That Peruvian pipeline is mighty strong. When She asked what he thought about the food, he replied that we needed to try the Lomo Saltado and the Pollo a la Brasa. So of course I returned, but this time for take-out.

I started with the Causa Nazca ($4.50).

I often call Causa a "layered mashed potato cake". A layer of mashed potato is covered with a filling, the usual is a tuna-mayo filling, with another layer of mashed potatoes on the top. This was the chicken version, which was pretty good. The shredded chicken was not dressed with too much mayo, so you could still taste the chicken. And who doesn't love mashed potatoes…in cake form. It was topped with a Huacaina sauce, a mild cheese sauce, which added, but didn't subtract from the flavor. Potatoes in Peru have amazing flavor, so I didn't even try to add that to the equation. Looking at my photo, I guess you could always say that this is a mashed potato-chicken salad sandwich, with the mashed potato being the "bread". We enjoyed this.

And of course the Lomo Saltado ($10):

A few years ago, someone made fun of one of my photos of Lomo Saltado. Specifically, the papas fritas….to which I simply replied, "you've never had this before, have you?" 'Nuff said….

This version was good, the meat has a decent chew without being tough, but I thought the dish could have a bit more ooomph, perhaps a bit more tangy-sour flavor. The saltiness was perfect. Again, the rice was perfect.

And of course, I needed to get some Pollo a la Brasa. I ordered a Half Chicken ($11.95), which came with a green salad, papas fritas (of course), and some Aji Amarilla (yellow pepper sauce).

Now truth be told, this place doesn't hold a candle to the woodburning Pollo a la Brasa joints in LA, or even the Peruvian mega-chain Pardo's. And while the flavor is not quite up to the level of El Pollo Inka, it is still quite good. The meat is very moist, soft, but not mushy. The flavor is on the salty side, but in a good way. The Aji Amarilla is bland. The fries….well, who doesn't love french fries??? The salad is your basic iceberg lettuce mix.

I'd have that chicken again. Be it ever so humble, we've got Pollo A la Brasa in San Diego.

The Gentleman who runs this place is named Wilson, who is a very nice, gracious, and accommodating guy. The service is decent, in that casual Peruvian way, and the food gets to your table much faster than at Latin Chef. There are items such as Anticuchos (grilled beef heart) and Sudado, which I assume is Sudado de Pescado, a fish stew, on the menu. I hope they do well!

Nazca Grill
4310 Genesee Ave
San Diego, CA 92117

Hours: Mon-Fri 1130am-10pm
Saturday 830am-10pm
Closed Sunday

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Roasted Garlic and Red Pepper Puree

August 2, 2009 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes

We've been grilling like crazy the last couple of weekends. The Missus' has been craving grilled mushrooms and roasted red peppers. She'd usually make sandwiches during the week of roasted red peppers, a roasted medium-mild, yellow chili, sometimes called a Santa Fe Chili Pepper. She's drizzle on some Extra Virgin Olive Oil and some feta cheese and be good to go. On one of our grilling sessions I roasted a few extra red peppers, which I put aside to puree, which is quite versatile. You can use the puree as a sauce, or in a vinaigrette, or even as the Missus used it….as a spread for bread. Check out Judy's wonderful Food Blog Tinker with Food, for another great idea.

There are a couple of ways you can roast bell peppers, you can read a bit about it here. I usually rub some olive oil on the peppers and roast them on the grill until charred, softened, and looking a bit "deflated". I place in a large bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. I also will often wrap a couple of bulbs of garlic, excess "skin" removed, tops chopped to reveal the cloves, covered with a bit of olive oil, in aluminum foil, and place in the "indirect heat" portion of my grill to roast. Conversely, you can roast garlic in the oven. Anyway, I've already typed in too many words for something so easy to make.

Roasted Garlic and Red Bell Pepper Puree:

3-4 large roasted bell peppers, charred skin removed, cut into sections.
1 bulb of roasted garlic
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (more as necessary)
Salt to Taste.

– Remove the roasted garlic cloves from the bulb by holding the bottom of the bulb, and squeezing.
– Place roasted bell peppers, roasted garlic, and olive oil in a blender and puree to desired thickness. Drizzle in more olive oil if necessary.
– Remove puree, taste, add salt, and stir briefly by hand to mix.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups. I also let the puree sit about 1 hour to "set".

On this night, I threw together a quick meal. Inexpensive sashimi grade scallops from Nijiya were seared, and plated on a good amount of the puree.

I topped off the scallops with wasabi tobiko, and sprinkled crushed oregano and ground red chili powder to garnish…….

To make a vinaigrette, simply replace the usual amount of mustard, or whatever emulsifier) with the red pepper puree.

Chiang Mai: Pratu Chiang Mai Market

July 31, 2009 mmm-yoso Chiang Mai, Thai Restaurants, Thailand, Travel

Chiang Mai didn't quite have the constant fragrance of food wafting through the air like Bangkok. In fact, at times you kinda had to work a bit to find something that wasn't tourist, Western style, or Pseudo-Thai Food. After walking around Chiang Mai a bit, we were rather happy we stayed in the Inner Moat area, right across the street from the Tha Phae Gate. The hotel, The Montri was a bit worn, and there was a huge renovation project going on during the day, which didn't bother us much since we were out of our hotel by 8 am. One of the places we visited many times was the area by the South Gate, called Pratu Chiang Mai. The Pratu Chiang Mai Market area really has something going on during all hours.

At night all the food stalls and carts are going strong.

During the day, there are more formal stands within the market area, and more produce vendors lining the street.

The evening carts seem to get started right after the afternoon rains, and get going pretty quickly.

On the day we arrived in Chiang Mai, the Missus decided to do a quick walking tour of various Wats.

And at the end, I was bushed. I remember seeing food stalls on our way in the from the airport, so we took a walk to Pratu Chiang Mai, and had our first dinner here. The only problem is what to get!

The TFC (Thai Fried Chicken) stand was going strong, and you can eat well for less than 2 bucks. At the time of our visit it was 33 Baht to a Dollar. So here I was in Thailand….so why not get some Pad Thai???

Place your order, and things get rolling pretty quickly.

Meat on a stick, just 15 Baht (50 cents):

Which on this day was enough for the Missus and I….a buck-fifty for dinner…..

The Sausage was decent, but had a bit too much rice and was not sour enough for my tastes, but the Missus really enjoyed it. It was garnished with slices of cucumber and galangal.

The Pad Thai was pretty good, a bit greasy, but in a good way.

It was surprisingly filling. We had gotten to appreciate Thai portion sizes, which seemed to be just enough to be satisfy you without taking you over the edge.

I do remember watching in amazement as a Thai Gentleman poured several scoops of what looked to be palm sugar over his Pad Thai before consuming it!

And finishing things off was some Kanom Krok.

This woman made the best we had on the entire trip! It became our "gold standard" for Kanom Krok, wonderful hints of coconut, without being too sweet. A wonderful crisp crust with a tongue melting molten interior. Familiar and simple, but complex in texture and taste at the same time.

It was a nice first meal.

Over the course of our stay in Chiang Mai, we always knew we could stop by for a nice snack. For us, it provided the perfect pace unlike the crazy and tourist saturated Night Bazaar, which we visited once, and decided never again.

Turo Turo Thursday: Betchay’s Pancit Lumpia & Grill

July 30, 2009 mmm-yoso Chicken Wings, Filipino Restaurants, Sisig

**** Betchay's has closed

It's Thursday, which means it is time for another installment of "Turo-Turo" (point-point) Thursday. In these posts, I'm checking out these little mom-and-pop shops serving what I call "Filipino soul food". You can almost always count on generous portions, and most of the dishes served will without a doubt stick to your ribs. Taking a different approach, I'm just trying out places outside the National City-Chula Vista area. And Betchay's in Rancho Penasquitos is about as far away from there as you can imagine. Located in the huge shopping complex off Black Mountain Road, Betchay's can be kind of difficult to find.

Whenever I visit, I always chuckle. One of the signs for Betchay's overlaps the front of the pet store next door. I'm sure this must cause some customers(and employess) a bit of consternation????

Still, the folks here, are very, very, nice. One young man in particular, is so friendly, polite, and helpful, that I just think he's amazing. In fact, he always asks me if I want some Sinigang with my plates, something that is a request item at most turo-turo joints.

If you asked me if free Sinigang tastes better, I'd say yes without hesitation!

So here's a summary of a couple of items I've had over the last couple months (years?).

There's no way I'd pass up Sisig at anywhere if I hadn't sampled it before. And Betchay's is no exception. In fact fellow pork lovers, I've just created a category for Sisig, for your heart-stopping, artery clogging, enjoyment.

The version here has a good texture, the lechon kawale is still crisp, and it's not drowned in "juice". It does a lack the nice sour punch, and for my tastes is a bit low on the heat scale. It is decent overall.

The Pork Adobo…..

The texture was good, the meat tender. It had enough salt, but was lacking in all the other categories. It was also super oily, and not in the "fei ur bu ni"(rich without greasy way). If you're a frequent reader of my posts, I don't think I'm a shrinking violet when it comes to oil, but man this was just too much……..

There are also Chicken Wings, 3 pieces for $2.25:

This should probably not sit under a heat lamp, as they were soggy and greasy. Also short on the flavor scale as well.

On one of my visits I got my combo-plate with pancit instead of rice, and enjoyed it. More "al dente" than most places, and mostly just noodles, but served as a starch, it does just fine.

As you notice above, I ordered Tocino. And on this day, the Tocino was excellent. Tocino originally is a cured pork dish, so it should be a bit chewy. This version had the perfect amount of chew for me. It was not overly dry, and had a perfect ratio of salty to sweet for my taste.

If you've been to Betchay's, you know that I've only scratched the surface. With the nice service I've had, it's really easy to like the place. On one visit, which was in the morning, I was filling up my soda, when one of the young ladies in the back, leaned out the service window. Not knowing I was there, she started singing in a very sweet voice. When she saw me, she immediately stopped, and gave me an embarassed look. I turned, and gave her a thumbs up, and she gave me the brightest smile.

It's easy to like places like that…..

Betchay's Pancit Lumpia & Grill
13223 Black Mountain Rd
San Diego, CA 92129

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