mmm-yoso – Page 349

Revisits: Kayaba, and (yet) another visit to Izakaya Sakura

July 29, 2009 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants

Just some revisits for today……

Kayaba:

***** Kayaba has closed

Sometimes just the mention of something can really get me going……. Yesterday, all it took was reading one of the daily posts from one of my favorite food blogs, Our Adventures in Japan. Kat, much like me, is an ex-pat Kama’aina, and is currently on vacation visiting “home” which, of course, would be Hawaii. Obviously I’m glued to each and every one of her posts. So yesterday, what does she post on? Why it just had to be Tonkatsu (albiet a Tonkatsu Sandwich), from Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin. The worst thing was that Kat, who usually includes a few photos from every meal, didn‘t do that for this meal. With good reason as she was having lunch with a good friend, and I‘d do the same. The problem was, that all I could think about was their $36 Tokusen Kurobuta Tonkatsu Teishoku. Sorry to say, there’s no Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin in San Diego……but I just had to have some Tonkatsu. So I settled for Kayaba:

It did a decent job of “scratching that itch”…..it ain’t no Ginza Bairin, but was bit a bit cheaper at $8. I think if I’d missed the boat at Kayaba, I’d have even settled for shredded cabbage with tonkatsu sauce……weird, I know, but much like Kathy, I can’t resist slathering katsu sauce all over my cabbage. One does need 5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day right?

Kayaba
4240 Kearny Mesa Rd Ste 119 – In the Mitsuwa Marketplace
San Diego, CA 92111

(Yet) Another Visit to Izakaya Sakura:

Yes, you can say it now…….how many posts can one do on Sakura? It’s bad enough that Ed, Cathy, and I have all done posts on Sakura. But to make matters worse, we’ve each done multiple posts. I have however, taken comfort in the fact, that I haven’t even come close to the level of obsession with the place as displayed by Dennis in his wonderful food blog, A Radiused Corner. Oh, and in case you missed it, here’s his latest post on Sakura. Now that’s dedication!

And our recent weather had a nice visit to Sakura written all over it. On this visit, the Missus and I sat in the “smoking section”…… just joking, we sat on one of the tables outside where I’ve seen guys taking surreptitious puffs of cancer sticks in the past. You can’t drink alcohol on these tables, but you can sneak in a few stealth puffs if you need to.

On this visit, the Missus had one dish in mind, while I had several. I started with one of my favorites Maguro Yamakake. Simply cubes of Maguro topped with Yamaimo (mountain yam) which has been grated to give it a gooey texture. Along with a bit of soy and wasabi, I find this a refreshing dish. Though a good FOY (Friend of Yoso) calls it “snot on tuna”. (You don’t want to know what he says Shiokara smells like) It really has a mild flavor, and is more of an acquired texture than anything else.

I followed that up with the Albacore Tataki, slices of seared Albacore in ponzu sauce, topped with sliced onions and scallions. The meaty Albacore, which sometimes can be on the dry side, does well with the citrusy ponzu, and just as red meat goes well with sweet, acidic onions, the Albacore does the trick.

In need of something rich, I also ordered the Ankimo (steamed monkfish liver), another of my favorite dishes:

I realize that it’s not the optimal time for Ankimo (which is winter), which is probably why this wasn’t the best Ankimo that Kazu has ever created. It was very fishy, with a more wax like mouth feel than the usual pate texture. It was too strong for the Missus, who also loves Ankimo.

When it’s hot, I love Zaru Soba (cold soba), and I enjoy the version at Sakura.

The Missus was still waiting for Her dish, and wanted a a taste of my soba. I had forgotten how She eats Her Zaru Soba; She ended up dumping the entire ball of wasabi into the tsuyu(the broth), creating a nasal singeing experience for me. I had to keep reminding myself, “real men don’t cry in their soba”…… ouch! On the good side, my sinus problems were a thing of the past……

Finally, the Missus’ Chirashi arrived, looking mighty good.

The Missus attacked this with gusto, and based on Her reaction it sure must’ve hit the spot.

Of course, I got my share of the Chirashi as well, in the form of the very plump oyster, as well as some of the Ikura and rice:

While eating the Chirashi, the Missus thought of the perfect item to top off Her meal……

Shishamo of course, which She can eat like french fries.

We left Sakura as we always do after a nice dinner there…..maybe a bit lighter in the wallet, but satisfied.

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

Laylah’s Patties & Jerk – Just the Patties

July 27, 2009 mmm-yoso Jamaican Restaurants

While looking to make a U-turn on El Cajon Boulevard on my way to Sang Dao, I saw brightly colored shop. The signage that said "Jamaican Beef, Chicken, Veggie Patties" can't help but get your attention.

A few days later, I stopped by, and found that this little shop was nice little market, so I restocked on my Grace Hot Sauce. And yes, I did get a couple of patties:

For those thinking that a Jamaican Patty is a piece of ground beef ready for the grill (I won't name names, but you know who you are), a Jamaican Patty is basically a savory pastry filled with meat. Similar to an empanada, turnover, or meat pie. I'd had a Jamaican Patty once before(so count me among those who is far from an authority on the subject), and though I didn't care for the "shell" which I thought was greasy, the ground beef filling was pretty spicy, and quite delicious.

So of course I got the classic Beef Patty:

At first glance, the patties looked a bit on the "skinny" side, not like the one's I had tasted previously. At first bite, mixed signals were sent to my brain. I enjoy the crusty-grittiness of the shell. On the other hand, I found the filling to be terribly bland, totally against character for Jamaican food. It was also kind of greasy…..

To my tastebuds the Chicken Patty fared a bit better. Though it also had just a thin smear of filling, the ground chicken was better seasoned and moist, though still not very spicy. Looking at the filling, I thought I saw what looked like chopped Ortega Chilies, though I'm probably mistaken.

Based on the patties, I'm not really motivated to return. What does motivate me to return is the "Reggae Kitchen" being built next door. I was told that it'll be a Jamaican Food take-out joint set to open in a few months. So I'll hold off on any more patties, and wait for the Jerk Chicken…..

Laylah's Patties & Jerk
5712 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

Roadtrip: Xiang Wei Lou – San Gabriel (Los Angeles)

July 26, 2009 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Los Angeles County, Road Trip

**** Xiang Wei Lou has closed

To complete the Hunan "trifecta" the Missus and I decided to check out Xiang Wei Lou, located on Valley in the same strip mall as Papa Walk and the San Gabriel Hilton. We had saved this one for last because it seemed to be the nicest looking, and strangely enough had an "A" LA DOH rating, a rarity in the San Gabriel Valley.

The place was pretty dark when walked in, until the next set of customers arrived. They immediately took over the place, telling the mellow, but indifferent young lady to turn down the A/C, turn up the lights, I want this…..I want that.

Meanwhile the Missus and I were coming up with a gameplan, and placed our order. As usual, we started with a Hunan standard, the Combination Smoked Meat (Preserved Delicacy Combination – $10.99):

This was a disappointment, the meats were hard and the smoke flavor was lacking. Compared to Hunan Seafood(which was the best) and Hunan Chilli King, this was the worst so far.

The Missus had been dreaming about Hunan Pickled Green Beans since our visit to Hunan Chilli King. She had even gotten Her Dad involved, as he has been attempting to make this from memory. According to my FIL, the traditional way of making this is a dying art in Hunan. Looking over the menu, I wondered what type of meat, or cut (other than something smoked), would stand up to the briney pickles, and the chilies. We decided on Pork Intestines, and ordered the Intestines with Sour String Beans($8.99):

This was probably the most well prepared pork intestine I've had. The intestine was sliced lengthwise and cleaned, so there was no "bonus" material. So I wouldn't be tasting what was Mr or Mrs Piggy's last, or second to last meal. It was also cooked well, yielding at first bite, slowly gaining a bit of chewiness. The earthy, dark flavor went well with the pickled green beans and the salted chilies. The green beans weren't done very well, they didn't have the semi-crunchy texture of well cured green beans, and weren't as briney and sour as the version at Hunan Chilli King. another big issue was that even though we ordered this "Big Spicy", this was quite mild. I didn't even break a sweat, a real rarity when it comes to Hunan or Sichuan food. Still, this was some goos "guts".

The last item we decided on, well, we just had to order since there was a huge photo of it on the back wall. Also, when considering San Diego prices, $8.99 is dirt cheap for a whole steamed fish.

We ordered the Whole Steam Fish, Big Spicy, and yes, it was just $8.99.

At heart this is a typical Chinese Steamed whole fish, with a kicker. It is topped with a layer of chilies. The fish was fresh, though like I've mentioned before, I'm not a big fan of fresh water fish. In this case it was slightly muddy in flavor. The Missus thought this was wonderful, as it was steamed very well, the flesh firm and moist, and not mushy. I was happy with pouring the sauce over four bowls of rice……… Oh, and in spite of looks, I didn't think this was particularly spicy……. But is was only $8.99!

While on the subject of spicy; the family that was bossing the young lady around spoke to her in Mandarin, but when talking among themselves in another dialect. The Missus said that they were from Hunan, but couldn't understand why they ordered everything "small spicy". What was even more funny was the coughing, choking, and various unappetizing noises coming from their table as they ate their "small spicy" food.

If anything, the meal here had me wondering what the intestine would be like at Hunan Chilli King, and the fish had the Missus wanting to come back and get the Fish Head…and then there the Spicy Pork Feet Skin…… And oh, did you know that there's a Hunan Restaurant opening across the street from Chilli King????

Xiang Wei Lou
227 W Valley Blvd
San Gabriel, CA 91776

Grilled Cumin and Sichuan Peppercorn Lamb Loin Chops

July 25, 2009 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes

Today was another grill day, it is still kinda hot here, so the prospect of grilling was quite attractive. I try to do something a bit different during every grill session. Today, I had some Lamb Loin Chops. I really didn't have anything in mind when I purchased the chops. Returning home, I still had no idea of what to make. I was replying to some comments on my Shao Kao 818 postwhen it came to me. We were very disappointed with the Yang Rou Chuan, and I wondered, how hard is it to get the wonderful salty-cumin flavor of good Yang Rou Chuan…… Rummaging through my pantry, I managed to put together the ingredients for this dish.

The Sichuan Peppercorn heightened the saltiness of the dish, and really didn't hit you right away. You felt a numbing "buzz" a few seconds after eating the chops, it was quite interesting. Much like my Cumin Lamb recipe, I do a short marinade before grilling. Make sure to toast those cumin seeds until the wonderful smell of "BO" floats around your kitchen.

Grilled Cumin and Sichuan Peppercorn Lamb Loin Chops:

Spice Mix:
4 Tb toasted Cumin Seeds
2 Tb roasted and ground Sichuan Peppercorn
2 Tb sea salt
1 Tb ground coriander
Ground red chili to taste

Marinade:
1/4 cup Premium Light Soy Sauce
1/4 cup Canola Oil
2-3 Tb Shaoxing Wine
2 Tb Dark Soy sauce
4 cloves Garlic finely minced

– Mix marinade and pour or brush marinade over lamb chops. Make sure to coat lamb chops well.
– Let lamb chops marinate for 20-30 minutes
– Sprinkle on a generous amount of the spice mix, making sure to getting some on the sides of the chop.
– Let chops sit for at least 10 minutes before grilling.

– Grill to desired doneness. As a whole, most Chinese are used to eating their lamb well done. Make sure to turn the chops and grill on the edges and sides as well.

I've been grilling a lot of Shishamo (sm elt) for the Missus. Recently, the Missus found that She really enjoys grilled Urume Maruboshi (dried round herring):

For some reason, the grilled fish always catches my attention. I wasn't quite sure why….until today. Doesn't this look really familiar?

What do you think?

(BTW, The Scream by Edvard Munch is in the public domain in the United States because it was first published more than 95 years ago.)

I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Niu Rou Mania – Hunan Chinese Restaurant

July 22, 2009 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Niu Rou Mian

**** Hunan Chinese Restaurant has closed

Unfortunately, this is one of those PWTSDS (sounds like putdz) posts……. "Posts Where the Sun Don't Shine". I had thought about just deleting the photos, but I don't get up to North County very much, and I'm not sure I'd want to have the NRM here again. So my apologies in advance……

Somewhere, in the comments section of one of my posts, someone mentioned that Hunan Restaurant in Rancho Bernardo made Niu Rou Mein. Being a big fan of NRM, I made sure to drop by when I was in the area.

To be perfectly clear, there ain't anything "Hunan" about Hunan Restaurant except for the name. I had a meal here years ago, and it was totally "ABCDE" (American Born Chinese Dining Establishment). But looking at the menu board, I noticed a section that had various noodle and rice dishes which looked promising.

So I entered the restaurant, and stepped into an alien green world!

I just found the greenish hue somewhat unappetizing, but I've never let stuff like that stop me before. Since I like to keep a low profile, and never use a flash, the lighting made taking photos somewhat difficult. For a while I tried timing my photos to the opening of the front door which would let light into the place. But of course, the wait between photos would have been pretty long!

The women here are pretty nice, and I simply ordered the Niu Rou Mian, which got the lady speaking to me in Mandarin, during my entire meal……. I don't think she ever figured out that I really didn't understand what she was saying!

Soon enough the NRM ($6.95) arrived.

When my bowl arrived, all I could think was "what the Pho?" That's what the broth looked like, Pho….. Though scalding hot, it was insipid, there was just a trace of five spice flavor, and it lacked any of the richness or the beefiness of Niu Rou Mein. What the heck? The noodles were the packaged stuff I buy from 99 Ranch Market, and was cooked well. What was impressive about this bowl was the amount of meat in this bowl. There was just as much meat under the noodles as was on the top!

The meat was tender, but lacking in flavor. I think I just found a NRM for those folks who think Bun Bo Hue is all about the meat, and should taste like "spicy Pho".

An acquaintance of mine loves the ABCDE food from Hunan, so those dishes might be good. I thought the service was very nice and friendly. But I cna get Americanized Chinese in dozens of places less than 25 miles from home.

Hunan Chinese Restaurant
16719 Bernardo Center Dr
San Diego, CA 92128

Open Daily: 11am – 9pm

ABCDE – Panda Country Restaurant

July 20, 2009 mmm-yoso Chicken Wings, Chinese Restaurants

**** Panda Country has closed

About two years ago, I remember sitting and having some sushi. During the meal, I struck up a conversation with a quiet, somewhat serious, intense young man. And of course, eventually the subject of food came up. As we spoke about Chinese Restaurants in San Diego, the young man asked me, "do you know the best Chinese Restaurant in San Diego?" Now I had this guy pegged as an "ABC" (American Born Chinese), so I immediately offered up places like China Max, Jasmine, Emerald, and Golden City. The young man gave me this strange look, and I suddenly felt like a spaz who meant to scratch his eye but ended up with his finger halfway up his nostril….. "It's Panda Country." Is what he said with total conviction. Not placing the restaurant, and wondering if I've somehow overlooked some hidden treasure, I replied "Panda Country?" "Yes Panda Country, and I should know….." And then the inevitable happened, he uttered the phrase that always makes me shake my head, "because I'm Chinese." And to up the ante, he followed up with, "and I'm from New York, and WE know good food.…" Ah yes, the double whammy, "genetics and geography", I suddenly felt like I was reading a review from that "four lettered" website, full of "I know good xxxx food because I'm (fill in the blank race)." And yet, I still couldn't place Panda Country, until I was making the left turn on Genesee at Clairemont Mesa Boulevard……geeez, Panda Country, I've passed this place thousands of times. The place looked like a typical "ABCDE" ("American Born Chinese Dining Establishment" – pronounced Ab-cee-dee).

Nothing against ABCDEs, in fact I was raised eating at places called Kwok's Chop Suey, McCully Chop Suey, Hee-Hing, and Kapahulu Chop Suey. Eating stuff like Cold Ginger Chicken, Oyster Sauce Chicken, Sweet Sour Spareribs, Almond Duck, Kau Yuk, and Lemon Chicken. Not having much in the way of money growing up, meals from these places marked special occasions. And though I'm not a fan of most of what is served in San Diego at places with names like, "New Eastern Panda Dragon Pearl Garden House Cuisine", many ABCDEs serve good solid fare. And yet, for some reason I couldn't bring myself to enter through the doors of Panda Country for two years.

And of course, I waited until an evening when the Missus was tied up, and not available for dinner.

The fairly dark interior of Panda Country looked like your typical time-warp 70's Chinese Restaurant. The theme was….well Panda's of course.

While waiting for my order, watching folks come in to eat, and pick-up take-out orders, I could make out a typical customer profile. I don't want to sound to age discriminant so I'm only going to say, that there was a lot of blue hair, walkers, and canes. On the good side, I felt like a spring chicken!

And though the carvings looked more like some exotic rodent than a Panda, I really dug the chairs!!!

While waiting for my order, between serving and seating customers, I had a nice conversation with the Server who is from "Canton"……no not Ohio, but the city now known as Guangzhou. He was really nice and friendly. I was told that Panda Country has been around longer than he has, which probably put the place at around thirty years or so. When I asked where the Chef was from, I was told Hong Kong. I quickly brightened and said, "the chef trained in Hong Kong?" To which he replied; "no, the chef is from Hong Kong……" Still I really liked this Guy, and the place was fairly hopping when I left.

Somehow I had remembered what I was told to order here, and even ordered a few more for good measure.

Being a big chicken wing fan, I started with some Fried Chicken Wings ($5.50):

These weren't bad if a bit short on seasoning. Not something I'd order again, but not bad.

One of the items recommended was the "Crispy Beef" ($10.25):

The was more like "candied beef", man was it sweet. It truly hurt my teeth. I was warned about this dish being spicy, which it wasn't. I'm sure if you had eaten this at the restaurant, there would have been a bit more "crunch" to it. The beef was one the chewy side, which is perfectly fine with dishes like this.

The House Special Chicken ($10.25):

If I could rename this dish, I'd call it "General Tso Slept Here" as it resembled versions of the dish known as General Tso's Chicken. In case you're wondering about the story of that dish, you can read Fuchsia Dunlop's version either in her Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook, or read Her article from NPR here. The batter on this was pretty good, it held it's crunch on the trip home. The flavor, for such a robust looking dish was bland.

I also ordered the Shrimp in Black Bean Sauce ($11.95):

This was the best dish overall. I could have done without the frozen peas, and prefer green bell peppers and onions to the zucchini, but this was not bad. Good amount of shrimp, a tad over-cooked, but acceptable. Decent amount of black bean and garlic as well. I think that Mandarin Canton and Mandarin make better versions of this dish. The texture of the sauce wasn't overly gluey and gooey which was also a plus.

OK, before I get a ton of poison pen letters telling me I'm a Chinese Food snob, blah, blah, blah…..do me a favor, and think of something they do really well at Panda Country. And maybe, just maybe, I'll pay them another visit. Maybe not….

Panda Country
4455 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

And the next time the best reason someone can come up with regarding food is their race……think twice.

Roadtrip: 818 Shao Kao aka JN Kitchen – San Gabriel (Los Angeles)

July 19, 2009 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Los Angeles County, Road Trip

**** JN Kitchen has closed

We've passed the JN Kitchen sign on Valley Boulevard many times during our roadtrips to the San Gabriel area. A while back, we noticed that the place had changed hands, and though the JN Kitchen English name had been kept. In Chinese it said 818 "Shao Kao" which means BBQ. We were finally able to pay a visit on a recent trip.

The shop itself is tiny, with just a couple of two-tops, and one modified four-top (two tables placed together). The walls are lines with the usual paper strips of various offerings written in Chinese. The place screams "snack shop", and with good reason, we found that the folks running things in this little shop are from Tianjin, a region which is known for their snacks.

The menu is a small two sided laminated placard.

The Missus and I immediately saw items we were interested in, though the Missus had to do all the ordering since the nice lady waiting on us did not speak a word of English.

I knew I wanted the Guo Ba Soup ($3.50). I loved the version at the now gone Mei Jia Deli, even though we were dissuaded from ordering it.

For $3.50 we didn't expect much, but this was a pretty hefty bowl of "gravy" topped with slices of "Guo Ba" in this case the crepe portion of the Jiang Bing made from a batter using mung bean and millet flour. For some reason, I really enjoy the sour, fermented flavor of the thick, sickly pinkish-brown broth. This version wasn't as salty as what I've had before which made it even more enjoyable.

It is simple, but substantial fare, as the Guo Ba is pretty heavy and will stay with you for a while. Still, I could have this for breakfast quite often. The thick broth was extremely hot, and stayed that way until we finished the bowl.

Of course the Missus, still full of nostalgia, had to order the Jian Bing Guo Zi. This was a bit of an odd looking Jian Bing:

Instead of being round, and looking sort of burrito like, this was flat.

The odd shape was because of the fried cracker like item which occupied the middle of the Jian Bing, instead of the usual You Tiao (fried cruller). To the Missus, in search of the Jian Bing of Her youth, this made this all wrong.

As did the strange spiciness from the chili paste in the Jian Bing. This was just not very good.

Of course any meal here would not be complete without a few items on sticks. The Missus ordered the Chou Dofu (stinky-tofu – $1.20):

I was downwind when this hit the table, and it was fairly smelly, perhaps not in the "musty, rotten sewage like smell that comes from a dark, damp place" league of Dynasty Plaza or Shau Mei, but it was pretty stink. The Missus, upwind when the plate hit the table wasn't impressed, until a wind shift got Her attention. She declared this ok, but lamented the use of sweet chili sauce instead of the appropriate sauce.

We also ordered a few skewers, 2 Lamb ($1.20/ea), 1 lamb chop ($2.50), and 1 Chicken Gizzard ($1.20):

These weren't really that good, more salty than anything. The meat was tough. I thought the gizzards, and the lamb chop, which had a freezer burnt taste, and was so tough that I felt I was chewing on freezer-burnt flavor gum, was the worst. Extra cumin was provided on the side but was of little or no help.

The lamb flavor was also very mild. Not very good in our opinion.

Still, I'll gladly come back for the Guo Ba Cai…….

818 Shaokao/ JN Kitchen
818 E Valley Boulevard
San Gabriel, CA 91776
Open 10am – 10pm Daily

Saturday Stuffs

July 18, 2009 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers, Peruvian Restaurants, yoso-silly

Just a few items for a pretty warm Saturday.

Nazca Grill:

Signs have gone up in the old Aji Seco/Nieto's Taco Shop location on Genesee. Looks like this will be a Peruvian restaurant called Nazca Grill.

Sounds good to me!!!

Costco Stuff:

I try not to spend very much, if any time in Costco, because of the crowds. My mission is to time things right, and get in and out ASAP. But on a recent visit, I took some time to look around and was rather surprised at finding a few interesting items.

As I navigated my way into the produce section….one does not stroll in Costco, what one does is push a cart the size of an aircraft carrier, dodging other massive shopping carts or six wheelers, and hope for the best. I've always hoped that traffic lights and turn signals will become standard equipment in Costco, but I don't think that'll be happening in my lifetime. To be honest, Costco is invaluable for stocking up on those necessities, I can always get a pack of toilet tissue that would make my late, TP hording Mom proud. The one thing with Costco is not just buying stuff you'll never use, or don't need, but buying said items in bulk! Luckily, my phobia of ravenous crowds trying to sample stuff in little cups, and crazy folks at the helm of shopping carts (it's a "Long's" story) keeps me away unless we need something. So of course, browsing at Costco cost me a few bucks more, but I was satisfied with what I purchased.

I was surprised to find Donut/Saturn Peaches.

The Missus grew up eating these in China, and She really loves these fragrant, and sweet peaches. I was shocked to see them in Costco, as until a few years ago they were usually only found in Asian Markets. These were huge, and fragrant, though not as sweet. Pretty cheap too, 2 pounds for $3.49.

I was also lured into buying a package of cedar smoking planks. Because of the amount of grilling we've been doing in the last few weeks, I thought I'd try these out. There were 6 thin planks in the package.

I wanted to take these for a test run, so decided to use some shrimp I had in the freezer.

I soaked the boards for about an hour, marinaded the shrimp in Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Garlic, and Salt, for about 15 minutes, lines up on the board, and placed it on the grill at the end of my grilling session (like I said, I want to milk every single bit of heat from my charcoal), and placed the lid on my Weber.

I think twelve minutes was a bit too long for the shrimp, but the flavor was excellent. The Missus loved the smokiness. So maybe this was worth it.

Costco always finds new ways to separate me from my money……

Some interesting links:

I remember reading this a couple of weeks ago, and for some reason I couldn't help but laugh.

This one is not about food, but I found it funny as well!

I hope you're all enjoying your weekend!

Turo Turo Thursday: Ed’s Filipino Take-out

July 16, 2009 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants

**** Ed's has closed

A bit under the weather this evening, so I'll keep this one short. Last Thursday it was Olga's in Linda Vista, this week it's a small turo-turo shop in Rolando, on Rolando Boulevard a few steps from University.

I actually first ate here in the late 90's when doing some consulting work in San Diego. I last ate here a bit after 2001, just a bit after moving to San Diego. At that time it was known as Leah's Filipino Food and made some decent Filipino eats. I had heard that "Leah" passed on in 2003, but one of Leah's relatives kept the business going.

So here I was almost eight years later, wondering what ever happened to……… An as I made the turn on Rolando Boulevard, was "Ed's Filipino Take-out", looking pretty much like Leah's. Leah's lettering still resides on the window, as if a memorial to Her. I don't recall the place only being open from Tuesday to Friday, but it is now. The interior looks a bit worn, with no tables, well, there's one sort of table that looks like doubles for a desk. Six items on the steam table, and other stuff can be cooked/heated on request. The gentleman (Ed?) was very nice, and when I ordered my two plus rice ($5.14), he asked me if I wanted the Adobo Sauce on my rice. Now that was a nice touch, which just goes to show the heart of this little shop. I chose Picadillo and Pork Adobo as my mains.

I found the Pork Adobo to be dry, a bit tough, and on the bland side.

The Picadillo was pretty good though. Filipino Picadillo is a ground beef and gravy/broth style dish, kind of homey, the stuff like mom used to make.

Not quite up to National City/Chula Vista/Mira Mesa standards, but hey, it was just a bit over five bucks. So in case you just need a "fix", and can't make it to any of those places………….

Ed's Filipino Take-Out Food
4204 Rolando Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115
(619) 582-0013

Yes, I know it's hard to compare it to stuff like this:

So let's not. I still haven't been able to finish off a plate from Tita's in one sitting……..

Tao Vietnamese and Japanese Cuisine – A first look

July 15, 2009 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Japanese Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

Among the emails I received early this week was one that started "Hey yoso-Dude….." Dude??? Well, I'll take that over other four letter words that I've been called or other various utterances starting with the letter 'D', often ending in "bag' or a word commonly used to describe any animal of the genus Equus…….

Anyway, this email went on to tell me that he really enjoys Dao Son, and first heard about the place through one of our posts. To return the favor, he thought he'd let me know that on his last visit to Dao Son he was told that they opened a new, more upscale restaurant on Adams Avenue called Tao. Tao also made their own tofu in-house…..we were so there!

After scouting about for a bit I found some parking, and we walked over a half block, and entered the world of Tao.

The interior is nicely adorned without going over the top. The menu is a mixture of Japanese, Vietnamese, and fusion dishes. We noticed a few familiar "Dao Son" items. We also noted that the prices reflected the upgrade in decor being about $2 more than Dao Son.

As with Dao Son, we steered clear of the straight Japanese and Vietnamese dishes. We were disappointed to find the Fried Catfish with Eggplant not on the menu, but pleased to see the Red Chicken. The offerings seem on the lighter side, with fewer fried dishes.

After placing our order, we were brought a free "salad", a nice touch.

This was more of a "herb salad" and will wake up taste buds if you aren't familiar with the flavors of Rau Ram(Vietnamese Cilantro), Ngo Om (Rice Paddy Herb – you'll swear there's cumin in the salad), Tiet To (Perilla), and I swear there was Diep Ca in this as well. It also featured a few small cubes of the handmade tofu, which was of the firm variety, and mildly "beany" in flavor.

Wanting to check out the homemade tofu, I ordered the Handmade Tofu with Oyster Mushrooms in sizzling Basil Black Bean Sauce ($12.95). Can you tell that Tao is really into oversized plates? The plates took up large real estate on the tables. Also, the pinwheel arrangement was a far cry from Dao Son.

I enjoyed the whole cloves of garlic, and the rice, a half red and jasmine rice was a nice touch, even though the rice wasn't particularly fragrant. The oyster mushrooms were ok, but nothing special. The tofu was too mild for this dish. For me good home made tofu should go off on one of two tangents. The first would be a wonderful silken tofu, that would be textural heaven. The second would be a firmer tofu that would have a pronounced "soy-beany" flavor. This had neither, and though the sauce, which tasted like basic black bean sauce, wasn't too salty, the tofu was lost in the sauce. For my taste, the tofu would be better served in dishes like the salad as it is very mild. This was not bad, but not outstanding.

The Missus, wanting to compare with Dao Son, ordered the Tasty Red Chicken($8.28):

I enjoyed this much more than the Missus. At Dao Son, the Red Chicken is sometimes served with strips of white meat chicken which can be dry as heck. These were wok seared dark meat chicken which I enjoyed. The "red sauce" here is more like a glaze than a sauce, and seems to be missing something. The heat is provided by dollops of Sriracha-like hot sauce, which tasted out of place. As you can tell, the Missus and I had switched plates. I think we'll have to go back to Dao Son soon to refresh our taste memory with regards to this dish.

The young lady serving us instantly charmed us when she smiled and told us, "I'm sorry in advance, I've just started working here….." She did a good job, and in fact was a bit over-attentive but I'm sure she'll do well. It didn't hurt that she brought us some free "dessert" while we waited for our check.

Overall, we enjoyed the experience, and we'll return to Tao in a few months. As you can tell, the decor is much more refined than the "divey" Dao Son. The folks are very nice, and the menu large. Parking can be a pain. We're glad that Dao Son has done so well, that the "Hot Chef" could open up a place like Tao. Open less than a week at the time of this meal, I think they did pretty well.

Tao
3332 Adams Ave
San Diego, CA 92116

Lunch: Mon -Fri 11am – 2pm
Dinner: Daily 5pm – 10pm
619-281-6888

As for the FOY who emailed me, when I wrote that I'd like to mention him in my post, he requested anonymity. So let's just call him 'Mr X'! So, thanks Mr X!