mmm-yoso – Page 366

BBQ Chicken – B(est of the) B(est) Q(uality)? A first look

October 7, 2008 mmm-yoso Chains, Chicken Wings, Korean Restaurants

Yep, that's what it stands for, a simple and modest, "Best of the Best Quality". I've been looking for our very own "KFC" (Korean Fried Chicken) joint to open here in San Diego. And lo' and behold, as noted by "Gilbert", on this post, BBQ Chicken is a KFC. And based on Uber-Blogger Elmomonster's post on the Irvine location of BBQ Chicken, and San Diego's own Dennis of A Radiused Corner, who was kind enough to email me scanned menus, I couldn't help but get excited.

If the location looks familiar, it should. This was the long time location of Flavor Thai on Convoy Street. And yes, I did drop by on opening day, October 3rd. And led to one of the tables. BBQ Chicken is sort of hybrid style restaurant, you'll get restaurant type service which meant you are seated if you want to eat in, but you pay at the register. For take out you go straight to the counter. The menu is very brightly colored, and though it looks huge, much space is dedicated to pretty photos of each dish.

Being opening day, I'll skip the somewhat disorganized service, and the all of he other "glitches", and just mention 2 things. First, I was reminded that my chicken will take 20 minutes because it's made fresh, which is no problem. And secondly, I ordered a 2 piece combo ($5.99), mainly because being the masochist that I am, I wanted to taste what Elmo called the WOWFRE (worst of the worst fried rice ever). But 50 minutes later, I was still sitting, having read the label of my bottle of Tabasco sauce several thousand times. Meanwhile, even though they we staffed almost one Server per customer, things looked chaotic. There was one young lady who really looked like she knew what was going on. When I asked her if my chicken was coming soon, she looked shocked, and exclaimed, "you didn't get your chicken yet?" A few minutes later, another Server brought my food to the table.

It wasn't quite a 2 piece combo, but rather 5 pieces of chicken ($9.25 less because I was given a 10% grand opening discount). I was starving and wasn't up to waiting another 20 minutes, so I just dug in. One of the hallmarks of Korean Fried Chicken is the frying technique, most of the fat is rendered off, and the skin becomes one with the batter, very nice crunch, and not greasy in the least. Either to make it sound more healthy, or maybe just a marketing gimmick, the chicken is fried in olive oil, which gives the chicken a distinct flavor, and an even more interesting after taste, which I thought was kind of bitter-fishy. In fact, I brought 2 pieces home, and the Missus's first thought was; "huh, looks like Church's, but it;s twice the price". And after catching a whiff, "ugh, I can't eat this, it smells like fish." The wing and drumsticks fare better overall than the thigh pieces, they are moist, and have better flavor. I found the overall flavor of the batter(before the after taste kicked in) to be mildy nutty with some peppery tones. It was okay to good, but not anything I found particularly outstanding.

But to be fair, I returned for take out a bit later. I ordered the Red Hot Drumsticks(5 pieces – $8.99), but got the Seasoned Chicken, with what I believe was the Sweet and Spicy Sauce (8pieces – $6.50). I don't know what else to call these things other than…well…chicken balls:

The batter didn't take to travel, it had become gummy. These were really tough, and the cloyingly sweet, and only mildly spicy glaze was not to my liking. Couldn't finish them…..

I also ordered the Teri-Q Gold Wings(10 pieces – $7.99):

The batter for these seemed a bit thicker than the regular chicken. It is mildly sweet, but pretty bland overall. It may be just me, but after having tons of Salt & Pepper Chicken Wings, I wasn't impressed with these. I even think my simple ol' Garlic Chicken Wings have more flavor.

I am going to give BBQ Chicken another shot, I do want to try the Red Hot Drumsticks. I just think I'm going to give it a few weeks, or maybe months before I'm back. Give them a shot, and let me know what you think……

BBQ (Best of the Best Quality) Chicken
4768 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

858-571-3333

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Sammy Sushi says goodbye

October 6, 2008 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi

A few months ago, Sam, Owner, Itamae, and the namesake of Sammy Sushi, mentioned that he planned to put the restaurant up for sale. After 4 years and change, Sam had decided that the 24 hours a day demands that his restaurant had put on him had started wearing away at him, both physically and mentally. I don't blame him, the restaurant industry is a tough one. And so it came to pass, a few weeks ago, Sam mentioned that he had a buyer, and the end was in sight. So it is with a heavy heart that I announce that Sammy Sushi's last night of operation will be Saturday, October 11th.

So this week will be your last chance to drop by and enjoy the nice neighborhood vibe of Sammy Sushi. It appears that Sammy Sushi is going to become a Fresh Seafood Market.

Over the years Sam has become much more than my friendly neighborhood Itamae, he's become a friend. And as sad as I am knowing that Sammy's will be gone, I have great hopes for Sam's future endeavors.

Good Luck Sam!

Road Trip: Daikokuya – Costa Mesa (Orange County)

October 1, 2008 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Orange County, Ramen, Road Trip

**** This location of Daikokuya has closed

I've long been a fan of Daikokuya, though not a big enough fan to wait 1-2 hours in line….for me the return on investment was just not there. Well maybe an hour, but no longer…..except when it's kinda cold outside, but only then could I wait maybe an hour-and-a-half…..or if I'm really Jonesing for a bowl of the super rich and fatty Kotteri broth, maybe…..

So when I read that Daikokuya was opening up in the Food Court of Marukai Costa Mesa, I was overjoyed, and quite excited. Until I read Elmomonster's post on his disappointing visit to Daikokuya Costa Mesa. Still, I thought that I needed to find out for myself.

After seeing the "menu"(written on a piece of construction paper) and the "crew", I pretty much knew that this, at the best, would be a stripped down Daikokuya experience.

Being not very hungry, the Missus and I decided to split a bowl of ramen ($8.50). We were handed one of those vibrating coaster like thing-a-majiggies…. And before you knew it, the bugger got all lit up and vibrated its way off the table. I guess my bowl of ramen was ready!

As I moved the bowl from the plastic tray to the table, I noticed that it was not very hot, which for tonkotsu (boiled pork bone) style broth is the kiss of death. It ends up being oily. The first thing the Missus went for was the boiled egg, one of Her favorites, and Daikokuya, as I remembered it was one of the few places that would make their eggs "hanjyuku" style…soft boiled. As I fished the egg out, the Missus let out a gasp:

Talk about lousy quality control; this egg had cracked during the boiling process, causing the albumen to get stiff, and the yolk would obviously be overcooked. The Missus wasn't going to take this sitting down, and marched the bowl back to the counter. What She got from the young lady was a titter, and the statement, "wow, that's an ugly looking egg". You gotta love the attention to detail. After a short discussion, we got a replacement egg. It was not soft-boiled, but acceptable.

The broth itself was a disappointment, bland, somewhat greasy, almost what we would consider "stagnant". I had expected the Chashu to be lousy as well, but it was pretty good, with a nice mildly sweet "porkiness" to it.

The noodles were as good as mass-produced standard ramen noodles could be prepared. It had a nice chew to it, and was not overcooked. The Missus's assessment? "We came all this way for this? You better get some fish from Marukai and make me Karei Karaage when we get home!" Which I did.

I should have known better and taken Elmo's word on Daikokuya….but I had to find out for myself. Still, they seemed to be doing okay business in the Bermuda Triangle that is the Marukai Costa Mesa Food Court. But to me, it is a mere shadow of the Little Tokyo location.

Daikokuya
2975 Harbor Blvd (In the Marukai Food Court)
Costa Mesa, CA 92626

I just realized that I chose what may be one of the hottest days of the year to post about ramen…..maybe I just wanted to share my pain?

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Pho HoaCali Express – Mira Mesa

September 29, 2008 mmm-yoso Bun Bo Hue, Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

There are times like this, when my avocation takes a back seat to my vocation. This past few weeks has been a challenge, finding time to eat, much less portioning out part of the day to post, sometimes took a bit of effort. It is during these times that I’m thankful for Cathy’s help! I am doing well, and to quote Ed from Yuma, quoting Samuel Clemens, "the rumors of my demise were greatly exaggerated". I’m still alive and kickin’, if a bit tired.

I don’t have enough fingers, and toes for that matter, for which to count the number of people I know who consider Pho HoaCali the best place in the greater San Diego for Pho. My personal favorite is Lucky Pho which is right across the street, but I wouldn’t fault you for having Pho HoaCali listed as your favorite. My usual time for a visit is before 11am…and sometimes as early as 8 or 9, I love Pho for breakfast! It also helps that at during that time, the packed and crazed little restaurant is a bit more peaceful. It also ensures that I get a great parking space…..I’m sure there are some who have never been able to get within sniffing range of the front and center parking stall!

PHC, has one thing in my opinion that put them head and shoulders above the other Pho shops in the area…..the meat. In this photo "from the vault", of a visit last year, you can see what I mean.

On this visit, I ordered the Dac Biet (special), large bowl, which at that time was somewhere around five and a half bucks. My favorite by far was the brisket and tendon(duh!), both of which shone. The garnishes were of good quality, and the amount adequate.

The noodles had the perfect texture, just right right amount of pull, and not over-cooked as id the case at many other places. What was disappointing, was that the broth lacked a good beef flavor, which was strange because I’ve always thought that the broth at PHC was pretty good and beefy, if a bit lacking in other flavors. It was also much too salty. Hmmm…I decided to give PHC a rest. This visit was not without some "interesting" vignettes however. I saw one customer get up and start berating the Server. Doing my best "fly on the wall" impression, after a few seconds I understood that the customer was angry because he believed that when the Server moved the Pho from the tray to his table, the Server had stuck his thumbs into the soup! I also viewed the phenomenon from which PHC earned the nickname "Hoisin City" from a friend of mine. Folks dumping huge amounts of hoisin and sriracha into the Pho, without nary a taste to see if the broth needed it.

And so I just kinda gave PHC a rest. Until reading about several folks who just raved about the Bun Bo Hue at PHC. Bun Bo Hue happens to be one of my favorite soups, so I just had to check it out. And however misguided or somewhat esoteric it may be, over the last few years, I’ve kinda developed my own "shortlist" of what I look for, or more appropriately sniff, stare, and taste for, in Bun Bo Hue. So here’s how the BBH at PHC (you gotta love the abbrev’s) was for me.

First off, the price (small) $5.65:

The bowl arrived, and it looked downright delicious if a bit short on the "annatto red" that I’m used to. It also lacked any type of serious lemongrass-shrimp paste fragrance. I enjoyed the flavor of the Rau Ram(Vietnamese Coriander), but other than that, this broth really lacked the bright flavor of a good bowl of Bun Bo Hue. First off, the lemongrass and mild ginger flavor was sorely lacking. The broth was also seriously lacking in heat, and had only a very mild hint of the shrimp paste flavor I’ve become familiar with. The broth had a nice amount of oil, which was very noticeable because the bowl was delivered lukewarm. It is important that my BBH…or even Bun Rieu be delivered absolutely tongue scortching hot. Why? It’s because of this:

While the herbs served with Pho are considered "garnishes", I’ve come to understand that the herbs and vegetables served with Bun Bo Hue and Bun Rieu are treated more like vegetables, and are an integral part of the dish. It is also important that the broth be served hot, so that the vegetables, in this case only shredded cabbage(?), will soften a bit.

The noodles were okay, if a bit too soft. If there was one redeeming feature of this Bun Bo Hue, it would be the meat, all of which was top notch. I did lament the lack of Cha Lua(steamed defatted pork sausage) in this bowl, but not for very long, as the excellent tendon (just as good as Pho Ca Dao on ECB) soon diverted my attention.

All things considered, this bowl lacked the soul of a bowl of Bun Bo Hue. And after eating it, I can understand how misguided individuals can call Bun Bo Hue, "spicy Pho"(please forgive me Wandering Chopsticks). That’s basically what it tasted like.

I really didn’t want to do a post at a place where I’ve enjoyed a good many bowls of Pho over the years, and end things this way. So recently, before things got too crazy, I went for another bowl of breakfast Pho. With the various combinations of meats available on the typical sizeable Pho menu, you’d think I’d be able to get my "dream combination" – brisket, flank, and tendon. But alas, it isn’t available on the menu(though I’m sure that I’d be able to request it), so decided to order the #7, rare steak, flank, tendon, and tripe ($5.65).

What came my way was a steaming hot large bowl (and I was only charged for a regular). The garnishes were again of good quality, if a bit sparse. On this day the broth was as I remembered, mildly beefy and light. The meat was good as it always is, and the noodles perfect. It was a good bowl of Pho……..

I’ve found the service at Pho HoaCali to be efficient. It may be because I usually eat there in the mornings, but I’ve never had the "menu dealt out, and the Server standing over you with the ordering pad" thing done here. The Guy who mans the register has alway been nice and friendly, and I’ll gladly go back for some Pho…no Bun Bo Hue for me though.

Pho Hoacali Express
9170 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

Siem Reap: Even more temples!

September 21, 2008 mmm-yoso Cambodia, Siem Reap, Travel

Have you grown weary of all those posts on the temples of Angkor yet? Are they starting to look all the same? Perhaps you’re suffering from "Temple Fatigue"…. And yet, temple fatigue never really hit us. We found most temples interesting and unique, but I’ll keep the rest of my posts on the various temples short and sweet. Our post lunch started with…..

Banteay Kdei:

Called the "Citadel of the Cells", Banteay Kdei was built in 1181.

Banteay Kdei has been used as a monastery at different points in time.

The most well known feature of Banteay Kdei is the "Hall of the Dancing Girls". Where all of the columns feature beautiful bas-reliefs of Girls doing the Apsara dance.

Banteay Kdei has been kept somewhat unrestored, making for some fascinating viewing.

Some of which is due to poor construction and low quality materials. In addition, no one really knows who this temple was dedicated to, adding to the mystery.

Ta Prohm:

For us, Ta Prohm proved to be one of the more intriguing temples.

Built in 1186 by Jayavarman VII to honor his family, when the efforts to restore the temples of Angkor by the French began, the École française d’Extrême-Orient decided to leave Ta Prohm in it’s natural state.

It’s impossible not to gaze upon the giant Kapok (silk cotton tree) trees whose roots have have become one with Ta Prohm. Several of the trees have taken root on the ceilings and walls of Ta Prohm, giving the temple an air of mystery.

You see the roots of the Kapok trees snaking their way throughout Ta Prohm.

When FOY MrB checked out our photos of Ta Prohm, he immediately told me, "I’ve seen this as the set for Tomb Raider." And he was correct, Ta Prohm is easily the most recognizable of the temples used as a backdrop for the movie Tomb Raider.

When we returned from vacation I read an article that mentioned the the Archaeological Survey of India will soon begin to do some restoration work on Ta Prohm. To my relief all work is planned so that the trees are "not disturbed in any way."

Wandering Chopsticks also enjoyed Ta Prohm.

Ta Keo:

As we approached Ta Keo, we quickly noticed something unusual. There was no ornamentation, and it remained undecorated.

At around 1000AD, construction of Ta Keo ceased, and it was abandoned. Legend has it, that Ta Keo was struck by lighting, which was seen as a bad omen.

Thommanon:

The temple of Thommanon is well restored, and small enough to enjoy quickly.

But the thing we’ll always remember the most about Thommanon is the poor fellow on the right. While his parents and siblings were enjoying themselves, he was having none of it. Yes, "temple fatigue" was rearing its ugly head. His parents and siblings viewed this with much good humor….his brother even made sure to catch some great shots with the camcorder. I’m sure the tired little guy will hear about this for many decades to come! "Remember the time we went to Angkor, and you had a tantrum….."

Preah Khan:

Jayavarman II is credited as being the founder of the Khmer Empire, and according to legend, the Preah Khan, or "sacred sword" is said to have symbolized his power. It is speculated that this was the home of the mighty sword, a copy of which said to still be hidden away at the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh.

Like Ta Prohm, Preah Khan is left in a rather unrestored state.

It is believed that up to 10,000 people lived within the walls of Preah Khan during it’s heyday. And also that a prestigious and famous school was housed on it’s grounds.

After Preah Khan, Narin asked us if we wanted to revisit any of the temples we had seen to end or day. We decided that The Bayon had been our favorite site, and making a more detailed exploration of the wonderful bas-reliefs would be a nice way to end our 2 day visit to Angkor.

Narin decided to take us through the lower East Gate of Angkor Thom, known as the "Gate of the Dead":

It is less restored, and much more peaceful than the famous South Gate.

We ended our day, taking in the bas-reliefs of the Bayon in greater detail.

Narin dropped us back at our hotel. We showered and headed out to dinner.

Siem Reap is an interesting town….during the day, it is very calm, and sleepy. During the evening, after everyone has returned from the temples, it is a bustling, and busy tourist mecca.

During the day this street:

Is transformed to this in the evening…..

Though these street stands are more directed at feeding the locals.

You’ll find an interesting variety of food at these night markets.

Chinese style roasted and BBQ’d meats seemed popular.

With grilled items a very close second.

A very typical meal for the locals goes this way; you walk up to a stand full of pots. It is perfectly fine to peer into the pots. You decided what you want to eat, and your meal comes with whatever is chosen and rice.

On this evening, noodles seemed to be very popular.

These stands use packaged dry noodles that are cooked and kept to the side. When an order is placed, the noodles are stir fried, with bean sprouts, soy sauce, hot sauce, and maggi, and sometimes served with a fried egg on top. A very cheap meal.

So what did we get? Well, you’ll just have to wait for that one!

Road Trip: Beach’s Big Little Saigon Food Tour Part 2

September 20, 2008 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Bun Bo Hue, Orange County, Road Trip, Vietnamese Restaurants

After making 5 stops on Beach’s whirlwind tour of Little Saigon, Beach turned to me and said, "ok, Kirk, let’s get some real food now…."

5 – Cho Cu Bakery:

Beach had remembered that I had become fond of the "bread" in Vietnam. It was light, very flaky (vs crusty), and had a nice yeasty flavor. So our next stop was Cho Cu Bakery, which is located in yet another strip mall in Westminster.

I purchased a baguette ($1), and a Banh Mi Bi for the Missus. Even though the Banh Mi Bi sat in a car for 4 hours or so, it held up well. The Missus really enjoyed the Bi.

The bread, is light, and fairly flaky. A bit more substantial than baguettes we had in Hanoi, but it was the closest I’ve had since we returned. I used half of the baguette for Banh Mi Cha Com, and the rest became breakfast. A simple baguette with smiling cow cheese brought back memories of breakfast in Sapa.

Have you ever noticed that the worse the parking lot, the better the food????

Cho Cu Bakery
14520 Magnolia St
Westminster, CA 92683

6 – Quan Vy Da:

With Beach skillfull dodging of flying autos, we managed to extricate ourselves from from Cho Cu’s parking lot. Beach turned to me and said, "let’s eat lunch!" Beach decided to randomly check out a restaurant, and knowing my affinity for Bun Bo Hue, we made a lunch stop at Quan Vy Da.

Of course we both got Bun Bo Hue:

I thought the meat provided was the best I’ve had in a traditional (non-Pho shop) Bun Bo Hue. Soft, tender, and full of flavor. The noodles were cooked perfectly, not overcooked like many places tend to do. The soup was topped with Rau Ram(Vietnamese Coriander) in addition to the cilantro. The plate of herbs provided was adequate, and included thinly sliced banana blossom. I thought the soup could have been hotter, as I believe that the "garnishes" should be softened by the broth to add more flavor. The broth had a decent lemongrass flavor, but the heat was truly lacking. Both Beach and I noted how mild the broth was. Overall, this was pretty good.

The Banh Beo, those little discs of steamed rice flour, were the best I’ve had.

Wonderfully pliable, moist, with a mild chew, these were great. The ground shrimp topping these wonderful little discs added texture and saltiness. The overall effect was a fantastic savory, with just a hint of sweetness in the background. A splash of fish sauce topped everything off with a touch of umami.

This was a wonderful way to end this road trip for me.

Quan Vy Da
9950 Bolsa Avenue
Westminster, CA 92683

Driving home to San Diego, with my back seats full of my bounty, I could only marvel at how blessed I’ve been. Food Blogging sometimes has its down days, but there have always been more "ups". Without doing this food blogging thing, I would have been deprived of knowing so many wonderful and generous folks. Like Beach…..

Thanks again for your warm and generous heart Beach!

Midweek Meanderings

September 17, 2008 mmm-yoso yoso-silly

I haven’t done one of these in a while…so here goes.

The Late Vien Dong III Supermarket:

Yes, Vien Dong Supermarket on Linda Vista has closed.

The most recent info I’ve heard is that the new market will be a "Middle Eastern" style market. So we’ll soon see.

It’s called BBQ Chicken:

Driving on Convoy, you’ll always notice something new.

This used to be Flavor Thai restaurant. Now, it is soon to be something called BBQ Chicken. Just what kind of BBQ Chicken you may ask? After digging around for a bit; I’ve heard that the owner is Korean, and this will be a Korean BBQ Chicken joint. Of course, since it says "BBQ Chicken", I’m thinking Dak Bulgogi…tho’ I’m still waiting for a Kyochon style place to open……

September Special at Little Sheep:

This is very late, so my apologies, but Little Sheep celebrates their first anniversary in San Diego this month. And the offer for the month is 15% off the bill for 4 IF your Birthday is in the month of September. Initially I thought this was a pretty good deal. But Cathy quickly pointed out….that’s like having less than your tip covered!

And our Engrish lesson of the day:

I think we’ve discovered a new species!

I hope you’re having a great week!

mmm-yoso raw! A round-up of dishes from Olivetto, Sab-E-Lee, Asmara, and Buga

September 16, 2008 mmm-yoso Ethiopian/Eritrean Restaurants, Italian Restaurants, Korean Restaurants, Thai Restaurants, yoso-silly

So I’m having a nice chat with a friend of mine….and we’re discussing our favorite sport….eating! And as I went over what I ate over the last couple of weeks, he comments “you sure do eat a lot of raw meat.” Which caught me off guard. But he was right; as I went through what we talked about…there sure was a good amount of raw meat involved. I came home and went through my photos…and sure enough, he was right. So I thought what the heck, this’ll make as good a post as anything…….

Olivetto Cafe and Wine Bar:

**** Olivetto has closed

Recently, the Missus has become one of those “ladies who does lunch.” And has been grabbing lunch at various places with Her friends. One of the favorites of the “ladies who do lunch” is the new Olivetto Cafe and Wine Bar. “The Girls” have eaten there at least 5 times, mostly because of convenience, service, and the place is usually empty, so a 2 to 3 hour lunch is not out of the question.

During one recent lunch hour, the Missus and I managed to meet up for an now all too rare lunch. The Missus went over what She thought was the restaurants strong points……appetizers(except the cheese & salumi plate). She has been less than satisfied with the burger, pastas, etc….. So now She and the Girls just do appetizers.

So that’s what we did. And to start off the “raw” theme, I ordered the Carpaccio($8.95):

The paper thin beef tenderloin was okay, as was the olive oil, nothing special. The Missus loves parmigianno-regiano, and this was nice a milky. So much for Chinese hating the “congealed – curdled milk of an old cow’s udder”. We both enjoy Arugula, and this was a fine middle of the road version of the dish.

What I really came for were the Truffle Parmesan Fries ($4.95):

The Missus told me that Her friend ‘K’, had raved about these, repeating over and over to the Missus, “can’t you smell the truffle oil”. To which the Missus replied, “it smells good, but I don’t know what truffle oil smells like!” I loved the appearance of the thin, almost shoestring fries. The last several times I’ve had truffle fries, they’ve been oily, heavy, and went soggy quickly. These were the polar opposite, and the Parmesan added a nice saltiness to the dish. As for the truffle oil, this dish had an almost buttery smell, and I felt like I could make out 2,4-Dithiapentane. The fries were rich and filling, and even though I’ve rarely met a fry I didn’t finish, I couldn’t finish these.

We also had the Bruschetta Del Giorno ($5.50), the Bruschetta of the day.

Nice, ripe tomatoes bursting with flavor, basil, Parmesan…all would have been working in nice harmony if the bread had not been incinerated.

The service at Olivetto was very relaxed, friendly without being intrusive(according to the Missus this is not always the case), and our waters and drinks were refilled throughout. I’m glad the Missus has a nice, relaxing, and not the least bit stuffy place to grab a nice lunch with Her friends.

Olivetto Cafe and Wine Bar
860 West Washington Street
San Diego, CA 92103

You can also read Gil and Krista’s post on Olivetto.

Sab-E-Lee:

This location of Sab-E-Lee has closed

Next stop on the mmm-yoso “raw tour”, Sab-E-Lee, and one of my current favorite dishes; Koi Soi (Spicy Raw Beef – $6.95). Like I mentioned before, I’ve had this dish at two other places, one was very good (though not as good as this), and the other was very difficult for me to eat. This on the other hand is very easy for me to eat.

Yes, in spite of the heat from the chilies, this is one dish that I find hard to stop eating. A pinch of the salad in cabbage in one hand. A ball of sticky rice in the other. Once you start you dare not lose momentum.

The Missus would not eat this at first, sticking with one of the two other beef salads on the menu. But once She tried it, She was hooked. Good stuff…..

Sab-E-Lee Restaurant
2405 Ulric St
San Diego, CA 92111

You can read FOY Candice Woo’s article on Sab-E-Lee for CityBeat, here.

Geekyfoodie’s post can be found here.

Alice Q Foodie’s post can be found here.

Asmara:

**** Asmara has closed

Ed from Yuma has already posted on Asmara, so I’ll just go over my most recent meal. Guess what I ordered? Well you can be sure it wasn’t this:

It is an actual item on the menu at Asmara. Spaghetti is not very high on the list of items I’d like to try at an Eritrean Restaurant, though please tell me if you’ve tried it, and like it.

While the Missus went for the sampler:

I went for this:

It’s called Kitfo, and is the Ethiopian/Eritrean version of steak tartar; finely chopped (not ground) raw beef, flavored with niter kibbeh (a herb infused clarified butter), mitmita (a spicy powder seasoning), and herbs. It is served with the ubiquitous, carpet-padding-look-alike-eating utensil(you use pieces of it as your eating implement – don’t ask for a spoon), the sour and spongy flatbread Injera.

This version was not as sour as others, and along with what was used to line the plate, we each received another plate with several “rolls” of injera.

Less you think this is a light dish, it is rich, and the injera is heavy, and we both got really full, really quickly. The portion size is more than sufficient, the spiciness of the mitmita is not too bad either .

Emboldened by Her experiences with the Koi Soi, the Missus dug right in, and was stopped dead in Her tracks. She found eating a raw beef dish that is slightly North of warm (from the clarified butter I assume), and the very strong flavor of the herbs to be disconcerting. This dish stayed with me for a loooong time, as did the aftertaste of the cardamom and fenulgreek. I could still taste it the next morning.

If you’ve never had this type of food before, Asmara is a great place to start. The restaurant is very clean, and the folks who work here are friendly. I think the gentleman who served us was a bit taken aback when I ordered, but I told Him I’ve had Kitfo before at a restaurant on Fairfax in Los Angeles, and he was good to go.

Asmara Eritrean Restaurant
4155 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92114

Canine Cologne posted about her visit to Asmara here.

Buga:

I’ve posted on Yookwe (Yuk Hwe) from Buga before. I’ve never gotten a clean shot off, since the ladies always insist on mixing it for when they bring it to my table. I understand that an unmistakable pile of raw meat, topped with a raw egg can be disturbing. But when it’s good, it’s quite good. Unfortunately, the last 2 times, the meat has tasted a bit off, so I think I’ll pass on this dish from now on. Too bad, Buga is about the only place in San Diego that I trust enough to even order this.

Buga Korean BBQ Restaurant
5580 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117

So there you have it…mmm-yoso, like you’ve never seen it before; from mild to wild, in the raw…….he-he-he…..

Roadtrip: Beach’s Big Little Saigon Food Tour Part 1

September 15, 2008 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Bun Bo Hue, Orange County, Road Trip, Vietnamese Restaurants

I’ve mentioned our good friend Beach, a few times. He’s a force of nature, with the energy and personality to match. It’s really hard to describe him, OC Food Blogger extraordinaire Chubbypanda called him "brash, generous, bold, gregarious, earthy, charismatic, and charming." And he’s well known as The Don of Little Saigon to those OC Food Bloggers. Beach has always been amazingly generous to the Missus and I, in fact, we owe much of our Vietnam trip to Beach, who helped us plan it every step of the way. Needless to say, I don’t think we’d have had such a great trip without his help. So recently, I met up with Beach, I’ve covered one short leg of it earlier, in the post on Be Thui. That was but one short part of a whirlwind 2 hour tour of some of Little Saigon’s little shops and eateries. And being Beach, he focused on some of the items we had in Vietnam.

So hang on….here goes!

1 – Thach Che Hien Khanh:

This busy little dessert shop with a line going out the door, specializes in Che, a coconut milk – tapioca ball dessert…I’m simplifying the definition of Che…there are so many variations!

But we weren’t here for the Che…Beach had his mind on a few snacks that I could take home to the Missus. The selection is immense, and the colors vibrant:

From Black sticky rice to the Green rice:

So what did I Beach suggest for the Missus?

The Green Rice had a very mild sweetness and coconut flavor.

But the Missus really enjoyed the Durian Rice!

Though when Sammy caught a whiff of this, he left the Country! I think She’ll gladly have this again.

Thach Che Hien Khanh
9639 Bolsa Ave., #A
Westminster, CA 92683

For much more info on Thach Che Hien Khanh, please read Elmo’s post and Wandering Chopstick’s post, you’ll be glad you did.

2 – Huong Huong Food to Go:

Beach also recalled how much the Missus loved the Banh Gio in Hanoi, so our next stop was Huong Huong Food to Go.

For us it was 2 Banh Gio to go. The restaurant has a ton of steam table type dishes…the smells are really tempting. You can read about Huong Huong’s offerings, albiet the Westminster location in Elmo’s post.

But I was saving myself. When I arrived home the Missus eagerly went for the Banh Gio, heating it up in the microwave.

So how was it? These were much more substantial than what we had in Hanoi. It was much heavier, and the rice flour "wrapper" had a more solid texture. The filling, was well…..very filling, and featured a Quail Egg as the "cherry on the top".

But it was close enough to bring back memories of having breakfast, sitting on kiddie stools, on a street corner of Hanoi.

Huong Huong
9892 Westminster Ave
Garden Grove, CA 92844

3 – Cho Ben Thanh Market:

Stop number 3 was Be Thui, you can read that post here.

4 – Thai Binh:

Beach recalled the Pork and Green Rice Patties we had in Bac Ha, and our next stop was Thai Binh. One of those little shops on Brookhurst. From the name, you could tell they specialized in various sausages.

So what did I get here?

According to Beach, it’s called Cha Com. This was the defatted lean pork sausage, studded with green rice, which gave it a mild, sweet, nuttiness. It wasn’t quite what we had in Bac Ha, which was more crunchy, not as lean, and had a stronger pork flavor. This was a sausage, what we had previously were more like fried fritters. That’s not to say this wasn’t good….it was quite tasty, if a bit on the oily side, and made some pretty good sandwiches. In other words, if you’re selling this…sign me up.

Thai Binh
14186 Brookhurst St
Garden Grove, CA 92843

And would you believe we still had 2 more stops! Let me tell you, Beach has more energy than a mallrat with a brand new credit card! I know Beach will call me a tease, but I’ll be stopping here for the night, and let you tell me about some of your favorite places in Little Saigon……

Part 2 to come!

BBQ Express Teriyaki Hawaiian BBQ

September 14, 2008 mmm-yoso Korean Restaurants, Plate Lunch

*** BBQ Express Teriyaki has closed and is now Yakyudori Ramen and Yakitori.

BBQ Express Teriyaki Hawaiian BBQ (whew that's mouthful), recently replaced the Convoy location of Extreme Pita. My first thought was, just what we need, another Teriyaki joint in the area, or is it a Hawaiian BBQ, or maybe …..???

You've got to give them some points for creative use of a former locations sign….just check out the sign from Cathy's post on Extreme Pita. I guess it's not that far a stretch from Extreme Pita to BBQ Express Teriyaki Hawaiian BBQ (I sense some redundancy).

One quick look at the menu, the crew, and the "salads", and you'll know right away this is a Korean owned and influenced restaurant.

So what is the food here like? I walked in and ordered a Teriyaki Chicken Plate ($6.95):

The chicken was taken from a portable steam-table unit sitting on the back counter, chopped, placed on rice, and covered with a too sweet teriyaki sauce. Very mundane.

You get to choose 2 salads, and among the choices was a dangmyeon dish, reminiscent of Japchae, it was in fact the best thing about the whole meal. It also had me wishing for something along the lines of Gina's BBQ, or even a Yummy's Korean BBQ. Now that's a Korean style plate lunch!

This on the other hand…….

Still, thoughts of perhaps getting just the side dishes with rice, brought me back. And I asked if I could just get the Japchae, macaroni salad, and rice….and got a smile, and a blank stare in return. I asked again, and got the same response. I'm guessing that was a "negatory sir"…… So I splurged and ordered the BBQ Kalbi plate ($8.45):

This time the very thinly sliced cross-cut ribs were cooked to order, but I could have done without the very liberal amount of the same bad teriyaki sauce poured over the ribs before serving.

Again the Japchae was the best thing about the meal.

And though the macaroni salad was on the runny side, it wasn't terribly sweet as Korean style mac salad tends to be, and was actually not bad.

In the end, nothing really compels me to return. In spite of the long name…..BBQ Express Teriyaki Hawaiian BBQ…I felt the place fell very short. And I'm still wondering what part the Hawaiian BBQ is? To me, it's just another teriyaki joint. Maybe you'll have better luck.

BBQ Express Teriyaki Hawaiian BBQ
4898 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111