mmm-yoso – Page 37

Milan – Dinner at Hekfan

December 8, 2024 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Dim Sum, Italy, Milan, Travel

After our nice Aperitvo, we walked basically 50 meters to our dinner destination. Another recommendation from "FOY" Candice. A Hong Kong style restaurant named Hekfan, which also served Dim Sum for dinner.

It was a tiny, cute little restaurant.

But the menu belied the rather quaint surroundings, with items like Foie Gras Siu Mai and Crystal Dumplings of Mushroom and Truffle! The Missus also appreciated the tea selection as well. Ordering was a breeze and the folks actually spoke Mandarin and English as well!

We placed our order, not a huge amount of food; but some pretty rich stuff.

First to arrive were the Crystal Dumpling, basically Har Gow with a trio of mushroom and truffle.

We really didn't care for the har gow wrappers which were very glutinous; but the earthy-savory-sweet mushroom and the very fragrant truffle was very good. The addition of a tobiko garnish gave the dumpling a nice salty-briney touch.

A trio of Dim Sum followed.

IMG_2399a The weakest item were the Xiao Long Bao. The wrapper was decent if a bit too doughy; but there was barely any "soup" in the dumpling which was quite bland.

While we were still not big fans of the Har Gow wrapper; the Roasted Duck Har Gow was quite good. Great flavors, not overly sweet.

Mild anise-sweetness-savory tones. I had reservations about the skin being included but it actually added a nice texture.

In what seemed to be a recurring theme; the wrapper of the siu mai wasn't very good, kind of mushy; but man, the flavors of the Foie Gras, Shrimp, and Mushroom Siu Mai were really good.

Never thought the earthy flavor of foie gras would work here; but it added a nice earthy-creamy touch to the very sweet-oceany shrimp. The filling was so tender and moist, yet it held firm.

The Missus really loved the smokey-savoriness of the Pork on Smoked Boiled Eggs.

This arrived on a wooden plate covered by glass fed by one of those smoker-infuser guns. I might have to get one of those. The pork added porcine flavors and the five-spice based seasoning really made the dish.

Soon enough, the final item we ordered appeared. Arriving on a covered plate, which was soon set ablaze.

Quite a show for the Dong Po Rou.

Which was super rich and fatty, decently sweet, good sweet-soy flavors. Quite fragrant, served in tandem with some fancy "buns".

All in all, an enjoyable meal. While the wrappers weren't the best; I'm thinking that sourcing the right ingredients might be a challenge, the flavors were quite good.

Who knew; decent Hong Kong style Chinese in Brera…Milan!

Hekfan
Via Marco Formentini 2
20121 Milan, Italy

Please note that my sources have informed me that Hekfan is moving to a larger space.

And guess what? We'd have even better Dim Sum in Milan later on the trip.

Thanks as always for the recommendations Candice!

Milan – L.O.V.E., Panetteria Mercato, Santa Maria del Carmine Church, Aperitivo Time at Rosso Brera, and More Exploring

December 7, 2024 mmm-yoso Bakery, Desserts, Italian Restaurants, Italy, Milan, Travel

I got up rather early on our first morning in Milan. We had done a bit of shopping before heading to dinner the night before, so we had breakfast and lunch covered. After a light breakfast, I was ready to head on out. The Missus just wanted to relax, so I went in search of something I'd read about before our trip. This walk had me going down Via Mercato, which we'd walk pass several times a day during our stay; with bakeries and such, it was a fun street to shop and eat. The street eventually turned into Via Broletto and there's a lot to see here as well. Like the Neoclassical designed Church of San Tomaso in Terramara.

Via Broletto ends at the very busy and picturesque Piazza Cordusio.

From here, there was an interesting public art piece I was looking for. A bit further west lies Piazza Affari where the Milan Stock Exchange is located. It is quite busy.

As for me, I was more interested in the sculpture right across the way; which seems to send a message to the bankers and financiers of Milan, considered to be the "economic" capital of Italy.

Yep, for real. You gotta love it! The name of this sculpture is L.O.V.E, which stands for Liberta, Odio, Vendetta, Eternita (Freedom, Hate, Vengeance, Eternity).

Could you imagine something like this standing outside the stock exchange in the states?

From here I took a now familiar route back to the apartment. I noticed that the Instagrammers were out in full force in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.

On the way back, I stopped at this bakery.

And got the Missus some cannoli to have with lunch.

She especially enjoyed the pistachio version; saying that it was not overly sweet.

Panetteria Mercato
Via Mercato 24
20121 Milan, Italy

After lunch we headed on out. To do a some exploring and shopping. As we passed this church for the fourth time, seeing that it was open, we decided to check it out.

This is the Chiesa del Carmine (Santa Maria del Carmine Church).

The church dates back to 15th century. And the chapel, which dates back to the Baroque period is considered a masterpiece.

And if to really display the contrasts between the ancient and modern; right in front of the church is this sculpture.

Named the "Great Toscano" by Polish artist Igor Mitoraj.

As we strolled down Via Broletto, the Missus stopped at this sneaker/shoe shop. The brand was Golden Goose?

Looking at the prices, I jokingly told the Missus that She was limited to one pair. Her response; "no, I already have the one's I want at home." !!!!!!

We enjoyed wandering the streets of Milan.

Walking thru places that now seemed quite familiar to us.

As we headed a bit further afield and headed past the Duomo.

That's the Chiesa di Santa Maria presso San Satiro, a church that dates back to the 15th century!

That's San Giovanni in Conca above. The remnants of a church which dates back to the 4th century. What remains of the church is the crypt! I've always thought of Milan as being so modern, so hip, but what I saw really gave me a better appreciation of the city!

And yet, there were places we walked past that just brought on a smile….

Heading back to the apartment, we strolled thru Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II once again.

No matter how many times we walked thru the shopping center; there always seemed to be something we'd notice that we hadn't paid attention to before.

On the way back to the apartment, we stopped at this shop.

Where the Missus found a small purse She loved. Heck, this was Milan, you want a purse….well go for it, right?

We got back to apartment and took a break. I had dinner reservations nearby. But first, we decided to do the Milanese thing…. Yes, it was Aperitivo time! There was a Chinese restaurant that was recommended to us that we decided to try. It was located close by; in fact less than a block from where we'd had dinner the night before. So, we decided what the heck and went to Rosso Brera for Aperitivo. It was really funny; the same young man who waited on us the night before came on out. He smiled and I told him we were here for Aperitvo. He cracked up and we were served with a smile! So yes, a Negroni for me; Prosecco for the Missus, and some typical snacks.

Before heading off to dinner.

Rosso Brera
Via Marco Formentini 7
20121 Milan, Italy

We were really enjoying the Milanese lifestyle. You could say that we were falling in L.O.V.E. with Milan!

Milan – Our Arrival and Dinner at Rosso Brera

December 6, 2024 mmm-yoso Italian Restaurants, Italy, Milan, Travel

After London, our next stop was Milan, where we'd be spending three nights before heading to the Cinque Terre, which is was one of those "bucket list" places for the Missus. Now, I had mainly wanted to visit Milan for one reason. But we'd end up really enjoying the city. We loved the walks, the Missus enjoyed the shopping…heck, Milan is considered the fashion capital of Italy! We both took to Aperitivo Culture. And we especially enjoyed where we stayed. Our good friend Candice recommended staying in the Brera District. The lovely cobblestone streets, artsy-bohemian-hipster vibe, and location, still within walking distance of the main sites really won us over.

And we loved our AirBnB which was located right off the fun and bustling Via Fiori Chiari, yet with a small courtyard the place was quiet and comfortable. It made me feel like we were staying right off Rue Montorgueil in Paris.

Of course we had to go wandering around immediately!

We headed down Via Brera and took a short stop at the Pinacoteca di Brera, a well known art gallery.

There's an interesting statue in the courtyard.

It's a statue of Napoleon, nothing overly strange about that, right? Well, in this statue, Napoleon is cast as Mars the Peacemaker.

Other than some of the basic sights, I really hadn't done much research, so coming across various statues and such was fun. Like this statue of Francesco Hayez, the Italian painter.

Soon enough, the streets started getting much busier.

And then we came upon this iconic entrance.

Yes, it's the oldest and probably the most well known (and expensive) shopping center in Italy, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. We'd be returning to these places, so I'll go into more detail later. For now, I thought I'd just post some photos.

And right across the way is the Duomo, Milan Cathedral.

Busy, huh? Did you know that Milan Cathedral is the largest church in all of Italy? It's even larger than Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican!

We veered off and walked into Piazza Mercanti. Compared to the surroundings it was quite sedate and peaceful. Hard to believe it was once the ruling center of the city.

The piazza is also home to an interesting acoustic phenomenon. We tried it out and it actually works!

We headed back taking different streets.

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And ended at Castello Sforzesco.

Like I said, we'd be visiting these places later on during our stay.

We strolled a few blocks east and voila, we were back at the apartment. We had a nice break and then decided to head on out for dinner. I hadn't made any dinner reservations for our first night. I thought that with all the dining options in the area, we'd easily find a place. And, right across Fiori Chiari, in one of the courtyards, we came across a restaurant named Rosso Brera, which had outdoor seating.

The menu looked interesting, it had some dishes I was interested in. The service was initially very perfunctory, but hey, it wasn't even close to being like Rome! Of course, I got things off on the right foot by ordering an Aperol.

And once I placed my order, our Server warmed up to us. There seemed to be quite a few locals; perhaps he had us pegged as obnoxious tourists?

Anyway, first up was the Crostone Toscano; which featured raw Tuscan Pork Sausage.

Nice seasonings, quite refreshing, excellent salt, there seemed to be a hint of anise flavor. Nice with my Aperol Spritz.

Of course I had to get the Tartare di Manzo; beef tartare.

A bit too mushy for my taste. There was a tinge of metallic going on as well. The raw pork sausage was much better.

The Missus wanted a simple pasta; so I ordered the Garganelli.

Perfectly cooked house made pasta. The ribs in the pasta did a great job of "picking up" the simple tomato sauce, light basil tones, milky cheese. Sometimes, simple is best.

One of the dishes I really wanted to try in Milan was the Risotto a la Milanese. And since it was on the menu…..

The arborio rice was perfectly cooked, great texture. The earthy tones of saffron came thru quite strongly perhaps edging on almost bitter. The Missus, who is not a fan of saffron tried a taste and was done. I was glad to have finally tried this.

Service ended up being quite friendly and warm after an interesting start and we'd end up returning for Aperotivo time the following night.. It was a nice way to start our stay in Milan.

Rosso Brera
Via Marco Formentini 7
20121 Milan, Italy

We went and took a nice walk after dinner.

Under the central dome of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II you'll find four mosaics which depict the coat of arms for Rome, Florence, Milan, and Turin. Turin (Torino) is represented by the bull. Looking at the mosaic you'll quickly notice a dip right where the bull's…well, private parts are. Well, supposedly, placing your heel right on the family jewels of the bull, then spinning clockwise three times will bring you good luck. Folks were lining up to do this when we visited later on.

We were really enjoying Milan! And that's no bull!

Phuong Trang A Decade Later – A Com-Tam-Plation Part 2

December 5, 2024 mmm-yoso Vietnamese Restaurants

After having the Com Tam Dac Biet at Nhu Y, the Missus was wondering if there was better to be had. After all Nhu Y was one of those "old time" places. Heck, I first visited back in 2006! We were driving down Convoy when the Missus asked, "when was the last time we were at Phuong Trang?" Well, I had to think about that one! Turns out, it's been over a decade! It's a place I've dubbed as the "gateway Vietnamese Restaurant" in San Diego.

Still, since the Missus wanted to search out some broken rice, it as time to return?

Phuong Trang Rev 01

Walking in was like entering a time capsule…….the place hasn't changed since our last visit!

The service was fairly perfunctory; but that's kind of how it's always been. How it's always been…..I could use that phrase here a lot.

The Missus got the Com Tam Dac Biet ($15.95).

Phuong Trang Rev 02 Phuong Trang Rev 02b This was as expected, the broken rice was hard, not fragrant. Well, if you think about it, it probably fills the traditional definition of broken rice; the damaged, "inferior" rice. The thit nuong, the char grilled pork was flavorful, but quite chewy, the bi, the shredded pork and skin was cold, though it had a decent amount of roasted rice powder and a nice stretchy texture. The "cha" the egg-pork "loaf" was also cold, mushy, and bland. The bean curd with shrimp paste wasn't crisp, but at least it tasted quite good; a nice savory flavor.

The nuoc mam cham was pretty good, not overly sweet or watered down.

Phuong Trang Rev 03

At least this was better than the version the Missus ordered during our last visit to Pho Duyen Mai. The visit which kind of "kicked off" the Missus's search for some decent Com Tam.

I ordered the Bun Tom Thit Nuong ($15.95), the grilled shrimp with char grilled pork.

Phuong Trang Rev 04

Phuong Trang Rev 05 The shrimp were actually decently grilled, fairly plump, and not rubbery. The flavor was quite muddy-fishy though. The pork was the same as what the Missus had. The bun looked like it had been sliced up and were short strands.

If you take a close look at the photo you'll notice something. You can see all the greens under a thin layer of bun.

My goodness, this was at least half "salad".

While this was not a bad meal, it was fairly mediocre, "middle of the road" Vietnamese to us. As it kind of has been to us for the last 15 years or so.

Phuong Trang
4170 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111
Current Hours:
Wed – Sun 11am – 8pm
Closed Mondays and Tuesdays

Tuetano Taquería – Now Open in Chula Vista

December 3, 2024 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops

I was happy to read that Tuetano had completed the move and reopened in Chula Vista. It had been a while since we'd been to Downtown Chula Vista, so I thought we would head down and check things out. We arrived before the opening time of 10am, which gave us time for a nice stroll and we also easily found parking. By the time we made it down to H street and back…..whoa, how many breweries and tasting rooms are on 3rd now? It was a quarter after ten. It was a nice day, so the Missus had a seat at one of the few outdoor tables…there are a couple inside the place as well and I walked in to order.

Tuetano CV 01

Tuetano CV 02

Looking over the menu; the prices seem to be in line with the initial prices in Old Town, though the Bolillo, which is what I ordered is now $14 here, much less that what it used to be. I got the Birria a Mano ($5.50); the birria taco with hand made tortillas and also a Tuetano ($7) for the Missus.

Tuetano CV 03

The owner and chef Priscilla Curiel was working front of house on this day and she had always been so welcoming and nice.

It was a short wait, but our food came out looking great.

Tuetano CV 04
Tuetano CV 05 The bone had been really roasted, which was different form what we'd had in Old Town. The marrow was oh-so-buttery. The birria was beefy, with nice pungent-smoky-earthy tones. It's still not quite what I recall from the San Ysidro days, but a bit better than what I'd had in Old Town. The cilantro and onions added the required anise-herbceous-pungent tones. And that tortilla, dunked in the tasty birria consomme was quite good.

The Missus has always enjoyed the straight-forward, very spicy-smoky, chile de arbol salsa and this really doesn't get the sweat going on your truly.

Tuetano CV 05b

As for the Torta; well, it was huge, so much larger than what was served at the Old Town location and cheaper too! Love how wonderfully toasted the bolillo roll was.

Tuetano CV 06

This had so much meat, that the juices and the avocado (which I could have more of) just sogged out the bread. It was a very juicy mess; the meat was pretty tender and beefy….this did give me "San Ysidro vibes". The amount of melted cheese was quite large, but didn't interfere with the flavors of the birria de res. This was a bit too large for my appetite on this day.

Tuetano CV 07

So, if you're hungry, this might fit the bill for you.

I think we'll be down here every so often as long as the food holds steady.

Tuetano Taquería
216 3rd Ave.
Chula Vista, CA 91910
Current Hours:
Daily 10am – 5pm

Tuetano CV 00

Paik’s Noodle

December 2, 2024 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Korean Restaurants

A few months back; "FOY" Elle asked me if I'd been to the new location of Paik's Noodle, which had moved from the Zion Market Food Court, where it was known as Hong Kong BanJum, to a location next to the Hive in the same strip mall as CoCo Ichibanya and Da Nang Corner. I felt a bit hesitant about checking them out. You see, I tried Hong Kong BanJum way back at the end of 2013 when they first opened and I really didn't care for the Jajangmyeon. It was greasy and much too sweet, so I never went back. Those were the days when I used to make sure to visit at least twice before doing a post, so those photos ended up in the recycle bin. I thought about returning once or twice, especially since Cathy seemed to enjoy her visit, but I just never made it back.

So finally, about two weeks ago, I decided to head on over and check the place out.

Paiks 01

The location is shared with the Hive. Go right, it's the Hive, go left it's Paik's.

Paiks 02

The space is elongated and quite spartan.

Paiks 03

The two folks working here were so very nice. This was especially admirable when I watched them deal with the very rude, demanding, and entitled young men that came in a bit later on.

Ordering here is done off a tablet like display.

Paiks 04

I knew I had to give the JaJangmyeon another try. I saw an option I thought I might enjoy; I ordered the JaJang Rice ($14.95), which came with an omelete and a side of the Jjampong. Also, based on my previous experience, I asked for the JaJang, the black bean based sauce on the side, so I could control flavors and texture.

Paiks 05

Soon enough, some Takuan Danmuji arrived.

Paiks 06

Accompanying the JaJangmyeon, which according to several sources derives its existence from Chinese workers in Incheon in the late 19th, early 20th century. I've always found it kind of interesting that the Missus does not care for this dish, since it's origins have been traced to Shandong Province, where She is from!

Paiks 07 Paiks 08 I'm glad I ordered my dish in this fashion as it was a heck of a lot of JaJang! While it still has a bit of that greasy mouthfeel, this wasn't overly sweet, had some decent umami tones, and some interesting pungency. It was definitely better than what I had experienced at Hong Kong BanJum in the Zion Food Court.

The rice was moist, there was also a good amount of fairly fluffy egg, which I guess because of the JaJang didn't seem to be seasoned at all.

Paiks 09

While definitely not a "go to" dish for me, this was not bad. The portion size was quite generous.

I was glad that the Jjampong was included as it was my favorite of the meal.

Paiks 10

Another dish which claims an interesting history, this was comfortingly spicy, with good savory – pungent – umami tones. I'm thinking I'll order the Meat Jjampong if I return.

Overall, quite a hearty meal, generous portion for the price. And while not claiming a place among Korean (or Korean-Chinese) eateries on my rotation, I'm glad I visited under the auspices Paik's which I think is better than the former iteration of Hong Kong BanJum. I also enjoyed reading about the history of these dishes while doing this post as well.

Paiks 00
Paik's Noodle
4428 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111
Current Hours:
Sun – Thurs 11am – 9pm
Fri – Sat 11am – 10pm

Thanks for the reminder for Paik's Elle!

Oahu – Revisiting The Alley Restaurant at Aiea Bowl Five Years Later

November 30, 2024 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Hawaiian Food, Oahu, Travel

After spending a nice couple of nights in town, we were back in Ewa Beach. The Missus wanted to do Her morning swim, so we decided to head on out to Ko Olina. We hadn't been in years. It was a Sunday morning so we went pretty early. We easily found parking near Lagoon 4. The Missus did Her swim while I went and strolled the four lagoons.

You know, I don't think I've been here since the Aulani opened? Geez, all the huge resorts.

For some reason, I got major Mission Bay vibes Kohola Lagoon, except the water looked beautiful and didn't smell like kukae!

Heading back to the car we noticed that the parking lot had filled up! Good things we got here early!

After freshening up back in Ewa, the Missus was craving some Oxtail Soup. The Alley, in Aiea Bowl opens at 10 on weekends and the Missus really enjoy our last visit there back in 2019. So we headed on over.

Man, the place sure has expanded the eating area since we last visited. And now, get so many signs and instructions…..

The young folks working were so nice and friendly. And we were seated behind the lanes.

We ordered our "usual" here, the Oxtail Soup (of course) and the Tasty Chicken.

The Tasty Chicken arrived quite quickly.

IMG_1724a

We really like the way they do brown rice here; nice texture, nutty flavor. As for the chicken, well, it was different from what we'd had here on previous visits. The batter was hard and crunchy, not light and crisp like we'd had before. The glaze was much sweeter; much like the overly sweet K(orean) F(ried) C(hicken), which I can get anywhere in San Diego. While not bad, it was not what we'd enjoyed before.

We were happy to see the "tower" arrive soon after.

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As we deconstructed the "tower" we knew something was amiss as the usual beefy-anise fragrance was missing. In fact, looking at the broth, we noticed that it looked quite "thin".

My goodness, this was pretty bad; the soup lacked richness, it tasted like salty "shoyu-water". The thin broth was terrible.

The Oxtail had a nice texture, very tender, but it also seemed to have all the flavor cooked out of it, like it had been boiled in water for ages. This was so bland! What the heck is going on here?

This was quite a disappointing meal, which was too bad. After all, this had been our favorite Oxtail Soup spot on Oahu. It was sad, since we'd had decent grindz at old favorites like 8 Fat Fat 8 and Kim Chee II during this trip.

The Alley Restaurant at Aiea Bowl
99-115 Aiea Heights Dr, Ste 310
Aiea, HI 96701

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What a bummer…..

London – Tamarind (Mayfair)

November 29, 2024 mmm-yoso Fine Dining, Indian Restaurants, London, Memorable Meals, Travel

Because we'd be headed to Milan in the morning and that we'd done a decent amount of walking during the day, I had made reservations for dinner at a place that was just a pleasant 15 minute walk from our hotel. Being in London, we just had to get some Indian cuisine, right? And having a chance to get dinner at a Indian Restaurant with a Michelin Star? A place that laid claim to be the first Indian Restaurant to earn a Michelin star? Well, of course I made reservations to dine at Tamarind.

We arrived at the polished white restaurant a few minutes before our reservations. We were greeted warmly and escorted to our table. The staff here were wonderful and very professional, though the timing of the dishes were a bit inconsistent.

I think the timing was because the staff had food delivered by dumbwaiter and there always seemed to be a bit of congestion as the night went on and the place became busy.

Still, we really enjoyed the service

As for the food; well, we got the tasting menu and a single wine pairing which the Missus enjoyed and I should have kept better track of. Oh well…..

Things started with a very good Churi Chaat.

The crisp lightness of the papadum; the complex flavors of the yogurt and chutneys, not to mention the tart-puckery pomengranite seeds and the seasoning which had some mild sweetness and spice. I remember this being served with a wonderful Viognier

The "Gourmet Menu" had four courses with two available items. So, of course the Missus and I chose opposite so we could have a taste of the entire menu.

The first courses were a Chicken Tikka and a Coconut & Chilli Seabass.

We strangely found the chicken to be on the chewier side and without that sauce a bit bland except for a dose of tartness.

The Seabass was very moist and tender; though it had a hint of muddiness. The ikura went quite well with the fish as it added a briney component and a nice texture to the dish.

The coconut wasn't overly sweet and the spice not overwhelming. The black olives were perhaps a bit too much for the fish though.

The next two courses were the Chilli Lobster and Char-grilled Lamb Chop.

As you might know if you've read our blog long enough; the Missus hasn't been a big fan of lobster; though our trips to various locations around the world has kind of changed things. The lobster here was plump and tender. Again we were warned about the spice, but it seemed quite mild to us. The sweetness of the sauce really balanced out whatever spice the dish had and did not mar the flavor of the lobster.

The Lamb Chops were fabulous. Toothsome and gamey, the nutty pistachio added a nice crunchy to the dish. The Lamb was cooked to perfection.

The Missus really enjoy the Pinot Noir that went with this.

They then brought out a basket of crisp, yet pillowy, lightly buttery Naan.

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And some fragrant and tender Basmati Rice.

This was to accompany the Mangalore Prawn Curry and the Cholar Dal.

The Prawn Curry was the better of the two dishes.

The curry was so rich, buttery, complex, perhaps again a bit shy in spice, but the prawns were so tender. The curry just went so well with the Naan.

We didn't care for the raisins in the Daal, which was kinda of well….dull. At least compared to the curry.

We were surprised at the pairing of a Australian Grenache with these dishes, but it just went so well with them.

I was stuffed by this point, so the Missus requested just a single dessert.

Which She thoroughly enjoyed.

We really enjoyed this meal, perhaps the most refined Indian cuisine we've ever had. The staff were pleasant and professional. And at 89£ person and the single pairing cost 79£ we thought this meal was totally worth it!

Tamarind Restaurant
20 Queen St.
London W1J 5PR, UK

This was a wonderful dinner before leaving for Italy the next day.

Happy Thanksgiving – We’re enjoying the Smoked Chicken from Juewei!

November 28, 2024 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, yoso-silly

Just wanted to wish everyone a wonderful and delici-yoso Thanksgiving!

We are so thankful for your visits and wonderful comments!

And of course since this is a food blog….

I’m sure you know by now; our 19th Thanksgiving doing the blog, that we aren’t big turkey kinda folks. So, what are we having this year?

Well, it’s kinda interesting, we were getting our weekly Yomie’s fix and decided to pop by Juwei and get some duck intestines, yuba, and quail eggs, when we saw this on the counter.

Juewei Smoked Chick 01

The Missus asked the woman working what it was. Turns out it’s “smoked chicken”. She informed us that this is something new and this batch had just come out of the kitchen. It smelled really good. So we bought 2 at $18.99 each.

Turns out that we have a new favorite item. The chicken was moist, good savory-smoky-saltiness. I do like to crisp up the skin a bit in the Air Fryer. It had been nicely marinated and seasoned.

Juewei Smoked Chick 02

While we still enjoy the chewy duck intestines; we have a new favorite from Juewei.

Juewei Smoked Chick 03

I hope they keep making that chicken!

Juewei Smoked Chick 00

**** Juewei has closed

Juewei Food
4690 Convoy St. #103
San Diego, CA 92111
Current Hours:
Sun – Thurs 11am – 11pm
Fri – Sat 11am – Midnight

Wishing you all a warm and wonderful holiday, filled with delicious food!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Why the Missus can’t eat Chicken Katsu at Restaurants

November 26, 2024 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes, yoso-silly

In the comments section of a recent post, "FOY" DerekR asked me what I've been cooking recently. I know that during Covid, I used to do many more cooking type posts. And to be honest, much of what I make these days are tried and true recipes that I've posted over the years. And to be perfectly honest, lot of what I cook just use techniques that I've picked up over the years.

For instance, these days you'll be hard pressed getting the Missus to order chicken katsu when dining out. It's got to be highly recommended for Her to try it. And the reason is totally my fault. You see, a few years ago, I mentioned having worked in a Drive In back home. We made chicken katsu a certain way….which wasn't super good. But, we also knew how to make it for us. And when we did, we never needed to use salt; the breading never peeled off, and the chicken breast was very tender.

And it was simply done by doing a quick brine and rinse on the chicken before breading. We also tenderized the chicken breast. I also added seasonings to the egg wash (shoyu) and ground black pepper to the panko.

It used come out very evenly fried. Though my version may not be as pretty since I pan fry it, sorta like schnitzel, not wanting to waste oil…I use Avocado Oil so it ain't cheap.

C Katsu 01

The combination of the brine, I also add a bit of granulated garlic, the shoyu in the egg wash, and the ground black pepper in the panko just adds layers of flavors.

C Katsu 02

C Katsu 04a

You can see the shoyu in the egg wash above and the freshly ground black pepper in the panko below.

C Katsu 05

Now because of how I make this; I only usually make two breasts at a time; it ain't cheap since I have to make the brine everytime I make katsu, but the Missus said it's worth it.

The Brine:

4 cups cold water
1/4 cup Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp Granulated Garlic (optional)

Combine ingredients, whisk until salt is dissolved
Brine tenderized breasts for 8-15 minutes (I usually brine while getting flour-panko-egg wash ready)
Rinse chicken and dry well with paper towels; remember food safety is paramount – avoid cross contamination, I use disposable gloves, make sure to clean up well.

Make sure chicken is dry before doing the flour-egg wash-panko

For the egg wash; I usually use 1 egg and 1/2 teaspoon Kikkoman Shoyu.

It's funny how some simple steps I learned so long ago have reappeared!

C Katsu 06

So, there you go……

If you do try brining your chicken before making katsu; let me know how it turns out.