mmm-yoso – Page 376

Cafe Dore Revisited

March 18, 2008 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Cafe Dore has closed

Cafe Dore has been a favorite of mine when it comes to Banh Mi. And though there's been the odd day when the bread perhaps did not quite live to billing, I've been content to just roll into Cafe Dore every now and then. As is my habit, after visiting a place, I usually keep my camera stowed, and go on with life. But after having discussions with a few friends, some of them quite humorous, I thought I'd do an updated post on Cafe Dore.

One of the first things I noticed at Cafe Dore(other than the huge television), is that typical of Vietnamese Coffee Shop culture, the place is male dominated. Guys out-number the Gals about 8-12 to one. On our visits, the Missus has been the token female in the place….not that it bothered Her one bit. The other amusing thing about Cafe Dore, that I noticed, was the amount of attention paid the two "video game machines" in the back of the place. It immediately dawned on me that middle aged men had no reason to be paying so much attention to a video game…sometimes there's a little crowd around the game. I'll stop there……you get the point!

FOY John told me that other than the television, Cafe Dore hasn't changed since he's been going there….over 10 years…..same video games, same carpet, you get the idea. The giant TV has either various info-mercials, or Vietnamese Variety Shows on. Once, while waiting for my Banh Mi, I found myself watching a nice travelogue….I didn't understand a word, but thought to myself, "wow, that place really looks like Vegas…." Until I realized it was a Vietnamese travelogue of Las Vegas! Another constant at Cafe Dore is the total disregard of the "No Smoking" signs posted around the place. You'll several Guys smoking with surreptitiously hidden ash trays at every table. And yet, where I would normally find these quirks and habits irritating at other places….here at Cafe Dore it's just another day. I'll even go as far to say that there's a kind of charm to it; during the busy mornings you'll see bleary eyed Guys waking up with their morning Cà phê sữa đá, and having their breakfast Banh Mi….by 10am, there's usually at least one card game going…or checkers. And because English is not the primary language you'd hear at Cafe Dore…..if you have a vivid enough imagination, you'll feel transported.

Here's a run down of some recent(last 4 months) eats from Cafe Dore.

Hu Tieu My Tho($5.75):

The somewhat mushy rice noodles were covered with chicken(very soft), BBQ Pork(the stuff you find in their Banh Mi – yum), and some shrimp that needed some fattening up. The sauce was a savory tomato based concoction that featured minced pork and dried shrimp. The dried shrimp was a burst of flavor that always caught me off guard. The whole shebang was served with Tong Ho (Garland Chrysanthemum – what I grew up calling Shingiku), some lettuce that was really in need of a wash, and sliced Jalapeno Peppers. Overall, this wasn't the most inspired Hu Tieu I've ever had, but it sure wasn't bland!

The Hu Tieu also came with a nice and rich broth, with some pretty good meatballs:

On another occasion when the Missus was having Her favorite Banh Mi, I ordered the Banh Mi Bo Kho(Beef Stew with Baguette – $5.75):

I found this version of the beef stew to be not as oily as others, if a bit weak in the spices and flavoring department as Bo Kho goes. The meat was moist and fairly tender, but lacked a beefy punch. I did enjoy the pieces of tendon that were soft and buttery.

And I like the bread at Cafe Dore, which more than made up for any shortfalls.

On one visit the Missus tore Herself away from Her usual Banh Mi and ordered the Com Tam Bi Cha Thit Nuong(Broken Rice with shredded pork, steamed egg cake, and grilled pork – $6.75):

I found the Com Tam to be dry, and not very fragrant…and the Missus told me it was like veggies provided had been moved from plate to plate uneaten.

The big winner was the steamed egg and pork cake, which was soft. moist, and bursting with flavor.

Don't ask me about the Bi….I never got a chance to taste it.

The grilled pork had decent flavor, but was on the dry side:

All of this came with a very nice Nuoc Mam Cham, and a small bowl of broth which was a bit on the salty side this time around.

So did I just pick stuff off the Missus's plate…..of course not. In a moment of Banh Mi envy, I ordered a Banh Mi I saw someone else eating….I don't even know what it's called….I don't even know if it's on the menu. But I just knew I had to have it. I mean, how can you resist this?

Nice runny egg, Cha Lua that had been on the griddle, the same with some fatty pork, cilantro, cucumber, a dash of Maggi(like I needed any more salt?)………pretty good stuff.

As you can see, for me it all comes back to the Banh Mi at Cafe Dore, and though you can read about the Banh Mi Dac Biet here, I thought I'd provide another photo:

Than there's the Missus's favorite at Cafe Dore, the Banh Mi Bi($2.75):

I tried the Banh Mi Xiu Mai one day(Meatball – $2.75):

And even though the meatballs were studded with large pieces of shrimp, I'm just not a fan of the tomato sauce used for flavoring this Banh Mi. I prefer the version from Saigon Sandwiches and Deli next door.

We consider most of the food(minus Banh Mi) at Cafe Dore to fall into the Vietnamese Diner category….not a bad category by any means. Like the place or hate it; you gotta say Cafe Dore has got tons of personality.

Cafe Dore
4135 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92105

Birrieria Los Gueros

March 17, 2008 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops

*** Birrieria Los Gueros has closed.

This little shop is located near the corner of El Cajon Boulevard and Winona Avenue, and is partially hidden by the bus stop near that corner. And though I've passed the place hundreds of times, I don't think I've ever seen a single person in the place. Though it just may be that the aged and smudged windows just obscure my view.

Recently, the large sign above the front of the restaurant went up, and on a recent weekend morning, stomach growling, I decided to grab a bite here.

The interior is decorated in a random fashion, from the just ever so slightly tilted bull horns(I was expecting goat horns….), to the Chargers poster, and even though the place is relatively clean, you just get the feeling that everything is covered in a layer of dust. The menu sits on the wall, with former prices taped over, and yellowing edges….there is a kind of haphazard charm to this place. Though let it be said that I've had many great meals on places like these.

As is the norm for shops like these, the prices are quite reasonable. With tacos going for $1.25, Burritos $4.00, and Menudo and Birria $5.75. After speaking to the very nice young lady I learned, no Barbacoa de Borrego(lamb), only Barbacoa de Res(beef). I decided to have a few tacos, and placed my order, 1 Taco Al Pastor, 2 Birria de Chivo. I was asked if I wanted onions and cilantro on my tacos, which was something a bit different….I'm used to getting my tacos, and adding cilantro, onions, and salsa from a bar. But here they put them on the tacos for you.

In a few minutes 3 nicely wrapped tacos arrived at my table. Along with some very, very good pickled carrots and onions, and in something else new to me…..wedges of lemon, instead of lime. I'm wondering if this is some regional preference? A bottle of nicely spiced salsa roja was also brought to the table.

The Al Pastor, was nothing special, not very tasty, and on the tough side. The corn tortillas were also mediocre….

The Birria de Chivo was very interesting.

You could tell the meat had been simmered for a good long time, and while it didn't look it, I found the flavor to be better than the Birria I had from Birria's Chivo and Cheves, more spice, more salt, nice fat content…but there was just one thing about the flavor that got to me. Even though there was some depth to it, there was a graininess and after taste to the birria that was much like liver…something that I'm not a big fan of. I don't know if it was just this batch of meat, or what…..

The young lady who served me was very nice. But I think I'll wait a while before returning….. Maybe someone has a recommendation for this restaurant?

Birrieria Los Gueros
4944 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

Just one more thing…..

Every once in a while, I see something that just makes my day. While perusing Sarah's wonderful blog The Delicious Life, Sarah did a post to summraize items she came across during the week. Among the items (french fry coated hot dog), was a YouTube impromptu Food Court Musical:

For some reason it just made my day! Can I get a napkin please? Have you ever had the urge to just break out in song? Well….maybe not ….. Thanks Sarah!

Paris Bakery, and everything tastes better on a Banh Mi, right?

March 16, 2008 mmm-yoso Bakery, Banh Mi, Sandwiches

Our frig is a bit over-loaded with left-overs, so what to do??? Well, I’d been told that, "anything is good in Banh Mi…" So I decided to Banh Mi-size my left-overs….. Being in the neighborhood quite early in the morning, I stopped by Paris Bakery on El Cajon Boulevard.

I dodged several women carrying paper sacks full of bread out to their cars left running on El Cajon Boulevard……I don’t know why they were in such a rush; but perhaps they felt a sense of urgency that only hot, steaming, Vietnamese Baguettes can exercise…..

I went in grabbed a bag of 4 Banh Mi($1), which I opened and let breath once I got home. The bread at Paris is pretty good, with a good bit of crackle without being crumbly, and there is some bread in the Banh Mi, it is not "all crust", the bread is a bit chewy, which I enjoy in a Banh Mi.

Paris Bakery also makes sandwiches, which I’ll post on a bit later on. I’m not quite sure what time they open, but getting their the earlier, the better.

Paris Bakery
4481 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

So what did I do with the Banh Mi?

Glad you asked….well, unless you’re really interested in the left-overs in our frig, perhaps you should leave now. So let’s see if you can figure this out….

Its……Fuqi Feipian from Ba Ren, along with some shredded cucumber, and cilantro leaves. (If you’ve read my posts on Banh Mi, you know that one of my pet peeves are the stringy stems of cilantro, so I guess I can’t be a hypocrite, can I?) This tasted pretty good, the flavor of the Fuqi Feipian stood up well to the bread.

Next one:

This is an easy one…..it’s the left over Cumin Lamb from Dede’s, along with thinly sliced red onion, and cilantro leaves. This sandwich tasted fairly good, but was missing something…… The solution was quite simple, just as some people believe everything tastes better on a Banh Mi, most people know that everything will taste better with Maggi Seasoning Sauce. The savory "umami" that the Maggi brought to the sandwich was discernible.

So, does everything really taste better in a Banh Mi?

Its story time; at one of my first jobs back in High School, one of the Security Guards used to bring his own "special" sandwich to lunch several times a week. This guy loved this sandwich…the aroma rising from the sandwich was quite unusual, I thought that I could make out the individual ingredients, but didn’t believe anyone would eat that combination…. So one day I asked, and yes indeed, it was…. A peanut butter and Kimchi sandwich! With mayo! Elvis had nothing on this guy. Apparently, he acquired a taste for this while stationed in Korea. Over the years, I’ve mentioned this unique sandwich to many….and beyond the "ewwwws", wrinkled noses, and gagging noises, I couldn’t find anyone who’d ever heard of such a combination. Earlier his year, for reasons still unknown to me, I did a search on "Peanut Butter Kimchi Sandwich" and did find an actual article that mentioned it, though only in passing.

So to finally see if everything tastes better on a Banh Mi, I decided to make a:

Peanut Butter and Kimchi Sandwich, sans the mayo! But with Maggi of course…in hopes that it would make anything taste better….. As per instructions I received several decades back, I used "Chunky" peanut butter……

So what’s the verdict? Not as bad as I thought, the kimchi overwhelmed the peanut butter….sort of kimchi upfront, with a peanut finish. The Maggi actually brought out the savory fishiness(in a good way). The Missus could not sit in the same room, with me while I ate this, and while I don’t think I’ll have it again soon, it wasn’t too bad at all.

So maybe everything does taste better on a Banh Mi? What do you think?

You can find Guilty Carnivore’s Kimchi Banh Mi(albeit a bit more conventional) here, along with a BBQ Pork Banh Mi here.

Fellow San Diego Food Blogger mscinda, has a home made Banh Mi post here.

And of course Wandering Chopsticks has home made Banh Mi posts here and here.

And if you really want a silly sandwich, this was seen walking along Clairemont Drive this afternoon:

I guess I was destined to do a sandwich post today!

A Revisit to Dede’s

March 15, 2008 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants

*** Dedes' has closed

Whew, it's been a long day of running around, so just a real quick post tonight.

Ever since I had what I considered to be a very mediocre version of Cumin Lamb at The "New" Spicy City, I've been pining for my favorite local version of the dish. Finally giving in to the craving we headed over to Dede's. And of course I ordered the Cumin Flavored Lamb($9.50):

Other than the price, which has gone up $1 in the last few months, it is the same dish that I posted about in 2006. Perhaps a lighter hand was used in regards to the salt this time around. One of the benchmarks of a good version of cumin lamb requires left-overs. If the Missus walks into the kitchen while I'm in the process of reheating the cumin lamb with fingers pinching Her nostrils telling me; "ewwww, that smells like really bad B.O., open the windows!" I know it's good.

We also tried the Chung King Hot Pot($13.99):

While the broth had the required "ma-la"(numbing hot) thing down, this fiery caudron lacked the flavors of herbs and other spices that we enjoy in in this style of Hot Pot. In other words it was only spicy….. The bean curds sheets added a nice texture, as did the tender chicken, but the tripe was very bad, I don't think it had been prepared properly, it had a dank odor, and the flavor was on the bitter-unpleasantly milky side.

Still, I was more than satisfied with my Cumin Lamb…and was more than satisfied with the Missus's reaction to my reheating the dish. I think I'll need another Cumin Lamb fix again soon……. I've been told that cumin is addictive, I'm starting to believe that there's some truth to that statement.

Dede's Teajuice City
4647 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

My previous post on Dede's can be found here.

Nico’s Taco Shop – Linda Vista

March 13, 2008 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops

This location of Nico’s, tucked away on Morena Place is sort of the forgotten "third wheel" of taco shops in the area. When I think of Taco Shops in the area, usually JV’s or Santana’s that comes to mind, and poor little Nico’s is forgotten. But not on this day……

The shop itself is pretty small, and fronts a group of apartments out back. When I mentioned Nico’s to several folks, I got wrinkled noses, and comments about dirt and grime, but I’ve never encountered that at Nico’s. The woman who works the front counter is also quite nice as well.

There are bascially only 2 items I get from Nico’s, the CAB(Carne Asada Burrito), and Rolled Tacos. And it had been years since I’ve eaten here, so I thought I’d give Nico’s a go.

Now I had thought that after attending the "Battle of the ‘Berto’s" that I’d be laying off the Carne Asada Burrito’s for a while…but I guess I was wrong. The interesting thing was….that I really couldn’t recall whether I enjoyed the burrito or not…I’ve had CABs from Nico’s several times, but for some reason I just didn’t remember them.

The Carne Asada Burrito at Nico’s is priced right at $3.50, and it is not the huge monstrousity of a burrito that’s served elsewhere, but I find it to be a perfect size for my usual appetite. The Carne Asada in this burrito was moist, and fairly tender, if a bit short on the flavor end. It was very "generic" in flavor….maybe that’s why it had never registered in my memory banks. The Pico de Gallo had too much under-ripe tomato, and I’m not a fan of the very bland Guacamole, nor the Hot Sauce, which is slightly "picante", but nothing else.

I do remember the other item I usually get at Nico’s….the Rolled Tacos($2.50):

After I had placed my order I remembered how I usually get them…without the cheese and guac, and as I recall, I would take them home and use some other bottled hot sauce. Oh well, these are still much better than those from a very popular, but a bit over-hyped restaurant. The rolled tacos are crunchy, and you can actually taste the filling, chicken in this case, and the proportion of meat to fried tortilla is good. And the meat isn’t the mini-me minced stuff. As a whole, I’m not the biggest fan of rolled tacos, but I don’t mind Nico’s version at all.

On the rolled taco visit, I noticed something written on the greaseboard called a "Conga" Burrito…so I inquired, and was told Carne Asada, Rice, and Enchilada Sauce. Hmmm, I don’t recall seeing that anywhere before. So on a follow-up visit, I decided to order the Conga Burrito($3.75):

I cut the burrito in half, and noticed that there was also beans in this. As I ate it, eight letters came to mind T-A-C-O B-E-L-L…..it did taste like something you’d get from Taco ~~Smell~~ Bell. You could put any type of meat in this, and it would taste the same. Not my cup of tea I guess…….

I’ve heard that the Newport Avenue location of Nico’s is good, but I’ve never been. The prices are quite reasonable, the food arrives fast, and the woman behind the counter is nice and friendly. Note to self…stick with the rolled tacos.

Nico’s Taco Shop
5151 Morena Pl
San Diego, CA 92110

Jiaozi in (mostly) Pictures, and some Housekeeping…..

March 12, 2008 mmm-yoso Cooking

I thought long and hard about posting, or attempting to post, my Mother-In-Laws recipe for Jiaozi….but have failed each time. Being from the city of Qingdao in Shandong Province, Jiaozi is a way of life. Having made these dumplings by hand for Her entire life, there are no measurements, and the dough is done by "feel". She knows when it is "right", making adjustments for temperature and humidity. The filling is done by "nose" something covered in a post by FOY(friend of Yoso), CAB, in a post you can find here. My "nose" has improved over the years, so nowadays I will often make the filling(plus there’s one more hint I’ll reveal at the end), but leave the dough making to my Mother In Law. So I guess you could say, my MIL’s recipe, is no recipe, but a process so deeply rooted, and ingrained, that it is beyond second nature. I often kid the Missus, telling Her that "dough is your destiny", as you can see here She does a pretty good Jiaozi Herself(and there’s even a recipe for the Shrimp and Chive filling someone requested….I forgot that I posted that). The one thing the Missus lacks is the "staying power"….once tired and distracted, Her Jiaozi gets bigger, and bigger, until it is literally bursting at the seams. After making one batch, She announces Her "retirement" from making Jiaozi…this latest retirement has lasted over 2 years!

I attempted to at least capture a few photos three times. The first attempt was a bunch of blurred photos. What you see are combined photos from the second and third attempt. It is hard to keep up……

Note on the dough; my MIL really likes working with High Gluten Flour, but will use All-Purpose Flour. Unlike most Jiaozi recipes, She prefers room temperature water.

One key point on rolling out the wrappers. The edges of the wrappers are thinner than the center. This is done to ensure that the thickness of the wrapper is more even when the dumpling is made.

One quick tip; get a small pot of water going at a low simmer when beginning to roll out the wrappers. You can check the flavor of your Jiaozi by creating a "test dumpling".

So there you have it……how a dumpling "army" is created.

The best part is, I get to choose what kind of Jiaozi I want….3 Treasures perhaps(pork, shrimp, and sea cucumber)?

And maybe a batch of Pork & Dill as well?

Sometimes, life is good! I know some of the readers kid me about being really picky when it comes to Jiaozi….you can see where it comes from, right?

The "Rotation" page:

By request, I’ve redone our "rotation". This time, I made a "Typepad Page" with our rotation. You can find it in the sidebar, under "Pages"…or here. Thanks to Ed and Mizducky for posting and freeing up some time so I could build the page. I’m still thinking about the best way to divide up the restaurants based on location (hang in there Anna!), I hope to get that done soon.

Offshore Tavern & Grill

March 7, 2008 mmm-yoso Burgers, Pubs and Pub Grub

It seems that this strip of Morena Boulevard is undergoing a slow but steady gentrification of sorts. It pretty much started with the addition of Bay Park Fish Company a few years back. Soon enough, the seedy Rosarina’s Pizza, was replaced by High Dive Bar and Grill(a post is upcoming). To complete the tri-fecta, the fire engine red location of Bollweevil, which has since taken it’s blood red colors further up Morena Boulevard to the Bay Ho Shopping Center. As this is being written, KFC is either being renovated or replaced…..

Yes, Off Shore is located right next to Morena Welding……

One day, I decided to grab a bite at Off Shore. I found the interior to have quite a "corporate" feel, which kind of makes sense since Off Shore is owned by MJE Incorporated, who run the Sandbar, and other Bar and Grills in San Diego, and elsewhere.

The bar has a sports bar feel, with plasma televisions mounted everywhere. The patio area is brighter and breezier….with plasma televisions mounted everywhere….

So how’s the view? Well, this is the "offshore view", from the patio at Off Shore:

You can watch the waves….of traffic swimming upstream on Morena Boulevard and the I-5. In spite of the whooshing traffic noise, the vibe is very laid back, as is the staff.

The menu is corporate pub grub, a collection of burgers, wraps, fried items, and items like ceviche and salads marked as "healthy". The prices seemed quite reasonable, and I decided to order the Offshore Burger($6.95). Being, a basic-burger kind of guy, I eschewed the bacon($1), and cheese($1). I was mainly interested in how the burger tasted. I was asked the usual "how would you like the burger cooked". I had doubts that my burger would actually be made, the "medium" that I ordered…still, I gave it a shot. The very nice young lady who took my order, seemed somewhat disturbed that I didn’t want cheese, mayo, mustard, bacon……. But soon enough, my burger arrived, and it looked pretty good:

The burger was nice and moist, but of course, even though the menu says "grilled your way", which would have been a nice slightly charred burger with a rare streak……it was cooked well done. Not grilled to a dry crisp, but still well done. The burger was bland and tasteless, not that I expected anything more for a 7 dollar pub burger. What I did enjoy was the tater tots…now who doesn’t love tater tots? And an added plus…these were Garlic Tater Tots. Now I’d really love some tater tots with enough garlic punch to kill Nosferatu, but I understand that not everyone….or perhaps no one would enjoy that. These were mildly garlicky, with just the right amount of salt, and cooked perfectly.

So, not bad for $6.95, and I enjoyed the Tater Tots. Which was enough ammunition for me to drag the Missus to Off Shore. We took a table on the patio, and soon enough the menus arrived, and we ordered shortly thereafter. The Missus decided on the Grilled Shrimp Wrap with Fries($8.95):

Dry and tasteless, this was not very good at all. The fries are nothing special, nor particularly good.

I ordered that latest darling of the corporate pub-grub menu, "Sliders"(mini-burgers). The Bay Park Sliders with Garlic Tater Tots($7.95):

Boy, talk about a 180 degree turn, the burgers were way too dry, as were the rolls. The garlic tater tots were just as good, or maybe even better than before.

Alas, the Missus is not interested in another visit. Though I may drop by during Happy Hour for some of those Tater Tots(at half price):

We had good service at Off Shore, perhaps a little on the slow side, but our waters, and Iced Tea($2) were constantly refilled. The prices are pretty reasonable, and the place is much less the eye-sore that Bollweevil was. It’ll be interesting to see what else will be happening to Morena Boulevard in the future.

Offshore Tavern & Grill
2253 Morena Blvd
San Diego, CA 92110

Open Daily 11am

Aji Seco

March 5, 2008 mmm-yoso Latin American Cuisine, Peruvian Restaurants

*** Aji Seco has closed and is now Nazca Grill

When I first heard about Aji Seco, I was over-joyed! More Peruvian in San Diego…wonderful! Problem was, I couldn't find the darn place. When FOY(Friend of Yoso) Candice finally gave me some instructions on the location, I was dumbfounded……the restaurant was located practically under my nose:

So of course I headed up to check out Aji Seco…..than headed back up, again, and again, and again, with no luck. It seemed like the place was never open! After having such a great time in Peru, we decided that there would be no better way to spend V-Day, than at a Peruvian Restaurant. So we thought we'd try and see if the place was open…and hit paydirt!

The tiny restaurant was pretty full, and all the clientele looked Peruvian. The first thing I noticed was that Aji Seco, and the neighboring Taco Shop, Nieto's was connected by this large gaping entranceway:

For some reason, the phrase, "like brothers from different Mothers" was silently uttered…. Nieto's and Aji Seco, though not affiliated(at least that is what I was told), and with separate kitchens, was connected by this umbilical doorway, and 2 other things; the Taco Shop's salsa bar is located on the Aji Seco side, while the restrooms are on the Taco Shop side. It was quite interesting to see, Guys in flip-flops and shorts strolling past the tables of the more well attired customers on his way to the salsa bar.

The menu "Del Dia", I was guessing that the menu will differ from day to day, featured a good array of standard Peruvian specialties, ranging from Aji de Gallina to Cebiche de Pescado. The Missus was in heaven…..She saw one of Her favorite dishes, Pescado a lo Macho($11):

When the plate arrived the sauce was cold, so we flagged down the Server, who was very apologetic, the plate was returned a short time later, the problem corrected. The Missus enjoyed the moist, and well seasoned fish. There wasn't much seafood in the cream based sauce, which had less tomato and was less spicy than what I was used to, but the Missus enjoyed it, and thought it well flavored.

Of course, I ordered the Lomo Saltado($10):

This was a solid rendition of what many consider to be Peru's National Dish. The beef was fairly tender, and the ratio of ingredients was excellent. The flavoring was less tangy than some versions I've had, but the flavor was still good. What I didn't care for was the rice, which was very hard.

Overall, not a bad meal…the Missus had considered getting the Cebiche, but thought the weather was just too cold to order it…which of course meant another visit. Before we left, we asked about the hours of operation, and was told, "maybe 5 or 6pm, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and today we're open."

So a few weeks later, we arrived to get the Missus her Cebiche de Pescado($8.50) fix:

The Leche de Tigre(Tiger's Milk – the cebiche marinade) was nice and "picante", lower in citrus, so not as sour. The fish was very fresh, and had a nice "chew". The Missus really enjoyed this, it may just be Her new favorite. The only thing that we weren't pleased with were the Cancha(toasted corn kernels) which were dry, crumbled like sawdust, and tasted like the cheap, mass produced packaged stuff we had in Lima. The camote (sweet potato) had been overcooked, thus making it mushy, and all the flavor had been leached out of it. Still, the Missus really enjoyed the Cebiche!

The Missus also ordered a "small" portion of Aji de Gallina($5.00):

The Missus didn't enjoy this very much. The chicken was stringy, the sauce pasty, the potatoes lacked flavor, and it was just very bland overall.

I ordered Seco de Carne(Beef Stew – $9):

This was excellent, and hit on all cylinders; the beef was stewed to a perfect texture, and the nice meaty flavor came through. The cilantro, and I'm guessing, vegetable based "gravy" was wonderful as well. The Missus kept attacking my plate… I also really enjoyed the Frijoles a la Nortena – the creamy and tasty Canary Beans. The only thing I didn't care for was the rice….again, really hard, and dry.

We finished off the meal with some Lucuma(Egg Fruit) Ice Cream:

We were given a huge bowl of Ice Cream! I thought the ice cream tasted kind of "old" and the Lucuma flavor was very faint. Still, it sure was a generous amount.

The service on both visits, while a bit disorganized, was very friendly and accommodating. It looks like they're still some "kinks" to work out, both food(the side dishes) and service wise, but both the Cebiche and Seco de Carne gave us reason to return. The prices are very reasonable for Peruvian food. I'm sure that things will improve as the restaurant opens with more regular hours. One of the Owners; Carlos Gonzalez, told us that Aji Seco's Grand Opening will be on March 15th! We may just check it out.

Aji Seco
4310 Genesee Ave
San Diego, CA 92117

Why you shouldn’t ask for recipes from relatives in China…….

March 4, 2008 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes, yoso-silly

Years ago, when we were living in Rowland Heights, I loved the Dao Ko Chicken from, of all places the deli case of Hong Kong Market. Wanting to make this, and unable to find any recipes, the Missus asked Her Mom to ask relatives in China for a recipe. And this is what we received. this may be the only time you’ll see me use the word "Authentic" in a post………say hello to an "Authentic" Chinese recipe!

道口烧鸡做法
将鸡宰杀，放在60-70`C热水中烫5分钟去毛挖去内脏将翅膀和鸡嘴插在一起将鸡腿插在鸡肚里，凉干水分后进油锅炸，油温80`C左右炸1-2分钟使鸡颜色变浅黄色，如是小鸡炸前涂上糖色时间要多炸1-2分钟，炸完后
放入煮过鸡的老汤里煮2-4小时煮的其间要翻个，汤要浸过来，盐糖根据口味（如第一次做加水加佐料）
煮鸡用的料（中药房应有卖的）这是每30只鸡的用料量可按比例加减。
陈皮二钱肉桂冠五钱白芷五钱良姜五钱草果一钱半砂仁一钱豆寇一钱丁香半钱毕卜一钱大桂香二钱莳梦子二钱做成料袋。盐度18-21`糖度21-24`（化学方面）

50克=1两 1两=10钱 1钱=5克

Just for your entertainment, it starts out with "kill the chicken", "put into hot water for 5 minutes", "get rid of the feathers and innards….", "fold the wings and beak together, fold the legs into the stomach"…. you get the picture. I guess this assumes you’re able to "catch the chicken in the first place." It even goes into "degrees of salinity", which is what happens when you ask Chemists for a recipe…… I love my In-Laws dearly, they know I enjoy Dao Ko Chicken so much, that they went through the effort to hunt down the Missus’s "Uncle in Law" for the recipe.

We actually tried making this……step by step, shopping for all the strange herbs, making a dark medicinal broth which created a potent toxic cloud(good thing we were still renting at the time)….and then the Missus read the part about the recipe being for 30 chickens!

All to create the elusive Dao Ko Chicken I love so much……anyone have a recipe, where I don’t have to "kill the chicken"? To add insult to injury, shortly after we tried making this, Hong Kong Market discontinued their cold deli. And though we’ve had other versions of the chicken, they were never quite as good. But of course, there’s always a "silver lining", the Missus was taking a creative writing course, and wrote an essay about this debacle…..and got an "A" for her class! I never got the chicken though……

Stat tuned for more restaurants tomorrow!

Babylon Cafe

March 3, 2008 mmm-yoso Greek Food, Mediterranean Restaurants

*** Babylon Cafe has closed.

Got home late tonight, so just a quick post…….

When I saw the sign for Babylon Cafe on one of my trips to Ba Ren, I was intrigued.

Just what would be served at this little restaurant. I was pretty sure it would be Middle Eastern, but just what, exactly….would it be Babylonian-Assyrian inspired food? So a few months ago, I decided to check it out.

As I walked up to the door the Kronos Gyros poster gave it away. Babylon Cafe, was a neighborhood Kabob Shop. The menu a simple mix of the standards: Gyros, Kabobs, Greek Salads, and the like.

Trying to hide my slight disappointment, I quickly took in the positives, the restaurant was well lit, clean, and the folks very nice. The prices, especially for the "sandwiches" weren't bad at all….all under 5 bucks. Unfortunately, there was no lamb on the menu…..

So I just decided to have the Beef Gyros Sandwich($4.59):

The meat was cut fresh from the spit, and was moist, the amount was on the generous side. I'm thinking that this is decent pre-fab Kronos meat. Some tomato and onion finished up the sandwich, and no lettuce filler. The pita was nice and warm.

One thing I didn't care for was the Tzatziki, it is runny, and lacks flavor. Hummus, which was on the pasty-bland side, and even more pita was provided to complete the meal.

This is pretty much the equivalent to "casual-fast" food, think Daphne's. The Gyros Sandwich is easily worth the $4.59, and provides some variety in the area. As mentioned earlier, the folks running the place seemed very nice, and I think they are related to the folks running the liquor store next door. Entrees run from $8.59-$10.99, Sandwiches $4.59-$4.99, salads come in 2 sizes, small($3.99 – $5.59 for a chicken salad), and large ($5.99 -$7.59). Probably not worth going out of your way for, but if you're in the area and need something quick and cheap, that's not chain fast food, or a taco shop…….

Babylon Cafe
4937 Diane Ave
San Diego, CA 92117