mmm-yoso – Page 377

Thailand: One Night in Bangkok – Part 1

November 4, 2008 mmm-yoso Bangkok, Thailand, Travel

I've been waiting to use that line for almost 25 years! Not that I'm a fan of the song……

If you want to keep track of our various modes of transportation for this trip, you can start with a train. We decided to take Amtrak to Union Station, and skip the gas prices (still way over $3/gallon at the time) and stress. For $29 each we made it to Union Station, and caught the FlyAway Bus to LAX for $4 a piece. It was easy, no traffic, no increased blood pressure, no road rage. And being your typical Asian, we provisioned ourselves well(you never know when hunger may strike!!!)……we had a package of several bentos….just enough to keep our strength up for a arduous trip ahead.

We again flew EVA, and spent a bit extra for Elite Class, the leg room, and the mere tantalizing possibility of sleep on a 14 hour flight is justification enough. And so we start with a weird photo of airline food:

What made this interesting was that the chicken actually had peppers in it! Never thought I'd see the day that hot peppers would be used in standard airline food. It did have some zip! What do I do with the standard issue roll?

EVA does a good job of keeping you fed, but for some, it's just not enough….

It's always amusing to see an animated representation of your trip……..

Having ample time to discuss our plans for the next few days on the 14 hour flight to Taiwan, and the 3 1/2 hour leg to Bangkok, we decided that our best move would be to fly to Udon Thani. So we bought tickets on Air Asia at their booth in Suvarnabhumi Airport. Air Asia has some really low fares, the flight to Udon Thani cost only $30 a piece……taxes, however were about equal to the cost of the airfare, thus doubling the price!

Taxi note for Bangkok. You'll get mobbed by various "Limo Drivers" at baggage claim…bypass them and go to the taxi stand (50 Baht fee) streetside. Oh, and it doesn't end when you get into the taxi either. Insist that the driver use the meter. We were quoted a "real cheap" price of 800 Baht, "meter no good, going to cost you 900 Baht", which is totally bogus. The price via meter 280 Baht, going via the "highway all the way" (i.e. toll booths), another 70 Baht, plus, you'll get to your destination faster because the driver can't wait to get rid of you. Airport fee 50 Baht.

Not being familiar with Bangkok, I decided to stay in the Banglamphu area. It is pretty close to the sites we wanted to check out, and we'd only be staying overnight. The Guest House selected? One called Lamphu House. It is located off of Soi Rambutri, down an alleyway, and is relatively quiet, if a bit run down and no frills.

Of course, for 680 Baht (a tad over $20) it would do. The sheets were clean, the A/C worked well, and we had our own bathroom, even if the water was more cold than hot.

Add to that the fact we were totally bushed, and I had no qualms about staying here. Plus, the staff was very nice, they let us store our bags the next day after check-out, while we went to visit a few sights around Bangkok. Pretty easy going folks.

One thing is for certain….you'll never go hungry in Bangkok…never. The entire city smells of food!

All shapes and sizes….

One thing we noticed in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, was the amount of what I can only loosely call "sushi". This stuff was everywhere.

And also, a preoccupation with anything that resembled a sausage.

We were starting to get overwhelmed by the crowds and the pollution, so we ducked down a side alley in the Banglamphu Market area, and found a little food stall doing great business.

You basically ordered one of the 2 curry like noodle soups, and helped yourself to herbs and veggies. The Missus loved the pickled greens, and I found the bittermelon to be quite good. This was a nice little snack, and we felt refreshed enough to head back out onto the street.

And ran smack dab into the "TFC" stand…..that would be Thai Fried Chicken. It smelled heavenly! I have never been known to possess an iron will in the face of fried chicken, and this was no exception. Except, in this case, my compromise existed of only having this:

In an show of uncustomary restraint, I "only" got a bag of fried chicken skin. (10 Baht) Fried to crisp perfection, mildy spicy, with a hint of sweetness, these were wonderful. For some strange reason, I felt stuffed after finishing off the chicken skin.

And just for the heck of it, we took a stroll down that special area, the backpacker hell called Khao Son.

Noisy, crowded, with cheap Guest Houses lining the road, it was sensory overload……man did I ever need a shower…..

After that shower, and a short nap, we hit the streets again, just to get our bearings. And even though we weren't very hungry, we decided to stop by Roti-Mataba, a very well known Roti/Curry stop that gets mentioned by Lonely Planet, and other publications.

The first floor of Roti Mataba is stifling hot, and grease has splattered everywhere. But there's an upper level, that is powerfully air conditioned….I swear there was frost on the windows. We tried a few of the curries:

One beef, one chicken. I recall the Missus enjoying this much more than I. We both thought the Roti was much too sweet.

And on the way back to our room, the Missus spied something She could not resist.

Few things beat fried egg goodness………………the chicken with basil and chilies was quite good (salty and spicy) as well. Even though She was still full, the Missus somehow found room for this. (35 Baht – $1) It was a nice way to end the evening.

We crashed, only to arise wide awake at 4am. What to do? The Missus and I decided to reprise what we did at 430 am in Hanoi, and we headed out to see what we could find.

And wouldn't you know it, on one of the side streets there was some activity. Stands selling rice porridge.

And vendors making their way down the street, setting up for the morning trade.

Various stands were selling fruits and vegetables.

And than the Missus saw it….

The Kanom Krok vendor. Lovely, molten, tongue scorching discs of coconut goodness.

10 Baht for ten of these Kanom Krok, nice and crisp on the outside, with a searing pudding like center. The Missus considered these the third best She had on this trip.

The lady making these confections was very nice. She demonstrated how to make them, and let the Missus turn over the Kanom Krok. It's always a good time for a snack in Bangkok.

As we returned to our room, sans several layers of derma from our tongues, I noticed that the bars on Soi Rambutri were still open! I guess there's no last call in Banglamphu?

I also noticed a young man, a tall young man……when we arrived he was passed out on the sidewalk in front of the 7-11. In the afternoon he shuffled past us, blood shot eyes, smelling of the "cash crop". During our evening stroll, I spied him staggering down the avenue, playing bumper cars with the Pad Thai carts and taxis parked along the street. Here he was, 5am in the morning, having beers with a group of girls at one of the tables in the bar, the cycle starting all over again. What is this strange hold that Bangkok has on a person? I guess those lyrics from that familiar song never rang so true.

"One night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble
Not much between despair and ecstasy
One night in Bangkok and the tough guys tumble
Can't be too careful with your company
I can feel the Devil walking next to me"

One Night in Bangkok (1984 – Murray Head)

Kien Giang

November 3, 2008 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Kien Giang has closed

OK, I'm still suffering from major jet lag…yesterday, I got up at 4am, did chores, blah, blah, blah…..had an early breakfast/lunch at 10am, and decided to take a "short" nap which didn't quite turn out that way……my watch alarm went off at 330 pm…it was still set for 530 am Lao time. Boy is my butt dragging…..I must be making slug trails all over the house! Well enough about my jet lag. Here's one that's been on the back-burner for a while…..

Kien Giang is a small shop tucked away in the back of the same strip mall on the corner of 54th street and University that houses Vien Dong Market and Van Hoa Vietnamese Restaurant among others. It's easy to miss….

I had made a previous aborted attempt to grab a Banh Mi here about a year ago, but was dissuaded by the somewhat dilapidated shape the shop was in, and the huge swarm of winged beasts who would have devoured my Banh Mi faster than I could. And then there was the story from a good FOY (friend of Yoso) who once bit into her Banh Mi, only to crunch into a staple. Now I believe that women do need more iron in their diet….just not quite in that manner.

And yet, I like to believe that I'm a pretty open-minded individual, and it wo KienGiang03 uldn't be right for me to just write off Kien Giang just because of its appearance. Which of course led me to Kien Giang one cool weekend morning.

I arrived shortly after opening, and the gentleman manning the counter was quite nice. After perusing the menu, I decided to go with the Banh Mi Dac Biet (special – $3) just to get a feel for the style of sandwich the place made.

My sandwich was wrapped, and when opened looked to be in fine shape.

I found the bread to be a bit on the stale and crumbly side. There was good amount of pickled veggies, but the Cha Lua was cut very thin, and the Pate was tasteless. The Jam Bon (ham) was on the dry side, but had good flavor. Overall a very mediocre sandwich……and yet, a few weeks later I decided to return.

And got a Xiu Mai Banh Mi (meatball – $3). Now I don't know why I keep trying Xiu Mai Banh Mi…perhaps it's to find one that I enjoy as the version at Saigon Sandwiches.

This however, was another one of those fish sauce – tomato sauce versions. Not among my favorite things. The bread was again on the dry, slightly aged, side, and this was again a fairly mediocre sandwich. Which had me wondering; with all of the competition in the area, this place has been here for a while. So they must do something right. Can anyone shed some light?

Giang Kien Sandwich & Deli
5296 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92105

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Luang Prabang Salad – Nyam Salat

November 2, 2008 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes

Yes, the Missus is missing some of the dishes She had in Luang Prabang already, especially the Luang Prabang Salad, a local specialty. The Missus could not have a lunch (and sometimes dinner) without it. One of the key ingredients of the salad is Phak Nam, the local watercress. The watercress that we were served in Luang Prabang was young and tender, looking almost like Kaiware, Daikon Sprouts. The flavor was very mild, faintly peppery, slightly bitter(they enjoy bitter flavors), with some sweet overtones. But what the Missus enjoyed most about the salad was the dressing, which seemed to have a European-Lao pedigree, that used both fish sauce and egg yolks, and as with many Lao recipes, was put together using a mortar and pestle.

Here's a photo of the Missus's favorite version of the salad:

From Soucham Restaurant, She had this salad 3 times during our stay in Luang Prabang.

Upon our return, the Missus was craving the salad. Fortunately, I purchased a little pamphelet called; Tamarind's Little Book of Salads during our visit to Tamarind Restaurant. Even though the little booklet is only 14 pages long one of the recipes included is for Luang Prabang Salad. I've taken several liberties with the recipe; replacing the lime juice with lemon juice, we were sure that the version the Missus enjoyed the best was made with lemon juice, I used a combination of palm sugar and granulated sugar, and we couldn't find a nice tender watercress, though Nijiya will carry something similar once in a while; so I used a combination of tender pea shoots and Romain lettuce hearts. It didn't turn out too bad.

I made the dressing a bit thicker than what is served in Luang Prabang, and will probably thin it out next time I make this; per the Missus' request.

So without further ado:

Luang Prabang Salad

3 Large Hard Boiled Eggs (do not over cook)
1 Clove Garlic – roasted
1/2 – 1 1/2 Tsp Sea Salt (aka "A Lao pinch of salt")
1 Tb Canola Oil
2 Tb Water
2-3 Tb Lemon Juice
1 Tb Palm Sugar
1/2 Tsp Sugar
Fish Sauce to taste

2 Cups Romain Lettuce Hearts Chopped
1 Handful tender Pea Shoots, or even better, tender watercress
2 Scallions – Green parts only, sliced thin
3 Tb cilantro chopped fine
3 Tb mint chopped fine (optional)
Cherry Tomatoes
Cucumber

1 – Slice eggs in half lengthwise, remove yolks, and slice whites thinly.
2 – Place eggs yolks, garlic, palm sugar, and salt in a mortar and pound into a paste.
3 – Add oil, lemon juice, water, and fish sauce (if desired) and combine. Tas LPSalad05 te, and adjust flavors, and thin out with additional water if desired.
4 – Combine pea shoots, cilantro, and scallions.
5 – Place Romain lettuce in a layer in the middle of serving plate; mound pea shoot mixture on top of lettuce. Arrange cucumber slices and tomato on plate.
6 – Pour dressing over salad before serving.

– To add a nice touch to the salad; top with crumbled pork rinds.

Enjoy……

We’re Back……..

November 1, 2008 mmm-yoso Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Laos, Luang Prabang, Nong Khai, Thailand, Thailand, Travel, Vientiane

Yep, we're back…..the Missus and I have just returned…tired, and yet exhilarated at the same time. So excuse me while I noodle around with our photos for a while. The wonderful noodles to the right was from a stand in Luang Prabang, where we stopped and ate breakfast every morning….along with a wonderful cup of Lao Coffee….after the first morning, we would just have a seat, and the Owner who smile at us, and ask "same-same"? And we'd nod yes….so we ended up calling the place (no English sign) "Same-Same". We did so much, ate so much, that I really am not sure how I'm going to do this yet.

But let me just give you a recap anyway.

We started in Bangkok, just an overnight stay…we had an idea, and just went with the flow. Of course, there's an unending supply of street food in Bangkok.

You really can't go wrong.

We also managed to catch some of the sights.

That afternoon it was off to the border town of Nong Khai. And much to our surprise, we arrived during the Naga Fireball Festival.

No mysterious orbs rising out of the Mekong, but lots of street food. We managed to snag a room in a Guest House overlooking the Mekong River.

We also had some interesting meals in Nong Khai. Have you ever had anything like this from a Hospital Food Court?

Or maybe Kanom Krok in a bus station?

One thing for sure….I'd never had this before.

It was delicious. As was the Kai Yaang (Roasted Chicken), and sticky rice we had.

In spite of all the interesting food and venues…the strangest thing we did in Nong Khai was visit Sala Keo Ku, a somewhat bizarre-nightmarish park of sculptures by mystic Boun Leua Surirat. Sculptures, some towering up to 80 feet tall, are a mixture of various Hindu and Buddhist deities that seem to come from some HR Giger-ish dreamworld.

We also took the "yellow bus" to Tha Bo, a market town…..I'll say this for sure….the "Yellow Bus" sure has a bunch of character! Tha Bo was also interesting since the population is 70-80% Vietnamese.

The next morning we crossed the Friendship Bridge into Laos, and a cab into the capital city of Vientiane. In contrast to crazed Bangkok, Vientiane is a sleepy city of 230,000.

We also met some of the nicest, kindest, and most gracious folks we've ever encountered. Depending on who you talk to, experienced travelers to Laos will tell you that Laos is what Thailand was like 20-30 years ago(or maybe more…depending who you're asking).

Our most memorable meal in Vientiane was from one of the many stalls lining the Mekong River.

There are few things better than having a cold Beer Lao, some freshly grilled seafood, all wrapped up in a sunset on the banks of the Mekong River.

There's more to the story of this dinner, but I'll save that for later. For now you'll just have to admire our salt crusted, lemongrass stuffed fish, that was swimming around a few minutes before.

We had planned on staying overnight, but stayed 2 nights in Vientiane. To save time we ended up flying to Luang Prabang.

Beautiful, scenic, Luang Prabang was by far our most favorite stop on this trip….or perhaps on any trip. If you think Vientiane is laid back, and do Luang Prabang right, your blood pressure is sure to drop several notches……There were times when I thought Luang Prabang was an island floating over the Mekong River….

We intended on 2 nights, and stayed 5….if I didn't need to work…I'd still be there.

Early every morning, the streets of Luang Prabang becomes a river of flowing orange as the Monks come to collect their Alms.

There's something about this time honored tradition that attracted the Missus and I, enough so, that we watched the procession every morning.

Silence….except for the padding of bare feet on the asphalt. The Missus and I felt honored to be able to give alms….

We stayed in a Hotel next to one of the Wats, and away from the main tourist drag, where this procession turns from a respectful, time honored tradition, into a depressing paparazzi moment.

What about the food you may ask? The Missus and I were able to sample many of the Luang Prabang specialties, such as Khai Pene, a dried, then fried river moss from the Mekong:

Like very good Nori, flavored with tomato, shallots, and garlic, and always served with Jaew Bong, a garlicky, mildly spicy, sweet, and savory "dip", studded with buffalo skin, considered a classic Luang Prabang dish.

Heaven on Earth with a cold Beer Lao…..

I had pretty much dismissed the Fresh Market right off the tourist track in Luang Prabang, as being too touristy…until we visited. Man was I wrong. Along with the usual suspects:

Were some quite unusual items……

And I was to find out that the "forest" and "mountain" people come here to sell their wares. And also noticed that the customers were almost all local early in the morning.

Fascinated with the cuisine(and staying in one place for more than a few days for the first time), I took a cooking class from Joy Ngueamboupha, Co-Owner of Tamarind Restaurant in Luang Prabang. Please read Joy's interesting short bio, here. The class and market tour were fantastic, and it did much to fill in the blanks regarding Lao food. There was no gas or electric stoves, we cooked over charcoal…I was surprised that my stuff actually turned out ok(pretty good actually).

We also had the chance to taste some items that are considered pretty exotic by US standards. Boy have I been missing out all these years……forget about french fries, where can I get my hands on more of this?

At the time I scheduled the cooking class, I also attempted to make reservations for the "Adventurous Lao Gourmet" dinner. The nice Young Lady hesitated and asked that I wait until after the cooking course to schedule. After the course was over, I walked back to the restaurant, and tried to schedule the dinner again. The young lady called Joy on his cell….and he gave us the green light……

The degustation menu was an amazing eye-opening experience…..

With items we've never experienced before, like Sa Thao, another classic Luang Prabang dish made with river algae.

And other items which really challenged the Missus and I. You'll just have to stay tuned……

We were sad to leave Luang Prabang behind, but Chiang Mai was calling to us. We enjoyed historic Chiang Mai, and the Sunday Market is not to be missed (though we'll pass on the Night Bazaar):

And along with street food, we enjoyed a few sit down dinners as well.

Time got away from us in the end, and we managed only one last night in Bangkok before returning home…..but the Missus still got in some "parting shots", in the city that smells of food.

I'm still wrestling with how, and what to post…..

With tons of photos of various Wats (Temples) in every city….

I wish I had a cold Beer Lao to help me figure things out right about now…..since I don't, any suggestions anyone?

Meanwhile, hang in there….I'll be right back!!

How (not) to plan a vacation the mmm-yoso way….And yet another update on the (former) Vien Dong III Supermarket

October 12, 2008 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers, Travel, yoso-silly

One day after we returned from our trip to Vietnam and Cambodia, the Missus was after me to start planning our next vacation. Our first idea was:

We both thought this would be a great idea……I’d get to eat my fill in Merida, and other towns, and the Missus has always wanted to visit Chichen Itza and Uxmal, and perhaps even get some beach time in at Tulum. Just as I was about to pull the trigger, something happened, and we thought that maybe we should do this some other time.

So up next was another bright idea:

Tikal is another site on the Missus’s list, and the areas we planned to visit were away from the paths of most hurricanes. As a plus, I thought we’d bus our way into El Salvador. But what stopped us this time, were the ticket prices….they started in the mid $300 range…and slowly approached $800!

About the time I was contemplating just calling it a year, some civil unrest took place in another country. Now the Missus knows not to trifle with Mother Nature, but a little civil unrest, in a Country that is known as "The Land of Smiles", and that we’ve always heard fantastic things about? The only thing that the Missus, a classic opportunist, thought was "lower ticket prices!" And so it came about, by the time I purchased our airline tickets, the Prime Minister of Thailand was forced to resign for taking payments for appearing on a cooking show.(!) There’s got to be some irony there somehow…..so maybe this is the trip that was meant to be.

We’ll soon find out. As many of you are reading this, we’re on the way to LAX. This may be a bit different than other trips. Other than making our first nights hotel reservations, we’ll be "winging it", with just a basic outline, and no real plans. I only know when we’ll be arriving in Bangkok, and when we leave, everything else is wide open. The basic outline is to spend a day or two in Bangkok, than head North, past Nong Khai into Laos, and Vientiane, and eventually Luang Prabang, before heading back to Thailand. I think I’m a bit old to be traveling by the seat of my pants, but what the heck…..

And even though I now have the largest collection of Lonely Planet guides in San Diego, at least we know where we are headed, sort of……

So I’ll now turn you over to Cathy, who I can’t thank enough for keeping our blog’s heart beating. I’ll try to check in every now and then, but other than that, we’ll see you in a few weeks!

One last update:

As mentioned by "Sam" in a previous post. Vien Dong Market is now going to be a location of Thuan Phat Supermarket.

I know there’s a Thuan Phat Supermarket in Westminster, so I’m wondering if they are affiliated?

Cambodia: Up and Around Siem Reap

October 11, 2008 mmm-yoso Cambodia, Siem Reap, Travel

As I mentioned before, during the day, while the tourists are hitting the temples, Siem Reap is a calm and fairly sleepy city. Whether it is due to the heat (95+ F, and humid), or the laid back attitude, things move at a pretty slow pace.

We had decided to keep our last day in Siem Reap wide open, just walking around the city a bit.

Among the more interesting (at least for us) things we saw, was the Shrine to Ya Tep, a local spirit who is said to bring good luck. We thought the location of the shrine, in a traffic circle, in the middle of a street was fascinating.

Right across the street is the Royal Gardens, and the Shrine to Preah Ang Chek & Preah Ang Chorm, two local dieties.

Walking(very slowly) alongside the Siem Reap River, we made our way back to the Psar Chas (Old Market) area, and stopped to have some iced coffee at a popular Vietnamese Restaurant in the area called Soup Dragon. While having our coffee, we saw a Monk stop by, and various customers and employees would walk over to the Monk, hand Him an offering, and receive a blessing:

The Missus was enchanted with the idea, and went over to the Monk, and passed over a few Riel (but did not touch the monk…that is a no-no). Suddenly overcome with indecision….not knowing what to do….instead of receiving any blessing, She high-tailed it back to our table instead. Leaving the Monk with a bemused, somewhat puzzled look on his face.

The coffee had stimulated our appetites, and we decided to grab a bite at a place we passed several times on previous evenings.

All over Cambodia, we found that a typical little eatery, or even cart for that matter, would have a collection of pots sitting on a table. It is common to walk on up to the pots, open the various lids(if there were lids), peer inside, and order what you wish. Every night we’d pass this little place, and the Missus would inevitably stop and start opening lids, checking out what was being served that day. Usually, because it was later in the evening, there wasn’t much left. But on this day, the pots had just been brought out.

So I got a nice bowl of Beef Stew.

Very much like a cross between Chinese and Vietnamese Beef Stew, full of star anise and pepper flavor.

The Missus got a Hot and Sour Pork Soup with what we usually call Ong Choi or Water Spinach.

I dunno, the Missus enjoyed it so much, I never got a shot…..

Each of us also received a plate of excellent Jasmine Rice. A little bowl of fish sauce and chilies was provided. Along with the roll of tissue, a container of utensils was placed at the table along with a tin cup of boiling water. We learned that the hot water was used to sterilize our fork and spoon.

At first we thought that this was such a nice, thoughtful gesture, showing concern to us tourists. But as locals started to pour in, they were accommodated in the same manner.

We sat, chatted, and watched the stream of folks stopping by, many with "tiffin containers", picking up lunch.

Lunch for two, with rice, and a large bottle of water ran us about $3.50/US. It was funny, the Lady running the place had remembered us, since we had passed by every evening. And so we felt that we should eat here.

After lunch we wandered around Psar Chas a bit.

And even though the market is full of stalls selling various tourist knick-knacks and such, during the day there were much more locals around. And many of the booths sold items such as various dried fish and meats.

And one entire side of Psar Chas was dedicated to eateries just like the one we had lunch at.

We really enjoyed the vibe….very relaxed. It may have been very hot, and all the tourists were either visiting the ruins or in their air-conditioned hotels taking a nap….but no time was better than now for an intense chess match!

On the way back to the hotel we passed another street full of stands and couldn’t help but go and explore.

The Missus claims that the Longan She ate in Cambodia was the best She’s ever had.

And having been allowed to taste one, I’d agree….even though one of neighbors growing up had a Longan tree, these were much sweeter.

We also saw a very popular cart selling snails. Half of the snails were plain, the other half looked to be seasoned with chili pepper.

Later that evening we got our first, and thankfully only, tuk-tuk ride (a story for later), and per the Missus’ wishes had Indian Food for dinner again, this time at a restaurant called New Dehli, which turned out to be quite good. I had the Mutton Thali, the Missus the Vegetarian Thali.

Yes, Siem Reap is full of surprises.

Clearing Out the Memory Card – Revisits to, Pho King, Sab-E-Lee, Tita’s Kitchenette, Okan, Ba Ren, & one more. Plus some Vien Dong Linda Vista rumors.

October 8, 2008 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Filipino Restaurants, Japanese Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Thai Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

I can't believe how many photos I've stashed away for no good reason. It hardly ever rains here in San Diego, so if I'm saving 'em for a rainy day, these'll never see the light of day. And usually, if I return to a restaurant several times, I pretty much stop taking photos. But these are exceptions, and instead of a rainy day, we'll just have to say I saved these for one, super hot-dry, SoCal day. So hot, to prevent my fingers from melting on my keyboard, I'm going to keep the verbiage to a minimum. So let's see how many different cuisines I can hit in one post.

Pho King:

Yes, it's the Hu Tieu Mi Kho(large – $7.25), from the unfortunately named Pho King.

And even though the ingredients aren't quite the same on each visit, and the pork-soy sauce mixture is a sodium bomb, I like this. Being served "dry", also makes it a pretty good dish for a scalding day.

Just don't eat the Pho'.

Pho King Restaurant
4658 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

Speaking of don't eat the Pho, check out what FOY, and one of my favorite bloggers, Jelly, ate….this is what they call Pho in Ulsan. Jenn asked me not to weep, but it's hard not too….

Even more Sab-E-Lee:

**** This location of Sab-E-Lee has closed

The Shrimp Larb($6.95):

Man, this was the hottest thing I've had at Sab-E-Lee so far(And I've had more than a few items from the menu)…nearly burned my lips off.

A bit more toward my taste was the Nam Sohd ($6.95):

If you've ever had Nem Chua (Vietnamese fermented sausage), you'd know what the flavor of Nam Sohd was like. It is a fermented sausage, less dense than it's Vietnamese counterpart, lighter, and with whole peppers embedded in the meat. Combined with a slice of raw garlic, some galangal, and maybe a chili or two…it will surely get your attention.

What I found interesting was that this is listed under "Salads" on the menu. What was really good, but I don't have a photo of is the Larb Pet, the grilled duck larb. The Missus scarfed it all up before I had a chance to even catch a whiff of it. She did mention that it was very good, so I'll have to take Her word for it.

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

Tita's Kitchenette:

3 years after my first post on Tita's, and I still ask myself the same question. How can 1 person finish all this?

MG was kind enough to pick up lunch for us, and in addition to the lechon kawale, was nice enough to pick up something "more healthy" (in relative terms) a Tortang Talong, what they call an "eggplant omelette". I wasn't even able to make a dent in this!

Tita's Kitchenette
2720 East Plaza Boulevard
National City, CA 91950

In case you wondering how they make this, you can find a nice YouTube-y thing here.

Wa Dining Okan:

We've dropped by Wa Dining Okan a few times since my last post. And though the Gobo Salad wasn't up to par on our last visit. I really enjoyed the Beef Tataki ($8.25):

Light, tasty, good acid, quite nice.

Wa Dining Okan
3860 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Ba Ren:

**** Ba Ren has closed

What would one of these posts be without Ba Ren. After all these years, still our favorite. If you want to read previous posts, you can find a listing on my rotation page. Not much more to add, just a few photos:

Steamed Pumpkin stuffed with Pork (#129 – $14.99, you need to call one day ahead).

I've had this a few times before, but it was especially good on this visit! This was during dinner with Ed from Yuma & Tina. I'll let Ed comment if he desires.

And of course during other visits; the usual suspects.

Ba Ren
4957 Diane Ave
San Diego, CA 92117

And one more just for the heck of it:

This one is for FOY JeffreyC:

I know how much he enjoys Katsudon. It's a bit too hot for that right now……but this version from Kayaba was passable.

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

I hope you enjoyed, this little collection…..

Recently heard about Vien Dong Market in Linda Vista:

I can't confirm this, but I recently heard from a very good FOY, that the former Owners of this location of Vien Dong has reacquired the lease. This would mean that Vien Dong would reopen after a renovation. Again, this has not been confirmed…so if anyone knows anything…let us know!

Hope you're all having a great week!

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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