mmm-yoso – Page 409

5 Days of Feasting, Day 2 – China Max

May 25, 2006 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

After a satisfying visit to Izakaya Sakura, the Missus decided on China Max for Her second day of feasting. And a China Max post is somewhat appropriate, since my very first post on May 26th of last year was on a visit to China Max with Ed from Yuma.

We arrived at China Max at about 530 pm, and the restaurant was fairly empty. Funny thing, I don’t know if anyone else who has visited China Max has noticed this, but we’ve noticed on several visits that Asians are seated on the North side of the restaurant. Non-Asians are seated on the South side, and if your party has children in them, they will seat you in the back corner.

Could just be me, but we’ve noticed this seating "pattern" a few times, and always get a chuckle out of it.

The main reason we came to China Max was to order the Peking Duck (2 courses $32). The duck is served "cart style". So Mr Duck is wheeled out on a cart, by two servers.

One of the Servers gets busy carving the duck.

Making sure to slice off some of the crisp, rich skin, along with just a touch of meat.

The other server is charged with placing a dab of Hoisin Sauce, a slice of cucumber, and two slices of skin between two "buns".

There are a total of eight of these wonderful little "sandwiches" all told.

The duck skin were crisp and rich, the hoisin added sweetness, and the cucumber slice helped cleanse the palate. Not the best Peking Duck I’ve ever had, but good by San Diego standards. Also, the Missus had an interesting moment with one of the Servers, which I’ll go into later.

We also ordered the Pan Fried Noodle with Assorted Seafood($14.95):

As with any type of mildly flavored Guangdong/Hong Kong Seafood style dish, the key is the quality and freshness of the ingredients, combined with cooking technique. So how did this fare? Well the noodles were perfectly crisp, not oily, and the texture changed with every bite. The scallops and shrimp were cooked to tender sweet perfection. The calamari was on the tough side, and the fish tasted too "muddy". I did manage to finish all of the noodles if that means anything!

The Missus ordered one Her favorites Stewed Lamb with Dry Bean Curd Stick($15):

There was quite a bit more lamb then I’m used to seeing in similar dishes. The flavoring was much to heavy-handed for me, and on the "medicinal" side. However, the Missus thought this clay-pot dish was very good, and loved it, even though the "Yang" food kept Her up and hyper all night.

Here’s part 2 of the duck, minced duck in lettuce cups:

Minced duck is stir fried and placed in lettuce cups, with a bit of Hoisin sauce. We noticed that the usual water chestnut, seemed to be replaced with sweeter Jicama. The Missus usually enjoys the lettuce cups more then the buns and this was no exception.

I know I’ve done too many posts on China Max, with everything from the late night menu to the Dim Sum. This one will be the last for a while, but I thought it’ll be nice to do a "one year after" post.

China Max
4698 Convoy Street
San Diego, CA 92111

I mentioned an "interesting moment" a bit earlier, so let me expand. As the Server was carving our duck, the Missus whispered to me, "Ask Her for the duck bone". My response, straight from the "conservative Asian Guy manual" was, "What, no way, that sounds cheap and embarrassing!" So the Missus requested the bone Herself. At which point the demeanor of our previously serious and stoic Server brightened. Her response? "Oooh, you know the best part, huh?" And suddenly there was a moment of bonding….exchanging of recipes and such. And before we left, Mr Duck, or what was left of him as brought to our table, in a plastic bag, placed in a plain paper bag. After all, we wouldn’t want to share the duck bone secrets of the "Chinese Sisterhood", right?

So Mr. Duck was placed in a pot, covered by water, seasoned with star anise, ginger, the white portions of green onions, white pepper, and soy sauce. We simmered for about 2 hours, added tofu and bean thread…and this is what we got.

So easy, it’s "duck soup", right?

Chef Tony

May 24, 2006 mmm-yoso Greek Food, Lebanese Restaurants, Mediterranean Restaurants

*** Update – thanks to StR, who commented below, Chef Tony is currently closed, and will reopen in a months in a different location. A brief update can be found here, at the bottom of the post.

Way back in August of last year I received an email from Christina recommending Chef Tony Mediterranean and Lebanese Cuisine, so I added Chef Tony to my "list". But for one reason or another we just never quite made it to Chef Tony. Then last week "Keith" left a comment also recommending Chef Tony, so this time I really had to make sure to pay the restaurant a visit. An opportunity arose this past Tuesday. We were headed out to Viejas for a concert, and thought a nice detour to the College area, and a visit to Chef Tony was in order.

Chef Tony is located next to an AM/PM, and fronting a mostly unoccupied strip mall on El Cajon Boulevard. It seems that Chef Tony had been perhaps a pizza joint in a previous life. We were greeted by the dignified, though perhaps vertically challenged fellow at the door. Chef Tony, perhaps?

We arrived at about 530pm, and the restaurant was empty except for a family finishing up dinner.

After a brief wait we placed our order.

The Missus ordered the Lamb Kabob Plate($10.95):

Two skewers of Lamb,on a bed of nondescript rice, some nicely flavored hummus, and a fresh Greek salad with the typical vinaigrette dressing. Nothing really outstanding, except the lamb. The lamb was not just fork tender, but "plastic fork" tender:

And though the lamb was just mildly marinated and seasoned, it was grilled to perfection, with just the right amount of charring. We could have done with a bit more "muttony" flavor, but still, the texture and tenderness was right on.

I opted for the Shawarma Combo Plate($9.95):

Strips of marinated and nicely charbroiled beef and chicken, we both thought the beef had more flavor then the chicken. Though I enjoyed the hummus, and everything else that came with the plate, it’s the "white stuff" that made the dish. That "white stuff" is delici-yoso garlic paste, very garlicky, and yet without the bitter bite of garlic. It’s as if the "soul" of garlic had been captured. You do understand that I love garlic, right?

Two large warm pitas were also provided for sandwiching our meats and slathering with garlic paste.

We also ordered a half dozen Falafel($3.75):

These were only garbanzo bean falafel, with no fava beans. You can tell by the color, and flavor. Made fresh and brought sizzling to the table. I thought these falafel were fair, since they were small in size, I thought there was too much "crust", and the interior wasn’t quite as smooth as I enjoy. The falafel were also a bit on the oily side, and when we finished there was a small pool of oil at the bottom of the bowl.

In a nutshell, if you enjoy the gritty crust of the falafel, you’ll enjoy these. Personally, I enjoy the balance the crunchy exterior, along with sufficient amount of slightly creamy "filling". Still not bad for the price, and you know these haven’t been lying around or put into some drawer stored for later.

We enjoyed Chef Tony, and I think we’ll be in whenever we’re in the neighborhood. As we were leaving, the place started to fill up, and the smell of Shawarma(and garlic) filled the air.

Notes on Chef Tony: This is a small Family operation, so one thing it’s not, is "fast food". Think of it as very casual, leisurely dining if you eat in. The menu consists of a good variety from appetizers like Dolma($3.95) and Falafel (1/2 dozen $3.75-1 dozen $6.75), to salads (small greek salad $2.95-large$4.95), reasonable priced sandwiches from $3.75(Lebni) to $4.95 (Beef Shawarma), to various entrees ($6.50 – $10.95). Oh, and you can buy a "large" order of Garlic Paste(Toum) for $3.50.

Thanks for the recommendation Christina and Keith!

Chef Tony
6311 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

Here’s where I show my "age". Guess what concert we went to? I’m allowed one "old-fogey" concert a year and this year it was Blondie(good – Debra Harry’s voice sounded really good), and The "New" Cars(bleh, except for Elliot Easton). As great a musician and songwriter Todd Rundgren is, he’s no replacement for Ric Ocasek. And though Kasim Sultan and Prairie Prince sound like a great rhythm section, they sounded a bit out of synch…..I kept waiting for a "train wreck" especially on Shake It Up, where the tempo would constantly speed up, and Elliot Easton would have to "reign it in".

Of course we kept singing "One way, or another, I’m going to get you, I’m going to get you, get you, get you…." All the way home.

Tan Ky Mi Gia – Mira Mesa

May 22, 2006 mmm-yoso Vietnamese Restaurants

*** Tan Ky Mi Gia has closed

While on a recent shopping excursion to Lucky Seafood Supermarket, I decided to have a bite at Tan Ky Mi Gia, a Vietnamese-Chinese noodle and soup restaurant that had opened recently.

The generic, and simple interior was well lit and clean. Even though it was a bit on the early side(930 am), the restaurant was fairly busy.

As soon as I sat a middle aged Gentleman handed me a menu, and stood there, and waited, and waited…..making me feel rather uncomfortable. A quick thought went through my mind. Maybe I shouldn't even open the menu, I should just place my hand on top of it, roll my eyes back, and make moaning noises, "ommmm, ommmm", and then order something I'm sure a restaurant like this would have. But looking at the Gentleman's stoic stare, I just had the feeling he really wouldn't find anything funny with the "psychic ordering" routine. So after a moment I ordered the Won Ton Egg Noodle Soup($5.00). My soup arrived within 5 minutes.

The broth was light, halfway between the very clear broth at Minh Ky, and the darker richer broth at Luong Hai Ky. It was quite salty, and I wouldn't be surprised if there was MSG in it. There was a good amount of green onion floating around, and a few thin slices of dry and tasteless Char Siu. Also in the soup were six won tons, of the dense meatball with a slice of shrimp variety. The won tons were on the bland side, though it could be that the broth was so salty, most other tastes were cancelled out.

There was a good amount of perfectly crunchy, al' dente egg noodles in the soup.

Other then the noodles there wasn't much to make me return. I'd rather have the "loaded" Won Ton soup at Minh Ky, though the broth there is too light. Or the rich, darker broth, at Luong Hai Ky, though I understand that the Owner has passed on, and the restaurant is under new ownership. Since the area has quite a few restaurants, I think I'll let someone else make the next visit.

Notes: The prices at Tan Ky MI Gia range from about $4.75 for Wonton Soup, to $7.00 for Shrimp Chow Fun/Chow Mein. Most dishes are under $6, and the service, while not very friendly is efficient.

Tan Ky Mi Gia
9330 Mira Mesa Blvd #A
San Diego, CA 92126

“Wokking” the Wok

May 21, 2006 mmm-yoso Stuff, yoso-silly

My poor old wok had seen better days. The bottom had developed a dip, and portions have "peeling", and the poor fellow was pretty much ready to be retired. I think alot of the damage was due to a poor job of seasoning and care, on my part. When I got the wok as a gift a dozen or so years ago, I had no idea of what wok care, or seasoning consisted of. I had decided to get a new wok last year, but hadn't really made any effort to purchase one. Then I read a post on Barbara's blog; Tigers and Strawberries, that was a post on Asian Kitchen Equipment Essentials. In that post she mentions that The Wok Shop in San Francisco does Internet and mail order. The Wok Shop has always been one of my favorite places to visit, when in San Francisco, and I've bought a few knives, and other items. But I've always hesitated on purchasing a wok, and putting it in my luggage. But now, here was my chance. So I ended up ordering 2 woks from The Wok Shop. I placed my order on Tuesday, and by Saturday my woks had arrived!

I purchased a 14 inch Carbon Steel Wok($16.95), with a rounded bottom, and a 14 inch Cast Iron Wok ($14.95) imported from China. I decided to start with the Carbon Steel Wok. Grace Young's excellent book The Breath of a Wok, has several wok seasoning methods. One of the methods included in the book is Tane Chan's oven method. Tane Chan also happens to be the owner of the The Wok Shop, and sent me email wok seasoning instructions along with my order confirmation. So I decided to use that method.

"The wok is carbon steel and has to be seasoned to prevent it from rusting. The seasoning process is relatively easy to do. Just wash and dry your wok thoroughly. Coat lightly, interior and exterior with cooking oil. Bake in hot oven, 425 degrees for 20 minutes. Place in oven upside down. Remove from oven, let cool to touch and scour wok with an abrasive pad.
Scour the "seasoning" or patina away…like you want the wok back to its original finish. Wash, dry, coat and bake again…same process. Do this 4 times. After the 4th baking, you will not be able to scour the seasoning away…and that is the result you want."

The result?

The Wok had achieved a dark, golden, lacquer like finish. I don't quite know if it's perfect or not, but it seems to have worked. After cooling, I did the typical "pungent" post seasoning cooking. Using about 1 tablespoon of oil, I stir fried ginger and green onions until somewhat charred, making sure to "hit" all of the cooking surface. I cleaned my wok using the basic instructions from The Breath of the Wok. After this session, the wok had started to blacken.

Looks like I'm on my way……. Next we'll see how the wok holds up to the 50,000 BTU Big Kahuna.

Now the shipping for my woks had come to $13, almost the price of a wok. But I didn't mind, since I expect to have these woks for a long time. But I guess The Wok Shop felt bad about this, and included a few items with my woks.

I thought the back scratcher was a nice touch, the Missus was immediately drawn to it. A skimmer was also included, and I also received an email telling me that The Wok Shop was including the skimmer. The last sentence of that paragraph cracked me up:

"This skimmer is durable and will last a long, long, time. Dishwasher safe and boilable! (fyi…great for cat litter too!)"

I'm hoping they aren't expecting the skimmer to do "double-duty" after doing the cat litter thing……

The Wok Shop, fast service, they sound like good people, and they have a sense of humor too!

The Xiao Long Bao Search

May 20, 2006 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers

After laboring through making Xiao Long Bao, we decided to stick with eating them in restaurants, or purchasing them frozen. The problem was trying to find decent frozen XLB. On a recent trip to Rowland Heights, we visited one of our favorite snack shops, Yi-Mei Deli.

We used to live a block away and I still love the steamed buns and other snacks, and breakfast items at Yi-Mei Deli. So on this trip we bought frozen Xiao Long Bao (50 for $16). And when we made a batch, this is what they looked like.

They were very disappointing. The meatball, didn’t taste right, and there was very little "soup" in the dumplings. Also, most of the dumplings leaked, and the soup ended up in the steaming liquid. Not good eats. We’ll still be visiting Yi-Mei when in Rowland Heights, but definitely won’t be buying the frozen XLB from them.

Yi Mei Deli
18414 Colima Rd
Rowland Heights, CA 91748

After that experience I pretty much thought that we’d just be having them at Shanghai City, or on my visits to San Gabriel, and Mei Long Village, or some other restaurant. I recently received an Email from Stephanie, who recommended a source for frozen Xiao Long Bao in San Diego. And so here we were……..

Or were we? Where was the Xiao Long Bao in this generic office building in Sorrento Valley? Stephanie told me the place to find was the San Diego China Center & Chinese Institute.

We took the elevator up to the third floor, and walked to the only open door. It was quite obvious, that this was the right place.

We arrived at 11am which I guess is when various "classes" were getting out. Children, and sometimes whole families were entering and exiting the office. We could hear the music from a piano in the background; there were some obvious "oopsies" so I’m guessing there were some lessons going on. A studious and serious Young Lady walked past me, holding a violin case and music stand, walking right behind her mother. Yes, I’m guessing that we’d found the right place.

The Missus walked up to the table, and spoke to the Lady in Mandarin. Another lady walked into the "lounge" and opened up a freezer, and brought us a bag of Xiao Long Bao. I gave her $12(for 50), and viola, we had our Xiao Long Bao. It seems that the SDCCCI purchases frozen Xiao Long Bao, Jiaozhi, and other items from a source in Los Angeles for resale here in San Diego. You can view an entire list(it’s in Chinese), here.

So last night I made the XLB. I noticed that these XLB were really round, and "tight".

After steaming for 12 minutes, I tried them out using a mixture if Chiangkiang Vinegar and julienned ginger. Only 2 of the XLB had burst, the rest had expanded and were fine. The meatball was nice and tasty, and there was a decent amount of soup in the dumpling. These were even a bit better then some XLB I’ve had in restaurants.

So thanks to Stephanie, looks like we’ve found a source for Xiao Long Bao in San Diego. Thanks for making my weekend Stephanie.

Some notes on SDCCCI: It’s fairly hard to find, located next to a Storage Facility, and no obvious sign except for the building address. The selection is quite large, we’ll probably just stick with the XLB since the Missus can make most of the other items. The hours for selling frozen food is between 430pm – 630pm Monday thru Friday and from 1000am – 200pm Saturday.

San Diego China Center & Chinese Institute
10505 Sorrento Valley Road, Suite #390
San Diego, CA 92121

5 Days of Feasting, Day 1 – Izakaya Sakura

May 18, 2006 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants

The Missus recently celebrated Her Birthday. And in keeping with tradition, we did our "5 days of feasting". Where we go and have 5 meals at 5 of the Missus’s favorite restaurants. Now since I’ve posted on most of the restaurants before, and really wouldn’t want to bore you. I’ll do our "5 days" posts intermittently over the next week or so.

One the first day of feasting, we decided to work up an appetite, and visit the Birch Aquarium at Scripps.

If you’ve never visited, please do, I’m sure you’ll enjoy yourself. Along with the popular shark reef, tidal pool, and kelp forest exhibits….

Our favorite part are the various "habitat" displays, which feature sea life from sixty different habitats, from the Pacific Northwest down to the waters of Mexico, and thru the Pacific.

We had a nice relaxing time, and built up an appetite.

Birch Aquarium at Scripps
2300 Expedition Way
La Jolla, CA 92037

For our first "feast" we headed over to Izakaya Sakura on Convoy Street, an honest to goodness Izakaya. As I noted on my previous Sakura post. Izakaya Sakura may be a bit hard to find, with no signage.

Sakura also has the distinction of being Ed from Yuma’s favorite restaurant in San Diego. The food at Sakura includes everything from Sashimi and sushi to various Agemono(fried items). On this evening we started with one of my favorites, Maguro Yamakake:

Usually simply cubes of raw maguro(tuna), with grated yamaimo(mountain yam), topped with strips of toasted nori(seaweed). Kazu (the Itamae) also adds a touch of Shoyu(soy sauce) to the maguro, which adds a nice sweet-salty touch, and takes it to the next level. The Wasabi also gives the dish a little zip. I’m sure the glooey-gloppy texture of the yamaimo may be off-putting to some, but we enjoy it.

Albacore Tataki:

Slices of seared albacore, topped with onions and green onions, and topped with ponzu sauce. Think of it as a refreshing seared albacore salad. I enjoy the ponzu sauce that Kazu serves, it is neither too sweet, nor too sour, and complements the albacore and sweet onions. So refreshing, it also helps to stimulate your appetite.

Fried Oyster:

If there was anything we ordered on this evening that was even close to being a "clunker", it was the Kaki-Furai. Though the oysters were fried perfectly with an excellent crunch and no trace of oiliness, the oysters were on the dry side. Again, the little touches shine, the oysters are served with tartar sauce, mayo, and a cocktail sauce.

And the "star" of the evening Karei Karaage (Deep Fried Flounder):

The spine of the flounder is removed and fried separately creating a "sail" for the fish. The bones are also one of the favorite parts, when fried with expertise like this, the bones have achieved a cracker like texture, this is why we call it "senbei"(cracker in Japanese). The meat is mildly flavored, as most flounder is, and not overly seasoned so you can taste the fish. The meat is moist, and the fish is fried to perfection. In the end, there was not much left of the fish, just some head parts, and part of the spinal column. Everything else, fins, skin, ribs, have been happily devoured.

Izakaya Sakura, is not cheap. Our bill came out to $45(the karei karaage is not a menu item, and runs about $18) without alcohol, but the food is well worth it. So if you visit Sakura, bring your wallet, I’m sure you’ll leave satisfied.

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

More Sakura Posts can be found here, here, and here.

Reyberto’s Taco Shop

May 17, 2006 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops

*** Reyberto's has closed.

This version of a "something – Berto's" taco shop is sort of an old crime scene to me. A crime against my palate! When we first moved to the area several years back we tried some carne asada and other items here and were totally grossed out! It was terrible(ever had sour carne asada), and I vowed never to return. But along comes this food blogging thing, and a few recommendations that included Reyberto's, and here I am again.

So a few weeks ago, I decided to give Reyberto's another shot. After all there are two other Taco Shops within a block of Reyberto's; an outpost of Roberto's, and a location of Cotijas, and yet Reyberto's survives. In case you can't find Reyberto's, just look for the large "Gyros" poster! Yep, you can't miss it. Say what!!!!!

Not being in the mood for carne asada, nor brave enough to try the "Mexican-Gyros", I ordered the Al Pastor Burrito($4.25):

Honestly, not too bad. A bit on the mild side as Al Pastor goes, and too much tortilla, or maybe it's too little filling for such a large tortilla. But the decent creamy guacamole, and pico de gallo, went well with the Al Pastor. A vast improvement over my last (and I swore it would be my last) visit.

So after a recent shopping stop at the market in the mall, I stopped by Reyberto's again and ordered the 5 "mini" Al Pastor Tacos($5.25):

Funny thing; as I was waiting for my order and grabbing some salsa and carrots at the salsa bar:

There it was again! Another Gyros poster! Man, they're really pushing that stuff…… By the way, did you know???? Actually, I'm surprised it's not four out of four people.

So I manage to get my tacos, and myself(sans Gyros, thank-you-very-much) home:

This time around the Al Pastor were on the tough side, and still mild in flavor. The tacos were a bit larger then what I would call "mini", and the size of basic "street-tacos". This was quite a bit of food. Not great, not good, but not bad.

And strangely enough, I found myself at Reyberto's again recently after a long day at work, and a grocery shopping excursion to the market.

And was again assaulted with the Gyros advertising. Now who can resist "Authentic" Gyros? Especially "authentic" Gyros from a taco shop? So I gave in and ordered a Gyros Sandwich (you won't tell on me, will you?). When I watched them prepare the Gyros, it all came to me…duh!!!

Gyros are served to maximize the use of the Trompo(vertical spit). So when it's not in use for Al Pastor, it's in use for Gyros meat.

So at long last here it is the Gyros Sandwich($3.95):

I didn't quite know what to expect. Perhaps gyros meat laid upon a tortilla? What I got was a good amount of typical gyros meat on a store bought pita. The sandwich was quite large and filled the entire Styrofoam container. Along with the meat were a few slices of crappy tomato, and a good amount of onion. So no guacamole, salsa, jalapenos, or anything that would have made this sandwich interesting. The Pseudo-Tzatziki was a bit strange. First of all, there was way too much of it, the sandwich was practically floating in it. But the tzatziki had more of a sour cream flavor then the usual yogurt flavor. hmmmmm….

As a whole Reyberto's serves up average taco shop fare, at a decent price. No more, no less. But then again if your having a bad day, perhaps Carne Asada fries will help make your day a bit better. Or at least put you into a food coma……

In case you think I'm really serious, I hope you understand the irony(I know that Kronos is the largest supplier of "food court" gyros meat), and slight sarcasm of this post. Reyberto's serves average to mediocre taco shop fare. But then again, there are those Gyros………

Reyberto's Taco Shop
3017 Clairemont Dr
San Diego, CA 92117

Before I Pho’-get: The Pho’ Retrospective – Phuong Trang, Convoy Noodle House, Pho Hoa Hiep, Pho Ca Dao (ECB), Pho Cali, Pho Viet Cali, Lucky Pho

May 15, 2006 mmm-yoso Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

*** For updated content on Pho' you can check out our Pho category.

As promised, here's my Pho' retrospective. But first I made a stop at Phuong Trang:

*** An updated post on the Pho at Phuong Trang can be found here.

Why Phuong Trang? I know I've already done a post on Phuong Trang, but I consider the Pho' there to be the most "middle of the road" Pho'. Not too dark, not to much oil, no strong clove, anise, or cinnamon flavor. That's not to say I don't like it, I've eaten there on many occasions, and don't mind it at all. The Pho' is very accessible, and when someone who's never had Pho' asks me where to go, I sometimes recommend Phuong Trang for that reason as well.

Today's bowl is the Extra Large Combination($5.25). The rare steak is always a good bet here, and the brisket is usually pretty good. Today there was a shortage of tripe, and the beef flank was mostly inedible fat. I also find that Phuong Trang always provides a good amount of Basil, Bean Sprouts, and Jalapenos, at least for my taste. Though I've noticed that quantities have gotten smaller; also no Ngo Gai is provided. The noodles are usually just the right texture. So there you go, your perfect, consistent, middle of the road Pho'.

I've come to understand that Pho' preferences vary wildly from individual to individual. Even more then Banh Mi. Some like a lighter broth, some darker, some enjoy a good quantity of oil, while others are just plain grossed out by it. Some even want the soup brought at a scalding hot temperature, but another said that if the broth is too hot, you won't be able to eat it, and the noodles will get too soft. I won't even get into the various cuts of meat! You get the point, right?

So I'll just list the bowls, and tack on a short impression, and maybe some notes….. All bowls are of the "combination"(Dac Biet).

September 11, 2005 – Convoy Noodle House

*** An updated post on the Pho at Convoy Noodle House can be found here.

*** Convoy Noodle House has closed

Impressions: A darker-full bodied, broth, stronger clove flavor. Meats are routine and are sometimes inconsistent. Skimpy garnishes, no Ngo Gai.

Notes: One of my regular stops, I like the broth, and usually a good quantity of meat.

Convoy Noodle House
4647 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

January 16, 2006 – Pho Hoa Hiep

Impressions: Lighter broth, the flavor of the cilantro, green onions, and garnishes(including Ngo Gai) come through. Love the tendon here, also usually a very generous amount of tripe. Didn't care for the rare steak. Noodles were the normal clump.

Notes: On a subsequent visit, the soup was exactly the same, so looks like a very consistent bowl.

Pho Hoa Hiep
6947 Linda Vista Road
San Diego, CA 92111

February 5, 2006 – Pho Ca Dao (El Cajon Boulevard Location)

Impressions: Broth a shade richer then Pho Hoa Hiep. Lot's of green onions and cilantro for flavor, which was very balanced. Tendon at Pho Ca Dao, is my favorite, generous amount of brisket, though a bit too fatty. Rare steak was on the tough and dry side. Quantity of garnish on the small side.

Notes: Though I usually have the Bun Bo Hue here, I think the Pho' is pretty good.

Pho Ca Dao
5223 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

March 1, 2006 – Pho' Cali

*** Pho Cali has closed

Impressions: If you're in Mission Valley and must have a bowl of Pho', this is your only choice. Broth had medium oil content, slight anise flavor in medium-light broth. On my visit, the noodles were a cold clump in the bottom of the bowl. Very skimpy on the garnishes, and I didn't care for the meat, rare steak and tendon was tough. The broth is okay, though.

Pho' Cali
1400 Camino De La Reina #105
San Diego, CA 92018

March 19, 2006 – Pho Viet Cali

*** Pho Viet Cali has closed

Impressions: The Dac Biet was pretty expensive, $6.15. Terribly stingy on the garnishes. Light, unremarkable broth. In addition to all the "usual" cuts of beef, this bowl had meatballs. Overall, lot's of meat, generic broth, a bit pricier.

Pho' Viet Cali
6755 Mira Mesa Blvd. #113
San Diego, CA 92121

March 28, 2006 – Lucky Pho'

Impressions: Darker broth, with a hint of anise and clove. Oil content varies; on this trip it was low, on another slightly higher. Noodles are routine, but good. The meats are not the best, and are on the inconsistent side, some days the tendon is very tough, likewise with the brisket, etc. Adequate garnishes, with Ngo Gai.

Notes: This broth is to my taste, and that is the main reason I return. The meat at Pho Ca Dao and Pho Hoa Hiep are better.

Lucky Pho' in Lucky Seafood Supermarket
9326 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

May 10, 2006 – Bolsaa Vietnamese Restaurant

*** Bolsaa has since closed

Impressions: The garnishes are adequate. Broth on the light side, with low oil content. I found the rare steak to be good, but the rest of the meats were on the tough and dry side. Noodles were fine, not mushy and not too chewy.

Notes: On this visit, the broth was very salty; though I've been informed that it was probably a "glitch".

Bolsaa Vietnamese Cuisine
4646 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Well there it is, and those in San Diego probably have noticed that many of the popular Pho' establishments, such as Pho Hoa Huang, Pho Van, Pho Hoa Cali, Pho T Cali, and so on, have not been "represented". All in due time. And maybe I'll have enough bowls of Bun Bo Hue soon to do a retrospective on that as well.

Until then; like DietChiliCheeseFries always says – "Eat the Pho!!!!"

Okonomiyaki

May 14, 2006 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes

When I told the Missus we were having Okonomiyaki for Dinner, she asked if we were going to Tajima, a popular Japanese restaurant. When I told Her, that I’d be making it at home, she gave me the strangest look. I’ve tried to make Okonomiyaki before, but they’ve never really turned out real well. They looked fine, but the texture seemed to be a bit off.

But after reading through several of my Japanese cookbooks, I’ve figured out why. I’ve used recipes with simply flour, dashi, and egg; and one with flour, dashi, katakuriko(potato starch), and egg. And they’ve never turned out right. But, I’ve finally found the ingredient that created a texture I enjoyed:

It’s Yamaimo. You’ll find these in most Japanese Markets, usually stored in sawdust to absorb all of the gooey-ness that may drip out of the yam. When grated the meat of the yam creates a gluey-snotty-phlegmy liquid. Those that enjoy Maguro Yamakake will know what I mean.

It’s this gluey and starchy liquid that helped to bind, and changed the texture of the okonomiyaki.

But first the sauce. In most places either a Tonkatsu Sauce style "Okonomi" sauce will be served; sometimes a bit more on the sweeter-tangier side. I just went ahead and made my Tonkatsu Sauce:

Tonkatsu Sauce

1 Cup Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 Cup Soy Sauce
1/2 Cup Sugar
2/3 Cup Ketchup
1-2 TB Dijon or other French Style Mustard
Dash of 5 Spice
Black Pepper to Taste.

1 – Over medium heat combine first 4 ingredients, stirring to combine. When a simmer is reached, reduce heat to low, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced by 1/3.

2 – When desired consistency is reached, remove from heat and mix in the last 3 ingredients.

3 – Let sauce cool to room temperature.

While the sauce was cooling, I started on the Okonomiyaki.

Okonomiyaki

Batter:
1 Cup Cake flour, sifted
1 Cup water or Dashi
3 TB grated Yamaimo/Nagaimo(Japanese Mountain Yam)
1 tsp salt

1 – Sift Flour into a bowl.

2 – Add Dashi(water), yamaimo, and salt.

3 – Mix to a pancake batter consistency(do not over-mix). The batter will be sort of a gluey pancake batter

Today’s Fillings:
2 Cups shredded Cabbage
1 Cup Bean Sprouts
1/2 Onion sliced
4 Scallions green parts only – sliced thin
2 TB Benishoga(pickled ginger) minced
8 16-20 Size shrimp peeled and deveined, sliced
Bay Scallops
4 oz Kamaboko(fish cake), cut into strips
2 TB Furikake(Japanese rice topping)
2 Eggs

1 – Divide the batter equally into two bowls.

2 – Crack one egg into each bowl.

3 – Add half of the rest of the ingredients to each bowl, and mix with a spoon.

Cooking the Beast:
2-3 TB Vegetable Oil

1 – Heat a large skillet over medium heat.

2 – Add 2 TB oil to the skillet and swirl skillet to evenly coat the bottom. If there is an excess of oil, pour off to discard.

3 – Reduce the heat to low, and pour the ingredients of one bowl into the skillet. With a spoon or other utensil, spread the batter out, creating (hopefully) a round or oval "pancake". Increase the heat back to a medium level.

4 – When the bottom of the pancake is a golden brown. Turn the pancake over. This is much harder then it sounds. Use two spatulas, or some other (combination of) utensil(s). Remember to enjoy the aroma of the Okonomiyaki as it cooks.

5 – When the other side of the pancake is golden brown, remove to a plate.

Toppings/Garnishes:
Furikake
Benishoga
Tonkatsu Sauce
Katsuobushi (Dried Bonito Flakes)
Mayo

At this point in time, we were hungry, and so we just "went for it", grabbing whatever toppings we wanted(the Missus has an aversion to Mayo on this dish). And you see the result in the first photo. Now you can use squeeze bottles, and pastry brushes, and other "tools" and create a work of art. But heck, "okonomi" , means something along the terms of "as-you-like" or "favorites". Today this is how we wanted it.

A quick note – I know it seems like alot of work, but it’s really not. Not including making the Tonkatsu Sauce, this took only about 40 minutes for prep, mixing, and cooking. It’s also really easy; except for the flipping of the pancake – here’s where a flat griddle would be handy! Hmmm, where’s my wishlist?????

Feeding a Food Obsession

May 13, 2006 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while you know that the Missus goes through periods of extreme food obsession, whether it’s something as simple as eating Her way through a flat of strawberries every other day, or as extreme as going through 10 different types of feta cheese over the course of a week. But when there are several overlapping obsessions, we’re in line for some major shopping. So on a recent weekend, food obsessions intact we did some shopping. Luckily, the area West of Fairmount Avenue and either University or El Cajon Boulevard is filled with Markets. There is practically a different market, or produce stand, about every two blocks or so. And we’re not talking about "chain" supermarkets, either. So here’s a typical morning…..

Stop#1 – World Foods Supermarket

Obsession – Purple Sweet Potatoes. The Missus, says this years crop is very good, and tastes even better then Her beloved Okinawan Sweet Potatoes:

She simply roasts them in the oven, and eats them. 7 Pounds of Sweet Potatoes later we’re off to our next stop.

World Foods Supermarket
5245 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

Stop#2 – United Oriental Food Market

I hadn’t been back to United Food Market in some time. And made sure to check out the hot table items.

But the Missus had something else in mind. She got a large ($5.00) Green Papaya Salad, which was made on the spot.

This ended up being a large tub of Papaya Salad, though ordered medium, it was pretty spicy. Well, no time for Satay’s today, we got one other item on our list, so we’re off…..

United Oriental Food Market
5349 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

Stop #3 – Minh Huong Supermarket

At the Cambodian New Years Festival, the Missus developed one of Her latest obsessions, green mango. This came into full bloom, when I showed Her how ate it "back home", simply green mango with Shoyu and Sugar. She was hooked. We did stop at a few places before this market, which we had never been to, even a market called Minnehaha Food Market, with no luck. As we entered we headed straight for the small but well stocked produce department.

While I wandered around the market…..

The Missus found what she was searching for:

And not a moment too soon. I was about to steal this sign and use it as a name tag:

Minh Huong Supermarket
4770 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92105

Funny thing, the Missus always tells me she hates shopping in markets, and I usually have to shop solo. Unless there’s a obsession that needs to be filled.

Here’s the latest. This past week a local supermarket chain has got corn on sale for something like 12 for $2. Now the corn is really not of the greatest quality.

But it’s perfect for my Stovetop Smoker:

2 tablespoons of Alder and 18-20 minutes later, and viola!

Pretty decent smoked corn. So it’s been 3 days and 9 ears of corn! Hmmm, another obsession in the making????