mmm-yoso – Page 42

Sunday Sandwiches – Lit’l Pepper Gourmet and Rose Canyon Deli Revisted

November 24, 2024 mmm-yoso Sandwiches

Here are a couple of revisits to some sandwich shops I hadn't been to in a while.

Rose Canyon Deli:

Man, hard to believe I haven't been back to Rose Canyon Deli in over four years! I was kinda hungry after a recent Costco run and after dealing with the mass of humanity there, I wasn't feeling like dealing with more pushy folks in line for a hot dog or pizza. So, I decided to head on over to Rose Canyon Deli to grab an early lunch.

Rose Canyon Rev 01

It had been over four years since my last visit! Sheesh. At that time the new owners had just taken over the place.

The gentleman was very nice and friendly. I got my "usual" the "Rocky" (now $9.99, was $7.69 on my last visit). This time they asked me if I wanted it "toasted", so I said yes. I guess they go ahead and put the bread in something like a panini press before making the sandwich?

Rose Canyon Rev 02 Rose Canyon Rev 03 As before, a simple, straightforward sandwich, roast beef, milky swiss, creamy avocado….I could have used more of that. The tomatoes were decently ripened this time around adding some good fruity-acidity. The bacon added that smoky-salty-savory component and was crisp, but there wasn't enough in the sandwich.

Rose Canyon Rev 04

A nice, family owned sandwich shop, selling reasonably priced sandwiches….yes ten bucks for a sandwich is considered reasonably priced these days…heck Banh Mi's are approaching or are even over the ten dollar mark these days. I also noticed that the place is now open on Saturdays as well.

Rose Canyon Deli
4901 Morena Blvd. Suite 301
San Diego, CA 92117
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 7am – 6pm
Saturdays 8am – 230pm
Closed on Sundays

Lit’l Pepper Gourmet:

Another place I haven't been to in a while…..like in over 7 years! Man, time sure does fly. It used to be a fairly convenient location when my office was fairly close by.

Litl Pepper Rev 01

Now while Rose Canyon Deli is a typical simple Neighborhood/Business Park sandwich shop; Lit'l Pepper Gourmet serves up more inventive-creative sandwiches, along with classics. The place has always seemed quite popular and there's this "seal of approval" on this day in the parking lot.

Litl Pepper Rev 02

I've ordered the fancier, more creative sandwiches during my previous visits with mixed results. "FOY" Sandy did recommend that I try to get a classic-standard type sandwich, which is what she does. I've been having nostalgic moments thinking of the club sandwiches of my youth. We never had much money, so getting a club sandwich, from say, Aotani Fountain or Alakea Grill was a special treat. So, I went with the Club Sandwich ($14.25).

Man, this was a pretty hefty sandwich.

Litl Pepper Rev 03 Litl Pepper Rev 04 Man, this was loaded with turkey, which did make it a bit on the dry side. A good amount of crisp, smoky bacon. Having mayo, mustard, avocado (which is a plus!), and Italian dressing is a bit of overkill and the sandwich was on the "wetter" side; thus the bread did not hold up for the entire meal. I enjoyed the mildly-milky cheddar cheese.

This was quite the two fisted sandwich, I could barely finish it. Good for when you're quite hungry.

Litl Pepper Rev 05

I enjoyed the sandwich; though will probably be back to trying some of he more creative options next time!

Lit’l Pepper Gourmet
8911 Complex Dr
San Diego, CA 92123
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 6am – 2pm

London – Early Access Tour of Tower of London, Lunch from Fortnum & Mason, and Twinings – The Strand

November 23, 2024 mmm-yoso London, Markets & Grocers, Travel

**** Not much food in this one. So unless you'd like to see photos of His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, you can turn back now and return tomorrow!

Looking back, it did seem like we were making up for lost time in London. Trying to get in all the places we should have visited long ago. One of those places is the Tower of London, originally started in 1066 by William the Conquerer as a symbol of power, to instill fear and awe in the Londoners he had conquered. Talk about a "royal flex". Being the center of power and having many roles; prison being one of the foremost of them.

We really didn't want to do the very popular Ceremony of the Keys….by 9pm we'd want to be settling in. We would be flying to Milan the next morning and while it wasn't a very early flight, I just wanted to be well rested. Instead, after doing a bit of research, I found an Early Access to Tower of London Tour and decided on that.

So, we took the Tube from Piccadilly to Tower Hill. Arriving early, we grabbed our caffeine fix, before finding the meeting spot. The group consisted of about 15 people on this morning.

The view of the Tower Bridge from here is quite outstanding.

We entered and the first stop was watching the Opening of the Tower Gates. The Tower is still considered a palace, so of course there's a process and ceremony. Handled by the Beefeaters, the official guards of the Tower.

The Yeoman in charge this morning was really funny as he explained the process that has been in place since the 15th Century. He cracked a lot of jokes at the expense of the officer walking over the keys.

They keys were exchanged….various funny comments made and the guards moved about to open up the Tower.

One of the benefits to having this tour is that we are the first folks to see the Crown Jewels.

No photos allowed; but let me say, it's quite impressive. It was great getting early entry as we could take our time; our guide waited outside until everyone was finished. As we moved on to our next stop there was a huge line, like of over a hundred people it seemed!

The tour was fun, along with going over the history of "The Bloody Tower", there was a lot of other info provided. Like about the The Royal Menagerie. For over 600 years the Tower housed a collection of animals "gifted" to the Royal Family. Thus, you'll find sculptures that commemorate those animals that were created in 2010.

Those Baboons looked quite lifelike from a distance. If interested, you can read more about that here.

The views from the walls are also quite nice.

This is the Tower Green. A site that supposedly marked where scaffolds were located. The location is much disputed.

I had recently read Ravenmaster by Christopher Skaife, so of course I had questions about the Ravens at the Tower.

The Ravens of the Tower are believed to be the protectors of the Tower and the Royalty. The legend states: "If the ravens leave the Tower, the kingdom will fall.

We really weren't aware that other country's celebrated Halloween and really enjoyed seeing how they did!

And of course, the last place was the actual White Tower.

Which was an interesting place to visit as you're introduced to life at different statuses medieval London and then the bloody history of the Tower is exposed.

The Royal Armory has displays of arms over the centuries……

And then you'll find something that seems out of place; like this chair.

It turns out that this chair was used in the last execution at the Tower of London. Of an German spy named Josef Jakobs on August 15th, 1941.

All in all, having access to the Tower before opening and the Crown Jewels before the Masses made this a worthwhile tour.

The tour had taken about 3 hours. We decided to walk back to our hotel in Piccadilly. As for lunch; well, remember I mentioned the lower level food hall at Fortnum & Mason? We decided to stop by and just got some freshly made pasta.

As well as some broccolini.

The pasta was a nice al dente, but the Carbonara like sauce was bland and too thick. The broccolini was overcooked and under seasoned. Still, not terrible.

We took a break and had a nice nap. Upon awakening the Missus, who loves Her tea wanted to visit the flagship Twinings shop in the Strand, so we decided to walk on over. The Strand looked like a major theatre district with some interesting structures.

The location of Twinings in the strand dates back to 1706! It's a nicely lit small shop. The Missus enjoyed shopping here and just had to get the special King's Coronation Blend.

The Missus did enjoy the Darjeeling Blend and the young lady working was very nice.

At this point we headed back to the hotel. We had put in a decent amount of steps on this day and a nice nap sounded perfect!

Thanks for stopping by!

London – Jack the Ripper Tour and The Hoop and Grapes

November 22, 2024 mmm-yoso British/Irish/Scottish Restaurants/Pubs, London, Pubs and Pub Grub, Travel

Yes, I know, it was the first time we were really spending time in London. So why not "do" all those touristy things? Like a Jack the Ripper Tour? After doing a bit of research, it seemed like this one would be a good match. And since we were pretty full after having Afternoon Tea, we could just try to find a nice, maybe historical pub afterwards for a late bite and drink.

After all, what would be more fun than to walk the streets of London's East End? And of course everyone has heard of Jack the Ripper, a name that will forever be associated with the East end, who murdered at least (it depends whom you ask) 5 women for a period of about 5 months (again, depends on whom you ask) in 1888. There are innumerable books, websites, and various articles to read. I'm not going to go into too much detail here; I'm sure you can find all you want on the web, library, etc.

We caught the Tube and met at the Aldgate East Tube Station. The group was relatively small, less than 12 people. Our guide Angie was a hoot; totally in character, amazing stories, had historic photos of the area; once strewn with small streets.

We stopped at various sights; like one of the places we had on our lists to have dinner and a drink following our tour; the Ten Bells.

Where at least two of the Ripper's victims were known to visit. In fact, it is said, that Mary Jane Kelly, the supposed last victim of the Ripper was last seen at the Ten Bells. The pub is also supposedly haunted.

We made over a dozen stops; including the corner of this square.

This is the southern corner of Mitre Square; where at 145am in the morning of September 30th, 1888, the body of Catherine Eddowes, the fourth vitim of the Ripper was found. The interesting thing about this is that this is the western most location of the Whitechapel Murders and actually in the City of London!

It was an entertaining evening. Before we headed off, we asked Angie about getting a bite to eat and a drink nearby. She told us the Ten Bells was noisy and full of tourists and recommended another historic pub named the Hoop and Grapes.

This place seemed a bit more local; the folks working quite friendly.

I got a Nicholson Pale Ale.

Hilarity ensued when I ordered the Missus's Gin and Tonic. The bartender asked me what kind of tonic…..something I don't think I'd been asked before. When I appeared stumped he told me "we have over 30 different tonics!" Ok, lesson learned! I just got a Hendricks with the basic Fever Tree Elderflower Tonic.

Since we were in London; the Missus decided on some Fish and Chips, which was made with Haddock.

We had to send this back once because the fish was still frozen. They apologized and actually got a brand new plate; the shape of the fish was totally different. The batter was crisp and light, but the fish was on the dry side. The chips were dry and we actually needed to request malt vinegar; which was provided in packets.

I decided on the "award winning" Steak & Nicholson's Pale Ale Pie…..well since I was having a Nicholson's Pale Ale anyway.

The crust of the pie was decent; crisp and flaky, the "steak" was quite chewy, though the sauce and gravy helped even things out. Overall, a bit on the bland side. I actually had to request some salt; something I almost never do in a restaurant. The peas, green beans and cabbage were pretty much tasteless. Though the mashed potatoes were very creamy it was also on the bland side as well.

Well, we weren't expecting haute cuisine, so this was perfectly fine for us. Some drinks in a relaxed pub with very friendly folks suited us just fine on this evening.

The Hoop and Grapes
47 Aldgate High St.
London EC3N 1AL, UK

Mama’s Bakery & Deli Revisited

November 21, 2024 mmm-yoso Lebanese Restaurants

As promised in my post from this past Saturday, I went and revisited Mama's the next day! I'm glad they open at 10am because parking has always been a bit of a challenge. I easily found parking right across the street.

Mamas Rev 01

This was going to be interesting since my last visit was over 8 years ago. I wasn't quite satisfied with that garlic chicken wrap….which has been my go-to since we started eating at Mama's way back in in the early 2000's. So, of course that's what I was going to order.

Mamas Rev 02

That moving banner was in full view as I walked into the small ordering area.

Mamas Rev 03

The Garlic Chicken Wrap is now $10.49, it was $7.25 8 years ago, and $4.99 when I did my first post on Mama's way back in 2005!

While I waited for my wrap; I'd ordered it to-go, the gentleman who took my ordered walked out from behind the counter and we had a nice chat. You know, I've never really had time to talk to the folks here; it's always seemed "all business", but maybe times have changed. Anyway, he told me that they were prepared to move for a while, but Covid and paperwork have delayed things. They are currently set to move….fingers crossed, by the end of January, early February to that newish building on the corner of ECB and Mississippi Street, next to the Lafayette Hotel.

Soon enough, my order was ready, it felt a lot more hefty than what I'd had on my last visit and I headed home.

Mamas Rev 04 Mamas Rev 05 This was indeed larger than what I'd had on my last visit. I went and cut it in half and there was a good amount of chicken this time and I could actually capture whisps of "parfum d'ail" (the fragrance of garlic). The wrap was still warm, there was indeed a good amount of garlic sauce, along with the very important pickles which help to counteract the dry chicken and balance out the pungency of the garlic sauce. The lettuce was used in a more restrained manner this time.

Mamas Rev 06

This was quite a filling lunch and much better than what I'd had the last time! Which made me quite happy since Mama's has been one of those places we had been going to since we moved to San Diego. In terms of price, this seemed quite reasonable at $10.49 in the year 2024!

Mama's Bakery & Deli
4237 Alabama St.
San Diego, CA 92104
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 10am – 8pm
Sat – Sun 10am – 4pm

Moving to 2141 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego, CA 92104 (supposedly soon).

I took a lap down ECB and took a photo of the building Mama's is moving into in case you're interested.

Mamas Rev 07

Mamas Rev 08

Honolulu – Kim Chee II, Hanauma Bay, and Musubi Cafe Iyasume

November 20, 2024 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Honolulu, Japanese Restaurants, Korean Restaurants, Oahu, Travel

After our wonderful dinner at Izakaya Uosan and our walk along Ala Moana Park, we took a stroll thru Ala Moana Center up to Kapiolani and proceeded to head back to the hotel. I had a moment of nostalgia when we passed the corner of Kapiolani and Ke’eaumoku. And no, it wasn't because there used to be a KFC on this corner forever. Close to the corner was a favorite stop of mine; Tower Records. And even before that was a place near that corner that in my mind changed the music scene in Hawaii. A club named Toppe Ada Shoppe.

Of course, locals from my generation will either quickly say C&K or Kalapana, whom we saw there. But, on one of the times my friend's brother sneaked us in, I saw a certain band. I still remember the lyrics – "I wish upon a Summer moonbeam….."

Oh-kay…….that got to me. I had to play the song. I still have the CD in one of my boxes too!

Screenshot 2024-11-20 143052

Just in case you like listen:

Anyway, the Missus noticed that it was almost 615…so She said we needed to head to the Lanai in Ala Moana Center. You see, around 630-645 Musubi Cafe Iyasume in the Lanai which I've posted on before will sometimes have discounts on their musubi, which I'll have for breakfast. And on this evening….

Yep, 50% off….so I had breakfast for the next morning!

Ah yes, breakfast with a view…..

Musubi Cafe Iyasume (In the Lanai – Ala Moana Center)
1450 Ala Moana Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96814

We'd be heading back to Ewa Beach on this day, but the Missus told me She wanted to go to Hanauma Bay first in the morning. Sigh. I don't know what it is, but on the last couple trips, the Missus has been wanting to do some tourist kind of stuffs. And like many of those "activities", I hadn't been to Hanauma Bay in like 30 years? Back in those days we used to take frozen peas to feed the parrotfish! Of course things have changed a lot since then; nowadays if you don't have a local or military ID, you need to make reservations, there's an admission fee of $25 per person and $3 parking for the small lot. The reservations are actually for the 9 minute orientation video which you need to view before heading down to the beach.

We found some good parking and got into the line at our appointed time for the video before heading down to the beach.

It still looks quite pretty on the walk down.

We had brought our own snorkeling gear. Once in the water….well, it was kinda sad, while there were fish in abundance, the coral looked bleached. The coral must really be under stress. I immediately wanted to leave to not contribute to this.

Seeing this made me glad that there are limited hours and visitors for Hanauma Bay….. I remember it being so beautiful.

On the way back, we decided to stop for lunch. It seems that the Missus is starting to take to more local kine places these days. So, I asked if She wanted to try Meat Jun? She asked "Meat Jun, what's that?" Well, I explained that it is basically a take on Jeon (seen it spelled jyun as well) in which marinated beef is dredged in an egg and flour batter before frying. Much like Soegogi-Jeon which I've had before. You can find a nice recipe on Maangchi's blog. I'm not sure of the exact history origins of Meat Jun in the islands and was shocked when I first moved away and couldn't find the dish at Korean restaurants in SoCal. I did see it at different plate lunch places, I think Homestyle Hawaiian might still serve it. I tried it twice after moving to the mainland and it was terrible, so I just gave up. But now, driving back to town on Kalanianaʻole Highway opportunity struck as the Missus said "ok, let's try it!" This meant an instant detour to Waialae Avenue and a place that I had gone to when growing up in Kaimuki. I know ex-pat Kama'aina's and longtime "FOYs" Kyle, James, and Alan are smiling and nodding their heads now. Of course it's Kim Chee II, which has been around since…like the sign says 1977! Ho' am I old or what?

We parked in the back lot. There's a back entrance to the restaurant, but I just wanted to thru the front of the place. It was just after 11 and the place was already pretty busy with a lot of hungry "bruddah's" waiting to eat!

Of course I went with the "lunch special"; heck at $14.90 it's cheaper than a sandwich I had here last week!

I told the Missus that I think the portion might be pretty big so She decided just to get some tofu. I also told Her that "KC2" is really a local kine Korean place, so set your sights low with regards to any panchan. Which ended up being regular cabbage slightly pickled, not fermented. It actually goes ok with the BBQ.

The Tofu with "veggies" was fine; though the shoyu sauce tasted kinda watered down.

But of course, I was just waiting for what I had ordered. Which was enough for the Missus and I to share for lunch

Ok, the beef in the meat jun was nicely marinated, if a bit on the chewier side; sweet-salty-hint of garlic, very bulgogi-ish, the batter was a bit thicker and gritty than I prefer and it had been over-fried a bit. But, the Missus enjoyed the mild eggy-ness and the combination of flavors. She liked the meat jun dipping sauce which also had a hint of vinegar, some spice, balanced sweetness.

She also enjoyed the chicken, nice soy-sweet and hint of pungency. She told me "this is like the chicken you make…way better than the terrible 'Hawaiian BBQ' stuff in San Diego!"

The rice was fine. The mandu wrapper was a bit thicker and chewier than I recalled; though the filling was nicely flavored.

And so, based on this meal we have a Meat Jun convert! Of course, the Missus now wants me to make this at home!!!

Kim Chee II Restaurant
3569 Waialae Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96816

This was a nice blast from the past for me! I also recalled a Korean restaurant that used to be near Monsarrat that I used to go to. Perhaps my "FOYs" will remember that place?

Speaking of "FOYs", I'd like to thank Kyle, James, and Alan for keeping Kim Chee II on my mind all these years!

And thanks so much to all of you for dropping by and allowing me to share a place from my hanabuddah days with you!

Egglet (Regents Road/UTC)

November 19, 2024 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Breakfast/Brunch, Korean Restaurants, Sandwiches

While reading thru Eater's post on new restaurants in San Diego, I came across a mention of a Korean Egg Sandwich place that opened in the UTC area. So, I took a quick look online and man, unless I've been missing something it seems like Korean Egg Drop Sandwiches had finally made it to San Diego? Not that I'm really into those fads and such; but the location was quite convenient as were the hours, so I thought I'd drop by and check the place out for a "brunchy" kind of meal.

Egglet 01

I find the location to be quite interesting, in the same strip mall off Regents that houses Leucadia Pizza, Von's, the "ABCDE" (American-Born-Chinese-Dining-Establishment) where I had ok Chicken Wings a zillion years ago. I really hadn't been to this mall in ages; the last time was when I needed some cash from the ATM probably before Covid. The name of the place sounded familiar….then it came to me; Egglettes are those silicon boiled egg cooking cups. Also, the location, wasn't this something like Yakimono Restaurant and then a ramen place and then a sushi restaurant in previous lives?

Taking a look at the interior, you can kinda see where a sushi bar used to be and a flat top in the back, all blocked by nicely lined up boxes.

Egglet 02

There are a couple of smaller tables out front, some seating indoors, and what looks like an outdoor dining space.

Egglet 03

The prices looked to be quite reasonable by today's standards. It's one of these modern you can use the QR code and they'll give you a buzzer for your food. I went with the Egg Double Cheese Egglet ($8) and was curious about the Truffle Hash Brown ($4.50). Soon enough the little bugger buzzer went off.

Egglet 04 Egglet 05 Wasn't sure what to expect with the hash browns….there were three to an order, more than I could consume. This was typical Sysco quality, fast-foodish hash browns dusted with a truffle-Parmesan powder. It had a sweet tinge to it, I later found out that it is also dusted with black garlic. Not sure what hash browns are going for these days at your local fast-food joint, but I'm guessing that it's pretty reasonable for $4.50. Not that I would order it again though.

Speaking of not ordering again; the Egg Double Cheese Egglet was quite large for eight bucks; but the brioche, while decently toasted was way too sweet for my taste.

Egglet 06 Egglet 07 Just having the mix of cheddar-mozzarella which made things nice and gooey and the under-seasoned egg was not enough to overcome the brioche toast. There was a lack of savory flavors to me. I'm sure that some folks might really take to this, but it was just not my kind of thing.

Still, at these prices, I was more than willing to give them another try. This time I went with something from the "sandwich" menu, rather than the egglet like I had earlier. I was told that the sandwich rolls are not as sweet as the toast by the really nice woman. I wasn't feeling like having a burger though, so I thought I'd "hedge my bets" by getting the Smoked Bacon Sandwich ($9.75) in hopes that the bun wouldn't be too sweet for my taste.

Egglet 08

Egglet 09 Egglet 10 This was a pretty messy sandwich. The bacon, which almost reminded me of "Canadian Bacon" hadn't been crisped up enough and was quite rubbery. Still, the savory-saltiness…it didn't seem smoky to me, really added balance to the sandwich.

Also, I'm thinking the roll, which was nicely toasted wasn't quite as sweet as the toast, though the caramelized onions, something I would usually enjoy on a savory sandwich/burger was a bit too much for this. Also, the egg was folded over to one corner of the sandwich. I had to open it up. The cheese, once again a mozzarella blend had a nice stringiness, but really lacked milky-savory-sharpness and other than texture, didn't bring much in terms of flavor to this.

Egglet 11

In the end, Egglet is an interesting fast-casual concept, which I think a certain demographic (which I'm not part of) might enjoy. I also think the prices are good for the location, especially in this day and age. And the prices give you a chance to try them out yourself!

Egglet
7728 Regents Road Suite 501
San Diego, CA 92122
Current Hours:
Daily 7am – 2pm

Egglet 12

Zgara Greek Grill – Under New Ownership!

November 18, 2024 mmm-yoso Greek Food

For some strange reason, my most recent post on Mama's moving (I actually went on Sunday for lunch – that post is coming up) had me wondering how Zgara Greek Grill was doing. Because of all our travel and stuffs, I hadn't been back since probably around March or so and hadn't done a post on the place since December of last year. So, I decided to drop by this past Saturday.

Zgara New O 01

All the spaces in front of Zgara were available; probably because I arrived just after 11am.

Walking in I noticed that Eric wasn't working on this day.

Zgara New O 02
I walked up to the counter and ordered my usual, the Gyro….the default meat here is pork. I noticed that if you're only used to the typical "mystery meat" Gyros or such that unless you read the description you might not know it's actually pork; which is pretty traditional. At least that's what we had in Rhodes where Eric is from. Speaking of Eric, I casually asked how Eric is doing…thinking he was on vacation or something. The gentleman told me he wasn't sure since they sold him the restaurant back in July of this year! Whoa…..didn't know about that! I didn't want to pry so I told him "congratulations" and he introduced himself as "Tom". Well, this was quite a surprise!

So, I headed home with my Gyro ($10.86) interested to see if I could detect any changes.

Zgara New O 03 Zgara New O 04a It's still quite hefty, though wrapped a bit tighter. There seems to be a bit less Tzatziki, but the pita is still nice and pillowy.

The meat seems to have been cooked a bit more as it had more chewy-crunchy bits, a bit drier in texture, though perhaps it was just my mind playing games. Though if you do look at the gyro on my previous visit you'll see that the meat is much lighter in color. The seasoning is still as good; nice spices and herbs; I make out a touch of cumin, a faint citrusyness.

Once unbound, it basically exploded in meaty goodness….

Zgara New O 05

Still quite enjoyable.

I hope Eric is doing well. I'd been a fairly regular customer of his since the days when he opened Zgara in Pacific Beach and was quite sad when it closed. I was overjoyed when he reopened in Bay Park right in the middle of the pandemic.

Zgara New O 06

I wish the new owner well and will probably drop by again soon.

Zgara Greek Grill
1229 Morena Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92110
Current Hours:
Mon – Sat 11am – 8pm
Closed on Sundays

Zgara New O 07

Saturday Stuffs – Mama’s Bakery & Deli Moving and White Rice Morena Closed

November 16, 2024 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants, Lebanese Restaurants

Just a couple of things I saw while on errands.

Mama's Bakery & Deli Moving?:

At least that's what the sign says.

Man, it's been a while since I last visited. Though the Missus did drop by when we stayed at the Lafayette. Mama's has been here forever, though the address on the sign is right around the corner.

I'm going to try and stop by this weekend to see what's up.

Mama's Bakery & Deli
4237 Alabama St.
San Diego, CA 92104

White Rice Morena Closed?:

Was driving down Linda Vista Road when I noticed that the sign on White Rice Morena was gone. So, I made a turn into the parking lot.

Considering that this was during lunch hour, I'd say that they're closed? So, I guess no moa' "White Rice" (which I didn't think they made well here and even at their Normal Heights location).

It'll be interesting to see what moves in next.

5299 Linda Vista Road
San Diego, CA 92110

Hope you're having a wonderful Saturday!

S3 Coffee Bar

November 15, 2024 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix

Well, it as that time again. Time to take my car in for servicing. Once I dropped off my car, it was time to get my caffeine fix and get something light for breakfast. I had thoughts of returning to Cuppa Cuppa Coffee Lab, but decided to get something more than a croissant on this morning. I decided to head further up Mission Gorge to a place I'd heard of named S3 Coffee Bar. I thought a nice little stroll would do me some good as well.

S3 01

Walking up to the place, I tried to recall what it was before? I seem to remember something with a drive-thru? Perhaps Cathy will remember?

S3 02

The space is pretty large, with ample outdoor seating.

S3 02b

Along with a very bright, modern interior that seems to have every newish-hipster design trend, from the artwork-lighted sayings, to the skylight, to the plant wall, and the pink touches. I've started calling this "Pink-ster" design.

S3 03

S3 04

The gal at the counter was very friendly. As is the norm in many places these days, once you pay, you get one of those buzzer things. Once it goes off, you pick your order up at one of the "cubbyholes".

I had ordered a Cold Brew, which seemed to be priced right at $5.50 for a fairly large 16 ounces.

S3 05

Pleasantly strong, not overly bitter, with just enough simple syrup, this did the trick.

I also got the Avocado Toast ($9.50), which looked quite pretty.

S3 06 S3 07 I enjoyed the mashed avocado which added a nice creaminess to the toast. The Balsamic seemed to take it a bit over the edge with regards to sweetness; though I'm thinking some folks would love that. Not enough micro greens to make a difference. The Mozzarella added some milky-sour tones, but I rearranged them to try to get one in every bite.

The one thing that I really didn't care for was that the bread wasn't toasted enough. It just got soggy and I had the somewhat humorous thought that perhaps since I was obviously the oldest person in the place, the sagging was a tribute to me? Let's not even go into me losing my (cheese) balls, rolling off the bread as it sagged as well.

Enough of that silliness. Nice folks, very bright and airy…modern interior. I thought the cold brew was pretty good. I do wish that there were more options for savory items.

S3 Coffee Bar
6225 Mission Gorge Rd.
San Diego, CA 92120

On a more interesting note. I noticed quite a bit of construction and empty lots/businesses on my walk back to the shop.

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The one that really caught my attention was what used to be 6171 Mission Gorge Road.

This place had a bunch of eateries. I recall an Indian Restaurant, a Japanese/Sushi place, Cathy posted on Donut Panic (one of the best names ever!) and A Brooklyn Pizzeria among others that have resided in that strip mall.

I see that the Taco Shops and Iowa Meat Farms look like they're doing good business and the folks from now defunct Salud have taken over the original location of Tio Leo's. So, it looks like new development like the Vora Lux Apartments, which is where Suppa Cuppa is located is taking over? It'll be interesting to see what this part of Mission Gorge looks like five years from now.

Honolulu – Izakaya Uosan

November 14, 2024 mmm-yoso Honolulu, Japanese Restaurants, Memorable Meals, Oahu, Sushi and Sashimi, Travel

There was a reason we didn't go overboard at SXY Szechuan. I had made dinner reservations at a restaurant in walking distance from the Ala Moana Hotel. Of course, this was yet another place I read about on Kathy's awesome website Onolicious Hawaii. Having read Kathy's posts for almost two decades now, I've learned to trust her recommendations. Plus, the photos, and the menu at Izakaya Uosan just seemed right for us. It was interesting to note that the restaurant doesn't do online reservations; I had to call to book us two seats.

Izakaya Uosan is located right on Kapiolani Boulevard, between Piikoi and Pensacola. It was a nice little walk to the somewhat discreet location.

We were instantly greeted upon entering. The small place is quite low-keyed, but filled up quickly. One of the gentleman working; I believe his name is Daniel was awesome.

Looking at the photo of the menu on Kathy's post, I just got the feeling that this be a meal the Missus and I would enjoy.

A quick look at the menu and I was rain' to go. But first things first…..we need to start the meal on the right foot. Which meant an ice cold and refreshing Asahi. Heck, even the Missus enjoyed Her “biru(s)”. Yes, She actually had more than one!

We placed our orders and food started arriving.

You know if there's Foie Gras on the menu….well, how about Foie Gras with O-toro ($13.50/each).

My goodness, the texture! Rich, decadent, the tare wasn't over-powering and really complimented the dish. The sweet-offaly foie gras was wonderfully creamy. The rice was prepared decently, the shari not too strong.

The next item to arrive is the restaurant's version of Shirasu Chips; basically Baby Sardine Chips ($9).

Crisp, light, very savory!

The Kani, Kani Miso Gunkan Maki ($13.50) was slightly sweet, umami bomb.

For some reason; the rice here seemed a bit drier and harder.

Our least favorite dish of the evening was the Gyutan ($14.50).

It hadn't been grilled to our preference and was rubbery and lacking in the smokiness that we associate with binchotan. The flavor had a bit of a metallic "edge" to it as well.

Of course we had to get the Braised Daikon with Foie Gras ($19.50), right?

Think of this as Daikon no Nimono crowned with a sizeable piece of seared foie gras and caramelized onions. As Kathy noted in her post, this skewed toward the saltier side, even though the onions tried to bring a hint of sweetness to balance out the flavors, it was not up to the task. This might be a case of "too much of a good thing"?

We didn't have much time to dwell on things because the next item to arrive was the Uni – Truffle Butter – Egg Yolk -Rice ($24). Oh my goodness!

One could imagine that a dish like this could get a bit "out of hand"; but in this case the preparation was so balanced! From the soft and tender rice, which had a nice gave off that wonderful aroma of truffle. The truffle added a earthy-mushroomy-floral component and didn't overwhelm the dish. Ah yes, the egg yolk, one of the Missus's favorite food items; when mixed in added another layer buttery-creamy texture. Speaking of creamy; good lord, the Hokkaido Uni, the oceany-sweetness took me to a very happy place! We loved this dish!

Wanting to actually get some fish; we asked Daniel what he would recommend. He told us that the Sumagatsuo (Mackerel Tuna) was super fresh, wild caught, so we went with the Tataki ($28). Oh man, I know folks who used to diss Kawakawa, which is what we called the fish growing up, but man, this was delici-yoso!!!!

This must have been a good sized one; the fish was firm, yet yieldingly tender. Quite refreshing with the onions and shoyu!

The Missus loves Her Chawan Mushi; so when She saw a version with Uni ($19.50), She had to order it.

My goodness, the delicate-velvety texture; the creamy-umami chawan mushi, crowned by that oceany-sweet-savory uni. That says it all.

After this we were done for the evening! We liked the laid-back, friendly Service. And guess whatthe tab was with our drinks and food….$190 for two! Can you imagine what this would cost in San Diego? This was our favorite meal of the trip. We can't wait to return!

Izakaya Uosan
1221 Kapiolani Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 200-5077

It was still fairly early, so we walked down Piikoi and then along Ala Moana Park back to the hotel.

Which gave me time to contemplate how lucky I was. To be able to have such a wonderful meal, to call Hawai'i my "home", to be able to travel, and to be able to "share" this wonderful meal with you all!

And also, to have gotten to know folks like Kathy over the years, whose opinion and recommendations I can trust!

Hope you're having a wonderful week!