mmm-yoso – Page 53

The Takeout Rotation – HFS at Centerpark Labs, Sue’s Korean Kitchen, and Tenkatori

February 2, 2024 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Korean Restaurants, Poke

Just clearing out the memory card here with some takeout revisits. Looking at my takeout "rotation" I quickly noticed a couple of consistencies in my choices. The places all open before 11. I get to work quite early in the morning and am not a big fan of crowds. So, if I can grab my lunch by 1030 or so, I'm happy. It seems like these places actually opened during the pandemic. And of course, it's not a far drive to any of these places for me.

So, here goes.

HFS at Centerpark Labs:

It's been a while since I'd done a post on HFS and I'd just got done making a final visit to Poke 8th and B recently (post upcoming). We had nice, almost late spring weather before the storm set in today; so it seemed like the perfect time to grab some poke from HFS.

HFS Again 01

I arrived five minutes before opening and got in and out in minutes.

HFS Again 02

Got the shoyu and the "Kilauea" which had some pretty good spice. This did hit the spot. Good quality fish, nutty brown rice……

HFS at Centerpark Labs
6835 Flanders Dr.
San Diego, CA 92121
Current Hours:
Daily 10am – 8pm

Sue's Korean Kitchen:

Sue's has been a regular Kimchi Fried Rice spot for me since my first visit in spring of 2021. I was a bit surprised at how much the serving size seemed to have shrunk on my last visit, so I needed to return to check things out.

Sues Again 01

They always seem so happy to see me here and are so nice. Which is one of the reasons I keep returning.

Sues Again 02

So, how was it? Well, it seems that my previous visit was just an off-day as the portion size returned to what I had on previous visits.

Sues Again 03

Rice was a bit mushier than normal; but I enjoyed the spam, the fermented spiciness of the dish.

Sue’s Korean Kitchen
6755 Mira Mesa Blvd. Suite 109
San Diego, CA 92121
Current Hours:
Mon – Sat 10am – 9pm

Tenkatori:

And last, but not least, yes yet another visit to Tenkatori. I've been a regular here since my first visits in spring of 2022. I always go at the 1030 opening time. That parking lot can be a horror show. I also will usually order when I arrive or call it in, ever since I noticed a $3 upcharge for online orders.

Tenka Again 01

Tenka Again 02

I had recently read Kat's post about getting tori nanban and was craving that. So, that's what I got.

Tenka Again 03

Whoa, the tartar sauce here is a bit too rich for my taste. I felt like I needed a shower after eating this!

Tenka Again 04

Yes, just like when I tried it before, there wasn't enough vinegar tones in this to cut all the richness. I gotta get back to Okan and see if I still enjoy their tori nanban.

On my next visit a couple of days later it was back to the same 'ol, same 'ol.

Tenka Again 05

Yes, I'll often go twice in a week!

Tenkatori Miramar
6780 Miramar Rd. Suite 104
San Diego, CA 92121
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 1030am – 2pm, 4pm – 8pm
Sat – Sun 11am – 230pm, 4pm – 8pm

Hope everyone keeps dry and warm on this rather wet weekend! Take care!

Quixote and the Gutter (Lafayette Hotel)

January 31, 2024 mmm-yoso Cocktails, Exploring San Diego, Memorable Meals, Mexican Restaurants, Staycation

On one of the evenings during our stay at the Lafayette I made reservations for dinner at Quixote. I had really enjoyed our meals in Oaxaca and was looking forward to this dinner. Like the rest of the hotel; the restaurant's decor is a trip. Apparently, the furnishing were originally from a Catholic Church in Oaxaca. Man, was it kinda strange…..think Dark – foreboding, David Lynch.

I think the photos speak (hopefully not in a deep scary bass) for itself.

Quixote 01

The stained glass……

Quixote 02

And statue of Lucifer.

The candles, wax hanging…..

Quixote 03

The altar behind the bar….

Quixote 04

Quixote 05

We were encouraged to check out the various rooms…..

Quixote 06

Quixote 07 Quixote 08 Before returning to our table, right below the statue of "Lucifer". We had already placed our order. Our Server, Jacob was amazing, he encouraged us to check things out. Though I kinda wonder about working with all of this around you! The place was quite quiet, and to be perfectly honest, kinda spooky, before the crowds descended on the place.

You gotta appreciate the kitsch…..very spooky kitsch.

Keeping with the theme, many of the cocktails were mezcal and tequila based. I really enjoyed the Mezcal Old Fashioned.

Quixote 09

As is our MO we stayed with all appetizers to make our meal.

First up, the Crab Corn Donut ($21).

Quixote 10

Man, I loved this. This is the way crab tasted when I was a kid. I appreciated the fact that the donut added heft without being too sweet. The crab flavor was a bit too strong for the Missus. We both enjoyed the hint of spice in the rich sauce.

The Ceviche ($17) seemed by the book.

Quixote 11

The snapper was marinated nicely; good texture no off flavors. I will say that there was not enough acidity in the dish for our taste.

Of course there were tortillas.

Quixote 12

The Squash Blossom (Flor de Calabaza – $15) was quite good.

Quixote 13

We enjoyed the crisp, tempura like batter, the horseradish aioli added a nice slightly pungent and rich touch to the dish. The slice of sweet potato wasn't my favorite but the Missus enjoyed it. There was mushroom in this dish which added an earthiness which "grounded" the dish.

The last item was going to be interesting. The Missus had issues with mole being too sweet during our visit to Oaxaca. In fact, until I found a place with mole sugueza She really didn;t care for mole at all. But, we just had to try the Memelita ($15).

Quixote 14

Outside of Oaxaca, our favorite memelitas are probably from Pasillo de Humo in CDMX. But these are in a different league. The memelitas have such a wonderful maize flavor. The duck carnitas….well, what can you say, a good touch of rich flavor without being "foul" (fowl). The mole had just the right touch of savory and mild rich sweetness. The adobado was nice and savory, the pickled veggies gave your palate a break and the refried beans added an earthiness that grounded the dish.

We really enjoyed this meal. Of course, I like my Mezcal and Jacob picked a nice, "fumar" one for my digestif.

Good food, great service.

Quixote 15

Look out Lucifer; I think we'll be back!

Quixote 16

Quixote (In the Lafayette Hotel)
2223 El Cajon Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92104
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri Noon – Midnight
Sat – Sun 1pm – Midnight

On this evening, we headed on over to an area of the hotel down a hallway which said "The Gutter". This opened up into a faux courtyard.

The Gutter 01

And a doorway, with the sign "The Gutter".

The Gutter 02

This is the Lafayette's "cocktail bar/game room", which features a two lane bowling alley that you can reserve.

The Gutter 04

There's also pool, shuffleboard, and of course more cocktails!

The Gutter 03

The Gutter 06

Which you can have in your own vintage, wood framed booth, if you're not playing pop-a-shot….

The Gutter 05

As you can tell, we enjoyed our time at the Lafayette. There are certain things you need to take into consideration; like parking. If you can't find adequate street parking, overnight valet parking is $35. And yet, the folks working here were wonderful, great service. I'm sure we'll be back on another staycation in the future. We're hoping the neighborhood keeps moving with the times and that they'll be even more options for enjoying the area.

The Lafayette Hotel
2223 El Cajon Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92104

Quixote 17

Beginners Diner and the Lafayette Hotel

January 30, 2024 mmm-yoso Cocktails, Diner, Exploring San Diego, Sandwiches, Staycation

Recently, we needed to have some work done on our house. It was scheduled (and took) for four days. I needed to be present onsite during parts of the day. The Missus however, was working on a couple of those nights. In the end, we decided to do a staycation and stay at the recently renovated Lafayette Hotel. I would shuttle the Missus back and forth to work, spend the nights at the hotel, the Missus would sleep during the day, and on Her nights off, we'd relax and explore a bit.

CH Holdings spent 31 million renovating this historic hotel and we were interested to see how it was. Well, it was quite chic and lavish, in a retro, over-the-top manner. From the time set foot into the lobby.

Lafayette 01

The check in counter is a small kiosk, which doubles as a coffee bar.

Lafayette 01b

The Missus actually enjoyed the coffee from here; I believe She'd always get the Ethiopian. There are no phones in the room, so the hotel and concierge can be reached by text.

There are four (now five) venues to get your cocktail fix at the Lafayette. We actually took time to try all of them. Check out the simply named "Lobby Bar" with the statue of Atlas at the center.

Lafayette 05

Crazy, huh?

We checked in on a Sunday and I easily found parking around the corner, no need to feed the meter….more on the parking, or lack thereof later in the post. The Missus had to work so I enjoyed the Lobby Bar.

Lafayette 06

Classic cocktails; the bartenders work super hard here as the place was quite busy. Man, I'd hate to see the place on the weekends. The bartender still made time to greet and chat with each customer.

Lafayette 07

On one of the Missus's nights off, we stopped by for a cocktail before dinner and the Missus tried the famous Pimm's Cup. She said it was a bit too sweet for Her.

Lafayette 08 (2)

We were told that folks stood three or four deep on some weekends! Speaking of customers, they seemed to fit into four specific categories, the multi-generational adults, the "TikTok/Instagram/Influencer/Look at me" group (who were always doing selfies and filming….we saw one group walk back and forth down the front steps like six times!), the Hipsters, and the "Hip Replacements". I'll let you figure out which group I fit into.

Lafayette 03c

Our room was humongous.

Lafayette 03

Check out the wallpaper.

Lafayette 03b

The beds were comfortable and there was a huge mini-bar in the room. Because our room was overlooking El Cajon Boulevard it was a bit on the noisy side; but the Missus still managed to get some sleep at night.

There's a nice, more laid back pool bar.

Lafayette 04

The Missus and I had a nightcap here on our last evening. The drinks were described as Italian-Tiki in theme. As with all our interactions with staff at the Lafayette, the service was amazing.

Lafayette 09

Lafayette 10

Overlooking the historic pool.

Lafayette 08

That pool was designed by…..well, I'm thinking most of you wouldn't recognize the name, but it was one of my mom's favorite actors/athletes, Johnny Weissmuller, who is probably the definitive Tarzan and to claims to have invented the Tarzan yell!

In fact, there were several moments when I wished the place did tours. Most folks working really didn't have much of a grasp on the history. Except on my last day there, when I spoke to…I believe his name is Dexter. He told us the room we were staying in is his favorite; according to Dexter, room 326 is where Bing Crosby stayed, it's where Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner stayed. It's also where; clearing one's throat a certain president and a certain "Blond Bombshell" stayed under assumed names and off the books. I dunno, but it makes for a great story, huh?

On one of my evenings at the Lafayette, I decided to check out the very retro looking 24 hours diner in the lobby; Beginners Diner.

Beginners Diner 01

My goodness, I loved the classic diner look. I had a seat at the counter.

Beginners Diner 03

It was pretty early for dinner, so the place was pretty quiet.

Beginners Diner 02

I really wanted to try the Wagyu French Dip, but they were out. So, I ordered the Cali Banh Mi ($20). Soon enough it arrived at the counter.

Beginners Diner 04 Beginners Diner 05 I didn't care for the fries which quickly got limp and were over salted.

The sandwich was not bad. A bit too bready and the sambal aioli was kind of weak. But the pork pate, think (pate Campagne) was swiney and winey, if cut a bit on the thinner side for my taste.

Beginners Diner 06

The place was getting quite the "hipster infusion" as I was leaving. On an interesting note, the Missus took a walk during one of Her days there and told me the place was packed with folks form the 60+ club. My good friend Candice also noted that quite a few folks who were regulars at the old Red Fox; which has moved across the street now frequent this place.

Beginners Diner 07

Beginners Diner (In the Lafayette Hotel)
2223 El Cajon Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92104
Open 24 Hours Daily

You know, I've never been the biggest fan of CH Holdings restaurants which always seemed more style than substance. We were hoping that our upcoming dinner at Quixote would change that.

But I was really enjoying the Lafayette…….and it was time to head on to the Lobby Bar for a nightcap.

Lafayette 11

Lafayette 12

The Lafayette Hotel
2223 El Cajon Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92104

Thanks for stopping by!

Paris – Boullion Republique

January 28, 2024 mmm-yoso France, French Restaurants, Paris, France, Travel

After lunch at Maison de Chengdu, we walked the short block back to the apartment and relaxed. After a short nap, we cleaned up the apartment a bit, we'd be leaving for CDG early the next morning. We then did what had become a tradition over this trip "Le Goûter", tea time and we chatted about what it was like spending 4 weeks in France and the last 2 in Paris.

From our arrival in Paris…..

And finally getting a chance to visit the Cluny.

Then heading off to Montpellier a city of contrasts, with tons of history, yet young and vibrant. I was told that one-fourth of the population are University Students.

Then it was off to the medieval city of Carcassonne.

The massive La Cité looming on top of the hill. Of course, when spending such a long period of time in a country you'll bound to have some hiccups and on the day we were supposed to leave Carcassonne by train there was a rail strike, but having been thru similar events before we looked for and found transport to our next destination by bus.

That destination was Toulouse, the fourth most populous city in France. Much more laid back than Paris, but still with great history and architecture, we really enjoyed the city.

We actually had the main Christmas Market right out our hotel door! This is one city I'm sure we'll return to.

And then of course it was back to Paris. Staying for two weeks straight meant we could take time to visit places a bit further afield, like the Cimetière des Chiens, the oldest pet cemetery in Europe.

And venture to other places that perhaps weren't so high on our "list" like Jardin des Plantes.

Our location in the Marais allowed us time to visit the National Archives Museum and take advantage of the "free first Sunday" at the Musée National Picasso.

And staying in an apartment near to the metro made it easy to take a day trip to Chantilly.

Or even spending two nights in Strasbourg to enjoy the Christmas Markets.

It was indeed an amazing month!

And here it was; our last meal in Paris. We wanted to keep it simple. During the first leg of the trip in Paris, the Missus really enjoyed the simple, yet tasty food at Le Petit Bouillon Pharamond. So, I went looking for a Boullion and found that Boullion Republique was jusy a 10 minute stroll form the apartment. So, we decided to head on over a bit before the usual Parisian dinner time, getting there at 530. Even at this ungodly early dinner hour in Paris there was a short wait, but soon enough we got a table

The Missus had a glass of the Brut, I had a Kir and in keeping with how we enjoy dining, we went with 3 entres (starters) and some oysters.

The Missus really enjoyed the Ouefs Mayonnaise, basically devilled eggs.

Of course the Missus loved this; wonderfully creamy, the yolk-mayonnaise mixture was so smooth and rich. Of course, the addition of block truffle did not hurt things one bit. There was a touch of acidity to balance out the flavors.

The Terrine de Campagne, country style pate was nicely made.

Porky, with a touch of offaly tones; there's a nice hint of wine-anise tones as well. And the cornichons to refresh ones palate.

The Missus has become a big fan of Escargot, so we made sure to order some.

These were decently plump, with a good amount of olive oil to saturate your baguette. Could have used more garlic in my opinion, but not bad.

The oysters were excellent.

Not overly briney, quite refreshing, no off flavors. All I needed was a small squeeze of lemon.

Now, for the interesting part, you can actually pay via QR by table. Would you like to see our bill?

Now, translated to dollars that around $37/US! Two drinks, 3 appetizers, 6 Oysters…….what the heck would that cost here in San Diego? Yes, Boullions are kind of considered to be an affordable and straight forward eating establishment serving traditional dishes. And this place sure delivered.

As you can tell by the line waiting for a table when we left. All were speaking French as far as we could tell. At this price, you could eat at an Boullion a couple of times a week.

It was a fitting last meal in Paris.

Bouillon République
39 Bd du Temple
75003 Paris, France

That would keep us….until the next time the "City of Lights" beckons.

Thanks for stopping by!

Paris – The View from Galeries Lafayette Haussmann and Lunch at Maison de Chengdu (Yet Again)

January 27, 2024 mmm-yoso Caffeine Fix, Chinese Restaurants, France, Paris, France, Travel

I really didn't want it to end; but here it was, our last day in Paris. We decided to spend our last morning doing what we've done so many times in the City of Light. I went to the corner Boulangerie, of which there were three and had a croissant at the apartment. And then we headed on over to Rue Montorgueil and had our Cafe Allonge at Café du Centre like we've done so many times.

No, it's not about the coffee really. Even the caffeine snob…the Missus loves this. It's about watching life walk past you and breathing in the city.

It's not unusual for us to spend an hour or more here.

Café du Centre
57 Rue Montorgueil
75002 Paris, France

And of course, once we were done, we headed off….well, with no goal in mind, just to do that Flâneur thing. Which brought us to the Passage des Panoramas.

Where we could do that "other" thing we'd really embraced called lèche-vitrine ("licking windows" i.e. window shopping).

As we exited the passage I had an idea. Since we were close to Galeries Lafayette, why don't we head on over. Now we had already seen the holiday displays earlier during our stay, which were admittedly a bit strange this time around. But there was one other thing I'd always meant to do at Galeries Lafayette and I thought since it was a pretty nice day, this would a good time.

So we headed on over and entered the store.

And headed on up to the rooftop terrace, where you get great views of Montmartre.

And the Eiffel Tower.

We enjoyed the view!

Soon it was time to get some lunch. We decided to stay around the apartment and just go back to Maison de Chengdu. We had enjoyed this simple Sichuan restaurant a block from the apartment so much that we had already eaten there twice.

We were seated upstairs this time.

This time around it was a three-out-of-three. We got our two favorite dishes from our previous visits, the Intestine Dry Pot and Green Beans with pork. Both were just as good as on previous visits.

You can read about those dishes in my previous posts on Maison de Chengdu.

The "new" dish was the Sautéed Mountain Yam, what I call yamaimo.

Whoa, in spite of the underwhelming look of the dish, this was quite good. The slippery mountain yam had achieved a bit of sweetness when stirfried. Yes, it was slippery, slimy, but quite nice with the earthy-sweet wood ear. It was so simple, yet quite satisfying.

Looking back, I think we were quite lucky to have selected where we stayed. Heck, our favorite simple, straight-forward Sichuan restaurant was a block away. And yes, the dishes we had here were better than the Sichuan in San Diego. Isn't that sad?

Maison De Chengdu (古味成都)
16 Rue Volta
75003 Paris, France

Paris – Dinner at Automne

January 26, 2024 mmm-yoso Fine Dining, France, French Restaurants, Memorable Meals, Paris, France, Travel

Our time in Paris was winding down. We had two more evenings left. The Missus had enjoyed dining at a Boullion on the last night of our previous stay, so we thought we'd do that again. So, on the second to the last night, I thought we'd go with a fancier meal. I mentioned having made reservations at the Michelin Star Automne in an earlier post and then having it cancelled. On the bright side, we ended up having dinner at Les Enfants Rouge that evening, which has become a favorite of ours. I did still want to dine at Automne and on this visit I made a reservation for this evening. The restaurant is in the 11th Arrondissement, about a kilometer and a half from our apartment. We had a nice stroll on over. Like many of our preferred fine dining restaurants in Paris, the restaurant was helmed by a Japanese Chef.

We we greeted upon arrival and escorted to a nice quiet corner table. For dinner we selected the 7 course tasting menu and shared a wine tasting.

The pacing was relaxed, very low keyed. Of course things started with the amuse bouche.

Which I recall being delicious, but I got seriously distracted.

By what, you might say. Well, we had one of those wonderful "Paris moments". You know us and pooches. We saw the cutest furry pooch walking down the street. He looked like he was smiling and there was something about he and his owner that caught my eye. I brought out my camera to take a photo and wouldn't you know it. The woman saw me pointing the camera their way. Now, if you would believe those Paris stereotypes, you'd think that we'd be in store for some rudeness. But, like what has happened to us many times before, we had a moment. The woman smiled and waved and brought the pooch over to take their photo.

It was such a sweet moment! When I went and downloaded the photos I realized what had caught my attention. You know that folks say people start looking like their dogs……. What do you think? It's one of those unforgettable moments. The Missus and I talk about this encounter more often than we chat about the Louvre!

Anyway, on with the meal.

First up was a terrine with Smoked Eel and Foie Gras.

I wasn't sure about this dish at first glance; but it was quite good, the rich foie gras paired nicely with the smoked-savory-eel. The balsamic glaze and beets added sweetness to really help balance things out. The radish was slightly pungent which helped to reset the palate between bites.

The Scallops with Osetra Caviar was quite decadent.

I thought the scallops could be seared a bit more, but it was perfect rare, sweet-oceany, the caviar adding an interesting layer of flavor that was almost like intense walnut? The shavings of hazelnut added another layer of earthy-nuttiness to the dish.

The next dish featured, black truffle, wild game bisque, and a salsifis timbale.

The bisque was a bit too much and overpowered the dish. But of course, we could minimize the exposure and enjoy the truffle and salsifis. This also had really earthy and savory pied blue mushrooms.

The line caught sea bass was cooked to perfection.

Crispy skin, moist and flaky, the sauces, broccoli, rapini, and one that seemed like a mild foam with hints of lime all added a different dimension to the dish.

The Roasted Venison was cooked to a perfect doneness for me.

Nice mild gaminess, the one item that was amazing in this dish were the mushrooms. I was told it's called Trompette de la Mort "trumpets of death"! Also known as black chanterelles. My goodness, the sweet-nutty-earthiness was amazing.

The Poached Pear with Cocoa Tuile was not overly sweet.

And all in all, this was a fine meal.

One of many that we've had in Paris over the years!

Automne
11 Rue Richard Lenoir
75011 Paris, France

Bonchon Revisited

January 25, 2024 mmm-yoso Chicken Wings, Korean Restaurants

It's funny how timing and seasonality will drive our cravings. One real interesting thing, at least for me with having the Big List is to notice habits. For instance, I was recently wondering how Bonchon was doing and decided to drop by for the lunch special….if it still existed. When I took a look at the list, I noticed that all my visits were in January. Granted one of them was a take out visit….but that was in January as well! And I also realized that I hadn't been to Bonchon in three years!

Bonchon Rev 01

So, I decided to drop by for lunch and arrived a few minutes after 11. Man, the exterior of the place is looking kinda worn down.

Bonchon Rev 02

It was almost strange to see tables and chairs in the place. The last time I was here, everything was stacked and moved to the side, making it a huge cavernous space.

I went and ordered what I'd enjoyed the most during my visits; the lunch special 8 piece wings soy-garlic, with pickled radish as the side, now priced at $13.45. For some reason, I was craving kimchi, I hadn't ever tried it at Bonchon, so I went with a side order ($3.15). The young man working was very efficient and quite nice. And soon enough my wings arrived.

Bonchon Rev 03 Bonchon Rev 04 Man, I forgot how much mul kimchi is provided. These weren't as sweet as I recalled and provided and was a good foil for the sweetness in the wings.

The baechu kimchi actually wasn't bad. Slightly fermented, good spice, I was rather surprised.

Bonchon Rev 05

Bonchon Rev 06 Bonchon Rev 07 As for the wings; well it's a personal preference; I prefer crisp over highly battered and too crunchy. I enjoy smaller wings with a good skin to meat ratio, rather than jumbo, meaty, and often dry wings. This is why I had enjoyed getting the wings from Bonchon. So, how did these fare? Well, it seemed to be more "sauced" than I recall, though it was evenly coated. The sauce seemed a bit sweeter as well, I would have enjoyed a bit more pungency. The coating was crisp, but I'm glad I had this onsite since I don't think it would have stood up as takeout. The wings were moist, the meat tender, though I did see some black spotting, which can lead to off flavors, but this was fine. And for some reason, it brought back memories of our "KFC" visits to places like Kkanbu and Mirak in Seoul.

Well, in the end, perhaps I'll find a new K(orean) F(ried) C(hicken) place in the future, but for now Bonchon will do just fine for a yearly (January) fix!

Bonchon
4690 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Bonchon Rev 08

So, tell me, where are you getting your "KFC" fix these days?

Monsta Ramen Curry

January 24, 2024 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

So, a couple of weeks after I first saw the storefront for Monsta, they opened. A couple of folks I know actually visited and told me they weren't impressed and it was ramen and curry for the "masses". Still, I was curious so I decided to see what the grand opening business was like. I made sure to visit right at opening time and on both visits the place was empty.

Monsta 01

Monsta 02 Monsta 03 The interior is bright, rather spartan, and almost "fast-foodish". And to keep up with the times, you can order via menu or order and pay via QR code. The young lady, who was quite friendly also told me that there were special promotions for "online ordering" which was also reflected on the bottom of the menu.

And there it was, Tonkotsu Ramen, regular price $12, was $10 if ordering online.

Monsta 04

I was going to order that anyway. I also asked the wonderful Server if there was any appetizers that folks really liked and was told that customers seemed to like the Potato Shrimp ($6), so I ordered that as well.

I gotta say, the Potato Shrimp, while being on the small side was kinds cute looking. The crustacean was wrapped in a potato string and deep fried.

Monsta 05 Monsta 06 The shrimp was served with a "Thousand Isle-ish" dressing. The shrimp was overcooked and dry; the potato strings while mildly crisp lacked seasoning. A fairly bland dish overall.

As for my ten dollar ramen…..

Monsta 07 Monsta 08 Well, let's just say, this reminded me of the last time I had a bowl of ten buck ramen. That broth was thin, lacking in any nuance, super salty, as in I was chugging water for the rest of the afternoon. Another broth that is Tonkotsu in name only.

The tamago was nicely cooked and decently marinated….but sigh…..guess what? It was ice cold!

The noodles were unevenly cooked, some were overcooked and mushy side and others were hard and brittle.

Monsta 09 Monsta 10 The chashu had been marinated and charred. The flavor was not bad, but it was on the tough side.

Insipid as this was, it was still better than what I'd had at O-To-San, which is not saying much. Perhaps this ramen might have had a place in the day when Tajima was the only show in town; but these days, I consider it "C" level ramen.

Ok, well, the shop has "curry" in its name so I thought what the heck and returned for a follow up. The same nice young lady was working, I did the QR ordering and got the Pork Cutlet Curry Rice ($13).

Monsta 11 Monsta 12 This was an interesting dish. The tonkatsu was nicely breaded, quite crisp, the pork itself was moist, but mushy, and lacking in flavor. The texture was kind of strange and the taste was definitely in the "other white meat" category.

The rice was drier than I prefer and the curry which had ground meat in it was quite thin, my packaged S&B curry is richer and thicker. The seasoning wasn't too bad, and it had a hint of heat.

Monsta 13

I liked the service, and the prices are cheap for this day and age; but to me it seemed like the food was at a "fast-casual" level and not even in the realm of "Japanese diner" or "Japanese food court" (think Mitsuwa Market Food Court) cuisine. In other words; it's more of a "Yawn-sta" instead of a "Monsta".

Monsta 14

Monsta Ramen Curry
4344 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111
Current Hours:
Daily 1130am – 0950pm

A Revisit to Taste of Hong Kong

January 23, 2024 mmm-yoso Chicken Wings, Chinese BBQ, Chinese Restaurants

After our revisits to the Noble Chef and Golden City, the Missus wanted us to try out the roast duck at some other places. I'd been wanting to have the Salted Egg Yolk Chicken Wings from Taste of Hong Kong and it been almost a year since our last visit. So, we headed on over. We had noticed that the place does get a bit crowded for dinner, so we arrived just after the opening time of 430pm.

The Missus looked over the menu; we had three items that we wanted to order and the Missus got a fourth, kind of surprising item.

Of course we got the half Roast Duck.

Taste HK Rev 01

This was a bit of a surprise as it was much better than what we'd had here before. The fat was nicely rendered, great duckiness, good anise tones, the meat was moist and tender. The one thing I didn't like was the skin which I found to be too hard and chewy. Still, in terms of fatty goodnes, this was the best we'd had so far! But the texture of the skin needs improvement.

Of course the Missus got Her Salted Fish and Chicken with Tofu.

Taste HK Rev 02

The usual sauce/gravy was more like a thin soup. Loved the smooth and velvety tofu, but there was hardly any salted fish flavor in this; the dish was lacking in the funky-savory tones. It was on the blander side of the spectrum.

I'd been looking forward to having the Salted Egg Yolk Chicken Wings. During our first visit it was "love at first bite". On our second visit, there seemed to be some "QC" issues and the wings weren't as good. So, what would be the result on this visit?

Taste HK Rev 04

Man, there was a good amount of savory-eggy yolk used. The entire bottom of the plate was yellow! The skin was crisp, the flesh moist and tender. This was an umami flavor bomb. Of course, I don't think this travels well and so we finished it all during this meal.

For the last dish; like what we had done at Golden City, the Missus wanted something different. I'm not sure why; but She ordered the ChengDu Style Roast Duck and Spam in Spicy Broth. It was a huge dish.

Taste HK Rev 03

Man, that broth was spicy, though it was lacking in the numbing "ma" that we expected. There was supposed to be tripe in this dish as well; but we found nary 4 little strands of tripe. The spiciness of the broth totally wiped out any flavor the duck would have, though it seemed to highlight the saltiness of the Spam. I don't think we'll be ordering this again.

Taste HK Rev 05

Though I'm sure we'll be back for those wings.

Taste HK Rev 06

And perhaps even the roast duck….though I think we've got at least 3-4 more places to try.

Taste of Hong Kong
4428 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111

Saturday Stuffs – The Big List Returns, Welcome to a New San Diego Blogger, and Do You Really Want Me to Try “Tonkatsu Ramen”?

January 20, 2024 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Ramen, yoso-silly

Just a couple of items for this Saturday.

The Big List Returns:

More than a few years back, I created a page which I titled "The Big List", that listed every San Diego restaurant post. I listed everything and even included photos. Well, the Big List got "too big" and I eventually deleted the page. But over the years I've had a few requests to create a listing of places in San Diego. And back in March of 2023, "CY" asked about having a listing by location, to help him decide on where to try. I really wasn't up to doing this again, but in May, I started on the Big List by Neighborhood. Man, having to go thru over 5100+ posts took a while, but I've finally completed it.

Big List 1

There were some benefits. Since I had to review all local posts, I managed to update the old posts and indicate and hopefully link to updates. I created links which indicated the month/year of the post along with short notations on items like if the post was done by Cathy/Ed from Yuma/Vicki, if the post was on a old location/previous owners, etc….

Big List 3

Big List 2

I tried to divide places up by Zip Code, but there are a few "kinks" regarding my listing. I also learned stuff like Mien Trung is not really located in Linda Vista, but Clairemont. I also did split some zip codes like 92111 and 92110 – I really do think of Bay Park/Morena/Old Town being separated from Midway, which I included with Point Loma/Shelter Island. I'm sure folks will have some feedback on that!

I also have a listing noted as "In Limbo", for places that are currently changing locations, having to find a new location, etc……

Big List 4

I will try to update periodically or when I find out there have been changes.

The one good thing is that there a bunch of places I have to revisit; places I haven't been back to in years…….

So please take a look and let me know what you think:

The Big List by Neighborhood

And, if folks like it; maybe I can do a page on LA/OC and perhaps even places we travel to often.

I also need to thank each and every one of you for being greats "FOYs" all of these years!

**** 01/22/2024 A short update. By request I opened up the comments on the page as well.

Welcome a New San Diego Blogger:

So, I found out via an Instagram Post, that "FOY" Denver, an occasional commenter on our humble little blog has created a blog of his own which covers food and travel. It's called My Phone Eats First.

My Phone Eats First

So, go check it out. I also created a link in the sidebar!

Welcome to the blogging world Denver!

Do You Really Want Me to Try "Tonkatsu Ramen"?

And lastly, I'll end with a bit of silliness. I got an email from a "FOY":

"So, over the years I notice that you have an issue with folks calling Tonkotsu Ramen "Tonkatsu Ramen". You even called out Andrew Zimmern on it. So, I was at Zion Market and noticed that PokeU in the food court actually has Tonkatsu Ramen! Check it out and I double dog dare you to try it"

Ok, so on my last shopping thingy at Zion; I usually go at 9am so don't even bother with the food stands there, I walked over and good lord…..

Tonkatsu Ramen 01

There it was.

Tonkatsu Ramen 02

I know this place made everything from Teriyaki to Rolls, but this cracked me up. Still, based on trying their poke back in 2017 I'm not so sure.

I will however, suck it up and actually try a bowl of "Tonkatsu Ramen" if folks want me too. Or maybe you can try it and let me know what you think?

Poke U (In the Zion Market Food Court)
7655 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!