mmm-yoso – Page 99

Sushi Yaro’s Last Day of Business is December 30th

December 26, 2021 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi

On December 20th I received some sad news……first from FOY "YummyYummy" who told me that Sam was calling it quits as of December 30th. Soon enough I received a couple of emails and then FOY Denver posted a comment on my last Sushi Yaro post from back at the end of March letting me know as well. So, I think I've only dined in for one dinner and perhaps one or two lunches in San Diego since I made that visit to Yaro back in March…..but…..like I've mentioned in an earlier post; I've known Sam for over 20 years. So, ok….I decided to head on over on Christmas day, right at 530, thinking that the place would be empty and it was when I got there.

I ordered some sashimi and chatted with Sam a bit.

Sam is still feeling the residual effects from his stroke and finding dependable staff and supplies and all of the things that go along with the pandemic…..well, he feels he needs an extended break. And after talking to him, I feel he needs time to take care of himself.

On this evening, it was a one man show….and in spite of it being Christmas Day, the phone kept ringing and by the time I left there were 9 more customers in the place. I asked Sam if I could wash dishes or bus tables, but he cracked up for the first time on this evening and said, "I don't have time to train you Kirk-san……"

And so, I'm hoping that Sam will take the time off to take care of himself….I've always said that the relationship from the Itamae to the regular customer is a special one. Especially since I've known him since the days at Katzra, to Sammy Sushi, to Wal Mi Do, and of course Sushi Yaro. And heck, I've even run into FOY Lynnea at Sushi Yaro!

So, if you'd like to visit before he closes his doors on the 30th, unless you go right at opening time, it might be good to call – 858-560-1782.

Yaro will be open from the 28th to the 30th of December. Posted hours are 530pm – 10; but Sam told me he closes early if things are slow.

Sushi Yaro
7905 Engineer Road
San Diego, CA 92111

Good Luck Sam and take care of yourself!

The Congress Cafe – Venezuelan Food in Old Town!

December 21, 2021 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Venezuelan Food and Restaurants

**** Congress Cafe in now Encuentro Cafe – Same Owners/Menu. You can read an updated post here.

A few months back our good friend "Alle" and I were chatting about food and Mi Pana came up in the conversation. For some reason, I was craving some arepas….and Alle who is part Venezuelan mentioned that Congress Cafe in Old Town does Venezuelan dishes and that perhaps I should give them a try. It did take a few months…..it's Old Town after all……but I first visited on a weekend morning, they open at 8am and are right across from Old Town Parking Lot A.

I crossed the street and was really warmly greeted. I walked into the bar area and placed a take out order; man, the folks here are so friendly. I then paid and decided to walk around a pretty quiet (at this time of the morning) Old Town.

I ordered the Arepa Pabellon ($13.95). Man, this was quite hefty, if a bit messy.

Man, check out that huge piece of fried plantain! The arepas were decent; though I do prefer my arepas "frita" these were decently griddled. I wish there was a bit more balance to the arepa as the black bean-beef-plantain ratio seemed a bit off as was how the items were arranged. I ended up chopping up some of the plantain and spreading it more evenly over the arepa, same with finding the beef . This was a hefty breakfast….at least for me.

While I don't think it's quite a good as the version at Mi Pana; I'd have this again.

I mentioned having tried the arepas at Congress Cafe to Alle and told her that I was interested in trying the Tequenos. Alle also told me that the empanadas were quite good, especially the fish version….something that I probably would have not ordered.

So, the following weekend morning on the way back from shopping at the Little Italy Mercato, I dropped by Congress Cafe and this time ordered the combination plate named the "Latin Lover" ($16). The folks were just a friendly as before and I took a stroll around Old Town while waiting for my takeout order….which was quite a bit of food.

And like Alle said; those fish empanadas were quite good; savory, balanced in flavor. She told me that these empanadas reminded her of Venezuela.

Unfortunately, I didn't care for the tequenos, which were really mushy and just had too much cheese for my taste. Cachapas weren't my "thing" at Mi Pana, but I thought I'd give it a whirl here…..with the same results. It's just too sweet for my taste and the version here didn't have enough cheese to balance out the sweetness. Glad I tried it though.

The totstones; fried plantains, while it didn't do overly well in transit, losing some crispness, was a wonderful combination of just enough sweet and saltiness from the cheese.

I think eating this at the restaurant is probably the best strategy.

Overall, I really like the folks here, so warm and friendly, there are other items on the menu I want to try. And yes, this is basically a breakfast/lunch kinda place and they do have croissant sandwiches, burgers, scrambled eggs, huevos rancheros….but I think I'll stick with the Venezuelan menu items for now.

The Congress Cafe
3941 Mason St.
San Diego, CA 92110
Hours:
Mon – Fri 8am – 2pm
Sat – Sun 8am – 5pm

Man, with Congress Cafe and the new Tuetano Taqueria (post upcoming) the next block over, things are looking up for Old Town!

Which is great……

Like I mentioned earlier in the post, I'd take a nice stroll while waiting for my order, which is when I took my photos the grave site medallions of the folks buried under San Diego Avenue.

And of course there are many historical structures here.

The Mason Street Schoolhouse – the first public school in San Diego County. Built in 1865.

The San Diego Union Building – Original home of the San Diego Union newspaper – established in 1868.

The Cosmopolitan Hotel, completed in 1829.

And tons of public art……

And at this time of the morning; some of the other "residents" are out and about…..

It was great finding a place that I enjoy in what was very touristy, cliched, Old Town.

Hope you're having a great week!

Tel Aviv (Before Covid) – HaBasta, Abu Hassan, and Falafel Ratzon

December 20, 2021 mmm-yoso Beer, Israel/Palestine, Israeli Food, Markets & Grocers, Mediterranean Restaurants, Memorable Meals, Seafood, Travel

*** Here's a condensed post as I try to finish up all our pre-Covid trip reports.

Our flight from Paris to Tel Aviv on EL AL was on time and uneventful.

We were fed pretty well on the flight and arrived at Ben Gurion Airport right before 5pm. Getting a taxi to our hotel was also very easy and took about half an hour. Not quite sure about how long it would take, I made reservations at a restaurant I wanted to try, which was a nice walk from our hotel at 8pm. The restaurant is right next to the Carmel Market and I'd read a bit about the place.

On this Sunday evening, things were pretty quiet….and we really enjoyed the wonderful flavors and freshness of the food.

From the Cauliflower with Tahini….

To the Creamy-Smoky eggplant, to the slightly tangy-acidic Matbucha (a Arabic/Moroccan Roasted Tomato dish).

And the savory Cured Fish with Soft Egg…..

This was a wonderful meal and a great way to start our visit to Israel. I wish we were a bit more hungry and were able to try more dishes, but we left quite satisfied.

HaBasta
HaShomer St. 4
Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel

The next morning; our only full day in Tel Aviv, we headed out early. Taking a walk thru the very quiet (on this morning) Carmel Market.

The fragrance of spices floating thru the air…..

And then past Hassan Bek Mosque….

To Charles Clore Park, where we could see Old Jaffa ahead of us.

We walked along to the beach area, where we saw this cat…..

Who was undoubtedly checking out these pooches having a great day at the beach!

We took a quick detour to check out the the Clock Tower and Saraya House in the old town.

There is so much much history here.

We took time to check out the Clock Tower which was built by the Ottoman's in 1901.

That structure to the left of the clock tower is the Saraya House and was once the residence and offices of the Turkish Governor. It was blown up by the Lehi a militant group.

We walked along the street checking out various churches and folks just going thru daily life.

There was quite a bit to take in here…… from the Monastery of St Nicholas to many other places which had no signs…….

There always seemed to be something that would catch your eye.

I was starting to get a bit hungry and really wanted to try a place that wasn't too far away so we headed up the stairs from Nemal Yafo Street connecting to HaShahaf Street….

To a place I'd a good deal about Hummus Abu Hassan, a very low keyed, but very busy little shop.

The folks here were very nice and even though the place was bustling we ordered and found a table.

Even though it was not even 10am, the place was busy. Our order arrived in minutes and just look at this will ya'….it is by far the most delici-yoso hummus I've ever had.

The Masabacha was amazing. And one of the old timers even showed us the proper way to eat it. You take the wonderful pita and dip it in the peppery lemon sauce, then the hummus, then you eat it was some of the sinus clearing onion! It was sooooo good.

During our short "brunch" we saw two taxis stop in front of the restaurant and older women get out of the car, walk up to the counter and pick up their hummus! This place really lived up to what I had read. In fact, twice during our stay in Jerusalem we mentioned this place and kinda impressed the locals!

Hummus Abu Hassan
Ha-Dolfin St. 1
Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel

We finished up and walked back to our hotel.

And wandered the streets along the way.

We had a nice cup of tea back at the hotel…..

And then it was nap time.

We awoke later that afternoon and went back out for a stroll…spending most of our time around the beach area, walking from one end to the other.

The people (and pooch) watching was fun.

This being near the end of November, the sun would set around 430pm, and we were treated to a beautiful one.

After the sun went down we wandered around a bit more; then decided on some dinner. We just wanted something quick and easy and another place; fairly close to our hotel came to mind; Falafel Razon.

I had wanted to try some falafel; so this was our chance….

And whoa; much like the hummus, this was a game changer for us. I'd never had falafel that was so crisp outside, but almost creamy inside.

Man we were eating well.

Falafel Razon
King George St. 17
Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel

We really enjoyed Tel Aviv; it was laid back and the folks were nice. We had only one full day in the city, but it was fun.

Tomorrow would be a busy day; we'd headed to Masada, the Dead Sea, and then off to Jordan!

Pacific Plate

December 13, 2021 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Chicken Wings, Plate Lunch

**** Pacific Plate has closed

Recently, I had to get some replacement parts for the Missus's camera. Andy at work, who's also a professional photographer recommended that I go to Nelson Photo Supplies in Point Loma. It was a great recommendation as they were amazing and it's always fun to see folks as nerdy about something as I am about food. Anyway, I was a bit hungry as I left and since I hadn't been in the area since before the pandemic, I thought I'd see what was up with Embargo Grill. Well, what was up with Embargo Grill was……well, they were gone! I guess they're another casualty of the pandemic….sad. Still, I needed something to eat and I noticed a place called Pacific Plate at the corner of the strip mall.

So I decided to take a quick peek inside.

And…..it turns out Pacific Plate does various plate lunches…many with names that reference various video games "Haduken" or animated series, "Kakarot"….though to be perfectly honest; a first glance I saw "Kaka-roach"….. Along with musubis and of course, the de rigueur poke bowls and such.

I decided to get a mixed plate….well, here it's called a "2 Item Plate" ($15). I walked up to the counter and the young lady…..well, she really wasn't into it, greeting me with a "yes". Anyway, I placed my order, waited about 15 minutes, the young lady plopped the package on the counter and walked away. Since I was the only customer in the place I figured it was mine and luckily I was right.

I had ordered the Teri Beef – Chicken Katsu combo; you get two "sides" with a plate so I chose rice and mac salad (of course).

Well, this was interesting; the rice was really mushy, the mac salad had too much mayo and lacked salt. The teri beef was the better of the two items; it was adequately tender, though quite bland. I had to use some of the watered down teriyaki sauce for more flavor.

The chicken katsu had been fried too long and the panko breading was really hard and slightly bitter. The katsu sauce is "local" style and ketchup based.

Pretty mediocre overall. Also, there were no utensils or napkins in the package……but I was having this at home so it was ok. Though I could imagine if I'd decided to stop and eat at a park or something, I would have not been happy at all. There was no sign nor indication in the shop saying that utensils would not be provided or that you had to request it.

I wasn't quite sure I was up to it; but since I decided to do a post on this place, I went ahead and revisited.

This time, the young man was very nice, he even walked out my order and handed it to me….and guess what, there was a fork included….though strangely, no napkins?

I went with the combo again and after giving it some thought, I decided not to get the kalbi….not a big fan of the "LA Kalbi" most of these places use. So, I decided on the Teri Chicken and Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings.

I decided against the mac salad this time around went with the coleslaw, which, while very generic at least had some flavor. The rice was much better this time around.

The salt and pepper chicken wings didn't hold up well during the 15 minute trip back home; it had gotten soggy and greasy. In terms of flavor, this was not bad, not overly salty. The garlic had been fried and mixed in with what looked like crisp panko. The wings could have used bit more spice.

The teri chicken was better, it was dark meat, so it had more flavor and was sufficiently tender, though, like the teri beef, it needed that generic teriyaki sauce.

For some reason Pacific Plate just didn't "scratch that itch" if you know what I mean. And at fifteen bucks a crack, well, I don't think the quality of the product nor the execution is particularly good.

If you do check them out; let me know what you think!

Pacific Plate
3960 West Point Loma Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92110
Hours:
Daily 11am – 8pm

Mexico City (Before Covid) – The Two Day Taco Crawl and Other “Stuffs”

December 11, 2021 mmm-yoso Caffeine Fix, Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, Mexico City, Taco Shops, Travel

**** Just summing up our last trip before the pandemic to CDMX.

It was quite apparent that during our visits to CDMX we hadn't addressed one important "food group"…..tacos! And so, before our trip I set about trying to create a nice "taco crawl" of sorts…which ended up stretching into two days. So here's a brief summary.

We started off at the farthest stretches from where we were staying….to an interesting (at that time) concept called El Auténtico Pato Manila.

The place was quite busy….though we were both amused and confused by the name and what was on the menu.

On one hand you had the name…"Manila"…on the other hand; you had a statue of Chairman Mao…..

And the place was known for their "pato" – duck tacos served in a flour tortilla, in place of the usual pancake….

With hoisin sauce to say the least……not quite sure…..but this really didn't hit the spot. The proteins were dry….not sure what I expected; but it wasn't this.

El Auténtico Pato Manila
Culiacan 91
06100 Ciudad de México

Next we moved up a couple of blocks and got an outside table at Taquería El Califa.

Which seemed quite popular.

This would end up being our favorite for the evening…great service and heck, they don't mess around when you order a side of avocado.

The Al Pastor was crisp and flavorful and I ordered the bistek "campechano" which came topped with chicharrons……

Our favorite place by far.

Taquería El Califa
Altata 22
06170 Ciudad de México

The next stop I picked because of it supposed "historical" significance….you see; El Tizoncito claims to have invented Tacos Al Pastor….it sure is quite busy to say the least.

We sat next to an amazing young man (like 6 years old) and his dad…..the kid was game for anything and I admired him….for he was from the Midwest US but was just willing to try it all!

The Al Pastor was disappointing though; tough and lacking in caramelization and quite bland overall.

El Tizoncito
Tamaulipas 122
06140 Ciudad de México

Our last stop was one that I'd read much about, Taqueria el Greco…..which served what they call "Arab-style" tacos. It's quite popular as you can see in the photos, though we did fins a table inside the small restaurant.

The Missus went with a typical taco of grilled steak…i.e. carne asada; while I went with a "Doneraky" (spit roasted) style taco in Arabian Bread (sort of like a pita).

The Missus's taco fared better than mine; which I thought was quite bland, overshadowed by the cheese and avocado.

Taqueria El Greco
Michoacán 54
06100 Ciudad de México

From here we headed back to our hotel and called it a night.

The next morning we headed out to stretch our legs…coming across a "bike day" on Avenida Mazatlan.

After taking care of a couple of things; we headed off to a taco shop a couple of blocks from where we were staying……Tacos Don Juan

We had passed this place during one of our walks in the area and I wanted to check them out.

Both the Arrachera-Tocino and the Chuleta Ahumada were quite good. Very solid, delicious tacos.

A solid no frills neighborhood spot – we'll be back.

Tacos Don Juan
Calle Juan Escutia 35
06140 Ciudad de México

From here we walked on over to Parque Mexico….it's always a fun walk and on this day they had a dog adoption program going on.

After which we stopped at Volador Café for a caffeine fix.

They sure love their pooches in CDMX.

Volador Café
Amsterdam 135
06100 Ciudad de México

As I often have said; there's something about his area in CDMX that reminds me of Europe.

When dinner time arrived; I had yet another taco shop in mind….but first we returned to a place close by; Temporal, for a Suerte de Dragon (Lucky Dragon) and some Gulf Crab Sopes…..just so we'd have enough energy to make it to dinner…right?

Restaurante Temporal
Saltillo 1
06140 Ciudad de México

It was a bit of a walk to to El Farolito, which I had seen the night before.

The place seemed quite popular with the locals…..

Maybe because the Al Pastor is roasting right in the dining area?

We sat at the counter and had some cerveza and al pastor and buche tacos……which were quite good.,

El Farolito
Altata 19
06100 Ciudad de México

Funny thing is…..El Califa is right across the street….hmmm….maybe next time….

And then we had a nice stroll back to our room….we had an early flight the next day. We thought we'd be back to CDMX in no time at all and then the pandemic hit…..so, until we're back again!

Thanks for hanging in there for this rather onerous post!

Mexico City (Before Covid) – La Casa de Toño, Mercado de Artesanías La Ciudadela, Mercado de San Juan, Museo del Calzado, Pastelería Ideal, and Cafe Jekemir

December 10, 2021 mmm-yoso Bakery, Caffeine Fix, Markets & Grocers, Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, Mexico City, Travel

Here's another (hopefully) quick post (abbreviated) on our last trip before Covid struck from back in February, 2020.

The Missus decided that She wanted to do some "exploring" the day after visiting visiting Teotihuacan, so of course I had to plan something out. Of course I wanted to start out with something to eat, so we headed to La Casa de Toño…..because the Missus wanted some Pozole at the Zona Rosa location.

So, basically, I'll equate this to something like a Denny's….a chain that's very popular. The Missus wasn't enamored with the pozole….there are several choices in terms of meat available….She stayed safe with Maciza….while I went full "cabeza de cerdo" (pig's head) which turned out to be the better choice.

This was pretty mild in terms of porkiness…at least it made the Missus appreciate the pozole I make.

La Casa de Toño (Many locations in CDMX)
Londres 144
06600 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico

From here we headed to our next stop…..

The Mercado de Artesanías La Ciudadela.

Which…my goodness, had a huge selection of items you never knew you needed….

Man, there sprawling alleyways and shops……I ended up needing a break after a while.

Luckily we found a cafe….and a cafe de olla came to the rescue.

Lest you think this marketplace is for tourists, I've been told that many local come here to shop for various items though I never did ask what those items specifically were.

We also took a walk thru Ciudadela Park across the street.

And saw this group practicing ballroom style dancing.

It was so sweet and charming. Notice the fellow dancing by himself? I'm wondering what the story might be behind that?

We enjoyed the green spaces in the city.

The next stop was purely for me….the Mercado de San Juan.

I always enjoy visiting these markets when I travel. There's always something interesting.

The "Chinatown" street, Dolores (which I've posted on before) is just a about a block away, so we headed up the street.

From here, I had an interesting place I wanted the Missus to see….the Museo del Calzado….yep, the footwear museum.

Up a discreet stairway is an interesting collection of footwear…from the historic…to, well, the famous.

It's a fun stop whether you have a "foot/shoe" fetish or not.

Museo del Calzado"The Borcegui"
Calle de Bolívar 27
Mexico City, 06000 Mexico

Right down the block was another interesting sight….an Ottoman Clock – the Reloj Otomano.

You can read more about it at Atlas Obscura.

CDMX is indeed an international city!

And full of surprises.

The next stop was a recommendation of an acquaintance who said it was his favorite "bakery in the world".

Pastelería Ideal is located a few blocks away and is easy to identify…..just look for the towering cakes in the window.

You can't miss it! And the throngs of folks shopping for their favorite pastry. Everyone is in sugar heaven!

I was instructed to head to the second floor…..

Where there was a "showroom" of sorts for cakes. I cracked up as each cake was labeled with how much it weighed? Just in case you wanted that 10 kilogram panda cake!

Pastelería Ideal
República de Uruguay 74
06000 Ciudad de México

Boy, after inhaling all that sugar. I needed something to wake me up! Luckily, I had a cafe on my "list" that was just a few blocks away named Cafe Jekemir.

Which proved to be just what we needed.

Cafe Jekemir
Calle Regina 7
Mexico City 06000 Mexico

In spite of the caffeine I was bushed….so we called an Uber and headed back to Condesa for a short nap….which would come in handy since we'd end up walking quite a bit for the dinner I had planned.

Thanks for stopping by!

Eastern Dynasty – A Couple of Takeout Visits

November 29, 2021 mmm-yoso Chinese BBQ, Chinese Restaurants

Back at the end of September, I noticed that new Chinese Restaurant had opened in Convoy Pointe Plaza; in the location that had become "Guest Kabob" and had previously been Xi’an Kitchen and Jin's Pot. A couple of days later I did a takeout visit…..which was interesting as the menu looked quite familiar.

I asked if anyone at Eastern Dynasty had been at Noble Chef and was told; "no, absolutely not….why would you think that?" I pointed out several items on the menu that looked suspiciously familiar. But was again rebuffed. Of course, a couple of days later it became clear that there was a link to Noble Chef.

Over the last couple of weeks, I've done a couple of visits….sorry to say, that unlike Soo (please read his post for another viewpoint on Eastern Dynasty), I've been kind of underwhelmed. Perhaps dining in makes all the difference? But, because of the seating arrangement and how crowded the place has been on all my visits….even at opening time, I'm holding off for now.

Here's a listing of the dishes we've had from Eastern Dynasty.

Decent:

Kwai Fei Chicken:

I recently had some very disappointing Kwai Fei Ji from Golden Island and decided to try the version from Eastern Dynasty.

On the good side; this was tender and moist. On the other end of the scale this was really quite bland and the sauce seemed watered down as well. It could have used more sesame oil and ginger tones. At least it was texturally good.

Soy Sauce Noodles:

Something I usually order from Noble Chef.

Not a bad version; decent "wok hay", though it needed a bit more soy sauce and it was cooked unevenly. There were hard pieces of noodles stuck together in clumps. Also, the noodles seemed to have been chopped into short strands as well.

Mediocre:

Eggplant with Salted Fish and Pork:

This one had potential; the eggplant was perfectly cooked; quite creamy in texture. You can see what the issue here is, right? Where's the salted fish and pork….well, there are a few "crumbs". Usually, the salted fish acts as a "foil" for the eggplant, which has been fried and can be somewhat greasy. This was one bland and greasy dish.

Roast Duck:

I know folks rave about this…..but we didn't for it very much.

The duck looked good; but both the Missus and I noticed something right off….where was the fragrance of five spice? The skin was hard, not crisp; the flesh was tough and bland. The Missus had two bites and told me; "the rest is yours……."

Shrimp with XO Sauce:

Here's another one where the stir fry was done well; the shrimp plump, though lacking in flavor and the snow peas crisp.

Not enough seasoning; not enough XO sauce, this was so bland.

Not Good:

Fried Tofu with Two Mushrooms:

Another dish that looks strikingly familiar, right?

The tofu as cold inside; the sauce was overly thick and as you can see, really light in color; it needed more soy sauce.

Pork Maw with Preserved Vegetable:

On two occasions I was told "not" to order something and recommendations were made. I tried to order the Pork Intestine with Preserved Vegetable, but was told to order the Pork Maw with Preserved Vegetable instead.

Now, I do like pork maw (the exterior wall of the pig stomach)…but where's the preserved vegetable? It's MIA. This, like many of the other dishes was really bland…maybe because there was "something missing?"

Mei Cai Kou Rou:

On one visit; I tried to order the Steamed Pork with Salted Fish and was told that it was "too salty" and asked to order something else. I was recommended the Steamed Pork Belly with Preserved Vegetable.

Good lord, this was so greasy and bitter. It was just really hard to eat.

I as told that the Salt and Pepper Pork Chops are quite good; so I think I'll wait until I feel ok with dining in here.

The Missus did say something kinda interesting; remember when I was told to get dinner from Noble Chef after a not so great lunch there? After confirming the Noble Chef connection She asked me; "is the old Noble Chef lunch cook the one at Eastern Dynasty?"

Eastern Dynasty
4690 Convoy St. #109
San Diego, CA 92111
Current Hours:
Daily 11am – 3pm, 5pm – 9pm

Revisits – Saigon Sandwiches & Deli and Cafe Dore

November 28, 2021 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

My last visits to A Chau and Cali Baguette left me wondering how some of the other "old school" banh mi shops were doing, And another Phuong Nga errand had me in City Heights once again. I was craving a Banh Mi Ba Chi from Cafe Dore, so I headed west on University. I was in luck and found some parking in the lot on Marlborough and walked over to Cafe Dore….and sheesh; the place was packed to rafters with groups "old timers" and oh my, the cigarette smoke. There was no way I wanted to walk in….so, I walked on over next door to…..

Saigon Sandwiches & Deli:

Man, I didn't realize it at the time; but it's been nearly fourteen years since I last visited!

And of course things (not including prices) have changed…..whereas I used to joke that Saigon Sandwiches had a huge secondary market in phone cards and cigarettes; well you know what they have now?

Masks in every shape and size it seems!

The Banh Mi Ba Chi ($5.39) looked quite good.

Though when I opened up the banh mi…well, it was either mocking me, or perhaps a fan of the Rolling Stones?

All kidding aside, I really enjoyed this sandwich……the bread was crusty, it also seemed to have been lightly buttered. The pork belly was sliced on he thin side; but I enjoyed the cilantro, which was mostly leaves and full of stems. I liked the ay the jalapenos were thinly sliced instead of one giant piece. It was perhaps a bit on the light side in regards to pickled radish and carrots; but that worked well in proportion to everything else in the banh mi. Which, at least for me is what a good banh mi is all about.

I'll make sure not to wait fourteen years before returning!

Saigon Sandwiches & Deli
4133 University Ave.
San Diego, CA 92105
Hours:
Open Daily 7am – 7pm

Still, I was wondering how Cafe Dore was doing….

Cafe Dore:

**** Cafe Dore has closed

So, I returned to the same strip mall at just after 7am the next morning.

The place was already two-thirds full of older gents….more then a few of them puffing away. Though these days, as I noted in my last post three years ago, all those "video machines" are gone.

I walked on up to the counter and the older gentleman and woman working behind the counter actually smiled and greeted me form behind the plexiglass! I went ahead and placed my order for the Banh Mi Ba Chi ($5), my favorite banh mi here at Cafe Dore.

Then something interesting happened…the woman asked me to take a seat and brought me a cup of iced tea; "for you while you wait"! Whoa, was this really Cafe Dore? I did feel a bit like the guys were staring at me in the place….but looking up; I noticed I was right under the television with the lottery results! Well, at least some things haven't changed.

The older gentleman brought me my sandwich and thanked me……

I really enjoyed this sandwich. While perhaps the bread was prepped a bit better at Saigon; here it was also nice and crusty. The slices of pork are a bit thicker and also seems to be sweeter. The jalapenos were also thinly sliced and had a nice kick. Good amount of cilantro and pickled veggies.

It seems, that even though, some things haven't changed, the customers are almost all male….old timers experiencing what I call the "Coffee Culture of Vietnam" which can be a bit intimidating….the service here just seemed to be a softer, kinder, more welcoming Cafe Dore.

Cafe Dore
4135 University Ave.
San Diego, CA 92105
Hours:
Mon – Sat 7am – 5pm
Sundays 7am – 4pm

Paris (Before Covid) – Restaurant ERH and Golden Promise Whiskey Bar

November 27, 2021 mmm-yoso Cocktails, Fine Dining, France, French Restaurants, Memorable Meals, Paris, France, Travel

Yet another quick pre-Covid travel post.

We returned from our little day trip to Chartres and took a nap and rested a bit. For dinner, I chose a restaurant close to where we were staying. We'd be flying out to Tel Aviv the next morning and just wanted something close by. That didn't mean it would be just another dinner though. I had made reservations at Michelin starred ERH restaurant. The restaurant as basically two blocks from where we were staying.

Noting that ERH shares an address with a sake bar and a whiskey bar, we arrived early for our 730 reservation; and notified the restaurant that we'd be having a aperitif at the Whiskey Bar named Golden Promise.

We each enjoyed a cocktail whilst waiting for our table.

Soon enough our table was ready.

The restaurant is very low-keyed and was were really interested in the tasting menu since the chef, like many of our previous fine dining meals in Paris was Japanese, Keita Kitamura. IN fact, ERH stands for eaux (water), riz (rice), and homme (man), as a homage to the three necessary ingredients for sake.

I'll try to keep this post brief from this point forward.

The amuse:

Jerusalem artichoke with Ikura was amazing! The Parmesan Crisp was nice, the potato cream tasted like taro….

As was the monkfish fritter with sate and basil.

The scallop was so very sweet.

The veal tartare was also quite good.

That radish and haricot vert cream just blew me away.

The Foie Gras dish was served in a novel manner.

In a pastry of sorts, with mango and beets to add some interesting textural and flavor contrasts.

The "Bar de Ligne" (Eropena Bass) with Oyster dish was a bit underwhelming.

Really salty, the persillade (parsley) sauce not really adding much to the dish.

The Carnard de Chaland with Chou Vert, which seemed to be Brussel Sprouts rather than cabbage was quite nice.

Great complexity, sweet – sour – bitter.

And the Missus enjoyed the desserts.

A very nice experience; one which we'd gladly do again.

ERH
Golden Promise Whisky Bar
11 Rue Tiquetonne
75002 Paris, France

As I had my usual beer before sleeping, I again thought about how lucky I was to be able to have these experiences.

The next day we were up early and caught the RER to CDG………

Next up…Tel Aviv!

Thanks for stopping by!

Chartres (Before Covid) – Chartres Cathedral and Lunch at La Table du Marche

November 26, 2021 mmm-yoso France, French Restaurants, Travel

Here's another quick pre-Covid travel post.

On the second day of our short visit to Paris, the Missus wanted to explore a bit. We had visited Versailles on a previous trip, so this time around I thought we'd check out Chartres and the Cathedral, often said to be the best Gothic Cathedral in Europe.

Getting there was quite easy from Gare Montparnasse.

And it seems that everyone is invited to take the one hour ride to Chartres.

And once there; well, it's easy to find your way to the Cathedral.

You really can't miss it.

While walking to the Cathedral we passed this amazing mural.

Doing some research, I found that the mural is of Jean Moulin a hero of the French Resistance in World War II who lived in Chartres. Read more about him in the link to the Wikipedia page above.

The Cathedral is indeed grand. It is said that there were four to five churches on this spot, dating back to the 4th century!

There is quite a bit to see if you have the time. We just decided to stroll around and enjoy some of the highlights.

There's a worn statue in Place de la Cathedrale. It is of Fulbert of Chartres who was Bishop of the Cathedral when it burned in 1020. Fulbert devoted his time to rebuilding the Cathedral which was completed around 1145.

There are beautiful Rose Windows over every entrance.

The Church is dedicated to Mary and there are signs of that everywhere.

Many pilgrims come to the church to see the Black Madonna (above). There's some really good information on why the Madonna is black here. But you might say, the Madonna pictured above isn't black. Well, several years back the Cathedral was part of a huge restoration project and all those years of soot and such was removed from the statue; it was very controversial to say the least.

A few blocks from the Cathedral is the Marché aux Légumes – the produce market. And since it was Saturday, we took some time to check ot out.

It's always fun visiting these places and watching the locals go about their daily lives…..

By this point we were getting a bit hungry. Right at the edge of the market is La Table du Marché – the Market Table. So we thought why not?

The staff was very friendly and welcoming. At places like this, it's always helpful to check out the plat du jour….and we ended up ordering two of the daily specials.

The friendly woman working was delighted that the Missus ordered the Andouillette, which She had loved in Lyon.

While not quite at that level; it was literally bursting with offal-y goodness.

I was thrilled to see Boudin Blanc as a daily special.

And while, like the Missus, this wasn't quite as good a my favorite, it was quite mild, but nicely sautéed and I enjoyed the dressing on the greens.

The service was very warm; the prices, since we're used to Paris prices seemed like a bargain; 10 Euros for the Andouillette and just 7 for the Boudin Blanc!!!

La Table du Marché
11 Place Billard
28000 Chartres, France

We left satisfied and ready for a nap when we returned to Paris!