Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion

Cherry Blossom Burmese Cafe & Sushi (Carlsbad)

July 29, 2026 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Burmese Food and Restaurants, Chicken Wings

You know, I’ve been craving some interesting things during this heatwave, starting with that Chicken Tawook and Garlic Paste from Alforon. Anyway, I woke one morning craving Laphet Thoke….yep, Burmese Tea Leaf Salad. So Burma Place immediately came to mind….but to be honest, I was somewhat underwhelmed at the Tea Leaf Salad there during my visits. I’d gladly revisit again; but wanted to try a new place. An acquaintance of mine had recommended a place named Cherry Blossom, but it was all the way up in Carlsbad. He did mention Cherrywine in La Jolla not being as good and told me they actually had different owners even though the name sounded similar. On this morning, I didn’t care if it was an almost 60 mile round trip to Carlsbad Airport Road….I needed my Tea Leaf Salad fix! And traffic wasn’t bad at all. The restaurant is located in a strip mall that features a bunch of chains; Five Guys, Jersey Mike’s, Noodles and Company……..

It’s a very fast-casual looking place…….

The gentleman working was really friendly…..though the menu gave me pause.

An entire page of sushi rolls and a bunch of poke bowls!!! Lumpia? Gyoza??? I casually asked the gentleman if he was from Hawaii; just to kinda see….but he laughed and assured me he’s Burmese. He used the term “Bamar”? So, ok I ordered the “Iconic” Tea Leaf Salad ($15.99).

I cracked up seeing “Wangs” on the menu! I did consulting work in Georgia and other areas in the Southeast in the late 90’s! I hadn’t heard that term in ages!

Since the salad seemed to be priced reasonably and one could order wings by “the twos”….even though they were priced at two bucks each, I decided to get 2 spicy garlic “wangs”.

Soon enough my salad arrived.

At first, I didn’t really get that pungent aroma of fermented tea leaves, but as I dug around I found quite a few clumps of it. Emphasis on “clumps”, as I put in a good almost ten minute effort to break things up and try to get a good “mix” in.

There was an adequate amount of laphet in this, to add that earthy, pungent-atringent bitterness, I enjoy, with a dose of sour. This salad did skew toward sour; though I enjoyed it much more than what I’d had at Dutchess in Ojai and even Irrawaddy in Stanton. The salad also had a sneaky spiciness that I kind of enjoyed as well.

The shredded cabbage added a refreshing crunch; I wish the tomatoes were a bit more ripe as some sweet-acidity would have been great. The nuts are a must. There were a couple of small slices of green beans….a bit more would have great as well.

Still, this was pretty good.

The wings took a while, but when it arrived I was given an extra wing for the wait! Very nice! I liked the size of the wings…many places tend to serve gigantic wings these days. I prefer a good skin to meat ratio.

These were simply fried….I prefer my wings to be more crisp. But man, that chili oil – chili crisp was potent…..combined with an underlying sourness…well, this is Burmese, it got me sweating real good! I really couldn’t make out much garlic flavor…because of that spice.

The meat was tender and moist. Man, if this had a more crisp skin instead of the rubberiness, I’d want to have it again!

While I was eating, several tables were filled…all of them getting sushi rolls! I guess the place fills a niche in the area? I did think the tea leaf salad was decent….though I’m not quite sure it was worth the 60 mile round trip. The gentleman working was so nice, gracious (hey, I got an extra wing!), and friendly. I’m glad the place seems to be doing well as it’s the only mom-and-pop restaurant among all the chains in this strip mall. I’m thinking I need to revisit Burma Place when my laphet cravings rise again.

Cherry Blossom Burmese Cafe & Sushi
2521 Palomar Airport Rd.
Carlsbad, CA 92011
Current Hours:
Mon – Sat 11am – 3pm, 4pm – 8pm
Closed on Sunday

Saturday Stuffs – The Signs for Marugame Udon, Pepper Lunch, and Chagee Tea are up. And the Missus’s Favorite Tea from the LV Farmers Market

July 18, 2026 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Desserts, Farmer's Markets/Night Market, Japanese Restaurants

Funny thing, on the days I shop at Zion Market, I’m usually quite focused….I just want to get in and then out of that crazy parking lot, dodge those aggressive shoppers, and perhaps even dodge flying fruits and vegetables. Frankly, I don’t shop at Zion too often these days.

And you know; I hadn’t even noticed that signs had gone up for businesses coming to the area. But on a recent weekend; I arrived before the opening time and without all the construction equipment and vehicles in the area I noticed the signs for several new businesses.

It was actually the sign for Marugame I noticed first.

Man, can you imagine folks lining up here like they do at UTC? Also, I cracked up seeing the “Coming Soon Spring 2026” sign! I guess I missed the Grand Opening? Maybe they should change that?

I believe the address is:

8316 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111

And right in the back courtyard are these two signs.

Chagee Teahouse and Pepper Lunch, two more chains.

8322 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111

It’s going to be interesting, since the parking situation here is already pretty bad. Plus, while the old Zion Market location seemed to have a few local mom-and-pop eateries in the food court along with chains like Cocohodo. It seems that based on the size and location of the businesses it’s all major chains. I’m hoping that the proposed Rooftop Foodhall for Zion will come to fruition.

The Missus’s favorite tea from Chafolio at the Linda Vista Farmers Market. So, before things got too hot around here, I decided to take JJ to the Linda Vista Farmers Market, which I hadn’t been to in a while. This young lady at the Chafolio stand was so sweet and nice.

That I went and bought a bag of Jasmine Green Tea…even though it was $30!

When the Missus got home, I showed Her the tea and She freaked out that it was so expensive.

But you know what? She made herself a cup and really enjoyed it!

So recently, after that bag of Jasmine ran out….guess where we went to?

The Missus enjoys the teas; even though it does cost thirty bucks a bag. Based on what I read on Chafolio website is that most of the tea comes from Fujian Province.

Chafolio is at a bunch of Farmer’s Markets in San Diego. More info here.

6939 Linda Vista Rd.
San Diego, CA 92111
Hours:
Thursdays 2pm – 7pm

Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend!

Little Kiki Katsu & More (Carlsbad)

July 13, 2026 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Japanese Restaurants

I heard about a Katsu place opening up in Carlsbad named Little Kiki. Now, of course the name of the place had my good friend “CC” cracking up….because, you know what that means in Filipino (Tagalog) slang, right? Then I noticed a bit of buzz being created on IG….so, well…..I decided to check out the “Little Kiki”…….

The shop is located right on Madison Street off of Carlsbad Village Drive. There’s an actual parking lot right next door. So, I parked and walked on over. It was right at the 1130 opening time on a Saturday and there were already some customers being seated. I was met by a very nice woman and I told her since I was by myself, I’d gladly sit at the bar.

It’s one of those high counter bars, so you really can’t see what’s happening on the other side. I also noticed that there’s a door to Blue Ocean Robata & Sushi Bar next door which was open, so I figured it was the same owner. I came to find out a bit later that the couple that owns Little Kiki also owns Harumama and Love Boat Sushi, which based on my meal makes sense. More on that later.

The woman quickly brought me water and a menu. I noticed the two pour containers which held sauces I assumed were for the katsu.

Well, it seemed like prices were in line with my favorite Tonkatsu shop in town, and other than the lunch set, everything would be a la carte….i.e. you’d pay $3.50 for rice! That lunch set seemed a bit pricey at $33, I think even more than EE Nami these days, but it also had sashimi. But at least the tonkatsu is Berkshire Pork Loin, that is supposedly dry aged. Which is what I ordered.

Soon, the woman return with a Gomasuri-Ky (sesame seed grinder) with some sesame seeds she had ground up while walking back to my seat. Interesting touch……she was very nice and surprised when I actually knew the name of it! I think she was surprised that I was Japanese?

After a short wait my lunch set arrived.

A nice looking set!

I started with the miso soup, which was very good. This had some nice assertive flavors and was definitely not watered down. While a bit on the saltier side, I really enjoyed it.

Just looking at the color, I’m thinking Awase Miso, which is a mixture of Shiro and Aka miso was used? Anyway, it was probably the item I enjoyed the most.

The “Chef’s choice” of sashimi were three thick but small slices of typical salmon. Definitely not among my favorite item with regards to sashimi. I would prefer that the “chef” make some better choices?

There was a large portion of decently shredded cabbage and very hipster looking pickled veggies.

The rice wasn’t fragrant and was on the dry and hard side. It was a decent sized portion.

Ok…ok, I know, you’re here wanting me to “get to the point”, right? What about the tonkatsu.

First off, I didn’t care for the panko used as it was on the softer side…which I think is ok for chicken, but I prefer my panko used for tonkatsu to be flaky and crisp. I guess I enjoy that “crunch”?

I know I’m kinda doing this a bit too much these days…..but please view the evidence submitted below which is how I like my tonkatsu breaded.

I went and sampled the two sauces at the table.

The “spicy” version on the left just didn’t have enough of savoriness and at least for me, seemed to taste a bit like Sambal? So, I stuck with the basic tonkatsu sauce provided.

I drizzled the sauce and sprinkled the ground sesame seeds…which, by the way added a hint of nuttiness to the dish. The loin itself was interesting. The edge pieces were nice and fairly moist, though the meat got drier and chewier as you got closer to the middle. The middle slices were a bit too cold for my taste, but it could be because of the amount of time the pork was rested.

Several of the slices had the panko separating from the meat, though it wasn’t overly prevalent.

There was some decent porkiness to this. It was a pretty good tonkatsu, but definitely not in the same league as EE Nami. It would probably be really good in a properly made Katsu Sando.

I did enjoy those pickled veggies; especially the cauliflower, which was pleasantly salty, yet, still crunchy.

I thought the service was very good, though I think I even prefer the Tonkatsu at Sakura more….though perhaps Musashiya sits a bit below this? I believe that this skews to more of a fusion (it makes sense that the owners own Harumama and Love Boat Sushi), than traditional Japanese, with some performative touches. While the price point is a bit high, I would occasionally drop by if the place was in my neighborhood, but if it were on Convoy, I’d stick with EE Nami. As this was a 60 mile round trip drive.

As I was leaving I took around the dining room which was packed and quickly noticed something. I was the only Asian dining in the restaurant at that moment……

Little Kiki Katsu & More
2958 Madison St. #101
Carlsbad, CA 92008
Current Hours:
Monday 5pm – 930pm
Wed, Thurs, Sun 1130am – 3pm, 5pm – 930pm
Fri – Sat 1130am – 3pm, 5pm – 10pm
Closed on Tuesday

And “CC”…now that I’ve had “Little Kiki”, is it time to get some Boto…ahem, as in sushi?

Arbor Sushi & Grill Express in the 99 Ranch Food Court (Balboa)

July 7, 2026 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Japanese Restaurants

So….there I was finishing up my Saturday shopping at 99 Ranch Market on Balboa and feeling a bit peckish. I walked past the food court and noticed that Arbor Sushi & Grill, which had replaced Potato Powder Love Noodle had opened….it was a shade past 10am and the shop was open for business. Hmmmm……now, I did hesitate for a minute. This was random and unplanned….I had no clue what the menu looked like. But hot off my recent, fun visit to George’s Cafe, I thought why the heck not?

Now, let’s be clear on something right away……this isn’t Japan, Taiwan, or even say….. HNL. I wouldn’t be having sushi in a market food court. There were some…what looked like aburi style sushi under the heat lamps on the counter and a menu of Westernized Rolls. Not my kind of thing. I heard the woman at the front counter speaking Mandarin to someone in the kitchen. There was however this sign that actually caught my attention.

Well ok. A teriyaki chicken bento, which comes with shrimp tempura priced at $11.99 as a grand opening special. Heck, that’s cheaper than Yoshinoya these days, right? Got nothing to lose, so I decided to go ahead and try it out.

The woman manning the counter was really nice and very mellow. I placed my order and was given one of those buzzer thingies and had a seat. When my order was ready, she actually came and dropped off my bowl at the table herself!

The bowl was quite hefty.

You can have white rice, fried rice, or chow mein with your bento bowl. I chose white rice, which was Jasmine and decently cooked.

It had what looked like two slices of Caterpillar Roll. It was as expected, “krab” and mayo, wrapped with perfectly fresh avocado.

The rice, which was not jasmine, was on the harder side and the shari was vinegar forward. Not my thing, but perfectly fine.

Not a fan of the “shrimp tempura”. Batter not crisp and lacquered.

Overcooked and rubbery shrimp.

The Tentsuyu was almost flavorless.

The Gyoza….was well….

The wrapper was so thick and chewy, the filling salty and very one dimensional.

I would not be surprised if this came from the frozen isle.

And finally, the teriyaki. Well, it was dark meat which is a plus…….chopped chicken thighs, pre-cooked, reheated, then “glazed” with a pretty weak sauce. Not terrible, but on the blander side. I actually enjoyed the mushrooms that accompanied the dish as the earthiness really provided a nice savoriness to the dish.

Overall, fine for pseudo Japanese fast-food….though I wouldn’t be getting sushi from here. The portion size was generous. And at $11.99….well, at least right now, it’s worth the price. Not sure I’d be paying more than that though. Just don’t be expecting “Japanese” cuisine.

Arbor Sushi & Grill Express
5950 Balboa Ave (In the 99 Ranch Market Food Court)
San Diego, CA 92111
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 1030am – 8pm
Sat – Sun 10am – 8pm

Buldak Chicken from George’s Cafe (City Heights)

June 29, 2026 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Diner, Korean Restaurants

Ever walk into a random eating establishment and get totally surprised? Well, it happened to me this past weekend. It was an odd hour and I had skipped breakfast. I was close to City Heights, so the “usual suspects” came to mind. However, this time, I was driving down 43rd Street when I saw a place I’d been meaning to dine at for years.

The place had been around for over 50 years! And was still in business despite all the new development going on around it. There’s limited hours, just 8 to 2…..and on this day there was ample parking close by so I decided to head on in. I quickly noticed that the owner was Asian and he smiled and pointed me to a table.

The Server was very friendly and handed me a menu….I was totally fixed on just getting the typical 2 eggs with protein and potatoes kind of thing, when I saw this.

What the heck? Along with the burgers, sandwiches, and typical American Breakfast items, there’s teriyaki, bulgogi, even orange chicken! I’m guessing the kitchen staff is Mexican, because you can even get fish tacos and chorizo with your eggs, not surprising to me. But Buldak Chicken seemed rather random. If you’re not sure what Buldak is; it’s a rather modern name for spicy Korean chicken (i.e. “Fire Chicken“). This place obviously didn’t seem like one of those concept “Asian fusion” type of places, or even a food court stand, and with all those typical diner dishes on the menu?

The Server, who one moment was speaking Spanish to a table of what seemed like regulars, came on over and was kind of shocked when I ordered the Buldak. Telling me “it might be too spicy for breakfast….are you ok eating spicy for breakfast?” I really appreciated her concern, but yes…I told her I wanted to try the buldak and to please don’t mind all my sweating! She laughed and placed my order.

There’s a tiny window in the corner where food comes out of the kitchen and I saw my plate appear. Which soon made its way to the table.

So, I loved the perfectly easy over egg….totally diner style, right?

The rice was decent; perhaps a bit on the mushy side….but coming from a place that specializes in hash browns….well….

I liked that the chicken was dark meat and it was indeed spicy. Usually, I’d expect cheese or tteokbokki , but c’mon, it’s a diner.

Like I mentioned, I liked the spice, the savory tones were decent, I’d like a hint of sweetness with this; it’s definitely not a place you’d find on Convoy, but all in all it was better than what I expected. Good portion size as well. The rice and simple “coleslaw” did the job of buffering the spiciness.

I also enjoyed the vibe, tables where folks were speaking Spanish, the table behind me were speaking Vietnamese. It took me back “home”…….back in Kaimuki in the “old days”…..where places like Aotani Fountain would serve “cone” sushi….with Green River….or on a special occasion we’d be heading to Kaimuki Inn or my Mom’s favorite Alakea Grill (by bus)….where you’d get a burger with oxtail soup or spaghetti with a side of kalbi or pork chops…..and butter rolls! We didn’t have much money, I was raised by a single Mom who never learned how to drive. So those places hold a special place in my heart.

And no, it’s not “that George’s“, but in this day where division, hate, and anger seems prevalent, it’s places like this that can bring a community together. I’d take that any day of the week!

George’s Cafe
4012 43rd St.
San Diego, CA 92105
Current Hours:
Mon – Sat 8am – 2pm
Closed Sundays

Facing East – Lu Rou Fan, Reader Recs

June 21, 2026 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Chinese Restaurants, Taiwanese Food and Restaurants

In the comments of my post on trying out the Lu Rou Fan at Bei Yuan Tea & Boba, “FOY” Franklin mentioned enjoying the LRF at Facing East. Facing East? Well, that’s interesting since I’d really not enjoyed any of my meals at Facing East, seeing it as a gimmicky Asian fusion kind of place, with those multi-colored XLB, serving everything from Ramen and Karaage to BiBimBap to Kushiyaki……. Still, I felt I should give the place a try since it’s been over 7 years since my last visit! It would be interesting to see if things had changed.

Checking out the hours online was interesting as the place did open for lunch on Fridays to Mondays, but only from noon.

And yes, looking at that menu….it’s still all over the place. Though I did a laugh seeing that they served “Dumlings”……well, I hoped that I wouldn’t be a “dumling” for revisiting the place!

I walked in and was given the opportunity to pick my own table. Ordering was done as is kind of the norm these days….via QR code.

I went and ordered the “Braised Pork Rice”, unlike what the posted menu listed, it’s priced at $14.50, which is still a decent price. Based on that price, which was even cheaper than the ramen, I was not expecting the size of the bowl that arrived!

Those chunks of pork were cut quite large, but were decently tender. The sauce was quite salty; with a bit of a greasy mouthfeel, and lacking in any sweet-pungent-wine tones. It wasn’t bad, just a bit one dimensional with regards to flavor. Also, the pickled vegetables tasted like Takana-zuke; Japanese pickled mustard greens. Which I do like, but not with my Lu Rou Fan.

I ended up using the chili oil to help cut the saltiness of the pork.

The rice was decently cooked, fairly moist. The boiled egg was adequately done, no gray-green ring, perhaps a bit overcooked for my preference, but totally fine. It wasn’t cooked in soy sauce though.

Man, this was quite a large portion.

Perhaps this might be better for a late night meal with a couple of beers. Not too bad, but I think Bei Yuan is a bit better. Still, I appreciated the recommendation Franklin. It’s great to get out of my “comfort zone” and revisit those places I hadn’t been to in ages.

Facing East
4647 Convoy St Suite 101C
San Diego, CA 92111
Current Hours:
Monday 12pm – 4pm, 5pm – 930pm
Wed – Thurs 3pm – 930pm
Friday 12pm – 4pm, 5pm – 1030pm
Saturday 12pm -1030pm
Sunday 12pm – 930pm
Closed on Tuesdays

And I’m still looking for “that bowl” of Lu Rou Fan!

Friday Findings – Potato Powder Love Noodle, Di-Chan Thai, and Makai Sushi Closes

May 29, 2026 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Chinese Restaurants, Poke, Thai Restaurants

Man, there seem to be so many places closing recently….all the rising costs and such. I saw these three in just the last week….

Potato Powder Love Noodle Being Re[;aced by Arbor Sushi & Grill:

It seems that the food court at the 99 Ranch Market in Balboa has become a revolving door. There was Dao Xiang Noodle, which replaced Mama Lin’s, which replaced Saigon 5. Dao Xiang that didn’t last a year and was replaced by Wang La Ya in February. Back in August of last year Potato Powder Love Noodle, another chain with locations in the SGV, replaced the rather long running Shann Xi Magic Kitchen.

Imagine my surprise when I took a peek at the food court and noticed that the place is gone!

Sheesh…another place that didn’t last a year. I only made that one visit and was meaning to return…but I guess not now! I think it’s kind of how things might go with regards to chains?

So, it’ll be interesting to see how a sushi and “grill” does in this space.

5950 Balboa Ave (In the 99 Ranch Market Food Court)
San Diego, CA 92111

Makai Sushi Being Replaced by La Rotonde:

Now this one was another surprise which I saw when driving down 5th Avenue.

I know I was really intrigued as to why a fellow from Kauai would open a poke/sushi place here. During my visit the really friendly owner, Matt, who is from Poipu explained that the place kind of found him. I’m guessing that it was perhaps almost a spur of the moment kind of decision? So perhaps I shouldn’t have bee overly surprised at this?

I did a little searching and found that Matt is currently back on Kauai…..hmmm……I’m wondering if he’ll return?

3968 5th Ave.
San Diego, CA 92103

Di-Chan Thai Closes:

Now, both of the previously noted closures were short timers. This one however, is for one of those businesses that has been around seemingly forever. On Tuesday, I went over to Leilani’s Attic to get some “stuffs”. Man, that strip mall….Madison Place has gone thru some major renovations and the businesses looked empty. I did notice that Ma’s House was still open. But Di-Chan Thai seemed closed so I drove on over.

And I quickly saw the sign on the door, “after 25 years we’ll miss you all”.

Whoa….though I’ve never been a huge fan of Di-Chan; I know quite a few folks who enjoyed eating there, so this is kind of a sad one!

5535 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

Time’s seem to be hard on businesses right now…..I think I need to head to some of my favorites to give them support!

Dark Horse Japanese Nikkei Cuisine

May 18, 2026 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Japanese Restaurants, Latin American Cuisine, Mexican Restaurants

A few months back I read about a place named Dark Horse opening…..no not the coffee shop, but according to Eater a “Japanese-Peruvian” spot in Torrey Hills. Well now. If you’ve been reading our humble little blog for a while you’d know how much I enjoy Peruvian cuisine. And travelling to Peru twice has given me a real appreciation for what I consider Nikkei cuisine. Stuff like tiradito. And we’ve had the “Nikkei Experience” at Maido, which strangely, at least to me, took the title of “Best Restaurant in the World” in 2025!

Anyway, being quite curious, I decided to head up to Torrey Hills Center to search out Dark Horse.

Which I easily found. I noticed the Open sign and walked on over and peeked in. The place was empty…..soon enough a really friendly gentleman came over and I was seated in a booth. He introduced himself as Edgar.

And I was handed the menus……with some interesting dishes.

Of course I wasn’t interesting in the “rolls” and such; but seeing items like Anticuchos, Camaron Al Ajillo, Ahumado, Ceviche, and of course Tiradito. And well…..I love Tiradito…but with salmon? I don’t think so. Edgar came over and started explaining “Nikkei” cuisine to me…a nice gesture. Then I told him we’ve been to Peru and even to Maido and explaining the history of tiradito and things got a bit quiet. He then told me that “our dishes aren’t really Peruvian Nikkei, more of a mix of many cultures.” So, I guess Eater wasn’t quite right in their description? Not that many folks would know….

There were two dishes I was interested in and so I ordered the Mushroom Anticuchos ($14) and the Hamachi Ahumado ($24).

You know me and Anticuchos de Corazon, whether in a rather fancy restaurant or on a street corner in Cusco, I enjoy the texture and the seasonings. This looked quite interesting.

The texture was interesting…it was almost meat like, but perhaps on the mushier side of the scale. Some earthy mushroom flavor, but really lacking in the cumin-achiote, achiote/aji panca flavor and quite bland overall.

The presentation of the Hamachi Ahumado was very, dramatic, with the tabletop smoker cloche….which I’ve been seeing at various places over the last couple of years brought to your table.

Once the top was lifted and the smoke gone the dish was revealed.

Very nice presentation; the hamachi had not really changed in texture and was still somewhat buttery. The overall dish was much too sour, which even nullified any smokiness in the dish. The chili paste, made from morita chilies – smoked and dried red jalapenos had a bit of a kick, but was still overpowered by the sour-acidity.

While the portions seemed a bit on the small side; this was enough for a light lunch, though not cheap at nearly forty bucks. It seemed to be more about presentation-concept to me; but I felt I needed to give the place another try; so I returned.

For lunch again. The very nice and friendly Edgar greeted me once again and I was seated.

I was handed the menus again; but this time I paid attention to the lunch specials.

And no, it wasn’t the poke bowl or teri chicken that interested me. Rather, the Agedashi Tofu ($15) and looking for a more traditional dish I was going to order the ceviche; but noticed the Aguachile ($19) on the lunch special menu so I ordered that as well.

The Agedashi Tofu looked quite interesting.

This was so close to being a good dish. The batter was so light and perfectly crisp. The tofu light and creamy. I didn’t mind the creaminess of the guacamole or the crema.

The biquinho peppers added some fruity sweetness, with a hint of spice.

What was missing in this dish was a savory-umami component….you know…like what the tentsuyu provides for a traditional agedashi tofu and a pungent component like what daikon oroshi would provide.

The dish just seemed incomplete. Bummer…..

My favorite dish by far was the Aguachile.

Though I had to crack up when I saw it was served with won ton chips! I guess they had to keep something Asian in the dish?

Like the Hamachi Ahumado I’d had previously, I saw that the aguachile used the Yuzu Kosho type marinating liquid. But for reason, the bracing, acidic sauce did really good here. I’m thinking that the mild, oceany brininess of the raw shrimp and the buffering of the acidity by the avocado contributed to this dish nicely.

The slices of red jalapeno added some spice and the shrimp had hit that firm, yet tender balance.

Again, not a cheap lunch at nearly thirty-five bucks, but I was quite full when I left and thinking in terms of what a chirashi would cost. Well, this didn’t seem too bad at all.

In Luis Hara’s wonderful cookbook; Nikkei Cuisine : Japanese Food the South American Way, which I do own BTW…such is my love and respect for that type of cusine. Within the introduction is this quote regarding just throwing together flavors and the roll of various ingredients from different cultures : “without this understanding, fusion becomes confusion.” In the end; perhaps I was expecting a bit more as this seemed like “con-fusion” than fusion to me. Perhaps I was expecting a bit too much?

Edgar was very nice, warm, and friendly. Perhaps I’ll return in a couple of months?

Dark Horse Japanese Nikkei Cuisine
4639 Carmel Mountain Rd. #103
San Diego, CA 92130
Current Hours:
Daily 11am – 9pm

Road Trip – Tropicali (Big Bear)

May 15, 2026 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Dog Friendly, Poke, Road Trip, San Bernadino County, CA, Travel

Just a month after returning from Tahoe, we were off again. I really didn’t want to be doing that 7 plus hour drive like I’d done the previous month. So, I got the Missus to agree to Big Bear, which we’d never been to, then a couple of nights in Idyllwild again.

I’d gotten us a nice room at the Marina Riviera, perched right on the shore of Big Bear Lake. It had also just reopened a few months before after some renovations and turned out to be very dog friendly.

Our room was ready when we arrived and we were able to check in. We had a nice view of the lake and beachfront from our room.

Right across the street was a restaurant I wanted to check out named Tropicali. You see, the restaurant had just been named as having the best poke in America (not only on the mainland), by that four lettered website. And you know I don’t take all the stuff from that website seriously, right? Though I understand that it did make some major waves, check out this from KHON and Sam Choy! Ho, like beef, huh? Anyway, that was written a few months after my visit; though this one Reddit stuff…….. I just had to check it out.

Anyway, the restaurant has an interesting entrance. You walk in thru the mouth of a shark sculpture.

So, of course JJ had a photo-op…..

They really go all in with the Tiki-ish sterotypes here…… A bit over-the-top……I can see how some Kama’aina’s can get a bit irritated by the cliches.

You order at one of the very colorful kiosks……

Anyway, I placed my order and then joined JJ and the Missus on the lovely deck.

Soon enough my name was called….they try to be funny announcing names, like “Gunnar xxxx” doing pirate themed thing….so of course when my name was called it was “Captain” you know who…..

Anyway, I had ordered two bowls. The rice for both bowls were nicely cooked.

The first was the “Kraken”, which used unagi sauce and was topped with won ton chips.

At least this wasn’t one of those “chi-poke” places. The fish was of decent quality, not too much “sugi”; though the fish was over sauced and the sweetness really overpowered everything. The sprinkled panko was kind of strange as it added a weird grittiness to the dish.

The Pele Bowl was the better of the two. Again decent fish and rice.

The cucumber tasted like Kyuri Asazuke, slightly pickled, which we thought added to the dish. Especially since this was also a bit over sauced and even though was obviously a version of spicy ahi was also too sweet for us. I think some limu and salt would bring back the ocean to the ahi here.

To me, poke is first about the fish, the sauce enhances the experience. Here it overwhelms the dish. That’s probably why I prefer HFS in San Diego to this place. Honestly, it’s not bad; but to me it’s not in the same class as Tanioka’s or Ono Seafood.

Tropicali
40771 Big Bear Blvd.
Big Bear Lake, CA 92315

After lunch we crossed the street back to the hotel and took a short stroll along the lakeside.

Before heading in for a short nap.

Roadtrip – Kalani’s Revisited, South of North Brewing Company, and the Echo Lake Trail (Lake Tahoe). A revisit to The Alchemists’ Garden (Paso Robles)

May 9, 2026 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Beer, Dog Friendly, Lake Tahoe, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Travel

On our last full day in South Lake Tahoe; the Missus chose the Echo Lakes Trail, which you need a permit for. It was a pretty easy trail.

There’s an area called Echo Pass which has wonderful views.

The trail is basically along the lake.

JJ’s not fond of the heat and direct sunlight, so we’re glad we made an early start.

Another benefit of getting an early start is that we easily found parking. The lot isn’t very big and was full to the brim upon our return. The trail was starting to get busy, so we were happy to leave and head back to the hotel.

For lunch, we just stopped by the Whole Foods and got some prepared food and it enjoyed it on the porch and relaxed. And of course we had a nice nap!

When dinner time arrived, we strolled on over to Heavenly Village. This was a Tuesday evening so things weren’t quite as hectic.

We had enjoyed Kalani’s the previous evening; so we decided to head on back.

We walked in, fully intent of doing HH in the bar area again; but strangely, it was quite busy. The wonderful hostess just sat us in the dining room. As it was just past 5pm, we were the only customers.

I only got a mocktail on this evening….which was quite refreshing.

The Missus wanted those Brussel Sprouts again, which were just as good as what we’d had the previous evening.

And of course that crisp; then buttery textured pork belly.

Though we tried it with the sauce again….well, it’s still “no bueno”. The lovely pork belly was just perfect for our taste as is.

The Missus wanted one more dish and decided to try the Baby Back Ribs.

The Ginger-Soy-Garlic sauce was pretty good; if a bit strong in terms of ginger flavor; but the ribs were super tough and chewy. We probably should have stuck with the Miso Chilean Sea Bass.

Still, if we’re in the area, we’ll definitely return to Kalani’s. Here’s some history on Kalani’s if you’re interested. The founders are from Oahu.

Kalani’s
1001 Heavenly Village Way
South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150

On the way back to our room…..well..to give the Missus a break I took JJ to South of North Brewing.

It was a nice outdoor, really mellow area.

And we had a nice Blonde Ale……

And all seemed right in the world…….

South of North Brewing Co.
932 Stateline Ave.
South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150

The next day we had head back home……

But my goodness, a direct 7-8 hour drive wasn’t going to do it for us. So, we stopped in an area we had been to several times…….Paso Robles.

And then, after doing some shopping, had dinner a a place we’d been to many times before….The Alchemists’ Garden.

And while there were other places we’d prefer to dine at; the rail here was so very convenient. And having been here so many times; things were kind of easy.

The cocktails here are “king”….. I had the Nicolas Flamel…nice and spicy…..