Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion – Page 4

Paris – Petit Palais and Dinner at Onii-San

December 16, 2023 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, France, Japanese Restaurants, Paris, France, Travel

Our train from Strasbourg was on time and we got into Paris-Est right around 1230. From there it was a snap getting back to our apartment.

After two nights at various Christmas Markets and watching me enjoy myself whether it was doing the flanuer thing, spending the morning on Rue Montorgueil, or just deciding where I was getting my morning croissant from, the Missus was ready to get into "shopping mode".

And so we unpacked, put in a load of laundry, and headed on out.

Passing thru some very familiar places.

And places we had just recently gotten to know.

Past Place Venodome.

All dressed up for the season.

Down Rue Saint-Honore.

The Missus knew the way by heart.

As before, we were treated like royalty at our destination with a personal shopper, some light refreshment……

And as several times before, we left, the Missus happy, our credit card not so much….but such is life.

Chanel
31 Rue Cambon
75001 Paris, France

We then headed out, with no objective in sight, just enjoying the day and came across the Petit Palais.

Life many of the places we visited on this trip, we had passed by the Petit Palais many times and finally decided to visit. Free admission made things a lot more attractive as well. The Petit Palais is an art museum, housed in a beautiful building that was built for the 1900 Paris Exposition.

It houses many several well known works and also temporary exhibitions (of which there is admission).

We were here on a whim, so had no agenda in mind. We'd just be wandering and enjoying things.

There's a grand portrait of Sarah Bernhardt.

It is by Georges Clairin and is said to be a favorite of the Actress who kept it all her life. It was donated by her son after her death.

Being that we're in the Les Halles area a good amount of time during our stays, we enjoyed this work.

Which captures the busy, chaotic place that "the Belly of Paris" was during the 19th century.

We also noticed folks actually painting as well.

It seems like this is an art group or class enjoying Petit Palais.

We got some tea and coffee and settled in the Terrasse and just enjoyed the place.

Petit Palais
Av. Winston Churchill
75008 Paris, France

We then started to head on back to the apartment; doing our share of lèche-vitrine – window shopping (literally translated as "window licking" in French) along the way. Though not everyone wanted us "licking their windows" it seems!

The Missus wanted something for le goûter (tea time) and we decided to stop at Fou de Pâtisserie on Rue Montorgueil again.

She chose the La Tarte Citron.

It was a "tart" tarte indeed, not overly sweet and the Missus enjoyed it.

Fou de Pâtisserie
45 Rue Montorgueil
75002 Paris, France

When it as time for dinner, well, a few days previous, we passed what looked sort of like a modern Japanese restaurant. The tiny place was packed and I cracked up at the name "Onii-San" which means "older brother" in Japanese. So, we walked on in and made reservations for dinner.

We were welcomed and seated. Looking at the menu; it became apparent that this was a pseudo-Izakaya, featuring some interesting dishes. The staff; except for one person we saw in the kitchen was French, so this was going to be an interesting meal. I need to apologize for the photos as the lighting in the place was quite flakey.

We placed our order and soon enough, the dishes started arriving.

First off, the Tempuras de Legumes – Vegetable Tempura (14€/$15.25US).

The batter was a bit too thick and heavy for tempura, the dashi was actually pretty good, nice savory tones. The vegetables were too hard.

The Shiitakes (15€/$16.35US) was interesting.

There were only four halves of mushrooms in this…like 2 Shiitakes! The wakame cream was kinda weird in flavor, mildly savory-oceany, but also milky. There was a interesting bitterness to the dish. We later found out that there sansho pepper in this. The ikura were actually trout caviar and were quite good; salty, with a sweet finish.

The Aubergine (Eggplant – 15€/$16.35US) was another con-"fusion" dish.

The eggplant was on the undercooked side for our taste. We liked the blanched watercress as it had a pleasant bitterness that went well with the sweet-soy-wasabi flavors in the sauce. Not sure about the cheese though as it just didn't seem to belong here.

Things took a nice turn for the better with the Tuna Tartare (26€/$28.40US).

The tuna was chopped nicely; it almost melted in your mouth; the shiso really enhanced the dish as did the trout caviar The ponzu sauce added that savory-sour-tangy component and the wasabi cream added a nice richness. We weren't sure about the brioche, but this seemed more like Japanese milk bread and was quite good.

Speaking of Milk Bread, I saw Toro Sando (26€/$28.40US) on the menu and just had to order it. It was our favorite dish of te evening.

Initially, I took a look at the fish and it sure didn't look like toro; but it was surprisingly tender. The breading, while not the best, still had a bit of crunch. The bread was fairly fluffy, buttery, with a mild sweetness. The wasabi mayo was a perfect match and the ponzu shallot worked so well with seafood. This was a surprisingly good sando!

On an interesting note; while searching for addresses I found that Onii-San opened a Sando shop named Ototo last years as well! Makes perfect sense.

While this wasn't a perfect meal, it was an interesting fusion, sometimes "Con"- fusion. While we've been used to French cuisine with Japanese touches; this place went in the opposite direction, with interesting results. Such is the ever changing state of food in Paris!

Onii-San
82 Rue des Archives
75003 Paris, France

Our accommodation was just 2 long blocks away. We passed the "very blue" Mairie de Paris Centre, the "Mayor's Office" along the way.

We had a day trip set for the next day, so it was off to bed early for us.

Thanks for stopping by!

Road Trip – Lunch at Vinaigrette, San Felipe de Neri Catholic Church, and a Revisit to Kitsune ABQ (Albuquerque)

December 3, 2023 mmm-yoso Albuquerque, American/New American Restaurants, Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Cocktails, New Mexico, Road Trip, Salads, Travel

After spending the morning at Petroglyph National Monument, we headed back to our accommodations to freshen up. It was getting kinda warm so we wanted something on the lighter side. I had Vinaigrette on my list during our previous visit to Santa Fe and recalled that they had a ABQ location as well. Turns out that the restaurant was just a 15 minute walk from the hotel. Plus, we'd be walking thru Old Town and could take our time and explore a bit on the walk back.

The place was almost full when we arrived, but we got the last table outdoor table.

We were glad to get that table as the only outdoor seating still available was this…..I wonder if folks actually sit here?

As you can tell by the name, Vinaigrette specializes in various categories of salads; savory, sweet, "balanced", and so forth, along with some sandwiches and a few sides and soup.

I wanted something refreshing, so I ordered a concoction called the "Pepino", which featured cucumber and lime juice, along with club soda.

This was quite refreshing and not overly sweet.

We also ordered the Kale Fritters.

We enjoyed the crunchiness and earthy tones of the fritters, which went surprisingly well with the Sriracha Aioli. It was a tad on the salty side of things, but was not a bad dish overall.

The Missus got the "Omega".

This was mostly lettuce and really didn't have as much kale as the Missus would have liked. She thought the toasted pine nuts would be great in a salad, though it really clashed with the provided Blue Cheese Vinaigrette. The avocado was just one small piece. This salad needed more acidity added to really balance out all those greens.

I got the Spinach Mushroom which was a much better choice for our tastes.

The earthy, slightly sweet sauteed mushrooms, with savory bacon, and a slightly sweet-sour honey-balsamic vinaigrette was a nice combination. I wish there were a bit more onions for pungency and more boiled eggs to keep the Missus happy, but this was not bad.

The staff was very friendly, the crowd….well, as you can figure, very hipster-healthy-ish. Still, we didn't want anything too heavy and this did the trick….at least for me.

Vinaigrette
828 Central Ave. SW
Albuquerque, NM 87104

After lunch we took our time strolling back to the hotel. There seemed to be more businesses open on this day, but things were still really quiet.

We enjoyed wandering thru the various patios.

There was a definite charm to this place…..

While we had stopped to look at the Cottonwood Madonna the previous day, we had just walked past the San Felipe de Neri Catholic Church.

There has been a church on this site since Albuquerque was founded. The original church collapsed in 1792 and San Felipe de Neri Church was founded in 1793.

There's a museum and gift shop located in the Sister Blandina Convent onsite.

And of course the Cottonwood Madonna.

And if you want to read even more about the Cottonwood Madonna, you can read more here.

As interesting as San Felipe de Neri Catholic Church was, I found something even more interesting down this patio.

As we were looking at various shops, something caught my eye.

So I walked on in.

It was a beautiful little chapel.

This is the Chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

It has an interesting story and is even said to be haunted.

We enjoyed strolling around Old Town.

We got back to the hotel and relaxed until it was time to head out for dinner. I had made reservations at a nearby Wine Bar & Bistro, but when we walked over our reservations our reservations were MIA. The place was quite busy and we didn't want to wait so we decided to head on back to Kitsune.

And ordered our food and had a seat in the back patio this time.

I found out that the cocktail that was made for me the night before was called the "Autumn" and featured Blue Corn Whiskey.

Smoky, but not overly sweet.

Of course we got the Karaage.

Which was just a good as the previous night.

And we also got the Pork Belly Rice "Bowl".

The rice on this evening was much better than what we had the previous night; though I'm not sure about that mayo. The pork belly was a bit more chewy than I like, but the seaoning and sauce was pretty good; not overly sweet. The pickled onions handled the palate cleansing duties well.

Not bad for two nights in a row.

Kitsune ABQ
524 Romero St. NW
Albuquerque, NM 87104

We then walked on back to the hotel. On the way back, we stopped at a shop and got some liquid refreshment and a snack.

And sat on the porch and watched the action below.

We went to sleep early as we'd be headed out to Pecos National Historical Park , then it was off to Santa Fe in the morning!

Road Trip – Old Town and the Cottonwood Madonna, Dinner at Kitsune ABQ, and Petroglyph National Monument

December 2, 2023 mmm-yoso Albuquerque, Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, New Mexico, Road Trip, Travel

After heading out from Prescott and stopping for lunch at the Turquoise Room, we made our way to our next stop; Albuquerque. Though our final destination for this road trip was Santa Fe and Taos, we wanted to take our time, do some hikes, and explore some National Monuments/Parks if possible. I thought stopping in Albuquerque might make for a nice break. I decided on staying at the Hotel Chaco as it was close to the I-40, Old Town, and Petroglyph National Monument. We really enjoyed the hotel, ample parking, a nice patio, comfortable rooms. We got to the hotel early and our room was ready! We unpacked and decided to walk on over to the Old Town.

This was a Wednesday in May and the Old Town, which was basically a block away was fairly quiet.

The Old Town seemed much larger than San Diego's version and dates back to 1706! It was fun walking around the area.

We noticed this church along the way.

This is San Felipe de Neri Church, which we'd visit in detail the next day. What really caught our attention was this.

After doing a bit of research this is what I found, this is known as the Cottonwood Madonna. It was supposedly carved by a parishioner of San Felipe de Neri in the 1970's. And according to the story, he died upon completion of this creation! You gotta love these stories!

The one place that did seem quite busy was the Old Town Plaza.

One of the reasons I chose our hotel was that the Sawmill Market, a well regarded food hall was right across the street.

Sadly, as we walked thru the stands, the Missus could not find anyplace She wanted to eat at…..

So it was back to square one…..

We decided to head on back to Old Town and we came across a bar called The Taproom.

What was interesting was that the bar was at 524 Romero Street, but there was also a 524 1/2 Romero Street. And the sign said "Kitsune", which caught our attention.

So we headed on in.

Hmmm……I'm guessing that this is, or was the kitchen for the bar? The menu was an amalgamation of Asian fusion dishes…you know Kimchi Fried Rice, Karaage, Thai Fries…..you get the idea. Well, since we were here and there weren't many choices we were interested in, why not? So, we went ahead and placed our order and paid. Then headed on over to the bar and ordered some cocktails.

Then had a seat at one of the tables. We enjoyed our cocktails.

Funny thing was….well a great thing actually is that we gave the bartender our taste preferences and he just made cocktails for us! And they were quite good.

Soon our food arrived.

Starting with the "Loaded Fries".

The fries were quite good, crisp outside, creamy inside. The roasted pork was quite tender and nicely seasoned, the sweet-salty, slightly teriyaki-ish sauce went nicely with the pork. The only thing that felt out of place was the cheese as both the sour-palate cleansing pickled onions, a gastropub standard did well.

The best item of the night was the Chicken Karaage.

Crisp deliciousness, the chicken thighs had been nicely marinated and was very moist. I enjoyed the addition of Togarashi and is gave things a bit of zip and the mayo did a nice job of cooling things down. The seasoning was perfect on this; a great balance between salty and a hint of sweetness, with a touch of pungency from garlic and ginger.

The Fried Rice was decent.

The rice was a bit undercooked though evenly coated with a kimchi base. Of course the addition of Spam and that sunny side egg (which the Missus immediately poached) didn't hurt things in the least. The gochujang was a bit of overkill, but did add to the presentation.

This was pretty good bar food and we were pleasantly surprised, and after having a busy day, would end up here again the next day.

Kitsune ABQ
524 Romero St. NW
Albuquerque, NM 87104

We took a nice after dinner stroll in the really quiet Old Town.

There only a few businesses open.

Back at the room, we just sat, relaxed, and enjoyed the view from our patio.

We woke the next morning, grabbed some coffee, and then headed out to Petroglyph National Monument. We drove to the Visitor's Center which is actually several miles from any of the trails. We picked up a map and decided to do two of the trails; the Rinconada Canyon Trail, which is a easy loop trail, followed by Boca Negra Canyon.

Among the remnants of an eruption from over 150,000 years ago there are symbols carved onto basalt boulders along the trails.

The trails are quite easy' at least the one's we took.

And things start out quite stark and you'll wonder if you've found the correct trail.

But soon enough, you'll come across basalt boulders.

And soon you'll start getting a glimpse…..

As to the age of the carvings; I've seen things written that some go back to 3,000 years ago, though the signage and the NPS site says between 400 to 700 years ago. As for actual dating; I'm sure there are Archaeologists at work trying to determine accurate dating of the petroglyphs.

And looking at some, like these give a good clue as to the period.

Because sheep are not native to North America and were brought with the Spaniards in the 1600's, so those must have been done after the arrival of the Spanish settlers.

We enjoyed our time here; though it was starting to get pretty warm (this was in May), so it was time to head back and grab some lunch!

Thanks for stopping by!

Big Island – Dinner at Merriman’s and Waimea Town Market (Kamuela/Waimea)

November 19, 2023 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Farmer's Markets/Night Market, Fine Dining, Hawai'i - The Big Island, Memorable Meals, Travel

During our last trip to the Big Island, we decided to stay the night. As I've mentioned in a previous post from almost 10 years ago, Kamuela holds a special place in my heart. I'm glad the Missus enjoys the laid back, gentrified, farm-village vibe of the town. This time around we decided to stay for the night; something we hadn't done in years. We stayed at the Waimea Country Lodge and enjoyed strolling around town. For dinner, I had made reservations at Merriman's. We'd had dinner there over two decades ago and really didn't enjoy it much. This time, I hoped for better.

We walked on over…..

We arrived a bit earlier than our reservation; but the young man at the host stand told us "no problem" we have a table. We experienced this type of warm and accommodating service during our entire meal. It was such a pleasure dealing with folks who were efficient and professional, yet so very warm and kind.

The place was about two-thirds full at 530 pm. The Servers and staff seemed to know quite a few folks eating, so I'm guessing many were regulars from this town of about 9500. The Missus and I were so impressed by the staff….there was a young man with obvious learning/cognitive disabilities having dinner with his parents. Apparently he's a regular. All staff members dropped by to tell him hello, they knew he was wearing his "favorite shirt", they knew his favorite dishes….they embodied the "Aloha spirit". And this reminded me of why I almost took a job there back in the early 90s!

It's totally a tasting menu here two starters and desserts and a main. What we really enjoyed was that you could order 2 first courses and bypass the dessert! We ended up ordering three starters and one dessert which suited us perfectly!

Peter Merriman is considered one of the pioneers of "Hawaii Regional Cuisine", something that I have a love-hate relationship with. At its best the food represents the melting pot of people and cuisines of my home. At worse it is a cliched, soul less con-"fusion" of flavors and textures. I was hoping for the best here and the wonderful service had us off to a good start.

The amuse was Smoked Ulu (breadfruit) with Taro Chips. Basically a version of pulehu ʻulu.

I don't think the Missus has had ulu before. There were all the flavors She enjoys in this; a mild smokiness, a pleasantly sweet-rich flavor which harkens to a mix of sweet potato and roasted chestnut. She loved it.

Next up, the Shoyu Poke.

The Ahi as of excellent quality, so tender, well marinated in shoyu, though we would have appreciated more inamona and ogo. The mashed avocado kind of dulled the flavor of the poke.

The shrimp in the Grilled Wild Shrimp Bulgogi was fabulous; sweet and briny.

This really didn't need much and we were glad that the "bulgogi" flavoring did not interfere with the wonderful sweetness of the shrimp which were also cooked to perfection.

The Kalua Pork Quesadilla was our least favorite dish of the evening.

The pork was too salty, the smoke flavor too mild, the "tortilla" was more too hard and brittle; the sauce too sweet. This could have used something with a bit of "heat" to it.

The Missus ordered the "Day Boat Catch".

The fish was mahi mahi and was quite fresh, nicely cooked, mist and tender. The prawns were the highlight of this dish; fabulously tender and sweet.

This being cow country; I went with the Kua'Aina Beef Tenderloin. It was a great choice.

It was cooked to a perfect medium rare, loved the beefiness. I was told this is grass fed beef, so I expected it to be more toothsome. The cauliflower was delicious; at least that's what the Missus said as She quickly poached them all from the plate. The jalapeno mashed potatoes were quite creamy and not really spicy at all.

The Missus enjoyed the "Chocolate Purse".

Overall, we enjoyed the meal and loved the service. We'll definitely return in the future.

Merriman's Big Island
65-1227 Opelo Rd.
Waimea, HI 96743

I had picked the Waimea Country Lodge for a simple reason. Right next door is the Waimea Town Market, which opens at 730am on Saturdays! In fact, I could see the market, which takes place at the Parker School from our window.

And we headed on over right after the market opened.

We enjoyed our time there.

And made some nice purchases.

Waimea Town Market at Parker School
65-1224 Lindsey Rd
Waimea, HI 96743

On a fun note; the gentleman who was working the Akaka Falls Farm stand started chatting with us. He asked us where we were from and we told him "San Diego". He asked "where in San Diego"? And we said "Bay Park". He stuck his hand out to us for handshakes and told us, "North Clairemont baby!!!!" We cracked up.

Such a small world, huh?

Paris – Pierre Sang in Oberkampf and More Wandering Around the Marais

November 11, 2023 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Cheese, France, Paris, France, Travel

I'm quite "old school"…well perhaps, I'm just old? Anyway, when it comes to finding places to try on trips I check out blogs and various sites, and yes, even discussion forums….when was the last time you heard that term? As for Paris; well, the now defunct Chowhound had a lively Paris board, after CH shut down, many of the folks moved over to Hungry Onion. There can be quite a bit of "noise", but also some useful info; which is how we found that Aux Crus de Bourgogne a place we passed so many times and thought was a tourist stop, was worth a visit! And which is how I came across all the recommendations for Pierre Sang in Oberkampf. Now there are those who are going to take pause at the thought of dining on French-Korean. But, look at all the French-Japanese places we've dined at in Paris!

Pierre Sang Boyer came to prominence after appearing on France's version of Top Chef and now has a kingdom of several restaurants in Paris. The most highly recommended, at least on H.O. is the tasting menu only location on Rue Oberkampf in the 11th. So, being that we were in Paris for an extended time, I made dinner reservations.

We walked on over to the restaurant, which has a few tables and a bar area. Checked in and were seated. The staff were very friendly, unusually so for Paris, and then we found out the "other part" of the process here for the 5 course menu. You were served and had to guess what you were eating! Which I thought was fun.

My apologies for the poor photos; the lighting in the place was so dark.

Anyway course 1. This was an easy one.

Obviously Salmon Tartare, flavored with sesame oil. No biggie, just a simple dish. I guessed that there was daikon in this; but it was watermelon radish.

Next up.

This had some perfectly cooked lentils and I also correctly guessed kimchi and chorizo! The Server was kinda impressed. At least someone was impressed. This dish seemed so mild in flavor in spite of the kimchi, which there was too little of and soy sauce which we actually couldn't taste.

Dish 3

Well I got the Beef Tataki part. The beef was a bit tough for our taste. I also guessed cho-jang, but was told gochujang. I'm thinking the tones of vinegar and sweetness tilted things to the chogochujang side of things. The pickled onions were quite good, crisp and bracing; there was a citrusy component to the dish as well.

Our favorite item of the night. This is an easy one.

The duck was perfectly cooked, the skin crisp, the flesh fairly tender. The butternut squash puree added that little sweet-fruitiness complimenting the duck. The bok choy was still nice and crisp. The gochujang was too overpowering for the duck. In theory, it should work a la hoisin sauce; but the spice was a bit overpowering in this case.

The Missus enjoyed the dessert.

Overall, a fairly unique and fun meal, but with more misses than hits. We liked the staff, but really don't think we'll return.

Pierre Sang in Oberkampf
55 Rue Oberkampf
75011 Paris, France

The next morning we got up and did what was now our routine; coffee and croissants at the apartment. Then headed on out to do that Flanuer thing, exploring the area around Boulevard Beaumarchais. It's such fun just wandering and window shopping…..

We got to check out the trendy Merci at 111 Bd Beaumarchais.

Loaded with all those things you don't need…..

And there was a moment, just like what happened a few days earlier, where we were reminded…….

Of that "special one"…..

We stopped by Maison Plisson and took a look around.

And got some terrine for lunch. The cheese looked tempting, but I had another destination in mind.

Maison Plisson
93 Bd Beaumarchais
75003 Paris, France

Near Place des Vosges we came across this chocolate shop with some, well, unique designs.

Yes, those "shoes" are made of chocolate!

The name of the place is:

Joséphine Vannier – Chocolaterie d'Art
4 Rue du Pas de la Mule
75003 Paris, France

At Place des Vosges, we took a quick look at the courtyard of Le Pavillon de la Reine.

It was fun ducking in and out of places and shop with no objective in mind. We loved little scenes like this one.

We finally made our way to Rue Saint-Antoine, which becomes Rue de Rivoli and made two quick stops; one at Fromagerie Laurent Dubois.

Cheese heaven.

Fromagerie Laurent Dubois
97-99 Rue Saint-Antoine
75004 Paris, France

Heading back to the apartment, we picked up a baguette at Boulangerie Pezeril, which I posted on before, and had terrine, fromage de truffe, and baguette for lunch.

Before nap time kicked in>

I was really enjoying "Paris at our leisure" and hope you enjoyed this post!

Thanks for stopping by!

Revisits to Kim’s Deli and Sandwich Island Deli

July 27, 2023 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Japanese Restaurants, Korean Restaurants

It's funny how the mind works. I was getting some takeout from Sue’s Korean Kitchen, when suddenly I was wondering how Kim's Deli was doing.

Kim's Deli:

So, a couple of days later at around 10am, I drove down Arjons Drive to see what was going on.

Kims Deli Rev 01

I parked in the cul-de-sac and walked on over to the little shop located in the business mall. The two older Korean women were hard at work putting together takeout orders when I arrived.

Kims Deli Rev 02

I thought about having a sandwich, but what reminded me of Kim's when visiting Sue's was the Bulgogi Bowl, which was pretty straightforward and simple, but was priced at reasonable $9 back in February 2021. It's now $12. Regardless, with prices these days, it still seems like a bargain. So that's what I got.

Kims Deli Rev 03 Kims Deli Rev 04 Calling this a "bowl" is a definite misnomer as it's pretty hefty. There's the standard green salad with a sesame dressing plus some fairly standard and kinda mushy and pretty salty japchae. The rice was nicely done and the portion size seemed a bit larger than before.

The bulgogi, was better this time, not as tough, though flavor wise, it was edging on the sweeter side. I saw the woman in the back actually cook the meat in what looked like a combo pizza oven – broiler. The sauce on the side tasted like bottled stuff and was super sweet in flavor.

Kims Deli Rev 05

Like I mentioned before, this really gave me old school "lunchwagon" vibes. It's not great, but considering the price at $12 and the portion size, in this day and age it's worth it. Plus, I actually had some leftovers….there was a ton of rice under the meat and japchae.

Kim's Deli
8515 Arjons Drive
San Diego, CA 92126

As I was having the bulgogi "bowl" my mind drifted off and thoughts of Sandwich Island Deli entered mi cabeza. Though it wasn't the sandwiches I was musing on; it was something else.

Sandwich Island Deli:

Which of course, had me driving down Trade Street a couple of days later to see what was going on.

S Island Rev 01

Again, it was just past 10am and the place seemed pretty quiet.

S Island Rev 02

Everything seemed peaceful at the counter.

S Island Rev 03

What you don't see is the Asian couple working like crazy putting together orders. By the time the woman saw me and came over to take my order there were six packages on the counter!

As for what I ordered, well, like Kim's I was going to have a sandwich on another day. The "bento box" which is what I had on my previous visit had gone up a mere 75 cents in nearly 2 1/2 years!

Something else caught my eye. There's Chicken Yakisoba on the menu. And it's priced at only $7.95. I was wondering what the heck a $7.95 dish would look like here? All sandwiches, save one (the Egg Salad Sandwich – $6.99), are more expensive than the yakisoba. Heck, most everything at Nijiya is now more expensive than that! So, I had to try it.

That bag felt pretty heavy. I opened it up and cracked up.

S Island Rev 04

This looked like something I'd throw together when I was 12 years old, trying to make use of dry, packaged ramen noodles.

And actually, there was more sautéed cabbage, than noodles. Or anything else for that matter. And it was quite bland in terms of soy-savory-sweet tones.

S Island Rev 05

There were a few pieces of chicken, mushrooms, and zucchini. The seasoning was very mild and also tasted like it was poured from a bottle or gallon container. Perhaps I should have followed the lead of the guy who came to pick up his yakisoba….I'm guessing he's a regular because the woman gave him two containers of sauce for his order.

Truth be told; the teriyaki-ish chicken bento is better than this. Though it's hard to complain about something that costs $7.95. Heck, remember I got a second-rate Banh Mi for $9 recently? And I got my daily requirement of cabbage with this meal to boot.

Sandwich Island Deli
7350 Trade St.
San Diego, CA 92121

Sunday Stuffs – White Rice Replacing Fusion Eats, Zen Curry Temporarily Closed? And Aldi Coming to Clairemont

July 2, 2023 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Filipino Restaurants, Japanese Restaurants, Markets & Grocers

Just a couple of items for a leisurely Sunday.

White Rice Replacing Fusion Eats:

A couple of weeks back, I noticed that Fusion Eats appeared closed, so I drove on in.

The note on the door said "we are closed
but to check for updates. Which almost hints that this might be a temporary closure?

But things became clearer when I read this post on Eater San Diego. Apparently, this space will be a future site of a location of White Rice. They'll probably do well here. And I'm hoping that it might be better than what I had at the Normal Heights location.

5299 Linda Vista Road
San Diego, CA 92110

Is Zen Curry Temporarily Closed?:

Speaking of temporarily closed, I recently revisited PT Eatery. After finishing my meal, I took a walk to check out the location of YukDaeJung which is now open.

What caught my attention was that Zen Curry appeared closed.

And here again was the note posted on the door stating "we are closed". I checked Google which indicated that the place is "Temporarily Closed" as well as that "four-lettered" site which also noted that the place is scheduled to reopen on September 1st. I also did a check on the Zen Curry website, which said the reopening date is TBD.

Zen Curry Closed 00

Interesting times……

7309 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111

Aldi Coming to Clairemont:

I had to go to the bank and was heading back home, taking the left onto Balboa west when I noticed that the former location of Rite Aid on the corner of Balboa and Genesee which closed during Covid and never reopened had a sign posted. So after making my left turn onto Balboa I headed into the parking lot.

Looks like there'll be a location of Aldi here?

This is going to be an interesting addition. I've been to the Mira Mesa location 2-3 times and thought the prices were good, with a small, tight selection, and super rude employees. So, we'll see…..

5270 Balboa Ave.
San Diego, CA 92117

Hope everyone has a fun and safe 4th of July!

Monday Meanderings – Mister Falafel and Mi Pana Closes, Dinner with Friends at Kingfisher

February 13, 2023 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Colombian Food and Restaurants, Fine Dining, Lebanese Restaurants, Mediterranean Restaurants, Venezuelan Food and Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

Recently, I got some bad news from two of my "FOYs".

Mister Falafel Closes:

"ChrisR" sent me an email saying that Mister Falafel had closed! Whoa, now I hadn't heard about this one! Of course being that Mister Falafel is a bit hidden from the street and is mainly a warm weather location for garlic paste, I hadn't really dropped by in a while. So, on the way home from errands I decided to see what was going on. And sigh…..yes, the place has been gutted. It seems Mister Falafel is no longer.

The folks here were so nice!

First La Miche, now Mister Falafel. This is so sad. When will the bleeding stop?

4461 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

Mi Pana Closes:

This one is from our good friend "Ale". She sent me a text directing me to Mi Pana's Instragram. And yes, there it was…..

Screenshot 2023-02-12 150746

I really enjoyed my meals at Mi Pana and probably should have revisited.

This seemed so sudden and even caught "Ale" by surprise as she had just been there recently.

2241 Highland Ave.
National City, CA 91950

Dinner at Kingfisher with Friends:

I know, you want a post and I don't blame you. Especially with all the accolades Kingfisher has gotten since they opened, the 50 Best New Restaurants by Bon Appetite listing, a Michelin New Discovery Listing, and with the chef being a James Beard Semifinalist. I'll say that the food was excellent and I'm sure to be back. But this dinner was more important than me doing a post.

You see, this dinner has been over four years in the making. There's a part of me that Covid had eaten away. The part that enjoyed spending time with my friends. Friends that have shared many fun times together, like bringing a whole roasted pig to Karaoke or celebrating Thanksgiving in August, or doing a trolley scavenger hunt. We've gone to dinner roadtrips and even a wedding in Ciudad Obregon! We've been thru births and weddings.

My good friend Candice had been trying to set something up for months and finally, we were all together! It had been so long! I didn't realize how much I missed them all (and you too TFD!).

And as often happens when good friends meet, the conversations, jokes, and laughter all came together seamlessly. It was if we had just seen each other yesterday.

And while the food was fabulous, catching up on things was more important on this day. I didn't even take photos of all the dishes, but here are a few.

Yes, it's as good as it looks, but I'll wait to return when I can spend more attention on the food before doing a real post.

So, here's to friendship and making up for lost time. Thanks for setting things up Candice!

Kingfisher
2469 Broadway
San Diego, CA 92102

Have a great Valentines Day everyone!

Kusina

July 12, 2022 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Filipino Restaurants, Loco Mocos

Back in February of this year I noticed that Boss Bird Kitchen had completed moving from Miramar to La Mesa and there was a new sign up at that location. Whew, if you're keeping score that would make business number four in that location since 2018. And two of those defunct businesses were Filipino in concept, Sarap and Gaya Gaya. So now, I guess we were back to square one?

I waited a couple of months before visiting, until April, when Calvin was in the office and I had him come along to try out Kusina.

Kusina 01

Man, the place looked pretty empty, which was great for Calvin and I, who both tested negative before meeting up, but perhaps not for Kusina.

Kusina 02

The menu was full of the "usual suspects", though they were out of several items on this day.

We placed our order and in a few minutes our food started arriving.

Of course no meal in this genre is complete without rice and we went with the Garlic Rice.

Kusina 03

Which was decently done; if a bit on the mild side in regards to garlic/pungent flavors.

I believe I've mentioned that Calvin can't pass up trying Pancit Palabok whenever it's on the menu. His Missus doesn't eat (a lot of things) palabok so he takes this opportunity to treat himself….as he should.

Kusina 04

This isn't my favorite version of the dish; the pancit malabon was way overcooked and mushy; there wasn't enough of the deep, savory "seafoody" deliciousness of a good palabok. The breadcrumbs added a textural contrast, but really was not much of a help overall.

Of course we got the Sisig. Which looked quite nice, arriving in a sizzling plate with that lovely egg…..

Kusina 05

This dish looked much better than it was….much of the pork was on the burnt and tough side; the sauce lacked spice, the dish was super salty.

The best item was the Bicol Express.

Kusina 06

While I could have used a bit more bagoong and the pork was perhaps a bit on the "waxy" side; at least this had some zip to it, which made it go well with rice.

Overall, I wasn't too impressed with this meal.

Kusina calls itself "A Taste of the Pacific" and has some non-Filipino dishes on the menu. A week after my first visit, I decided to do some takeout and placed an online order….for….well… a Loco Moco. Which was ready for pick-up at the assigned time. It was a short, about 10 minute drive back to the office where I unpacked things.

Kusina 07 Kusina 08 This was interesting; the gravy was mushroom based and not terrible. The egg was over-cooked; I don't think the short drive back to the office was an issue though.

The rice was perfect.

The burger was a bit chewy and mealy, but was nice and beefy in flavor; perhaps it was just too lean for my taste.

Kusina 09

Not terrible, but definitely not a loco moco I'd be craving.

And so the photos just kinda sat. I did want to do one more visit before posting. During that period, Soo did a post on Kusina which you can read here.

Finally, after two months, Calvin was coming into the office and wanted to meet for lunch. I called Kusina to make sure they had Crispy Pata, they did, which set us off for another visit.

There were more tables set on this visit, though only one other fellow came in to eat during our meal….and he was from our office!

Kusina 10

On each of my visits the folks working the front of house were different and this visit was no exception.

We placed our order and like on our initial visit, the first dish out was the rice….this time Bagoong Rice.

Kusina 11

This was unevenly stir fried and there were clumps of uncoated/unseasoned rice. The dish definitely needed more bagoong….at least for me.

Of course we got the Crispy Pata.

Kusina 12 Kusina 13 The skin wasn't too bad, a bit beyond the crispness I enjoy, but not bad. The flesh was really tough and chewy….I'm thinking that this was made way ahead of time and then dumped into the deep fryer. It was also pretty darn salty so the sawsawan wasn't needed.

Last up was the Kare Kare. Look at how large everything is….what's up with not cutting ingredients these days? Talk about unwieldy and messy…..

Kusina 14

We didn't care for the greasy mouthfeel and in spite of being really salty, that's all there was in terms of flavor. The Oxtail was cooked perfectly though and was delish. Kusina 15

Sadly, this place seemed like a step down from Sarap and Gaya Gaya. Though the fellow from the office told Calvin and myswelf that he comes here every week for the Adobo, so maybe????

Perhaps Kusina will have the staying power the last 4 tenants didn't have?

We'll see.

Kusina
7580 Miramar Rd.
San Diego, CA 92126
Hours
Tues – Sun 11am – 3pm, 5pm – 8pm
Closed on Mondays

Roadtrip (2022) – Some Hiking, Shopping, Bart’s Books, and Dinner at the Dutchess (Ojai)

July 11, 2022 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Burmese Food and Restaurants, Road Trip, Travel, Ventura County

We did quite a bit during our first full day in Ojai.

Starting the day with some hiking. We decided to head out to Rose Valley Falls for a quick hike. Getting an early start meant we easily found parking near the camp grounds. The hike was quite short and for the Missus unexciting….except for me taking a fall and smashing up my iPhone. The actual trail took us like 20 minutes and the photos came out looking much more dramatic than how things looked. All the Instagrammers were out having a fun time with their selfies here.

After this short hike we got back on Rose Valley Road and did the Piedra Blanca Formations Trail, which was an easy and enjoyable hike.

The start was thru chaparral shrubland for about a mile. At that point you start getting a peek at the amazing white rock formations.

We found the formations to be quite interesting. Upon closer look you'll see caves, crevasses, and striations.

And if you're like me….if you stare at the formations long enough you start seeing shapes. I thought this one looked like an elephant. What do you think?

While this was a super easy hike for the Missus, She enjoyed the solitude. We didn't run into another hiker on the trail until we were almost on our way out. Plus, those formations were quite interesting.

On our way back we decided to stop in at the Arcade again. We dropped into Heavenly Honey, which was on the busy side. so, we just bought some gifts and headed on out.

Heavenly Honey Company
206 E Ojai Ave.
Ojai, CA 93023

One of the Missus's coworkers who loves Ojai mentioned a wonderful "resort" nearby that we should take a look at. So we headed off to Ojai Valley Inn. This being the Saturday before the 4th the place was pretty busy but we found parking and had a nice little stroll on the property.

It was a nice setting, but not our kind of thing. We checked out the menus at the two restaurants, but the Missus wasn't too interested.

On the way back to our hotel, I decided to make a stop at Bart's Books, which claims to be the "world's largest outdoor bookstore."

We easily found parking and walked on over.

The books that line the shelves facing the sidewalk are available 24 hours a day and you pay via an honor system.

The bookstore is located in the original home of the founder of the shop Richard "Bart" Bartindale in established in 1964.

While the Missus perused various travel books, I asked the staff up front where the food and cookbooks were. They were located in the "kitchen", duh…..

The shop was quite empty during our visit and the Missus really enjoyed the shop and even found a book She wanted. We would return the very next day to explore a bit more.

I later figured out why She enjoyed this shop so much. It seems that "Bart" was inspired by those little wooden book carts along the Seine….which is of course, in the Missus's favorite city…..must be the Ojai Psychic Friends Network at work?

Bart's Books
302 W Matilija St.
Ojai, CA 93023

We then headed back to our accommodation at Hummingbird Inn. Located just outside the main "strip" in Ojai, it's pretty peaceful and relaxed…well, Ojai is quite relaxed as a whole. The Missus really enjoyed the shaded outdoor area out front where She could sit and read.

The hotel is very dog friendly, as is all of Ojai, and in the mornings all the folks staying in the place would have their pooches out doing their morning rounds.

While the Missus enjoyed the day, I took a stroll over to the IGA a few blocks down the street to get some sparkling water.

We enjoyed the markets in Ojai….man, the produce looked quite good and I should have taken photos of the nice selection of cheeses and such…..

For dinner, I made an interesting choice at a restaurant called The Dutchess.

Located next to Ojai Rotie; the Dutchess is a bakery/coffee shop during the day, which then converts to a Burmese Restaurant for dinner service. Even though I wasn't convinced this combo would work, I thought it might make for an interesting dinner. I booked indoor seating for 7pm.

We arrived and were seated immediately. Good thing I made reservations as all tables, especially for outdoor dining were booked.

The service was very warm and friendly; though a bit slow and disorganized. Our main Server seemed only to be able to do one thing at a time…..I ordered a cocktail and the Missus asked to have a taste of one of the wine….well, the woman brought the wine, then left….not returning for almost 10 minutes, at which time the Missus said She'd take the wine….the Server then disappeared to return with my cocktail….then vanished again for another 10 minutes to get the Missus's wine. Oh, and then she got us our water. This would pretty much be the pattern for the whole meal. She was very nice however.

Thankfully, the food, which seemed like a Burmese fusion had it much more "together"

We started with the Chickpea Tofu ($10).

The Missus loved this dish! The perfectly crisp exterior gave way to a wonderful creamy and light interior. The beany-nutty flavor came through nicely. Though I thought the dish was a bit on the salty side, a dip into the tamarind sauce just evened things out for me. The Missus didn't need the sauce at all and just loved this dish.

For us, the only disappointing dish of the evening was the Tea Leaf Salad ($20).

While I was glad this dish used cabbage; the dressing way too sour, the dish really lacking in the fermented bitter-tartness I enjoy from laphet.

For me, my favorite dish of the evening was the Puri ($18). Lest you think this is just fried bread with perhaps a chickpea dip, think again.

This version came with a fabulous Chicken Liver Mousse. The Dutchess's "baking chops" really delivered here as well as the puri was light, yeasty, full of flavor with a nice hint of salty-sweetness.

The Chicken Liver Mousse had a smooth-creamy richness, nice savory-earthy offal tones that were tones down with the plum jam. This was so good!

The Dutchess also displayed some good "baking chops" with the Danbauk (Biryani – $31) topping the dish with puff pastry.

The puff pastry was very light with a wonderful texture. The rice in the dish was tender and the complex seasoning, while again on the saltier side, did well with a touch of raita, which added a nice, refreshing component to everything. Wish there was a bit more lamb in the dish; what we tasted was wonderfully gamey.

We were pleasantly surprised with our meal and would dine here again.

The Dutchess
457 E Ojai Ave.
Ojai, CA 93023

Ojai was indeed full of surprises…..good ones!