Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion – Page 5

Roadtrip (2022) – Yume Japanese Burger Cafe (Ojai)

July 6, 2022 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Burgers, Travel, Ventura County

When we returned from our Zion – Monument Valley – Sedona trip, the Missus told me that She was "done with road trips" for a while. Though upon returning from our Scotland – Paris trip, the Missus said that She had "changed Her mind……maybe a road trip might be nice". Man, that didn't last long did it? The only condition; "please no National Park food…."

And so I planned a weekend trip during he long weekend….even though I wasn't sure about traveling during the weekend of the 4th, to a place I'd heard really nice things about; Ojai.

And in the end, we loved the vibe, the people, and we had some good meals in Ojai. I had read about the bohemian, new agey lifestyle in Ojai….the term "bucolic" is sprinkled freely in descriptions. Perhaps what they say about the calming spiritual vortex of this valley town is true? Regardless, to us, this is what Sedona should or used to be…..and with better food in our opinion.

Even though we arrived on the Friday before the 4th, we easily found parking in the heart of the town right past the very distinctive Post Office which sports a portico and bell tower and was designed to look like the bell tower of Havana Cathedral.

Since it was too early to check in at our accommodations we decided to do a bit of shopping. The Ojai Arcade built in 1917 houses many shops and restaurants. The Missus wasn't enthralled by most of what the shops carried though I'd say seeing all folks with bags from Rains and other shops…….well, that says something about the appeal of shopping in Ojai.

We would walk through and past the Arcade several times a day during our stay in Ojai, so I think of it as the heart of the village.

For a town with a population of under 8,000….though I'm sure there are many more visitors; Ojai has an interesting variety of restaurants featuring a variety cuisines that belies the population and demographics of the village. During our stay we ate Burmese and Lebanese….and to start things off; we ate a a Japanese Wagyu Burger shop named Yume.

The place seems small, but is actually made up of three dining areas, we decided just to sit at on of the two-tops in the front. Here you simple order at one of the stations and have a seat.

The Missus and I decided to share two items; starting with some BBQ Wagyu Fries ($9.50).

Basically fries topped with teriyaki beef, nori, and kewpie mayo. The beef was a bit on the chewy side, but nicely marinated if a bit too sweet. The nori helped to tame the sweetness down a bit. The fries were not up to the task and got soggy quickly.

I was tempted to try the Karaage Sandwich, but went with the Yume Classic Wagyu Burger ($13).

After all, who can resist that runny, sunny side up egg, which was nicely done. The patty had a nice beefiness to it and the brioche bun went well with the burger. The cabbage added a nice crunchy contrast to things, but the sauce was much too sweet. Both the Missus and I thought some pickles or tomato would have contributed a dose of acidity to help cut thru all that sweetness.

That said, this wasn't too bad at all. Prices weren't bad; though the perfunctory service was the most unfriendly we encountered in Ojai. Which kind of goes against all the kinda cutesy stuffs around the place.

Yume Japanese Burger Cafe
254 East Ojai Ave.
Ojai, CA 93023

Hoxton Manor – A Quick Look

April 5, 2022 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion

**** Hoxton Manor has closed

So, I thought I'd better get around to to this one….this is the visit that had me wondering if I should do these "quick look" posts. Hoxton Manor seemed to make a bit of a splash when it opened; mainly on the name of chef Ryan Costanza, who opened acclaimed Dija Mara in Oceanside. And so I thought it might be worth a visit. I went and let the Missus preview the menu and She was all in.

This visit was just before the Omicron surge….we hadn't dined indoors in San Diego for ages and the Missus was really excited to try this discreet, signless restaurant in the former location of the North Park Breakfast Company. So I made reservations for the earliest possible time.

The interior look nicely styled, though the hard surfaces really amplified the sound in the restaurant and the music was very loud during our visit.

The menu looked wonderful; with seemingly reinvented-modern renditions of classic Asian dishes. As is our MO we stuck with apps and starters so we could get a wide ranging set of dishes.

First up was the Duck Confit & Oyster Mushroom Imperial Roll.

This fancy Cha Gio was quite beautiful. However, with all the "stuffs" garnishing it a key component was lost……the wrapper was not crisp/crunchy; more chewy and hard. Good amount of oyster mushrooms, which presented with a nice earthiness but made the whole spring roll overly chewy and we could not make out any flavor from the duck confit.

The Marinated Hamachi was waaaaay too sour.

Man, if done right, the shiso would have added a wonderful anise brightness to the dish; but there was way too much of it, which seemed like a bit of a waste and the pickled cucumber and marinade for the super thin slices of yellowtail just overwhelmed the dish.

We saw some yakitori type items on the menu and were intrigued; so we ordered the Pork Meatball and the Oyster Mushroom Skewers.

The oyster mushrooms were really tough and rubbery and was super salty. I expected a bit more smokiness; as in the "touch of binchotan", but that was lacking as well.

I just had to order the pork meatballs……after all I've often said that whether in San Diego or in Japan (this is the original Yakyuudori in Nagoya); I tend to judge the skill of the cook by the Tsukune (here's one of our favorites from Torito in Kyoto). And even though this was pork not chicken there's the combining of the meat and fat at the appropriate ratios along with how it is mixed…….to make it moist, tender, and almost airy that appeals to me. And adding the perfect amount of salt and tare to create a nice caramelization and crisp exterior as well. I had wondered if Hoxton would be able to do this with pork….and sadly; this was super tough; the tare of nuoc mam might have worked; but this was just too tough and dry.

The best dish of the evening was the Taiwanese Fried Chicken.

The chicken was crisp and light, perfectly seasoned, tender, just a joy to eat. It paired well with the basil; but the pickled cucumbers; sort of like kyuri amazu-ae detracted from the dish.

The last item out was the "Vietnamese Crepe" a version of Banh Xeo. Much like the version of Cha Gio; this was quite over wrought.

It really didn't need an overdose of perilla leaf (Tia To). Also the crepe was not light and crisp, but just hard and rubbery. The pork was very salty and this was just hard for us to enjoy….so hard that we just had to leave most of it.

To say this was a disappointing meal…well……we had not eaten in a restaurant for ages at this point in time and were really looking forward to this meal. The presentations were interesting; but the combinations just didn't seem to work for us. Aspects of certain dishes (the "soul") had been lost. It just seemed more "con-fusion", then fusion, this coming from a kid from Hawaii…you know, the home of Hawaii Regional Cuisine???

You see why I was torn when trying to figure out if I should do these posts based on one visit. In the days before Covid; based on price and the experience we would never have returned and this post would never had seen the light of day and the photos would have been sent to the recycle folder.

Tell me what you think?

The Missus and I always look forward to our dinners out and the pandemic has just magnified how much we missed dining out. We and our pocketbook take no joy when we have disappointing meals.

Hoxton Manor
3131 University Ave.
San Diego, CA 92104

Roadtrip (During Covid) – Six Test Kitchen (Paso Robles)

March 17, 2022 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Fine Dining, Memorable Meals, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Travel

Yes, we did enjoy our time in Yosemite, though I was pretty tired off all the burgers and fried food. Don't get me wrong, I was taken by Groveland, but I really wanted to have a nice meal; something interesting, innovative, and fun. A few years back, I'd read about a chef, Ricky Odbert, who opened a six seat tasting menu experience…in his family's garage! And was fascinated. Eventually he opened a twelve seat reservation only place in Tin City. Once I found out the Missus wanted to go to Yosemite and that we'd be going in and out of Paso Robles….I planned our trip around when I managed to get reservations at Six Test Kitchen. I'm glad I did; because a few weeks before our dinner, Six Test Kitchen received a Michelin Star……

Hidden around the corner from Field Recordings Winery, the restaurant is quite discreet.

You basically sit at the open concept bar/counter overlooking the open kitchen. Sitting here, I quickly noticed the fish bone hanging and drying above the stove. I found out that it was drying to make Six Test Kitchen's version of dashi.

There were only three people working on this evening, the chef, his assistant, and the Sommelier, a young man named Matt, who was amazing. As interesting as the food was; the Missus loved the wine pairings the most, which were quite different from the usual standard pairings the Missus was accustomed to.

Things started out fabulously, with a wonderfully briny-oceany Pacific Gold Oyster.

The finish was almost melon-like in flavor and that Meyer Lemon granite was the perfect match. The great thing about having such an intimate dinner is that you chat with the staff. We were told that the Sommelier lives in Morro Bay so he picks up oysters on his way into Paso Robles. Heck, this might be a good excuse for us to head on back there.

Next up was a Wagyu Beef Tartare.

I wasn't a big fan of all that Gruyere that covered the beef as the milky-nuttiness over powered the beautiful wagyu. Also, there was a tad too much horseradish for our tastes as well.

The Rock Cod Tempura was fried perfectly, not greasy, light, crisp, though the flavor of the fish was mild, the slightly sweet flavor came through. I asked about the wonderful texture and was told that they dry age the cod inhouse.

With just a dab of the Tarragon-Caper Mayo, it was wonderful.

The Kaluga Caviar with Bacon and Eggs was interesting.

The caviar was lost in this dish basically covered in an egg creme; the chunks of bacon seemed a bit cumbersome.

The next wine up was a crisp Pinot Gris from the Alsace.

Which was served with slices of kampachi sashimi, fermented turnips which were fabulous, pear, and shimeji mushrooms.

An interesting textural combination; the wine really went well with the fermented turnip; the mushroom added an interesting touch of nuttiness, and the Asian pear a light sweetness.

The Missus was smitten by the next wine served.

This white actually comes from the Canary Islands! It's a white bled of two indigenous grapes.

The Missus loved the smooth balance of acidity and light oakiness. In fact, She had me track down some bottles online.

This was served up with the next two dishes; first a Chawan Mushi with Koji Butter.

Amazing texture, though the really strong flavors of the koji butter detracted from the steamed egg custard. I did enjoy the deep smoky tones and was told that this was from the dashi made from the fish bones hanging above the stove was used for.

Next up was the Sablefish….when this arrived the chef, who kept quizzing me about the dishes, kiddingly asked me if I knew what kind of fish this was and I told him "Black Cod"….he cracked up….

The black cod was amazing, buttery, perfectly melt in your mouth tender. The cauliflower puree was quite nice as well.

Next up, a Gamay Rouge from Beaujolais was served along with a very interesting looking dish.

The main part of the dish was a crunchy cigarish looking tube made of chicken liver rolled in onion powder and orange marmalade. Quite interesting, but not quite my kind of thing.

Up next was the Duck Breast.

Which was perfectly done and seasoned, though fairly tough. Loved the delicata squash. Also on the plate was a duck sausage "mole" which was a bit too sweet for my taste; but quite interesting texturally.

By now all the guests had arrived and the kitchen was going full bore….

Next up a Brunelleschi de Montecino.

To be served with two pork based dishes, we enjoyed both.

The Dry Aged Pork Loin was cooked to perfection.

It was so tender, perfectly seasoned, and flavorful. The apple butter potatoes were interesting but a bit too much for me.

The Dry Aged Pork Shoulder was also very tasty and much more "porky".

So moist and porky; we loved the pleasantly bitter-savory mustard greens that was served with it.

And then, dessert of course…..and some Cognac.

And interesting deconstructed carrot cake.

A bit over the top.

We both really enjoyed the not overly sweet, but complexly flavored Barley Koji Ice Cream.

Rice and creamy, moderately sweet, great nutty flavors, and almost a bit of savoriness to boot!

The rest were items like fruit rolls a chocolate peanut butter bar

And these quite tasty, light caramel – white sesame balls.

All in all, we enjoyed our meal at Six Test Kitchen. The dishes are creative, the chef doesn't play it safe and takes a lot of chances, which didn't always meet our tastes, but we understood that going in. The Missus loved the interesting wine pairing which was much different from most. While we probably won't return to Six Test Kitchen, we enjoyed our experience.

Six Test Kitchen
3075 Blue Rock Rd.
Unit B
Paso Robles, CA 93446

No Sandwiches from Sandwich Island

March 1, 2022 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Japanese Restaurants, Plate Lunch

I had been wanting to return to Sandwich Island since I'd done my original post back in October. A couple of weeks after, I finally decided to return. I was thinking about getting a sandwich but then I saw this posted.

Whoa, a bento box for $8.75???? I couldn't help myself and ordered it. The container was quite hefty and there was even some miso soup included.

But let me set your expectations right now…..

As you can see; it's a very generous portion of food. Though it's truly "SYSCO – city", if you know what I mean.

Don't get me wrong; I've had worse at many other places for much more money.

But, like that frozen from a package eggroll….

To the very salty; un-miso-ey, miso soup…..also obviously form a package. This was like making a large plate from stuff you have in the freezer and around the house.

Though chicken was nicely griddled on the flat top, it was dark meat chicken which prefer….I've had worse at L&L, the sauce was pure, salty, Yoshida's, or something quite similar. I will say the rice was nicely cooked, moist and tender.

I enjoyed the green salad and the edamame was a nice touch.

And based on recent prices; this was bargain. I feel like I got what paid for here. And how often these days can you say that. Though a coworker told me that they've increased the prices again recently. Still, I know a lot of folks who would pay 10 bucks for this nowadays.

Sandwich Island
7350 Trade St.
San Diego, CA 92121
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 630am – 3pm
Closed Saturdays and Sundays

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

More Than Sandwiches – Exploring Other Options at SuperNatural Sandwiches

September 14, 2021 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Salads, Sandwiches

**** SuperNatural Sandwiches has closed

Man, it seems we're in this never ending cycle of Covid during the pandemic….time just kind of slides by. I thought I had "just" posted on SuperNatural Sandwiches, but that post was back in May of last year!

At that time the ordering and pick-up was still being done at the outside counter. But, just as I'm transitioning back to the office, SuperNatural has also been transitioning and now has the old counter work in effect, with indoor dining and such. While I'm not quite ready for this with the latest variant; I'm still doing online takeout orders which work with the same efficiency as before.

And while it's quite easy to order the same 'ol, same 'ol……."FOYs" like Loren and Junichi have really given some nice recommendations to add some variety into my fairly boring life. Loren had both recommended the fries and the salad variation, which has been added to my ordering routine.

The recent super hot weather has gotten me to order the Salad version of the Kirin a couple of times.

Which has kinda been in the rotation recently. The Kirin – with plump shrimp and Chinese sausage just does so well in a salad. And the portion size is quite generous. I don't need to order any fries with this as I'm stuffed……the dressing also does quite nicely as well.

After having this salad, I wondered how the two other preparations would do. Junichi mentioned having the fried rice option (+ $1), so on my next visit I decided to order the Kirin as fried rice….and of course I added a Fried Egg (+ $2).

Well, this was a bit puzzling for me as I wasn't a great fan of the lettuce in my fried rice. While the rice was nicely coated in a soy sauce mixture, it was on the dry and hard side.

I addition, that egg was overcooked as well.

There also didn't seem to be as much Chinese sausage as I had in the salad on my previous visit.

Overall, it seemed a bit odd and one-dimensional. If I have the fried rice option again; it might be with some other sandwich "option". Maybe Junichi can reveal what his "go-to" for the fried rice might be.

Finally, I decided to get the Kirin as Garlic Noodles (+$4). To be perfectly honest, I didn't quite know what to expect.

And while the container didn't seem particularly large, it was quite heavy. And upon opening the cover….whew…this was garlic noodles alright. Good thing the office was basically empty and after eating lunch all the meetings were via Zoom. I also had to discard the mask I wore on this day.

The standard issue noodles were nicely coated with a soy based sauce, the noodles were nicely prepared and still al dente. I did finish all of the shrimp and sausage and had a ton of noodles left, which I had with dinner. Talk about a major carb bomb, but this wasn't bad at all. The sauce for the shrimp went well with things and I didn't mind having cucumber with my noodles.

The one thing I would really like next time is to have the scallions on top of things. The noodles were obviously just dumped into the container, the green onions in a clump at the bottom. The only way I found it was after eating all the shrimp and the sausage; I gave things a good mix, which, based on how stuffed the whole container was, would not have worked out well with a full container. Still, I'd have this again……when I need to carb load….

You know, these times have me grasping for that which is familiar and comforting. I've been a customer of SuperNatural since they were at the San Diego Public Market and was quite happy when they finally opened a brick and mortar shop (where Gourmet Artisan is now located), before settling into their current location (of course they are still open in Little Italy).

The folks working have always been friendly and my online order is always ready at the designated time. Which keeps me coming back……

SuperNatural Sandwiches
7094 Miramar Rd.
San Diego, CA 92121
Current Hours:
Mon – Thurs 11am – 3pm
Fri – Sat 11am – 4pm
Closed on Sundays

Cake De Partie

August 19, 2021 Cathy Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Desserts, What Cathy Eats!

This mmm-yoso!!! post is written by Cathy. Kirk is having a busy week.

Back in 2016, signage went up on what had been Tea Garden, which had been closed for a while (and left some parking spaces for Pangea Bakery Cafe, where we frequented a bit more often). We were curious about the name, the food, the elk… yet even then we were avoiding crowds. Besides, there were posts online and in print about this place. Then there was covid and we couldn't even if we wanted. A few weeks ago, we drove in the parking lot, found a spot open and parked. Should have stopped here sooner.   'Asian Fusion, Desserts Cafe, owned and run by chef Pat & Molly' is all that is written on the web page. However, cc's 2016 blog post has an informative explanation of the business name: Cake de Partie is a play on the words, "Chef de Partie". Acording to the definition on wikipedia:
"A chef de partie, or station chef, is a cook in a restaurant who is in charge of a particular station (area of production); for example, a pastry chef or saucier. The chef de partie may be the only person working in their particular station, or may be in charge of one or more underlings."

Set up now for social distancing, there are a few tables inside and out front. When you walk in the door, there is a table with this menu on it. We were here for a pancake soufflé and knew it would take 30 minutes, so when placing the order, asked for that first. The nice lady at the counter walked back to the kitchen to let them know before we continued making the order. Since we knew we would be waiting for 'dessert', we ordered some Popcorn Chicken ($5.50)- original flavor (there is also a 'Zapp' and a 'Cheddar' option). This was quite *perfect*- a light, crispy, non-oily bite of juicy chicken.
The BBQ pork rice bowl ($9) was also really good. Honey BBQ pork over sticky rice with a small salad on the side. The salad had a sort of strawberry vinaigrette already on it and the dipping sauce for the honey coated charred pork had a bit of sour (lime juice?) and umami (fish sauce?) and a touch of heat that was a very complimentary condiment.
There were several choices of crepe cake slices ($8). We chose mocha. The Mister counted 25 crepes, each separated with a thin layer of a buttery mocha frosting. Buttery frosting. We had never tried a crepe cake before and definitely will seek out the other flavors.
This is why we were here. The Very Berry Soufflé Pancake ($10). Fresh and warm from the kitchen, served with a small scoop of strawberry ice cream and small cup of strawberry jam (pretty sure those were made in house).
There are two soufflé pancakes. Here is a cross section of the delightful, jiggly treat. This is simply wonderful.

As a side note, there is a wide array of beverages to choose from on the menu. A simple cup of organic hot tea ($3.50) is made to order from loose tea leaves. This was the peach blossom – a very natural flavored tea.

Everything served here is quality. High quality. A hidden gem right there on Convoy Street.

Cake de Partie 4685 Convoy Street San Diego 92111 Close Monday and Tuesday. Open Wed-Sun 11 a.m.-9 p.m. (858) 987-0033 Website

"Drink Triple, Eat Double, Act Single"

Regarding the elk: the elk depicted in the logo is due to the chefs' admiration for the elk's revered status in Japan. Their culture views elk as a spiritual force.

Rooster Rice & Noodles

May 17, 2021 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Thai Restaurants

**** Rooster Rice & Noodles is now Ju Feng Yuan

Back in the middle of April I heard about a new "Thai" place that had opened in a strip mall off Scripps Poway Parkway on the "coconut wireless". At first I thought it was Takhrai Thai, which I had been warned off of; but no, it was a place named Rooster Rice and they supposedly made Khao Man Gai. So, on a day when I had to return home from the office at around 11, I checked and found the website for Rooster Rice & Noodles, with online ordering……well, it seemed that almost all the items were using English names and there wasn't Khao Man Gai on the menu. Until I found what I'm guessing is one of their signature dishes; something called "Rooster Rice" that came with either steamed or crispy chicken with soup on the side. This seemed like the item, so I ordered it and drove up to find the shop.

Looking for the address and suite number led me to the signage for Wong's Wok; where I found the banner for Rooster Rice.

I believe that the previous place must have been a Chinese fast food joint based on the "decor".

There was a short wait for my food. I was handed a package and headed home.

I was quite interested to see what the Khao Man Gai was going to be like and I opened up the standard issue styrofoam container and…….what the heck????

Sheesh…well, looks like they made a mistake here. I even gave them my name and everything! Grand opening mistake I guess. So, I had the egg noodles with BBQ Pork – Ba Mee Moo Dang. The BBQ Pork was decent, perhaps a bit tough but not bad. The egg noodles were under flavored, though cooked nicely. Standard issue fast food steamed bok choy had no taste. Needless to say, I was disappointed……as I was expecting to get what I ordered. I thought about calling, but the place is nearly 20 miles from home. I decided to just forget about it. This would be a one-and-done and there would be no post.

Until……..a couple of weeks later, "FOY" RedDevil sent me an email asking me if I'd heard of a "New Hainanese chicken place" named Red Rooster……. I replied saying that I'd visited and ordered the Khao Man Gai but got something else by mistake.

Thinking things over; I decided to give the place one more try. I had an actual fairly normal lunch break at the office so I tried again. And again there was a short wait for my online order. This time, I took a peek at my plate and verified that there was actually chicken in it.

This was quite interesting in a couple of ways. A huge container of scalding hot chicken broth was provided, decent chicken tones, seemed to have a lot of white pepper, in need of some salt, and perhaps a bit more richness.

Secondly, the two pieces of chicken, a whole chicken quarter and drumstick was still on the bone in them, not chopped or boneless; something I'm not used to with this dish. The meat was dry, with very little flavor…..like it had just been put into a pot of water and simmered. This seemed like a mere shadow of the dish.

The sauce provided was a bit different as well…..almost no ginger….seemed more like a a peanut sauce.

I will say that the rice was not bad; a bit on the mushy side perhaps, but at least there was some ginger tones along with the "flavor of fowl".

I don't think I'd order this again.

However, when placing the order for the Khao Man Gai, I saw a couple of dishes that I decided to try. Yes, call me a glutton for punishment.

"JeffP" happened to be in the office, so I thought it would make for a decent lunch to share. I had seen Nem Khao Tod on the menu (for once not just in English –
Nam Khaow Salad $10), one of my favorite things when done well, so I ordered that and the Crispy Pork Belly Rice Bowl ($12).

On this visit; a Rooster Rice & Noodles banner had replaced the Wong's Wok sign.

And this time my food was just getting to the counter as I arrived and the nice young lady repeated my order to me….she seemed surprised I was ordering the Nem Khao.

So, how was the food this time around?

Well, there was a good amount of sour sausage and a few strands of pork skin. In terms of flavor; it was pretty straight-forward, no hints of kaffir lime leaf/lemograss/shallot/mint/peanut/etc…… The worse thing was that the rice was mushy without that wonderful contrast of crunchy-chewy textures.

The Crispy Pork Belly Rice Bowl had potential.

It came with standard issue steamed and blanched veggies and the rice was really mushy; though it had been drizzled with a sauce.

The Moo Krob was almost there in texture as it had some crispness but was a bit too soft for my taste. It was fairly bland however, it could have used more salt and seemed to be lacking in the swiney goodness I enjoy. I asked JeffP what he thought and he said about the same thing….close but no cigar. Still, this has some potential. And the portion size was quite generous for the price.

The pork would have been even better had the Nam Jim (dipping sauce) been a bite more assertive in heat and savory-sweet tones. It seemed a bit watered down.

Rooster Rice & Noodles seems to fill a niche for the area and the prices are quite good. The food seems a bit "fusiony" with quite a few accommodations made. Perhaps I'll return for that pork belly one day…..but I'm going to wait for a while.

Rooster Rice & Noodles
12265 Scripps Poway Parkway
Poway, CA 92064
(858) 397-2308
Current Hours:
Tues – Sun 1100 am – 3pm and 4pm – 9pm
Closed on Mondays

Fusion Eats

May 12, 2021 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Banh Mi, Sandwiches

**** Fusion Eats is now White Rice Morena

Back in July of last year I noticed a shop called Fusion Eats had opened off Linda Vista…..I believe it was a Vegan Vietnamese place previously. FOY "Som Tommy" mentioned in the comments of one of his posts that a couple of folks who lived in the area liked the place; especially the banh mi and wings; though I wasn't really keen on the name.

The menu had everything from "Banh Mi" to wings, to poke bowls, to "burritos", to curries, beef and broccoli, kung pao/orange chicken and fried rice……..you name it…..

Still, the place had online ordering; though the prices seemed on the high side, and it gave me a break from stewing in my home office for the entire day. So I placed an order and headed off to the strip mall on Linda Vista that houses Ballast Point, Buta Ramen, and formerly International Deli and Cafe and Da Kine's.

During my first visit, there was an outdoor dining area set-up. My bag was on the counter next to the register for pick up when I arrived. The young lady working was quite cheerful.

I ordered the Angus Beef Bulgogi "Banh Mi" ($9.95) and the Garlicky Wings ($8.95).

The banh mi looked standard issue.

And came with a side of what was described as won ton chips; but seemed more like pseudo plantain chips to me. Actually, that was my favorite thing about the dish.

In terms of a standard banh mi set-up this wasn't bad. The bread was decent standard issue, with nice yeastiness and crackly. The pickled veggies were abundant, not overly sour. Boy did this place like their cilantro, though I wasn't a fan off all the hard stems in the sandwich.

Where this didn't fare well was the "Angus Beef"; which was under marinated, and a bit too chewy for my taste.

The beef was just on the tough and bland side.

When I opened my wings, I quickly noticed globs of what appeared to be boogers fat on the greasy looking wings.

Which apparently were globs of butter? The wings were slippery and greasy. The batter was hard instead of crunchy-crispy….maybe it needed to be that way to stand up to all that garlic-butter? The flavor was kind of off as well; way too much butter, giving it kind of a rancid taste to me. The wings were decently fried and moist, but it was hard for me to get past the greasy texture and I wasn't fond of the taste.

In fact, I almost never went back…..which meant that I'd never do a post. Finally, a couple of months later, after taking into consideration how smoothly the online ordering went and how nice the young lady working was, I decided to give Fusion Eats another try.

Same drill as the last time; ordering was a breeze, my order was ready within a few minutes of arriving, and the young man working was very nice. By this time, things were open for 50% indoor dining and the outdoor area had been cleared.

This time around, I ordered the Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi (sorry, just couldn't order the Orange Chicken/Won Ton Soup….and of course not the poke bowl) and something that "ST" mentioned to me called Crispy Avocado Rolls.

The Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi ($8.95) wasn't quite as good as the Bulgogi Banh Mi.

The bread was starting to go stale. Good amount of pickled veggies and cilantro as before. The lemongrass chicken had been stir-fried and while being a bit chewy was nice and moist, but quite bland. Also, there were almost inedible pieces of lemongrass mixed in with the chicken that made the whole process of eating somewhat ponderous.

Again, my favorite item were the won ton chips.

The Crispy Avocado Rolls ($8.95) were basically Avocado Lumpia

I'm not quite sure what to think of these. Perhaps these need to be consumed right away as the oil was starting to seep through the wrappers after my less than 15 minute drive home. There was a kind of greasy mushiness to the fried avocado….I've had fried and tempura avocado before….but perhaps because it was coated in panko/batter before frying….I had enjoyed it. Here it just seemed bland and greasy. Not enough corn/black beans/cilantro to actually make a difference in flavor. Imagine an eggroll/lumpia wrapper folded over a glob of fat……then biting into it. The garlic sauce could have used more garlic as well.

The menu just seems a bit all over the place; more "con-fusion" than fusion in my opinion. Perhaps it's more suited to the palates of USD students? Or maybe I've just tried the wrong things….I did try most of the items based on recommendations. Like always, I'll depend on all of you to lead me to the best items on the menu….though don't count on me going for the Orange Chicken. While the prices seem to be on the high side; I do want to like this place as the staff is so nice and the online ordering – pick-up process has been seamless.

So, any recommendations on what to try?

Fusion Eats
5299 Linda Vista Road
San Diego, CA 92110
(858) 633-2974
Current Hours:
Tues – Thurs 1130am – 8pm
Friday 1130am – 830pm
Sat – Sun Noon – 8pm

Roadtrip (During Covid-19) – Peidras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery, Pacific Grove, and Dinner at Passionfish

May 7, 2021 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Monterey/Carmel/Santa Cruz - Monterey Bay/Peninsula, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Seafood, Travel

We had really enjoyed our time in Cambria; from dinner at Madeline's to walking the wonderful trails at Fiscalini Ranch. But it was time to head to our next destination. I walked into Cambria and back to Cambria Coffee Roasting Company for our caffeine fix, we packed, then headed on out. Our next two evenings would be spent in Pacific Grove. The Missus had been to Monterey several times; I've always thought it too touristy for me and decided that perhaps we should stay just a short stroll away. Plus, there was a restaurant I'd always wanted to try out.

We stopped several times along the way, first at William Randolph Hearst Memorial State Beach.

And took a walk along the wooden pier.

On this day, it was a peaceful and scenic spot…….the breeze from the Pacific lightly caressing your face…..a lovely November (2020) day.

Just a few miles up the road was our next stop; the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery.

There was a lot of parking and a nice boardwalk where you can view the Elephant Seals. This was November, when according to this website, the large male Elephant Seals will start arriving.

No huge males on this day….just a bunch of adorable Elephant Seals relaxing and sun bathing.

And the occasional seal taking a dip to cool off.

We both found this stop relaxing and entertaining.

Maybe next time; once it's back open, we'll check out the lighthouse further on up the road.

We drove up Highway one thru Big Sur (this was before the portion of Highway 1 collapsed). Only stopping once near Big Sur Station.

We made good time to Pacific Grove and arrived before check-in. Which, in the time of Covid was done touch free……everything was done by key code; we never saw a single employee during our stay. I called the provided number and was told we could check in an hour earlier than scheduled. Still, there was a bit of time to kill. So, we found parking on the street near where we were staying and decided to do some exploring.

Pacific Grove is known as "Butterfly Town USA", so we decided to walk on over to the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary down Lighthouse Avenue.

First thing I noticed were how charming many of the homes were.

In fact, this would lead us to a fun little walk later on during our stay.

Loved this sculpture at the Post Office on Lighthouse Avenue; it's called "Butterfly Kids".

It was a nice walk to the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary.

Monarch Butterfly's usually start appearing in October to stay over the winter.

And yet we saw none as we walked the trails…..

And so we decided to sit on one of the benches for a while. After a few minutes we saw two Monarch Butterflies….unfortunately, those would be the only two we would see.

And while we were a bit disappointed to only see two; it has now turned to sadness upon reading this.

Our accommodations were at the historic Pacific Grove Inn, a Queen Anne style mansion built between 1904 and 1908.

The Missus was a bit leery about staying in an old house like this, creaky floors and all; but I got us a huge room on the top floor, which was way more room than we needed. I mean, how often are you able to stay in such an historical house….with no one to bother you?

I'm sure that in times not driven by the pandemic there might be some great amenities; but I truly liked being left alone to my own devices.

Dinner was a place I'd been wanting to check out for years; a favorite of the late Ed from Yuma, Passionfish. In fact, Ed did a three part post on the place. Of course, with Covid-19 I wasn't sure what was in store. It was all outdoor dining in the area at this time and the restaurant had done a wonderful job setting up on the patio upstairs in front of what looked like a nail salon.

Service was very efficient and professional, the restaurant had even created a satellite drink/wine station upstairs so customers could get served quickly. Ed had mentioned the amazing pricing of wine at Passionfish; bottles are sold at retail prices. Of course, we really weren't going to do entire bottles, so the Missus got Hers by the glass and thoroughly enjoyed things.

We started things off with some Buttermilk Biscuits.

My goodness; these were some of the best I've ever had; perfect, moist, wonderful flavor, a great balance in texture……man this was good!

The Spicy Fish Stew was a bit of a disappointment. It was quite bland; really tasting like a watered down mariscos consomme that one could get from a Taco truck.

Dungeness Crab Salad was excellent.

The sweet-savory crab meat, along with the almost buttery avocado was a nice one-two punch. The vinaigrette added a perfect touch of aciditiy.

Sea Scallop was perfectly seared; still rare in the middle. We both loved the caper-walnut topping.

Though we found the artichoke risotto cake to be a bit too mild in terms of flavor.

Smoked Trout Ceviche Tostadas were a bit overwhlemed by the spicy salsa and the mild tones of the smoked trout were lost.

Passionfish was a pioneer with regards to serving sustainable seafood and we were excited to try at least one fish dish. So we ordered the Rockfish, with a Jicama-Mint Salad, Rice Crisps, and Cashews. The fish was cooked perfectly; tender and moist. The spicy nuoc mam sauce might have been a bit too much for such a delicately flavored fish, but you couldn't complain about how well the fish had been prepped. Not a big fan of the grapefruit, but the Missus liked it. Loved the greens, a nice combination of bitter-savory-sweet and the cashews added another layer of savory-nutty tones.

All in all a very nice meal; a couple of dishes that missed the mark a bit; but wonderful service and the Missus and I talked about Ed….how he'd be viewing the pandemic, etc.

Passionfish
701 Lighthouse Ave.
Pacific Grove, CA 93950

On the way back we noticed something in the window of this art store.

It was a cat!

We loved it! From this point onward, we'd always stop and check out the "art store cats" to see what was up! They kept us entertained on our walks back to our accommodations.

We were really enjoying Pacific Grove!

Thanks for stopping by!