Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion – Page 6

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!

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