Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion – Page 7

Gaya Gaya – A First Look(s)

May 15, 2019 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Filipino Restaurants, Poke

***** Gaya Gaya has closed

About a week-and-a-half ago, one of the folks in the office told me that Sarap had changed owners.

A day later, I read in the Eater that DJ Tangalin had taken over the spot and renamed it Gaya Gaya.

While I thought my meals at Bivouc Ciderworks were a bit of a mixed bag, I was interested in checking the place out. As were a couple of other folks so we headed on over.

The interior looks a bit more spacious; the rather huge benches and tables had been removed and things spaced out a bit better. Other than that things looked pretty much the same. The "Sarap" signage is still up, but one look at the menu and you know it ain't the same place. The names of the dishes are familiar, but reading the descriptions, well, it was now a different world. There seemed to be fusion touches to many of the dishes.

Of course; there were those that were excepted.

It had been ages since I've had decent Balut….but man five bucks! Whatever, I decided to try it. No one else around the table wanted to join me though.

In most cases; I've had it overcooked, which really didn't help texturally. Also, the nice "fowl-ly" flavors are lost. This was nice, soft, juicy, savory, with a light mustiness. I have a couple of stories about the first couple of times I had balut back home in Hawaii; but I'll save that for another day. I really enjoyed this version as it wasn't over-cooked.

The Bicol Express ($15) here is served with mussels.

While I missed the spice (thus not really Bicolano in my mind) and the usual good dose of bagoong; the mussels were tender and those twice cooked potatoes did well in the dish. This dish seemed more Thai than Filipino to me. Still, not bad.

The Bagoong Fried Rice ($6) on the other hand was terrible.

The rice wasn't coated well; there were many clumps and some really hard pieces of rice. Not enough bagoong for our tastes. All of us had eaten the bagoong fried rice at Sarap, which was much better than this.

Calvin just had to order the "Award Winning" Tuna Poke ($13).

Maybe it's because I just got back from visiting "home"; but man, this was bland. It seemed so good while reading it through on the menu; but the fish wasn't coated well enough, not enough white shoyu. The fish itself was fine, moist, tender, but was just so bland.

Next up; the Crispy Pata ($19).

This was interesting; the pata seemed brushed with a slightly sweet glaze. It was served with a pseudo atsara which had masago in it. The soy concoction was interesting as it had a good balance of salty and sour. Sadly, the skin of the pata was really hard….not crunchy or crisp, hard. The flesh was also quite dry…not sure why the mint-dill garnish was necessary. It was disappointing.

So, a bit disappointing, but I wanted to do a revisit a few days later….sadly, I had no takers so I headed over by myself.

I decided to go with the Adobo Rice Bowl ($12). This was quite good.

The pork belly was cooked just the way I like; not falling to pieces, but super tender and moist. The sauce was a perfect balance of salty to mildly sour, with just a hint of sweet. The porkiness of the pork belly came through nicely as well. The rice was decently cooked, perhaps a bit on the dry side. The pickled cucumbers helped to cut the richness of the dish. No, it's not your typical "gut-busting" portion; but more quality than quantity.

I also decided to the order the Pinakbet ($9).

This was decent; the eggplant soft and buttery; the pumpkin was slightly firm and not mushy, with a touch of sweetness. Loved the bagoong in this….it added a wonderfully pleasing savoriness and saltiness to the dish. I did sorely miss ampalaya (bittermelon); which I think adds tannic-bitterness to pinakbet.

Overall, a decent visit. Which had me wondering; was the first visit just a fluke? So, I decided to drop by one more time. Not being particularly hungry; I just went with the Chicken Tocino Rice Bowl ($11).

Not quite sure about this….the chicken thighs didn't seem to have been marinated enough. It had a decent amount of saltiness; but really needed that fruity sweetness (usually from pineapple if I recall), and some tanginess. The color was really light and the chicken was on the dry side. The egg was overcooked for my taste; I'd have preferred easy over. The rice was moist and fragrant.

Well, not sure what to make of my visits. The Servers working, a different one on each of my visits are very friendly; but man, the space is so large, so I'm hoping they'll staff a bit better. I feel the prices would be fine for elevated Filipino food; but I'm not sure if that's what is happening here. Still, things are still on soft-opening mode. The chef was either meeting with folks or doing paperwork in the dining area on each of my visits.

I'm going to revisit in a couple of months; hopefully things will just keep on improving.

Gaya Gaya
7580 Miramar Rd
San Diego, CA 92126
Hours:
Daily 11am – 3pm, 5pm – 9pm

Sunday Sandwiches – Banh Mi Boulevard

March 31, 2019 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Banh Mi, Sandwiches

I'm not quite sure who mentioned that Banh Mi Boulevard had replaced the short lived Banh Mi Baguette Café, which had replaced the even shorter lived Bale Sandwich & Deli, which had replaced Corner Sandwich & Café. Yikes. Anyway if you were the one who notified me of the change, thanks so much!

Well, with the rather quick turnaround in weather, I decided to finally head on over to Banh Mi Boulevard to check them out.

My first impression upon entering was….how there was so much stuff!

I finally managed to focused on the menu. BMB seemed to be kind of a fusion banh mi shop; with just a couple of traditional Vietnamese options and items like Longanisa, Surf and Turf, Alaskan Cod, tacos, and fries on the menu. Though they also have Banh Mi Bo Kho.

Of course I went with the "Blvd Special" aka the Dac Biet, priced right at $4.50. This was a good sized banh mi…then upon leaving I noticed the sign outside saying the bread is made from Cali Baguette Express a place that I thought was solid, until my last visit to the Mira Mesa location. Where the bread was horrible. Still, I had hoped that the bread on the visit was an aberration. Unfortunately I was wrong.

Pale, doughy, dry, and lacking in the flakey-crustiness that I love in a good banh mi. It didn't help that no one took the time to heat up the bread. The cilantro was mostly stems, but the pate was nice and earthy; a generous amount slathered onto the bread. Well proportion slices of Thit Nguoi and decently pickled daikon and veggies did well in the sandwich. The two slices of cucumber were too short to get in each bite and for some reason those jalapenos weren't spicy at all.

One of the good things about places like Banh Mi Boulevard are the hours; the place opens at 830, so when I have meetings during lunchtime, I can go and pick up an early meal. So, I decided to head on over and grab something at around 10am. I wasn't too hungry and didn't feel alike another Banh Mi, so this caught my attention.

You know; I'm not much of a newster-hipster-trendy, bulgogi taco eating kind of guy. But what the heck; I went with a BBQ Pork and a Filipino Longanisa Taco.

First, the good news; I really enjoyed how the Longanisa tasted with the cilantro and pickled vegetables, sweet-salty, pleasantly toothsome. I didn't care much for the mayo; it just kinda clashed with all the other flavors. The BBQ Pork was too salty and….yes, this is rare for me, could have been a tad sweeter. It was also on the tough side. Though the portion size was good. The less I say about the cardboardish white corn tortillas the better.

And so….that would usually be "a rap", but I was curious about how that longanisa would taste in a banh mi. And because of meetings, I had to grab an early lunch. So I decided to head on over and give BMB another try.

I walked up to the counter and noticed something called the "Kirby's Special" ($6.75), which not only had Longanisa, but two of my other favorite food groups involved; Spam® and eggs! Though they wouldn't make my eggs easy over (op la).

The bread was a bit better this time; a bit more color and slightly crusty. It's still falls short though. There were two slices of Spam®, so you went "spam-less" for several bites of the sandwich. Not very much longanisa as well; which does a nice job with the pickled carrots and daikon which adds a nice acidity to cut the sweetness and saltiness. The jalapenos on this visit was still on the mild side; though there were two nice and juicy slices of cucumber. The stems on the cilantro weren't too thick and fibrous this time which made the experience much better.

So, what to say? I'd say with regards to fusion banh mi; I preferred Banh Mi Boulevard to what I had at Cali Banh Mi. But, like pho, i'm just not sure what the current state of Banh Mi is in San Diego these days….

Banh Mi Blvd
9005 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126
Hours:
Open Daily 830am – 830pm

Oahu – The Alley Restaurant Bar & Grill Revisted

March 16, 2019 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Hawaiian Food, Oahu, Travel

We'd had a great time on Lana'i and we'll certainly be back.

When we got back to Ewa Beach; the Missus decided that we'd go out to an early dinner. There was one place She'd been wanting to revisit since we first ate there years ago; the Alley. Oxtail soup has a long history in Hawai'i, especially in bowling alleys. And the Missus really enjoyed the version at the Alley ; it was one place She really wanted to revisit. So we headed on down for an early dinner.

The place was fairly empty when we arrived; right before 5pm; but quickly filled up.

The Missus's "leaning tower of plates" soon arrived.

Served with minced ginger and cilantro; ponzu, brown rice, with one empty bowl for da' bones.

Man; this was good ono! The wonderful beefy-ginger-anise flavors; peanuts; that really delicious shiitake mushroom.

It's "rich and delish"! Oh yeah, the tender oxtails, cooked perfectly, not falling to pieces, but still spoon tender, was great. We still haven't found a real use case for that ponzu….

Good until the last drop……

I went with the Tasty Chicken…bowl. The plate would be just too much for me….though I did see one aunty whack the entire plate herself! I; of my own free will actually ordered this with brown rice. No tell anybody; but I like the way the Alley makes their brown rice. And when they asked me if it was mac salad or greens….the Missus, ahem, answered for me….

Oh, and I got the sauce on the side; it's a bit too much with the chicken glazed in it. But a light dip….the chicken is nicely seasoned on its own; light, crisp, moist; like a good karaage. It's best with just a touch of sauce as the flavor of the chicken and spices come through. And it goes strangely well with the brown rice.

This was such a satisfying meal. The service was very friendly. Man, we can't wait to return next time I'm back "home".

The Alley Restaurant Bar & Grill
in Aiea Bowl
99-115 Aiea Heights Dr, Ste 310
Aiea, HI 96701

Lana’i – Dinner at Nobu

February 25, 2019 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Japanese Restaurants, Lanai, Seafood, Travel

My In-laws had really enjoyed Lana'i so far….there was something about the freshness of the air, the relaxed vibe, and for us, being about 8 degrees cooler than Oahu. After a nice nap; we awoke and decided to take a short stroll.

Dole Park is basically the center of the city. Most of the businesses line the street around the park. As do buildings like the city's district court.

Let me ask you; have you ever seen a Court House that looks like this?

Soon enough it was time to head off to dinner. Initially, I had wanted to try the Lanai City Bar and Grill which we had tried on our previous visit. I'd heard some really good things about the new Executive Chef. Unfortunately, it was Monday and the restaurant was closed. So, I decided to make dinner reservations at Nobu….yes, Nobu, which opened several months after our previous visit.

We arrived for dinner reservations; the dining area is very nice; with great views of Manele Bay.

Our Servers were excellent; professional and yet quite friendly.

I started with a perfectly decent Pisco Sour; though the Missus lamented the lack of "eggy-richness" like what She's had in Peru.

For pupus we started with the Grilled Shishito with Den Miso ($10) and Edamame with Truffle ($12).

We'd have preferred our shishito peppers with a bit more color to them as they weren't "grilled" enough to develop the deep roasted pepper flavor, nor make them more tender. The peppers had retained too much of the chlorophyllic green flavor. The miso-sugary Den Miso did fairly well on this, but would have been even better had the peppers been roasted/grilled properly.

The Edamame was fine; still very firm and had a light drizzle of truffle oil…..a very light drizzle.

The Whitefish with Dry Miso ($28) was next.

One of Nobu's signature dishes; a firm whitefish is topped with dehydrated miso; olive oil, sliced garlic. The fish was super dry and tough….even for shiromi. The garlic chips make things a bit too bitter and for some reason; the miso powder was very bland.

One of the dishes the Missus, a real mushroom lover, wanted to try was the Crispy Shiitake Salad ($26).

The deep fried mushrooms were really mild in flavor; lacking that sweet-earthiness. The greens were very fresh and lovely, but the dressing had too much rice vinegar for our taste and really over-shadowed the truffle oil in the dressing….you barely knew it was there.

Our favorite item of the evening was the Warm Mushroom Salad($29).

Again; the greens were excellent, crisp, fresh, with a sweet-bitterness. The mushrooms were sautéed to perfection; not overdone, the texture firm yet yielding. There was the perfect balance of seasoning, salt to acid to really bring out the best in the mushrooms.

Our least favorite dish of the night was the Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna ($28).

Man, that rice was hard, not crisp, hard, and the centers; which should give way to some softer-creamier rice was also hard. And this coming from a guy who loves Yaki-onigiri. The scrapings used for the spicy tuna was more fishy than we prefer.

Since there were four of us; I ordered the Black Cod Miso in Butter Lettuce ($9/piece – $36).

This was fine; though the fish wasn't as fatty as I prefer. Still, not bad, mild richness, balanced sweet-umami tones. My MIL agrees with the Missus that they prefer my (based on my Mom's) recipe as this was on the mild side for them.

The last dish was the Pan Seared Opah, Crispy Ong Choy, with Truffle Yuzu Soy ($32). Man, this could have been a winnah! However……

We were forewarned that this was going to come out medium; which made my heart sing. Opah is terrible when over-cooked, making it leathery and dry. When this arrived; well, it had been overcooked, and was so dry. The yuzu-soy; though again very light on the truffle had a nice savory-umami-sour-light sweetness and went quite well with the super tender and almost sweet broccoli; which I'm assuming was local.

In the end; our service was great….which is what made the meal, as the food was uneven and somewhat disappointing; especially at this price-point. The Missus and I have had several meals at different locations of Nobu over the years and for some reason have never been "wow'd" by our meals. Not sure what it is as I've made items (with some adjustments) from a couple of his cookbooks over the years which have turned out well.

Nobu (at the Four Seasons Manele Bay)
1 Manele Bay Rd
Lanai City, HI 96763

Well, at least it was a beautiful night in Lana'i City!

Bivouac Ciderworks

February 13, 2019 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Filipino Restaurants, Gastropub

I'd been wanting to check out Bivouac Ciderworks since they opened in January of last year. The Executive Chef is DJ Tangalin; originally from the Phillipines, with a stop in Hawaii, and at JRDN, the possible influences intrigued me. Even though I'm not a cider drinker; which would be a moot point.

So, when the Missus had Her hair appointment in North Park a bit later than usual, we were able to check out Bivouac. Love the sheet stone dividers and all the rope work that decorates the place.

It was just after 4pm; so the Happy Hour menu was in effect. The regular menu isn't available until 5. The young lady who did awesome duty behind the bar and waiting tables was fantastic.

We weren't super hungry, so this was the perfect way for us to check out how the food was prepared here.

But of course…..but first a couple of cocktails.

The Missus enjoyed the Bivouac Rambler.

And I thought the Old Fashioned, while a bit on the sweet side was pretty good as well.

First up was the Tongue and Cheek Nachos.

The Missus enjoyed the thick and crunchy chips and the very refreshing avocado crema. The beefiness of the beef tongue and cheek came through quiet nicely and we both enjoyed this.

The Herbed Fries was a bit overdone and on the dry side for us.

It was salted nicely; though I'd have preferred a bit more garlic and we both didn't care for that "ketchup".

The "Street Taco" was pork; basically carnitas, which had nice sweet and salty tones to it.

Strangely, the Missus liked the tortillas; which looked like white corn. Nice combination of textures and flavors.

We were looking at returning….and then came Super Bowl Sunday. We both thought that Bivouac wouldn't be too busy on this day…..but they were doing good business. And the 'doodles were out in force.

So, the menu was different from the normal dinner offerings. Still it had the one item I was told to try by a couple of acquaintances.

Tacos were on offer so we got one Chicharron and one Carnitas.

The Chicharron was nice and tender….think good tendon. The flavor was a tangy-sour with the crema to calm things down. Of course the Missus enjoyed the tortillas again.

The Carnitas were much too sweet for my liking.

Which just detracted from everything else. Again good contrasting textures.

And then; it was the item that several folks mentioned to me; the Adobo Fried Chicken, served with what looked like Bibingka topped with a flavored butter.

The batter and skin were on the mild side and not very crisp. And here's where it went off the rails; this was obviously reheated, and not very well as the meat wasn't even lukewarm. That breast was so dry and flavorless. The honey butter was fine though the bibingka was also cold.

We thought about mentioning this to our wonderful Server, but a couple of parties had just come in and we didn't want to create a scene. Perhaps because it was Super Bowl Sunday, the kitchen wasn't on….though I think that on a day like that, with a limited menu; you'd be on your game (no pun intended).

We decided to cut our losses and head home. Bummer, because we were really looking forward to our meal.

Now; I'd like to give this place another try, but the Missus isn't going to go for it. So, it'll probably be a while before or if I return.

Bivouac Ciderworks
3986 30th St.
San Diego, CA 92104
Hours:
Tuesday     4pm – 9pm
Wed – Thurs 4pm – 10pm
Friday      2pm – Midnight
Saturday    Noon – Midnight
Sunday      10am – 9pm
Closed on Mondays

P.F. Changs (a first visit)

January 26, 2019 Cathy Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Chains, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, a blog about food. Kirk is out and about and taking a short vacation. Cathy is writing about a meal.

Yep, this is another Gift Card post. I don't regift and have friends who sincerely want The Mister and I to try some of their favorite places; we have never been to P.F. Changs and were in Mission Valley on a beautiful, clear day and I had the Gift Card in my pocket. The surreal Las Vegas casino-like giant horses out front of each location of this Asian themed, casual chain restaurant greet you.

Along with a tastefully decorated interior.
A pot of (caffeinated) ginger-peach tea was ordered ($3.75). It's by Republic of Tea and very similar to the Plantation Peach tea I usually buy from the Charleston Tea Plantation (the only tea grown in America). I must have hot tea with Asian meals.
As we were being seated, we noticed that every table had this: the first choice at the top left of the menu (under "Street Fare"). So, we had to. Lettuce Wraps (chicken or tofu; we chose chicken) $11.50. A 'secret family recipe', 'signature dish', the do-it-yourself slightly sweet, slightly spicy chopped melange of chicken, water chestnuts, green onion, crisp noodles and chilled iceberg lettuce with a bit more of the sauce was delicious.
Also from the 'Street Fare' section: Tempura Shrimp and Vegetables ($11.95). Lightly battered plump, sweet shrimp, bell peppers spinach and carrots served with a Sriracha/sweet aioli. This was also quite good.
From the 'Lunch' section of the menu, we decided to share the Chiang Mai Noodle Bowl ($11.95). Egg noodles and marinated chicken in a coconut curry broth, some crispy wonton strips with fresh grape tomatoes and flat leaf parsley. Once all mixed, this was also a great mix of flavor and texture. Quite satisfying.
We still have more than $50 left on the gift card. It's good food and there is much more to try.

P.F. Changs 7077 Friars Road San Diego 92108 website Open daily 11-11

Revisits – Bann Cutlet & Teriyaki and Sarap Filipino Kitchen

September 24, 2018 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Chicken Wings, Filipino Restaurants, Korean Restaurants

A couple of revisits to places on Miramar Road that I posted on rather recently.

Bann Cutlet & Teriyaki:

**** Bann in the H Mart Food Court has closed

**** Bann has moved to the H Mart Food Court

I think the freshly prepared food at Bann is a decent choice; the prices aren't bad, and while it's not outstanding, you do get what you pay for. During one of my recent revisits; I recalled that while I've tried the Chicken Cutlet here (nicely fried, but the sauce is not to my taste); I hadn't tried the Teriyaki. So why not? Also, the two young ladies who work here are really nice. And (maybe) because I waited for my Teriyaki Chicken so long, they gave me a fried egg for no additional charge.

Whatever the motive for the gratis egg was; I appreciated it. As you can tell; this is a fairly hefty lunch….man, so much rice. As I posted on earlier; I do enjoy the salad, and that mandu was still crisp when I got back to the office.

The chicken was on the rubbery side, but not bad.

Not a big fan of the teriyaki sauce; it's too sweet for my taste and texture is really gloppy. The rice was perfectly cooked; the bok choy (along with the salad) made sure I got my veggies.

Though it was too much food. I'll stick with a "bowl" next time which is still more than enough for me. Like the kimchi fried rice bowl…….

Bann Cutlet & Teriyaki
9506 Miramar Rd
San Diego, CA 92126

Sarap Filipino Kitchen:

**** Sarap is now Gaya Gaya

After our visits to Sarap; the gang at work couldn't wait to revisit. And so; with one of the folks having a birthday, even though there were only four of us, we headed back to Sarap.

We ordered the Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings again.

While these were ok; they weren't as crisp as on my previous visits. Still, not bad. Also, not seasoned as much either.

The Lechon Kawale. I wanted to try this again after having a terrible version earlier.

The skin was much better this time around; though the pork belly was on the dry side, and the leaner portions were rather tough. I enjoy the lechon sauce here; it's on the fairly mellow side, with a nice balanced flavor.

Crispy Pata (of course):

This time around; the pata was chopped up; the meat taken off the bone and the two ends, with the nice gelatinous parts laying at each end. It was still good, perhaps a bit drier, but the skin was wonderfully crisp; the porkiness of the leg coming through nicely. It was also a bit smaller than last time as well.

Daniel from Georgia loved the Sinigang and the Bagoong Fried Rice (sorry no photo).

Not a huge portion; but the tamarind based broth was rich, had a nice sourness, and man; the okra (I do love my "neba-neba") was gooey goodness. The pork was moist and tender and this had that nice "aaah" appeal. I'd gladly have this again.

We ordered some white rice with this……but hardly touched a quarter of it……

So, there you go….still a mixed bag; but still closer than Villa Manila which I think is better. They also need to staff better….it's go early, or wait a while for your food.

I also heard that they have started serving breakfast on the weekends now.

We'll see how things go here.

Sarap Filipino Kitchen
7580 Miramar Rd
San Diego, CA 92126

Revisits – Bistro Kaz and Talavera Azul

June 27, 2018 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Breakfast/Brunch, Italian Restaurants, Japanese Restaurants, Mexican Restaurants

The restaurant landscape of San Diego sure has changed from when we moved here back in 2001. And while I still complain about the quality and the preference of style over substance…..I'm still not happy "just to have" something; it's sure nice to have some variety available. Here are two examples; one of lunch on Friday, then breakfast on Saturday, in two drastically different areas of San Diego.

Bistro Kaz:

My coworker "SJP" wanted to take me to lunch……how very sweet of her. At first I thought perhaps Korean would great. But the petite SJP is not a very big eater. She was also born in Japan. Even though my last visit to Bistro Kaz wasn't that great; I thought she'd appreciate the food.

The menu here has grown nicely since they first opened. It was a pretty warm day, so I chose the Cold Natto and Mekabu Pasta. The lunch combo came with a nice, refreshing, simple salad, and a passable pseudo egg drop soup.

But it was the pasta I was looking forward to. And it did not disappoint.

The pasta was cooked…well, just about as well as this type of pasta can be. It had a nice pull and was nicely chilled. The natto fragrance wasn't over-powering and combined with the slimy mekabu (the bottom area of the same seaweed that gives you wakame – it gets slimy when heated) gave the whole dish that wonderful "neba neba" sensation that I find satisfying. For some reason, this seemed quite refreshing and the yuzu kosho added a touch of spice and saltiness to the whole, beautiful mess.

SJP had a taste and thought it was delicious….so did I. But you know how much I enjoy natto and the memories it elicits. I think I'll have this again soon.

Bistro Kaz
3904 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Talavera Azul:

Yes, another post so soon. The next morning the Missus wanted Her Menudo Rojo fix. So we headed to Downtown Chula Vista and back to Talavera Azul.

And the Missus got Her menudo. This time around I finally found "my dish" here. The Sonoran Machaca with Easy Over Eggs.

The shredded beef is griddled with onions, peppers, and tomato; adding some nice crunchy bits of very flavorful beef. Who doesn't love drippy eggs (just kidding Jessica). Some beef wrapped in a tortilla with a smear of beans, potatoes, onions and cilantro, and finished with salsa….man, this was good. In fact, the Missus ate more than I did! And it was one of the rare occasions where we finished all the tortillas. The Missus took half the bowl of menudo home with Her!

We returned the following week with the same result. I'm guessing we'll be returning soon.

Talavera Azul
365 3rd Ave
Chula Vista, CA 91910

Shank & Bone

March 22, 2018 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Chicken Wings, Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

I was a bit intrigued when I first read about Shank & Bone opening in North Park. A Vietnamese place in North Park? Though this little phrase in that post caught my attention “traditional, authentic cuisine and flavors of Vietnam". Okay! You know what I think about using the term "authentic" when it comes to a cuisine. But "traditional", I can buy into that. Could it be? I decided to visit a few days after the place opened.

Traditional or not; the interior design of this shop is something to see. From the Shepard Fairey print to the bright colors and clean design.

In the category of "something to see", so are the prices on the menu; especially "that" bowl of pho…..more on that shortly.

I saw Beef Carpaccio ($12) on the menu. So I decided to start with that.

I also saw watercress; so thought the dish was perhaps a cross between Bo Xao Xa Lach Xoong and Bo Tai Chanh. Turns out it was closer to the former. I love watercress, so I enjoyed the veggies, the mint really helped; though the nuoc mam was weak on the fish sauce and too sweet for me. The beef was rolled up into balls, not the most visually appealing presentation. Upon unravelling the protein, I realized how large the four slices were. This was basically repurposing beef sliced for pho. It was a bit too thick for my taste.

Still, not a bad dish.

I also got the "Signature Pho" ($17). The bowl, sans soup was delivered to the table, and the broth poured from a pitcher tableside.

I noticed a couple of things right off. The basil and sprouts, the portion size of which was small, were starting to turn brown. The broth had a nice fat content and was dark brown, but gave off no fragrance. It was pretty weak; very mild beefiness, no anise tones, very little of anything. The noodles were too soft for my taste as well.

The two slices of top round were typical; on the dry side, though the flank and brisket were nicely done.

The biggest disappointments were the oxtail, which needed more cooking time as it was dry and tough, and the bone marrow, which sounds really good in theory, but quickly became a rather unsightly globule of fat in the bowl and for some reason had lost all its flavor.

Not my favorite bowl of pho by any means. And maybe "no MSG" might not be a good thing in this case? And I was left over thirty bucks lighter in the wallet as well.

The staff though, were a joy, very friendly, and just a nice group overall. Dishes did take a while, but I wrote that off to having just opened.

I was on my way back from Northgate Market the next day and decided to take a detour and try a couple of other dishes at S&B.

This time, I was seated at the bar. I looked over the beer, sake, and soju list. S&B does not have cocktail license, but I was intrigued at the "Old Pho-shioned" ($10). Which, while a bit on the lighter side…to be expected, was fairly decent. I enjoyed the anise-clove-burnt orange tones of the drink.

As for food; well, this time I went with the "Saigon Chicken Wings" ($10).

These were smaller sized wings; which I prefer for the skin/batter to meat ratio. The batter was a bit on the hard side and the glaze really, really sweet. The wings were also fried a bit too long as the meat was on the dry side. Not terrible.

I saw Banh Mi Bo Kho ($11) on the menu during my previous visit and was curious about that.

The beef stew, while on the thinner side had a nice amount of fat. The broth, while lacking a good amount of tanginess, had more than enough black pepper and beefy flavor. The beef was nicely done; not mushy and over-cooked, but unlike the oxtail not tough. I could have used more pungent onions and some anise tones in the broth, but this was fine. I also missed not having beef tendon. But this was, by far, the best item I had at Shank & Bone.

I was going to quit while I was ahead. But then I read Kirbie's post on Shank & Bone (please check it out) and there was a dish that caught my attention. So I decided to head on back.

The same great crew were present. I went ahead and ordered a "Plenty for All" and the Banh Xeo Tacos ($11).

This riff on banh xeo uses the "crepe" as the taco "shell". Very nice and creative. The filling is a combination of chopped pork, shrimp, bean sprouts (not enough), and jicama (not enough). It was on the mild side in terms of flavor. and the nuoc mam was low on the fish sauce and much too sweet. I liked the lettuce and mint, but missed the basil and tiet to (purple perilla) which adds a nice citrusy-anise flavor to banh xeo. Also, the crepe shells didn't hold up real well; but had a nice, light crunch while they did.

I needed a companion to my "tacos" and because that was a pretty large fat globule of bone marrow in my pho on my first visit; I decided to try the Roasted Bone Marrow and Banh Mi Crostini's ($13).

This just wasn't a good value as there wasn't very much bone marrow in these rather "skinny" bones. It was all gone with one slice of banh mi. The "chimichurri" had way to much citrus making it too sour….not a great match for bone marrow.

So that's it for Shank & Bone for now. I wish them well, but there's just so many almost $40 dollar solo mediocre lunches and dinners I can take. Still, it's a nice atmosphere, the staff is friendly…..but it's all about the food with me.

Though if you want hipster Vietnamese, well….this just might be the place.

Shank & Bone
2930 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92104
Hours:
Sun – Mon 11am – 9pm
Tues – Sat 11am – 10pm

Roadtrip – Xiang Yuan Gourmet (Temple City)

March 11, 2018 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Chinese Restaurants, Dim Sum, Los Angeles County, Road Trip

**** Xiang Yuan has closed

**** Xiang Yuan no longer serves Dim Sum

We had one stop to plan on our way back from Santa Barbara last year. The Missus really wanted dim sum. And naturally, Sea Harbour came to mind. But I wanted to try something different. And after showing the Missus a couple of blog posts, I talked Her into stopping at Xiang Yuan Gourmet. The Missus was somewhat skeptical since "Xiang" basically means Hunan.

Still we made the drive to Temple City, to a portion of Las Tunas Drive that I don't think I've ever been to.

The restaurant is clean and modern and was totally empty during our entire visit.

The service was quite good…..and very efficient, though I guess being the only customers might not be the best gauge of that. It seems that the menu serves dim sum during the day, with the Hunan menu coming into play for dinner.

The menu did indeed feature some interesting nouveau style dim sum items.

We ordered some of our favorites, along with some interesting items I'd seen on other blog posts.

Crystal Shrimp Har Gow.

The shrimp were very moist and plump, with a nice "shrimpiness". The wrapper was a bit too think for my liking. I think that the version at Sea Harbour is better than this.

We both enjoyed the nice "pull" of the wrappers on the Vegetarian Dumplings.

The filling had a nice combination of textures and was pretty tasty overall. Surprising for a vegetable based dumpling.

I usually enjoy Chiu Chow Dumplings and this was no exception.

The wrappers, while on the thick side, weren't too gummy, the ingredients, peanuts, chives, mushroom, shrimp, all worked together well. Very balanced.

We also ordered this….

To translate, least you think we're one "k" away from skunk. Bean Curd Skin Roll with Cordyceps Flower.

The broth was delicious, and not overly medicinal. The bean curd skin was nice and crunchy, though the roll was on the bland side.

Turnip Cake is a must order item for the Missus.

Nicely studded with Chinese Sausage, this was very soft. It doesn't hold a candle to the version with XO Sauce at Sea Harbour. The Missus said that She enjoys what I make at home more than this.

The last three items that came out were the one's we were really interested in trying.

The Mushroom Bun……really looks like a mushroom.

The dough was a perfect combination of soft-fluffy, while still having a slight chew and not overly sweet. The filling of mushroom and bamboo shoots had a perfect savory flavor, with just the right amount of crunch from the bamboo shoots and carrots, which added a touch of sweetness as well. My favorite item of the day.

The Crispy Bamboo Shoot Paste Balls really make an impression.

They arrive looking like carrots….I'm not sure why, there's no carrot in this. The exterior is said to be made from bamboo shoot paste, which reminded me of exterior of glutinous rice dumplings. It was overly sweet and chewy for our tastes and the amount of salted egg filling just didn't stand up to the sweetness.

Ever since first having Durian Pastry almost eleven years ago at Elite Restaurant, I always have to try it if it's on the menu. The version here is quite nice, if not as visually appealing as the previous two dishes.

The crust is fairly light, the filling thicker than other versions, but very tasty and not too sweet. As a bonus there's a slice of durian along one edge of the pastry. Very nice in a mildly savory-not overly sweet-custardy kind of way. I'd gladly have this again. Another winner.

The Missus really enjoy this meal. In fact, She told me that we should return as soon as we are able to.

In fact, She told me that "this might now be my favorite dim sum restaurant". I'm not sure. I think I still prefer Sea Harbour. I'm going to need several revisits to both. You know; for research purposes……

Xiang Yuan Gourmet
9556 Las Tunas Dr
Temple City, CA 91780