As in, yoso-silly, yoso-hungry, yoso-full, or best of all; mmm-delici-yoso!!!!! A San Diego based food and travel blog. An Ex-Pat Kama'aina and Friends explore food, restaurants, and travel from San Diego and points beyond.
Here’s a bunch of updates that I’ve noticed or heard about in the last week.
K Bakery Scheduled to Open August 10th:
While heading to Nijiya to do some shopping; I noticed the “Gae-Up”……a typical grand opening gift next to the door of K Bakery which I first noticed back in June.
Thinking the place might be open, I walked on over and saw this sign.
So, it looks like they are set to open on Monday, August 10th!
3860 Convoy St. San Diego, CA 92111
Fujiyame Ramen Appears Closed:
So, “FOY” Matt sent me an email saying he and his friends were curious about Fujiyame Ramen, which I posted on back in April. When they arrived the place was closed.
So, last Sunday I dropped by at noon and the place did indeed look closed. Just to verify, I went again today at 1130 and it was still closed.
I didn’t notice any signage or anything……..so perhaps they just “disappeared into the night?”
4310 Genesee Avenue Suite 108A San Diego, CA 92117
I’m not quite sure who mentioned ViNam Cafe to me? But it’s definitely Banh Mi “season” for me right now as temps are starting to rise and I found myself in Rolando. So, I decided to figure out where ViNam was. I finally found the little shop on the ground floor of a mixed use apartment on ECB just East of College. I found some parking on ECB and walked over and discovered that the shop has it’s own small, but dedicated parking lot.
It was fairly early on a weekend morning and the little shop was quite sedate. Folks were just getting coffee while I was looking for my banh mi brekkie!
Just one nice young lady working.
Looking over the food, it was apparent that this is one of those “new” places and the menu has no Vietnamese names…other than banh mi.
I went with the Banh Mi Pate Chaor perhaps Dac Biet Cold Cut ($9). And it’s an interesting sign of the times as the nine dollar price didn’t faze me at all. Another thing that was different from other places is that the very nice young lady was doing everything….taking orders, making all the drinks, answering the phone, and of course making my banh mi. If this is usually the case, I wouldn’t be in a hurry when you visit. My banh mi took over twenty minutes, but I’m not going to complain too much since that young lady was working hard!
Three stacked slices of cha lua, two of nem nuong….though the flavor of that was nullified by that thick smear of pate….not that I’m complaining mind you. This was definitely pate forward in flavor.
The pickled veggies were really cut thick…a bit too thick for my enjoyment, but that’s splitting hairs. There were not one; but two slices of cucumber in this so you won’t find me complaining about that. A nice cross slice of jalapeno with some decent spice.
My least favorite item was the bread, the crust was hard and the bread was overly chewy.
Overall, not a bad banh mi, the proportion was off for my taste….though I might be the only customer who would ever complain about too much meat? If the bread situation is just an aberration (I understand they make their own bread) than this would indeed be a nice, slightly Westernized banh mi. I’m thinking this is great for the students at SDSU.
The ViNam Cafe 6150 El Cajon Blvd. Suite A San Diego, CA 92115 Current Hours: Mon – Fri 630am – 6pm Saturday 7am – 9pm Sunday 7am – 6pm
A few days ago “FOY” Kenneth sent me an email regarding a new patisserie opening in North County that had potentially good croissants named Christophe Rull. Funny thing, a day later the Missus mentioned seeing something about a new bakery in San Marcos on Social Media. After checking a bit, I found that the owner is a bit of a celebrity having been on Netflix and Food Network shows. Well, it seemed like a bit of a drive…..but I decided to check the place out.
Man, I hadn’t been in this part of San Marcos in a while. The shop is located in the new North City development with several large apartment complexes; some of which are still being built. I found parking in the multi-story parking structure and headed on down looking for the bakery. This area seems to be developing into it’s own little 15-minute city. Exiting the parking structure, I quickly noticed the bakery across the street.
Even though the bakery was quite busy, the street were quiet, giving it a bit of a laid back feel. Every table indoors was taken, though there was no line at the counter.
The menu featured coffee drinks, croissant sandwiches, French style baguette sandwiches, which reminded me of Jambon Beurre, like we get in Paris.
The breakfast pastry prices seemed to skew on the higher end. Of course, I was basically only looking for one thing.
I ended up getting myself a croissant ($6.50) and Kouign Amann ($7.50) and a Dulce de Leche Cruffin ($7.00) for the Missus. All packed in an interesting bag.
Once home, I immediately tucked into the croissant.
You can tell by the color….yes, it seemed a bit under baked, the laminate a bit dull, though the ridges were fairly crisp.
The interior was decently honey-combed, but still a bit on the doughy – “wetter” side. The fragrance was quite nice.
Just mildly buttery….I prefer more butteriness, but it just seems like lack of butter in croissants is a San Diego thing. Decent salt, but also a bit sweeter than I enjoy.
The Missus did enjoy the Dulce de Leche Cruffin more than the Kouign Amann which had not held up well until the evening. She did say that both pastries were on the doughy side.
Overall, not worth the 50 miles round trip……though perhaps if I lived in that 15 minute neighborhood I’d drop by once in a while. And I do think that $6.50 for a croissant is on the high side.
So there you go! Another one in the books! Thanks for mentioning this place Kenneth!
Christophe Rull Patisserie 251 N City Dr. Suite 121 San Marcos, CA 92078 Current Hours: Tues – Fri 7am – 3pm Sat – Sun 8am – 4pm Closed on Monday
I really enjoyed the view of Big Bear Lake from our patio at the Marina Riviera.
I found it so serene and relaxing.
We soon headed on out, stopping at Sister My Sister Bake Shop for some coffee and for something small for breakfast.
It’s a cute little bakery, designed for takeout.
Looking for something more savory, I got the Bacon Cheddar Chive Scone ($5.25) to go.
Sister My Sister Bake Shop 40191 Big Bear Blvd. Big Bear Lake, CA 92315
We then back tracked thru downtown Big Bear, crossing the lake on the Stanfield Cutoff, finding parking alongside the Alpine Pedal Path. Which was on the opposite side of the lake from where we were staying. We sat on one of the benches and enjoyed the view.
While I had my hefty, dense scone.
I enjoyed the fact that the scone, even though quite dense, wasn’t overly dry.
Once finished, we set off on the paved path. I know it was somewhat too easy for the Missus, but I really enjoyed the view.
And the round trip was 5.3 miles. Enough for a nice morning.
Eventually, you end up around some campgrounds and a forested area.
And at the Big Bear Solar Observatory, which we could see from our hotel across the lake, we turned around and headed back.
We drove back to the Marina Riviera, parked and decided to look for a place to have an early lunch.
For some reason, She was attracted to Himalayan Restaurant, which had a back patio that’s dog friendly.
So, we got a table. The gentleman who served us was very friendly. And when he found out that we were from San Diego, he told us that he used to work at Himalayan Cuisine in La Mesa! Which is why we ended up visiting upon returning to San Diego.
The Missus saw several dishes that appealed to Her, starting with the Rogan Josh.
Man, that lamb was so tender, but still gamey enough to enjoy. We loved the complex spices and earthy tones and it did have a bit of heat to it.
We also got the Okra dish….which seemed like a version of Bhindi Masala. This actually had some decent spice as well.
We enjoyed the “neba neba” of the okra, which even presented a bit of sweetness; the acidity of the tomatoes, and the pungent and earthy tones from the spices.
Both dishes went well with the crisp, but tender naan.
And we even had some rice….nice and fragrant, fulfilling our carbs for the rest of the week!
The Missus really enjoyed this meal….and now has a favorite restaurant in Big Bear!
Himalayan Restaurant 672 Pine Knot Ave. Big Bear Lake, CA 92315
After a short respite, we decided to check out a place I’d read about right on Big Bear Lake with a kind of iconic view, Boulder Bay Park. So we drive on over and in spite of the tiny lot there was quite a bit of parking available. Everything is nicely maintained, grassy areas, with a paved walkway meandering thru the park.
If one ignores the buildings across the street and on the east side of the cove, it makes for a lovely scene.
I was told that sunset was prime time here for photographers, though there was a group taking wedding photos. It was a nice little stop.
As we were leaving the park, there was a line of cars waiting to get in….and traffic back into Big Bear was crazy. Well, it seemed like the weekend had just hit!
We parked at the hotel and walked back up Pine Knot Avenue….but man, things were really hopping. Later we walked back up looking for some places to have dinner, but things were just too crowded. We headed back to the Marina Riviera and just decided to grab a small bite and have some drinks. After all, we still had a $25 credit for food and drink for the evening.
Man, the place was hopping.
While there was seating at the bar, all other tables were taken.
But then Kinzey and then the wonderful woman who I believe is the chef at this location, Jenn saw us. Both of them had been so wonderful, accommodating, and friendly during our stay, so naturally, in spite of the discount, we tipped well. And they also loved JJ! So, perhaps he’s earning his keep? Anyway, they told us to hold on a for a minute and put together a table for us! Amazing!
So, we had a nice light dinner and cocktails at De la Nonna.
At the end of our meal, Kinzey gave me her business card saying to text her if we’re headed up and she’ll give us info on what is going on!
Well, I know where we’re staying and eating when we get back to Big Bear, right?
De la Nonna Big Bear (In the Hotel Marina Riviera) 40770 Big Bear Blvd. Big Bear Lake, CA 92315
The next morning we headed out and traffic was pretty crazy….so note to self, even on random fall weekends….things are busy in Big Bear….I’ll need to plan a bit better next time!
Just a couple of things I saw during my shopping trips.
K Bakery Replacing Sage French Cake:
Saw this during one of my shopping excursions to Nijiya last week.
So, I did some digging and it seems that Sage’s owner has decided to retire. Man, it seemed like Sage had been there forever! Though I believe it was a one man operation and he worked really hard. Hope he has a great retirement!
3860 Convoy St. San Diego, CA 92111
Kanna Thai Kitchen Replacing Di Chan:
Remember that I noticed that Di Chan had closed last month? Well, driving past the strip mall I noticed a sign posted.
I decided to take a look and it seems that Kanna Thai Kitchen will be taking over that spot.
5535 Clairemont Mesa Blvd San Diego, CA 92117
While checking that location out, I noticed all signage for Ma’s House was gone, so I walked over.
Ma’s House has closed:
The windows were covered, but one corner was open and all the furnishings are gone.
5537 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. San Diego, CA 92117
And the sign for Tang Huo Kung Fu Spicy Hot Pot is up:
I guess we haven’t hit critical mass for Hot Pot in the Convoy area yet?
I believe that Tang Hou is a chain. I know they have locations in LA.
It just seems that only chains can afford to operate on Convoy these days!
After my recent “Croissant Compare” post, I was lucky enough to receive a couple of emails of places that baked their own croissants for me to check out! So, of course I went to check things out.
Nature Forward Socal Bistro:
I’ve actually walked past this rather new eatery in Renaissance Towne Center during my visits to Joyee.
I recall looking at the menu online and seeing Shakshuka….so I did have it on my “list”. I then received and email from “FOY” Matt who told me that on his recent visit there he saw croissants in the pastry case. Even though he didn’t have a chance to try it; the Server told him that all the pastries were made inhouse. And he was nice enough to let me know. So, I decided to head on over after doing my Farmers Market and other shopping recently.
The place seemed pretty busy when I walked in.
And I saw a croissant on display in the case. Though it didn’t look very good.
Still, since I was here, I decided to order one “to go” from the very nice woman working the counter. It was decently priced at $5. Then I waited…and waited….and waited…. It actually took over 20 minutes for my croissant! Whoa….
Anyway, thinking that they had heated it; I went to one of the public seating areas between Star Anise and Amardeen to have while hot. I opened the container and to my surprise…..
It was served with a dusting of powdered sugar! Well now….. Not quite my preference with regards to a croissant aux buerre. It was also very pale in color and after shaking off as much of the sugar as possible, I tore into it. And the color did say it all as the croissant totally lacked the crisp-flakiness of a decent croissant. It was just too doughy in texture.
The crumb was also on the doughy side, though acceptable. But it was really lacking in butteriness and of course the addition of the sugar made it skew to the sweeter side, nullifying and salt flavor as well.
This was quite disappointing to say the least. And while I may return with JJ to try out the Shakshuka; I’ll probably be passing on any future croissants here.
Nature Forward Socal Bistro 8935 Towne Centre Dr. #110 San Diego, CA 92122 Current Hours: Sat – Tues 8am – 5pm Wed – Fri 8am – 8pm
LuckyBolt Kitchen + Bakery:
Also after that croissant compare, KimberlyM contacted me and mentioned that LuckyBolt Kitchen + Bakery in Sorrento Valley baked their own croissants. She thought it was pretty good and wondered what I thought. Sorrento Valley? Hmmm…..wondering where this place was; I headed on over.
Arriving, I recognized this spot, across the street from the Sorrento Valley Amtrak Station as being where Zumbar Coffee & Tea is located.
Right next to that Coffee Shop sign is LuckyBolt.
I strolled on in and immediately saw the croissants “hiding” behind the signs. The friendly gentleman working affirmed that they bake their own pastries daily.
So, I got one. Priced at $4.75. I took it to go.
So, much like Wayfarer, this was one of those round, “chubby” versions. It was also pretty tiny….check it out compared to one of my coasters.
It was also overbaked as the laminate just basically exploded when I tore off a piece….croissant shrapnel everywhere….
Though I did have someone “volunteer” to help me clean up the crumbs!
The crumb was decently honeycombed and fairly light, but in need of more butter as it lacked that buttery-salt balance I’m looking for. It just seems that as a whole croissants here in SD lack the butteriness of their counterparts in Paris.
Still, I’m glad I tried it!
LuckyBolt Kitchen + Bakery 10920 Roselle St. #105 San Diego, CA 92121 Current Hours: Mon – Sat 730am – 2pm Closed on Sunday
Thanks again to Matt and Kimberly for thinking of us!
A little over a week ago “FOY” Kenneth sent me an email regarding having croissants from both Relic and Izola and doing a compare. I did mention that Izola has pretty much come off my “list” ever since the croissant had crossed over the $8 mark! I also mentioned needing to do a compare of croissants from Wayfarer and Relic, which I indicated were my two current favorites here in San Diego. Yes, I admittedly have a “thing” about croissants. In fact, I have an entire category for it! And yes, there are 61 posts (this is number 62). It basically all started during our visits to Paris. And it just gained momentum after visiting La Maison dâIsabelle.
Anyway, Kenneth’s wonderful email got me off my butt and on one recent morning, I first drove up to Bird Rock, which had a bunch of folks waiting, but no one in line to order, to get my first croissant. Then down the 5 to Relic for the second. I was just going to do a compare between Wayfarer and Relic, but since I had already paid for one hour of parking and Izola was just 4 blocks away…I just decided the “heck with the eight dollar price” and went to Izola as well. Needless to say; it was an interesting walk, with some “personalities” along the way.
And here’s what the croissants looked like.
Can you guess which one was $4.80 and which was $8.62 (!!!!)?
Well, let’s start from the most inexpensive. The “Plain” Croissant at Wayfarer ($4.80).
The shape was interesting. I think that “croissant” literally means “crescent” in French. This was not quite that. It’s much different in shape than what I had back in 2020.
Wayfarer seems to sometime overbake their croissant as was the case here, with the laminate too flakey, basically an explosion of flakes upon bite.
On this visit, the crumb was a bit damp and not honeycombed enough. It also seemed less buttery in flavor. Kind of a bummer as at one time, due to the recommendation of RD and CathyGreene, this was my favorite croissant in San Diego.
Wayfarer Bread & Pastry 5525 La Jolla Blvd. La Jolla, CA 92037
Top left is the croissant from Relic Bakery & Kitchen. To me, of the three, it most resembles a classic croissant in shape and is currently priced at $5.
On this day, it was nice and golden in color, except for the two folds on the top which you can see seems over baked. It was nice and flakey, crisp, not falling to pieces. The interior was quite airy and light. Nice crisp ends and foundation.
I could make out the butter in this, in my mind it could use more as the salt to butter ratio seems a bit off.
A relative newcomer to the East Village/Downtown, this is my current overall favorite.
Relic Bakery & Kitchen 845 15th St. San Diego, CA 92101
And then we have the $8.62 “Signature” Croissant from Izola. Now, I remember when Izola opened in the third floor of a business building Downtown. Where they’d actually deliver online orders by basket to the curb during Covid. At that time; the croissant was $3.75. Then Izola opened near Faultline Park with a bit of hype in 2024 and their croissants crossed the seven dollar mark. And now….well…you see the price above, right?
As I walked in, I took a look at the Croissant on display and had second thoughts….
It looked pale and somewhat soggy….but, I went ahead and ordered one. It was actually a 15 minute wait for my croissant after ordering….they are quite popular.
But here’s that $8.62 croissant. I gotta say, it’s quite hefty, and has that roundish shape…..
The laminate was not as crisp as Relic’s, but at least it wasn’t over baked. It was decently flakey as well, though one end was not very crisp.
It was decently honeycombed, but a bit on the wetter side. I was told that Izola uses butter from Normandy for their croissants.
There’s a light butter flavor, but for some reason, I detected some sweetness in this?
After doing this compare; I’m sticking with Relic for now. Izola is decent, but the price?
Izola 1429 Island Ave. San Diego, CA 92101
Kenneth and I had a nice back and forth in our emails…..it was kinda fun!
Kenneth: “Well, if I had known that the croissant cost $8! It was good but not that nice. For that price I want tasting it to make me feel like I’m back on Montorgueil!”
Me: “Can you imagine what Parisians would think if a Patisserie on Rue Montorgueil charged like 7 Euros for a croissant aux buerre???“
Kenneth: “There would be rioting in the streets!“
So true! Thanks again for thinking of me and sending me the wonderful email Kenneth!
And I’m always open for croissant aux buerre recommendation for San Diego!
My recent visit to Barrio Donas had me a bit shell shocked when it came to prices and had me wondering how much a Huevo a la Mexicana Bolillo was at San Diego Bakery. Surprisingly, it had been over a year since I last visited and over a year-and-a-half since I last posted on the place. So, last Sunday, I decided to head on over to see…..
Just as I drove into the parking lot, another car left, so I managed to get a parking space. The shop was doing steady business when I walked in; like Lucy’s Bakery, all those hard working guys needed breakfast, right?
Looking up at the menu; which, since my last visit has transitioned from the chalkboard to a video display, I saw that the A la Mexicana was now $7.50 (I believe it’s just $6.50 at Lucy’s). It was $6.50 on my last visit here a bit over a year ago and $4.99 back in December of 2023.
Still, it’s less than Barrio Donas which is now $10.50 and with prices these days, this seems almost like a bargain!
The sandwich itself was a bit of a mess; though toasted, crisp, light, and yeasty, the bread was crumbling apart as I opened it.
This was oozy, eggy, cheesy messiness. And those serranos had a “bite” of their own too.
This was actually quite filling for breakfast….at least for me. I do wish there was more beans as there barely seemed to be any. And perhaps less chilies; though it did shake me awake!
With prices these days, it’s good to know you can get a breakfast bollilo or preparados for less than $8. I mean, how much is a banh mi these days?
Here’s some stuffs I noticed in the Clairemont Mesa/Kearny Mesa area recently.
Sizzling House Has Closed:
Noticed this during our most recent visit to Eastern Dynasty.
Whoa, Sizzling House didn’t even last a year. So, much for the sizzling plate/pepper lunch fad, huh? Looks like this is going to be an outlet of Las Vegas based Urban Matcha…so one feeds another?
Also during that visit we noticed a new banner covering the Juewei sign.
Funny thing, I just mentioned how dissatisfied we’d been with our most recent visits to Juewei in my post on Spicy Duck Wang La Ya. Juewei seemed to be constantly changing concepts, last I saw they were trying to do Hot Pot, before that they had initiated doing skewers. They had an inconsistent inventory of items we enjoyed and we just decided to stop and not waste our time there.
So, I’m not sure if it’s still the same owners with a new concept….I do know there’s a LA Hot Duck in Rowland Heights. What’s up with all these places from the SGV opening here? They do not appear to be open yet; so we’ll see!
4690 Convoy St. #103 San Diego, CA 92111
And finally….
Isaki Japanese Restaurant and Nothing Bundt Cakes Taking the Former 85°C Spot:
I noticed some signage on the doors of what used to be 85°C off Balboa so I walked on over. Looks like they’ve split the spot into two businesses.
One of the signs said Isaki Japanese Restaurant.
And the other looks to be another franchise of Nothing Bundt Cakes.
My recent trip to Imperial and Antojitos Colombianos had me looking at my “list” to see what other places I’ve got listed and have yet to check out. And one quickly popped up…..Lucy’s Bakery & Donuts on 31st. I’m not sure who recommended the place to me…but recently, I decided to head on over.
Lucy’s Bakery & Donuts:
I actually headed over on a Saturday morning after making my usual Farmers Market run. I found parking in the lot next to the shop. I gotta say; it doesn’t seem to be the most inviting neighborhood.
The place was fairly busy when I arrived. Lot’s of working folk….
Most of which were getting coffee or juice and pastries.
I on the other hand was in the mood for a torta……
Being in a “porky” kinda mood; I went with the Pierna…which for some reason didn’t seem cheap at $9.35.
This was a good sized sandwich; though I thought the bollilo was a bit over-baked; the crust crumbly. But the bread was nice and yeasty, held up well, and the shredded pork was pretty good.
It had a decent smokey-savory-earthy flavor, with a hint of acidity. It was fairly tender and the portion was pretty good.
I do wish that it had more avocado and jalapeno….or at least had it evenly spread thru the sandwich.
As it was, the rather sparse avocado was smeared to one side of the torta and the jalapenos stacked on one another. I fixed the jalapeno issue.
Still, a generous amount of pork. If the bolillo was in better shape this would have been a good torta. As it stood; it was decent. I might return someday if I’m in the area. Would you believe this place is open from 5am to 9pm daily!!!
Lucy’s Bakery & Donuts 31 31st St. San Diego, CA 92102 Current Hours: Daily 5am – 9pm
This torta had me wondering how the version at Barrio Donas was doing….and even more so; how much the Torta de Pierna was there now in comparison. It had been almost exactly two years since my last visit and even longer since I’d had the Pierna there, so I decided to head on over.
Barrio Donas Revisited:
I paid my visit the following Saturday. Barrio Donas is quite popular, but wasn’t too busy on this day.
The Torta de Pierna here is now $12.75! The A la Mexicana $10.50 Yikes….
It’s always interesting to visit the place since they always seem to be trying out new items. I guess now they have a Matcha Bar?
Here’s the Torta Pierna.
I’m still not the biggest fan of the Bolillo here as the crust lacks crispness and the bread is on the denser side. Still, it’s always nice and yeasty, with a mild, almost sourdough flavor to it.
The amount of filling is adequate; though after having the version at Lucy’s, I would’ve enjoyed some creamy avocado and some jalapeno for spice to cut the richness.
The pork was a bit more chewy than I remember; but there’s still a nice spicy-smokiness.
Barrio Donas 4714 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. San Diego, CA 92117 Current Hours Mon â Sat 6am â 4pm Sunday 7am â 4pm
It was interesting to see how prices for tortas…well, everything for that matter has gone up. I’m now curious to try more tortas from other places. Any recommendations?
