I've posted on both of these places many times; but I'm going to focus on something I noticed. When we decide on an "unplanned" meal; that is something eating out or doing take out at sort of the last minute, there are three immediate things that come into play. I call them the "Three C's" – Craving, Convenience, and Curiosity. There is a fourth "C" that I'll get into later.
The first one, "Craving" comes into play quite a lot, I mean I've done a ton of these craving posts over the years.
I'm not sure you noticed, but we just returned from two separate "trips" in the last couple of weeks; the first was to Mexico City and Oaxaca, the second was hitting up the Southwest United States again.
When in CDMX and Oaxaca we aren't really searching out Asian food; though in CDMX that seems to be changing; there's a ton of Korean Restaurants in Zona Rosa, and we've noticed quite a few Chinese/Japanese restaurants during our trips. And FLG – Southwest Colorado – Santa Fe, our other trip, well we had mostly planned out our meals ahead of time.
So, when we got back……well, after Mexico, the first thing the Missus wanted was Her Salted Fish and Chicken with Eggplant from Noble Chef. Which is what we got on the first day back in town.
Funny thing; I was craving some noodles….so the Soy Sauce Chow Mien fit the bill.
The guy working knew my order when I walked in the door…..
The Noble Chef
6159 Balboa Avenue
San Diego, CA 92111
Note – "FOY" KennethB has said that Eastern Dynasty has improved; so I gotta get back there soon! Thanks Kenneth!
After driving the 8 1/2 hours from Winslow to home, we were both starving. The Missus wanted something with a "little zip" and decided on takeout from Sizzling Pot King. Talking about the guy working knowing my usual order! This fine young man even added; "I haven't seen you in a while….."
**** Sizzling Pot King is now Zhang Liang Malatang
The dry pot, ma-la, medium spicy, with tripe, intestine, and frozen tofu is the way we go.
But here's the kicker; remember I mentioned the "Fourth C"? That's kind of the wildcard……."cost". Our order from SPK is now around $45! Now after a 530 mile drive forty-five bucks was perfectly fine. But on a normal day? Even though this is a "meal-and-a-half" for us…back in December of 2020 this was $32.99. And while it used to be two meals for us; the portion size has gotten even smaller.
It might give me pause in the future.
Sizzling Pot King
8058 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111
So, let's have some fun!
Here's my question for you:
Did you notice; or do you follow a regular "decision tree" or protocol when doing these unplanned takeout or dine in meals? Inquiring minds want to know!
Thanks for indulging me and have a great weekend!
There is no seating; there is no soup; there is a "Cash Only" sign. There are 12 steam trays and each item is $2.39. (You can choose rice or lo mein or half and half for the $2.39).
So, we chose and paid and drove home. 
The styrofoam containers are the 'small' size, but are packed full. This one included 1/2 lo mein and 1/2 rice, chicken and vegetables and orange chicken. 
This box was all rice (leftover for breakfast), pork with vegetables and ginger chicken. Total price with tax $15.68.
Here's my plate: the pork with vegetables (onion, bell pepper, celery and peanuts)(not spicy); rice; lo mein; ginger chicken; orange chicken; chicken with zucchini and onions. Everything was very fresh; no mushy vegetables (the line was constant and the steam trays were kept full). 
Bros, not 'Brothers', Bros. Waiting inside to pick up 'to-go' orders, you'll hear the phone answered 'China Bros'. 
There's a menu on the wall. If you are eating in, there are wipeable, one page menus handed out. I do appreciate attention to cleanliness.
As usual, I ordered hot tea ($2.25) which was kept refilled. Egg drop soup (with corn) was brought out for both of us. A very eggy version made with a rich flavored (not salty) chicken broth.
The Shrimp Egg Foo Young ($12.95), of course, had to be ordered for our first eat-in meal. What a lovely version! 
Fluffy eggs, light top and bottom crusts, plenty of plump, juicy shrimp. Served with rice and a good brown (again, not salty) gravy, this is an excellent meal with plenty of leftovers which reheated well. 
Lunch Specials (until 4 p.m. daily) are served with steamed rice, fried rice or chow mein or half and half of your choice, as well as the corn egg drop soup. This was L-19, "Fish filet with black bean sauce" ($9.95). The pieces of fish were lightly breaded and fried to a light crisp, which remained crispy even under the slightly thick, garlic-y, salty black bean sauce. The vegetables were very fresh and also remained crisp. The chow mein seems to be requested a lot here and has a slight smoky 'wok hei'. 
Take a look at the color of the ginger-scallion sauce to the right and compare it to 
Turning things over was a different story as it was pretty greasy. The meat was very moist, tender, and it had that flavor of dark meat chicken that I prefer. The batter was quite crunchy but the seasoning dust is pretty gritty, though quite spicy; but there’s a lack of other flavors….at Hatties, I remember the chicken being very spicy, but it still had some smokiness, most likely from Paprika and even a hint of garlic tones.
Unfortunately, the batter of the wings didn’t hold up well, much of it getting a bit mushy and flaking off. So, if you’re ordering this, it’s probably in your best interest to eat them ASAP….maybe even in the parking lot! Lot’s of burnt garlic which was on the bitter side, though I enjoyed the spice. The flesh of the wings were nice and moist.
The chicken really just tasted boiled lacking in the mild hints of anise-wine and devoid of any salt or mild ginger tones….just plain bland. The sauce provided had brown specks in it and tasted a bit rancid and off. The chicken while cooked nicely, just didn’t taste right.
