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.
At this point in time the first positive cases of Covid-19 had been reported and infections were still in the single digits and the first confirmed cases were reported in the UK and Spain….man, that just seems so long ago.
At this point; we could tell that folks; especially in the Chinese community were getting a bit leery as was clearly indicated by how empty Bistro Na's was during our visit.
Even though it was my birthday; the Missus took charge of ordering, and She quickly found another dish to add to Her "favorites list"; the Okra in Seasoned Dressing.
The okra had been nicely presented in a wonderfully balanced salty-sweet-savory sauce that heightened the pleasantly earth-grassy flavor of the okra. The Missus loved the combination of the crunchy, yet slippery (gotta love that "neba-neba") okra as well. We have another one for the list.
Man, that spinach with sesame sauce was slathered in the stuff.
There was a deceptively large amount of spinach in this as it had been compressed into a square shape. Just a bit too much sesame paste in this for us.
Of course; my favorite is the Chili Tofu Skin. We always place a full order and get another order to go.
So refreshing, crunchy, with a touch of spice, the cilantro adding a nice, bright, mild pungent-lemony touch to things.
We did not care for the Stuffed Lotus Root; it was too sweet and the texture quite mushy.
If you recall; back in January, before the "you-know-what-hit-the fan" the Missus and I took a trip to San Francisco over the long MLK Day weekend. We had enjoyed ourselves at the Chinese New Year Flower Market Fair…man, looking back at those photos kinda sends a shiver up my spine right now…..that's how ingrained all the Covid-19 precautions have become.
We decided to head back to the hotel for a short nap before heading out to dinner.
Heading down Kearny Street I saw this on top of the building near the corner of California Street.
Take a closer look.
I wondered what these shrouded, hooded, ghostly, Grim Reaper looking statues were. Well, after doing a quick search I found that these are the Corporate Goddess Sculptures, created by Muriel Castanis. As to what they are…from the Atlas Obscura post:
“They are empty, toga-draped forms from which the figures have been removed, rendering the sculptures as abstracted reinterpretations of the neoclassical masterworks of Lorado Taft and Augustus Saint Gaudens.”
Okay then…..
We got back to the room rested, took a short nap, when we awoke, the sun was setting.
After catching up on emails and other things we headed out for dinner.
I had read been reading about Mister Jiu's since the much anticipated restaurant opened in 2016. And the Cantonese (with other regional touches) based fare had garnered Mister Jiu's a Michelin Star. Both the Missus and I were interested; since the other Michelin Star Chinese Restaurant on the West Coast we've visited, Bistro Na's has become a favorite of the Missus. So I made reservations in advance for dinner.
We liked the décor, a very tasteful design, and we especially enjoyed our cocktails for this evening.
We didn't enjoy our lead Server, who was a bit snobby and very condescending, acting like he was doing us a favor by just waiting on us…….. I guess that just meant I needed another cocktail.
We decided on items that interested us; most of which were riffs on staples both the Missus and I enjoy and dishes that I had read about. It was to be a rather light dinner, since we weren't super hungry.
This version, crowned with a touch of spice was quite good….a nice slightly funky fermented nose and taste. A light spice really cleaned things up and the cabbage was nice and crunchy. A well done basic dish.
I love jellied pork dishes, so I had to get the Chicken Feet Terrine, which was also quite good.
Loved the contrasting firm textures of the terrine; it was obviously crafted with skill. Nice mild savory flavors with a touch of sour. Very nice.
Since we enjoy our Liang Cai (cold dishes) we also went with the Chilled Beef Tendon, which unlike the previous two dishes was not quite to our taste.
The chili oil was on the weak end of the scale for us and while it looked quite spicy, it wasn't. There was a real lack of the complex flavors (suan, tian, ku, la, xian).
The Missus loves Her Turnip Cake (and has been grumbling that I don't make it much anymore), so She wanted to try the Crispy Scarlet Turnip Cakes.
This was another non-starter, mainly because, while the exterior was slightly crisp; the interior was quite dry and lacked a light pungency….it was definitely not our favorite. The sauce was much too acidic as well. Give me the version Sea Harbour anytime.
The Missus wanted something with rice; so we ordered the Mapo Doufu.
I gotta say; the rice was absolutely perfect; in texture and fragrance. The mapo doufu, not so much. It was really bland, with a greasy mouthfeel, and really lacking in the basic ma-la we were looking for. I was looking for that numbing-hot (of course my tendency is toward Chongqing in terms of Sichuan), a deep savory – fermented bean flavor, a hint of pungency, all of which seemed to be missing.
Oh well, I had another Cocktail which was another winnah'.
As our final dish, we chose the Sourdough Scallion Pancake. Man, this was very impressive; a definite riff on the typical Chinese Scallion Pancake….texturally, this was amazing; a slight crisp-crunchiness in the exterior that gave way to a airiness, with a bit of a slight chew. The pancake was fragrant, with a definite hint of sourdough and scallion. This was delicious and a nice way to end the meal.
And while Mister Jiu's is now doing takeout during the time of Covid-19; the Missus and I might return once all of this is over and we feel comfortable with travel again. Though it might just be sitting at the bar enjoying a few cocktails and small dishes….and definitely that Scallion Pancake.
Mister Jiu's 28 Waverly Place San Francisco, CA 94108
We enjoyed strolling around Chinatown after our meal. Things were much more quiet, though still quite bright and colorful.
While passing Portsmouth Square we noticed a small group of Chinese Women getting their "exercise"……we decided to sit and watch; just us, two homeless guys and the women getting their groove on. This just reminded us of China and we walked back to our hotel with smiles on our faces.
I guess I'll eventually do takeout from every restaurant in Sunrise Towne Center….after all; it's pretty easy to order, then do my shopping at Nijiya. This time around; I decided to get some takeout from Spicy House since it had been a while since I last visited.
Right now; there's one table outside which is kind of worn and looks like it needs cleaning. There's a table at the entrance to the place where you can order. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they actually have some Liang Cai; the typical Sichuan cold dishes that you usually pick from a a cold table….though the variety was pretty slim pickins'…no bamboo shoots, no green beans, no beef tendon; but I managed to get an order in. I'd been craving some Sichuan……..
So, I ordered the Ko Shui Ji (mouthwatering chicken), a favorite of mine when the weather turns warmer and thinking of what we'd enjoy as leftovers, some Tea Smoked Duck.
The liang cai was ok; the smacked cucumbers were kind of bland; but the Missus enjoyed them. The Fu Qui Fei Pian here is not too bad, with a decent amount of "ma" (numbing from Sichuan Peppercorns), nice beefiness, a good toothsome chew, mild heat, and a touch of anise.
The Ko Shui Ji, the cold chicken dish I enjoy so much; wasn't very good. At least it was nicely chilled, but really lacking in "ma-la", the signature numbing hot that I love from Sichuan cuisine. The sauce was an odd brownish color and seemed watered down. I do enjoy the complexity in good versions of this dish; black vinegar, garlic, a touch of ginger….all missing here. It seemed quite watered down in flavor and the chicken was a bit on the dry side as well.
The Tea Smoked Duck was actually not bad, a bit on the dry side, but it had a nice smoky-"fowlness" and wasn't too salty. The portion size was quite large for $14.99 and leftovers did well minced with water chestnut, cilantro, and scallions or with some noodle soup; so I really can't complain.
I guess; at least for now, the liang cai and tea smoked duck might not be too bad a choice.
Spicy House 3860 Convoy Street #105 San Diego, CA 92111
The rather recent cooler weather had the Missus craving some spicy food…..that meant it was time to start doing takeout from Village Kitchen.
Of course the Missus couldn't be bothered with actually calling the place. Luckily, I had of copy of the takeout menu.
I called and managed to get my order in.
A few minutes later I was on my way.
The restaurant actually has a couple of tables set-up; the front it almost blocked off and I stood and was handed my order and was on my way. As a bonus, the really nice woman from Kangxi is Coming was now working here! It was nice to see her.
Of course the Missus had to have the Eggplant and Green Chili with Preserved Egg.
Man, there was a ton of pidan in this! In terms of flavor; it was fairly good; smoky eggplant, not enough green chili for me. It was however, super greasy…..man, how much oil did they use on this?
One of the Missus's favorite dishes; the La Rou (Smoked Pork) with Cucumber Skin was pretty good.
Decent spice, a good amount of La Rou; the crunchy, dried cucumber skin added a nice palate cleansing mild brininess, and this had a decent amount of spice as well.
My favorite dish of the meal was the Stinky Tofu "Stew".
Well, I think this might be a better look?
I always heat this on the stove; it just does better…..the slightly chewy, funky, savory chou doufu….just stinky enough for me…….which, of course meant that it just wasn't smelly enough for the Missus. Loved the savory tones, so pretty good heat here. Nice dish.
A week later, the Missus wanted me to order from VK again. This time, I noticed that the dried radish with La Rou on the menu….they'd been out of this several times on previous visit….along with the version with the smoked bamboo shoot version as well.
I decided to try and order this….which was interesting…..I called, a woman answered in Mandarin. As soon as I spoke English she hung up on me! Usually, I would just quit right here….but the Missus was at work and was looking forward to having VK when She got home. So I called again and managed to place my order.
We got the Eggplant again (with less pidan, but still just as greasy) and the Stinky Tofu Stew (even more spicy this time…..).
And of course the La Rou with Dried Radish Skin.
This was quite good; the smoked pork was not overly waxy; great smoke-salty-savory flavors. Good variety of textures. Nice spice, perhaps a bit too salty, but pretty good overall.
There are aspects of doing take-out from VK that we prefer to eating in the restaurant……service has always been a weal spot; though now that my favorite Server from Kangxi we might enjoy eating there more. But who knows when that will be as we're definitely not ready to eat out yet.
The portions we've had for takeout are quite large, the eggplant is not nearly as good for take-out; but the La Rou dishes and that smelly tofu seem to do real well for takeout.
Village Kitchen 4720 Clairemont Mesa Blvd San Diego, CA 92117
We're hoping everyone is staying safe this July 4th weekend. With the way things are going, bars and other places closing, Oceanside closing beach parking lots, restaurants closed for indoor dining in OC along with beach parking lots closed, beaches closing in LA, but staying open in San Diego……..well, 'nuff said.
The Missus had been missing the roast duck from Noble Chef as the place closed completely in March. Everytime we'd drive past She'd look out the window and wistfully whisper "roast duck"…..really. I had to remind Her that even if they reopened, it would only be for takeout and as I mentioned in my previous post on Noble Chef, the food at dinner when eating in was definitely superior to takeout or lunch. But we'd come to the point that She'd take whatever She could get from Noble Chef. Then, as I mentioned in my Golden City post, we were driving by on June 1st and saw the open sign lit up…..oh the joy on the Missus's face…..I made a U-turn and dropped by, just to confirm that they were open….just for takeout, just from 11am to 7pm at first.
The next day I called in an order….our days of stalking Noble Chef were over.
I ordered the Soy Sauce Chow Mien, Steamed Pork with Salted Fish, and of course, a half roasted duck.
The noodles were a bit on the hard and chewy side……..I've had better from there.
The Missus actually enjoys taking most of the Steamed Pork with Salted Fish home and heating it up the next day to put over Stir-fried veggies. I stir fried some ong choi on the Big Kahuna.
This definitely not as tender or juicy as what we get when eating in – here's a photo of what it looks like during dinner.
It was however, much more pungent….they didn't skimp on the salted fish. And when heated, enough liquid was extruded and lent some additional flavor to the simple stir-fried greens.
And last, but not least, the duck.
The wonderful earth-gamy flavor and nice anise tones were there, the meat moist, with just the right amount of chew……the skin though…..in comparison to eating in.
So, I went and used a hack that I haven't gone to in years….since we lived in the SGV as a matter of fact. I busted out the toaster oven and first used the back setting and finished with the "broil". I then brushed the jus (we always request extra) over before serving. The Missus was pleased.
So, of course I ended placing another order later in the week….then again last week. This time I ordered the Salt and Pepper Pork Chop….which I knew wouldn't travel very well.
But I again used the toaster oven to heat and crisp; though to a lesser effect than the duck. Still……I realized how much I had missed this dish.
And this time a whole duck.
Here's what it looks like coming out of the toaster oven….I'm sure you could use a broiler to get the same effect.
Just brush with the sauce and you're good to go.
And then of course; all the overly fatty, bony, skinless pieces, along with the leftover sauce and rendered fat is the base for the Missus's favorite fried rice.
The Missus is glad that Noble Chef has reopened, as I'm sure quite a few people are. On my most recent visit; there were at least seven or eight take0ut orders lined up on the table.
As for eat in; the gentleman working said they aren't quite sure when they'll be ready for that. And to be honest; I don't think we're quite ready for that either.
The Noble Chef 6159 Balboa Avenue San Diego, CA 92111
I started typing "way back on March 10th"……and then stopped, realizing that the 10th of March does seem so very long ago…..like a different year.
When leaving the Philadelphia Sandwich Company, my eyes drifted and TJ Dumplings came into focus….the sign saying "We're Open for Takeout". I was wondering how they were doing; so a couple of days later I called and placed an order. It was somewhat humorous as the really nice woman taking my order kept drifting between Mandarin and English. But, it's not hard to place an order at TJ (as in "Tianjin" not what someone from San Diego would automatically think) Dumplings. And I was told my food would be ready for pick-up in fifteen minutes.
Which was the perfect amount of time for me to head on over.
Entering the place I quickly noticed how the dining area has become excess storage……I guess that's one way to prevent folks from having a seat, right?
Arriving back to the office, I opened my little Styrofoam box, and was slightly disappointed; there was some leakage…..
Several of the baozi had juices leaking through and were mushy and doughy. The filling wasn't as moist as on my previous visit and not as tender. It was also lacking in the nice "porky" flavors as well.
This was rather mediocre….thank goodness for the black vinegar….
Here's what the Baozi looked like just 3 months ago…..
Still, this was more than I could consume, so I shared some with GK…..who did enjoy it.
After my previous post on TJ Dumplings, FOY "Som Tommy" paid the place a visit and said the Shao Mai (Siu Mai) was pretty good……which I really wouldn't have thought to have order – especially at $3.99 for four Shao Mai.
But this was not bad; quite hefty.
In terms of texture this was quite good, moist, tender, the wrapper not hard or brittle. Like the baozi filling; it lacked a good porkiness, but this wasn't bad at all.
It does look like TJ Dumplings is hanging on; there were several orders ready on the Grub Hub table, so I'm happy they are surviving. I do hope that if I return, the Baozi would be back to what they were like during my first couple of visits.
I’m starting to work from home on some afternoons now that things are settling down a bit. The main reason being Frankie is getting up there; he’ll be 17 in three weeks. We’d rather not leave him alone for long periods of time. So, on the days when the Missus isn’t off, or is working a long shift; I’ve arranged the work from home stuff during the afternoon…..it’s not that much mind you; after all, I get into the office around 515on most days….so, by the time 1130-noon rolls around….. The one thing this has let me do, is to order lunch to pick-up on the (somewhat round about) way home.
The Missus was missing roast duck, and at the time of this visit Noble Chef hadn’t reopened yet (they have for takeout as of June 1). So, I decided to do an online order for my favorite item at GC, the Kwai Fei Ji and also order a lunch special of Roast Duck for the Missus.
This was an interesting visit…..as the guy working….I think he’s the dining room manager, I’ve seen him many times before seemed totally out of sorts………like in total chicken-without-a-head mode. He quickly told me “too busy….too busy…..”; in other words they weren’t doing walk in take-out. I told him it was an online order and he displayed five different pieces of paper for me….I explained what I had ordered and he said; “going to be a while……” and then busted out two order slips; one for $297 and the other for $210…..and said “only me and two cook….” Who the heck orders nearly three hundred bucks of food for lunch from GC?
Sadly, all walk-in orders were turned away, like that poor woman above who was left just standing and cooling her heels until the guy made an appearance out of the kitchen to tell her that ordering take-out wasn’t going to happen….luckily, I had placed mine online….so, they had no choice but to make mine.
As for my Kwai Fei Chicken….well, it was nice a juicy….I actually took it out of the container, put it on a plate, placed it in the fridge while I booted up my remote desktop, and got things going in my home office. When things were ready, I put everything on a plate, poured the juices back over the chicken, along with the wonderful ginger-scallion sauce, busted out my chopsticks and had lunch while on my conference call.
It was just what I needed and wanted.
For the Missus, who would not be home until later in the evening, I tried an old hack of mine that I hadn’t used in a while.
I took the duck out and placed in a container, the rice in another….poured the drippings out separately. When the Missus got home and wanted Her duck; I turned the toaster oven up to broil, brushed just a bit of the sauce over the skin of the duck and broiled for 3-3 1/2 minutes on high to crisp up the skin. While not the best roast duck we’ve had; a bit too salty, it was fairly tender, mildly gamy, and the skin was slightly crisp. Pour the fat back over an voila! Dinner for the Missus.
Since Noble Chef is back in action, not sure the Missus will wanting anything from GC….so it’ll be Kwai Fei Chicken for me for now.
Current Covid-19 Takeout only hours – Daily 1130am – 830pm
Golden City Restaurant
5375 Kearny Villa Rd.
San Diego, CA 92123
It's been a busy couple of weeks, so not much time to have lunch. I headed out to grab a sandwich and noticed a new business in the former location of Lai Chen and BT Chinese Kitchen, so I headed into the parking lot.
TJ Dumplings????? Even though the sign said they open at 1130; it was 11 and the place was open, so I decided to head in.
The menu was quite small; Xiao Long Bao, Baozi, Guotie, Jiaozi, and stuff like Pineapple Fried Rice and Kung Pao Chicken? No Chinese, all in English.
I asked the nice gentleman behind the counter about the name and was told; "it's our hometown". To which I asked "Tianjin?" He immediately brightened up and let out a sigh; "I know, we didn't think when we named the place….people think we mean Tijuana!" I was also told that they had just opened two weeks prior.
I immediately asked if the steamed bun was "Gou Bu Li" (the famous baozi of Tianjin) and he smiled and said; "it is based on Guo Bu Li; even the amount of folds!" So, of course, how could I resist. I got an order of the steamed buns and potstickers to go. I liked that the baozi took about 15-20 minutes, it meant they were steamed to order. I was happy that they packed Chinese black vinegar with my order.
When I got back to the office, I noticed that Calvin had finished his lunch, but still seemed hungry, so I shared some of this with him. It was too much for me. The bun was decent; it was slightly fragrant and fluffy, the filling by the book; moist, porky, good savory tones (slight ginger/scallion), fairly tender. Not bad at all…..no, it's not the best I've had, but perfectly fine for lunch.
The baozi had 15-18 folds which puts it in gou bu li territory.
I didn't enjoy the guotie much though.
It was mostly about the wrapper and cooking technique than the filling; which was basically the same as the baozi. The wrapper was too thick; chewy, and it had a certain greasiness to it that I didn't particularly care for. Call me spoiled by QingDao Guotie….yes, I've been indoctrinated.
Still; those baozi were pretty good. So, on one of the days where I was able to get away and Calvin had a meeting running thru noon, I headed back over to TJ Dumplings for baozi. Upon entering I quickly noticed all the "Peach" insulated bags on the tables and seats.
So, I guess delivered food is a big part of the business here.
I got the baozi, jiaozi, and Calvin was really curious about the Xiao Long Bao, so I ordered that as well.
First things first; the baozi on this visit was better than on my previous visit. The dough fluffier, though it also had a bit of sweetness this time; not sure if they are stilling trying to get their formula right. The filling tasted the same; but there was a bit of "soup" in the baozi making it very moist. Also, the meat in the baozi wasn't formed as tightly, making it very tender.
The jiaozi was just ok…..here's one I'm not going to order take-out in the future as the wrappers stuck to the take-out container. The wrapper were fine, a bit more doughy-chewy than I prefer.
While not even close to being my favorite or my MIL's, this would have been decent home-made jiaozi. One funny note; the lady working asked me how I knew the Chinese names of the dishes and I told her the Missus is from Qingdao. As I took my package to go she told me; "sorry, no pounded garlic for you." Which cracked me up. Pounded garlic with black vinegar is the signature accompaniment to jiaozi in Qingdao.
As for the XLB.
I was surprised they made it back to the office intact. The wrapper is thinner than most; but a bit too brittle and lacking in a nice pillowy pull.
The filling was basically the same as the jiaozi, but with a tad more sweetness and just a few drops of soup in them.
This wasn't bad; I've had worse, but it's definitely not the headliner here. For me, it's the baozi.
Which is not bad. A solid version.
And so, I'll try to drop by and actually eat in the place when things slow down a bit.
So there you go; it's "TJ" as in Tianjin, not Tijuana. And almost Gou Bu Li.
After doing my Hu Tieu Nam Vang Kho comparison post, I realized that I hadn't revisited Trieu Chau in years. So I made it a point to revisit and have some noodle soup in over the last couple of weeks.
The service here is all business…..an older woman helps in the kitchen and busses, either a gentleman or a woman who I think is his wife takes orders, waits tables, cooks, and works the register.
The noodle soup menu is quite long. I soon realized that I had never had the egg noodle soup at Trieu Chau; so I decided to go ahead and get the House Won Ton Egg Noodle Soup ($7.50).
This bowl had way more than just won tons in it. It had some shrimp (nicely deveined and fairly plump); slices of pork (good flavor, but tough), ground pork, and a piece of rather tough chopped chicken, in addition to won tons, which were on the tough side; though nicely flavored.
The broth was salty and overly sweet; though it had a slight porkiness to it. It was delivered absolutely steaming hot with a decent amount of tongue coating richness. The lime came in handy.
The egg noodles were of the thinner type and prepared decently; it had a nice crunchy-chew to it.
A few weeks later, on a rather cooler and somewhat wet day, I decided to drop by on my way to Northgate Market.
I had my eye on the "Duck Soup with Egg Noodles" ($8.00). I was pleasantly surprised by this bowl.
The broth was much more fragrant and darker than my previous bowl. It became obvious that the drippings/sauce from the duck was used to help flavor the soup. While the broth was still on the saltier side; the added flavor boost did a nice job adding a bit of complexity and savory tones to the soup. It was also pleasantly rich.
There was a good amount of sliced duck; including the leg in the soup. All the bones and such made it somewhat ponderous to eat. The duck was fairly tender, the skin was soft, and the meat still had some gamey-savory tones to it.
There was a smaller portion of egg noodles in this bowl, but like my previous visit, it was prepared nicely.
This was not bad and I'd surely order it again.
So, it looks like Trieu Chau is on my noodle rotation in City Heights. There's still much to try from the menu. Like Lotus Garden, I need to try the Beef Sate Egg Noodle here.
Trieu Chau Restaurant 4653 University Ave San Diego, CA 92105 Hours: Daily 8am – 8pm
While we still haven't roamed very far yet; we are sorely tempted to get takeout from Bistro Na's….which is what they are doing right now.
