Chinese Restaurants – Page 22

Noodling Around City Heights – Lotus Garden

March 3, 2020 mmm-yoso Chicken Wings, Chinese Restaurants, Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

While making my way to Northgate Market to get some pig's feet, I noticed that there was a "Pho" sign on the awning of Lotus Garden. Looks like the Lotus Garden was expanding the menu from the seafood and the typical Chinese dishes served there.

Since Lotus Garden opens at 9am, I decided to visit when finishing up my shopping in the area.

As it was fairly early in the morning; it was easy finding parking in back of the building, where it shares the lot with Minh Huong Supermarket. looking at the sign above the doorway; I guess it's now Lotus Garden Seafood and Pho.

I walked in and the friendly young man directed me to a seat. It's a pretty nice dining area and I believe they have even more space in the back dining room as well.

Man, the menu here has over 120 items on it…..and there's a second menu with pho on it as well. I was going to order the pho, but noticed all the egg noodle and hu tieu items. And seeing that this place is a (sorta) Chinese restaurant; I decided to get the BBQ Duck Egg Noodle Soup ($8.99). I really didn't expect much, but was quite pleasantly surprised at what I got.

The blanched bean sprouts was a good first move. The broth of the egg noodle soup, while being on the salty side also had some savory notes to it; with a heck of a lot of oniony-slightly pungent and a light, almost seafood like flavor. The fried shallots was also a good move aa was all that scallion.

The noodles were decently prepared, with a nice pull to them.

The most surprising thing for me was the duck.

While being perhaps a tad on the dry side; the skin of the duck had been crisped up nicely, no rubbery skin here, and there was a nice salty-sweet flavor to the skin. I also enjoyed the quite gamey flavor of the duck…perhaps not everyone's cup of tea; but I enjoyed it. This was actually not bad at all and really didn't need any sauce, or jus on it at all.

I really liked the young man working; I believe his name is "Tu", he was quite friendly and we chatted about Little Saigon….I believe he's from the OC, and he even told me he knew of a place in his 'hood that made pretty decent duck…."Lien Hoa?" I asked and he seemed surprised. And then I mentioned always getting a side of the "jus" with my duck from there….he cracked up.

I decided to return the following week to try the pho….and of course, when I first try a place's pho…it's the dac biet ($9).

The basil and sprouts arrived; even though a few of the basil leaves were starting to discolor; there was enough of it so that it didn't really matter. And of course the Ngo Gai was present, crisp, fresh, like a pungent cilantro with a hint of sweetness.

The broth however, was underwhelming. It was cloudy, severely defatted, lacking in beef flavor and….as is typical in San Diego these days, too sweet and overly salty.

The rare steak was tough and dry, the flank too chewy and flavorless, though the brisket was fine, tender with a mild beefiness, the tendon was soft and buttery, and the tripe was crisp and crunchy, without any off flavors.

The typical clump of noodles was decent as well; edging on over-cooked, but okay. Still, I don't think I'll have the pho here on future visits.

I had taken a closer look at the menu on this visit and wanted to try something I saw on the menu so I returned the following week.

This time I had the House Combination Egg Noodle Soup ($7.99), which was pretty much fishball city.

The bean sprouts weren't as well blanched on this visit. The soup was also more salty; with that annoying "sweetness" to it. I needed all of the lime to help temper it.

The noodles were prepped perfectly; nice al dente pull to them.

There were some pieces of meh shrimp in the broth, fairly muddy in flavor….the item I enjoyed the best were the pleasantly toothsome and mildly funky pork stomach.

But the item I had really come to try was the Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings ($8.99)….well, there's a "Doritos" version as well, but I stuck with the, ahem…"classic".

The wings were fried fairly well; being quite moist and tender. The batter was bit too soft and got soggy quickly. The garlic was burnt and bitter, not great eats in my book. It wasn't overly salty and could have actually used more seasoning….though no more of the bitter garlic. Not sure I'd have this again, but it wasn't terrible.

In the end, Lotus Garden was not bad….I mean, I'd eat here every so often if it was in my neighborhood as it's better than the options that I have near by. I enjoyed the young man who served me on my first visit and there are still items on the huge menu to try…..heck, I haven't even gotten to the Beef Sate Egg Noodle yet.

Lotus Garden Restaurant
4007 Euclid Ave.
San Diego, CA 92105
Hours:
Open Daily 9am – 10pm

Spicy House

February 16, 2020 Cathy Chinese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is being written by Cathy while Kirk is busy with a short vacation.

Kirk's most recent post about Spicy House was in 2016. The Mister and I have gone here, but I never posted. The Mister has been craving spicy foods for the past few months ever since several of his medications were changed and we've had a couple of recent visits. The nondescript storefront (in the same parking lot as Nijiya Market, Koon Thai, Cafe Hue, Wa Dining Okan, Sage French Cake and Pho Mignon). Belies the glory
which is the interior of Spicy House.
At the far end of the dining area, closer to the kitchen, is the refrigerated appetizer selection (three for $7).
We choose items which might 'cool down' some of the spicier meal selections: Smoked chicken, (sesame oil) mustard greens and smacked (garlic-y) cucumbers.
On one visit, we tried the onion pancake ($3.99) and really enjoyed the layered dough as well as mild green onion flavor.
The Chungking Style Wonton ($6.99) appetizer has been ordered at every visit. The sauce is unique, tart, hot and addictive in flavor. If you don't want the sauce, the wontons alone are well filled and two-bite sized; a good serving.
Szechuan Fish Filet ($10.99) offers a completely different spice and flavor point. Not quite 'numbing' but great flavored sauce which goes well with rice ($1). The bit of eggplant, fungus, onion and pepper which is stir fried with the (large quantity) of fish is nicely balanced. The walnut shrimp ($14.99) order is substantial, fresh made, with large shrimp having a crispy coating, mayonnaise based sauce and sweet, crispy walnuts throughout. Not spicy; very tasty.
The cumin lamb ($13.99) is a new favorite. Just enough cumin which doesn't overwhelm the gaminess of the lamb and enough greenery to even out the heat.

Spicy House 3860 Convoy Street #105 San Diego 92111 (858) 278-5883 open daily 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

"The spiciness is adjustable, please choose a suitable spicy scale" (we have never been asked what level of spiciness we would like and take what we get; it has always been great).

Little Sheep-revisit

February 13, 2020 Cathy Chinese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is being written by Cathy today; Kirk is busy.

Kirk introduced us all to Little Sheep in 2007. I visited and posted in 2015, 2016, and 2017. Kirk mentioned LS opening a second San Diego Location in 2017, also. It's been about time for a revisit, especially in this chilly weather! This time, dinner.

We selected the Yin-Yang (House Original and House Spicy) soup base ($3.75 each) which was brought to the table and the induction heater was turned on, bringing the soup to a rolling boil.
The actual menu only has photos of each item. When you order, the prices are on the sheet. (This meal was $46.39 with tax; hot tea is free)
The 12 ounce beef and lamb combo ($10.95) is probably enough meat for a light meal for two.
However, I wanted the fish filet ($6.95) (full order)
The Veggie Combo Platter ($8.95) is pretty much always ordered; a good variety of vegetables which cook quickly in the hot soup.
However, mushrooms are not included with the vegetables, so a small order of Shiitake ($2.75) was chosen.
The lamb wonton ($5.95) gave us some carbohydrates without needing to also choose noodles.

Always fresh, a tasty and filling meal here. I hope your week is going well!

Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot and Grill 4718 Clairmont Mesa Blvd, San Diego 92117 (858)274-2040 Opens 11:30 a.m. daily. Closed between 3 and 5:00 p.m. M-F. Closes at 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 9 p.m. other days. Website

A Collection of Dishes from A-Bowl

February 11, 2020 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Xiao Long Bao

**** A-Bowl has closed

Cathy did a post on A-Bowl a few months back and over the last couple of months, both "YZ" who is from Shanghai and Calvin joined for multiple meals at A-Bowl. We had a nice smapling of the menu and some of the dishes multiple times.

So here's a collection of dishes; from the picks to pans….

Favorites:

So, YZ's favorite dish at A-Bowl hands down is the Crispy Fish Fillet with Seaweed. One of her friends (and folks on Weichat) recommended we order this dish. I've had it three times so far.

It's been crisp, light, the fish moist all three times I've had this. It's mild in flavor so the nori adds a nice oceany-savoriness. It's lightly salted and seasoned and not a bad dish at all.

Calvin's favorite dish is an easy pick. He wanted it on our first visit, but was told it would take 20-30 minutes to prepare and we didn't have the time. So on a day where it seemed all our meetings were cancelled we headed over….and as we walked in the door, Calvin ordered it; even before we got our menus. Yes, he was determined to have this… yes, we waited for the Pork "Elbow" with House Sauce.

And it was pretty good. Not overly sweet, the skin held form but was nice and gelatinously gooey. The flesh was fork/chopstick tender. Nice pork flavor, moist, not overly salty…..a pretty good job on this!

Speaking of pork; I actually enjoyed the "Crystal Pork Jelly".

I enjoyed this version of jellied pork; it had a good amount of fat to pork and was pretty tender, but not falling apart. Loved the crown of "aspic", nice swiney notes. I really enjoyed the sauce as it was salty-sour-pungent-sweet; nice amount of garlic and black vinegar and quite to my taste.

Inconsistent But Will Try Again:

There were a couple of dishes I had twice and were good on one visit and not so good on another.

The Mei Cai Kou Rou was pretty good the first time I had it.

On the first visit; the pork was a luxuriously fatty, melt-in-the mouth tender. The sauce while being quite rich, had a decent soy sauce-sweet-acidic balance, and the preserved vegetable, which looked mushy, actually had a nice, mild crunch to it.

The next time we had it; it was too salty and pork was drier and tougher.

The Shanghai Marinated Duck also followed the same pattern.

On the first visit; the color of the duck wasn't great, but this worked out fine as the duck was tender, full of flavor, and the sauce just sang in harmony….it elevated the dish. The second time around, the duck was tougher, the sauce way too sweet and sticky….it was trying to be the star of the show and just over-shadowed the duck.

Perhaps Will Try Again:

On that visit where we couldn't wait for the Pork Knuckle, the really nice young lady working recommended we order the House Special Pig Feet.

This was not bad; but the skin was a tad on the chewy side and the sauce way too sweet.

The Deep Fried Corn with Salted Egg Yolk was nice and crunchy.

But the salted egg yolk flavor was muted, making this a bit on the sweet side. Still, I really enjoyed the crunchiness.

Probably One and Done:

Minced Cumin Lamb with Pancake.

While this definitely had enough cumin for me; I missed the palate cleansing flavor of cilantro. This was also salty and I wasn't a fan of the lamb used; it lacked the nice gaminess and had a mealy-chewy texture to it. I think I'll try the regular cumin lamb out.

While the Sheng Jian Bao was better than the version down the street at Tasty Noodle House, it wasn't even close to those served at Tasty Noodle House in Hacienda Heights….which by the way, isn't even close to my favorite pan fried baozi being served at a Tasty Noodle House.

While the bottoms were decently crisp, the rest of the baozi was doughy and wet…it lacked any fluffiness. The filling was on the sweet side, but kind of tough.

I might try this again, but am not sure.

One and Done:

The Xiao Long Bao was a disappointment.

I can sum this up quickly; no soup, wrappers too thick and rubbery, folds hard and chewy…..I'll stop there.

The Beef Noodle Soup wasn't to my taste.

Actually not to Calvin's either. We shared this and after one spoonful of broth and a bite of the mush noodles we both were silent….then we cracked up. The broth was very one-dimensional with some spice; but that's it. No beefiness and a certain greasy tongue feel; not even the preserved vegetable helped. The beef was very tough as well. This was just not an enjoyable soup.

And yet, I thought the Chao Nian Gao was even worse than the NRM.

I'm not sure what happened to the wok skills of the chef on this one. The Nian Gao were mushy, there was very little flavor….not enough vegetable. The pork was tough, chewy, and had no taste. There was a strange greasiness to the dish; as if it wasn't stir-fried at the right temperature.

So there you go; a collection of dishes from A-Bowl. I'm sure the folks from work will want to return; they enjoy this place way more than Tasty Noodle House. So pork knuckle here we come……

Check out Kirbie's and Faye's posts on A-Bowl as well.

A-Bowl
4690 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111

Revisits – Village Kitchen and Yummy House

February 7, 2020 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants

Just a couple of revisits for today.

Village Kitchen:

The Missus wanted some Chinese food for dinner and decided that it was time to revisit Village Kitchen for a couple of dishes we enjoyed on previous visits. So, we had pretty much those three dishes in mind during our visit. But the Stinky Tofu Stew wasn't on the menu and we got the Stinky Tofu with Intestine. This was the best dish of the night.

While not being even close to stinky enough for the Missus; it had a decent pungency and the intestines were prepped well, still a bit funky, but with a pleasant chew. For me the chou dofu stinkiness was balanced out by the offal earthiness….or so I told myself. This was actually quite good.

Next up; a dish we really enjoyed previously; the Pork with Dried Cucumber Skin.

On our previous visit, they had made this with La Rou; but it was just tough and dry pork this time around. Other than the chilies, this was pretty bland. For some reason, the usual briney-salty-cleansing flavor I usually associate with dried cucumber skin was not there….it was just too hard as well. There was also a certain greasiness to the dish and it really wasn't pleasant to eat.

And of course, we had to order what we consider to be the signature dish of VK. The Eggplant and Green Chili with Preserved Egg.

This dish was a mere shadow of its former self……hardly any pidan, very little chili….the eggplant was mushy, but lacked smokiness…..no seasoning….greasy….'nuff said.

Along with the lousy service, this was not a very good visit. The place seems popular with younger folks….looking more for quantity over quality it seems. So, four years down the line, has VK settled into that pattern of malaise…. The Missus told me; "well, that's enough for now…….I'm done with this place for a while".

Village Kitchen
4720 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

Yummy House:

With the recent chilly weather….I had the Cold Weather – Possible Frost on the Road Warning Light go on in my car…..I didn't know what it was and had to actually read the manual to find out! I had been wondering how Yummy House was doing. I drove by to check if they were even still open and yes they were. I took a step into the place during lunch and it was deserted.

The same gentleman as on my last visit waited on me….quite nice, but really didn't speak much English. No matter; I knew what I wanted to order.

Starting with the Suan Cai Yang Rou ($12.98).

Not a particularly large portion. The suan cai; fermented cabbage, was very mild so the dish lacked that nice fermented sour flavor. A typical hot pot cut of lamb was used; also really mild in flavor and not particularly gamey. The stir fry job was pretty good however; and the dish was molten hot. I took most of it home and redid the stir fry adding our home made, fermented suan cai, both the thinly sliced cabbage and juice. The Missus scarfed it all up.

I also got the Beef Tendon Pot ($15.98); my favorite dish on previous visits to Yummy House.

This was pretty good; there were some really buttery, soft pieces of tendon. A bit too much tomato and acidity this time around. Still, it was hearty, not overly salty….there's a hint of anise flavor….I think it could use more, but overall a nice dish on a chilly day.

Seeing no other customers during my visit; I'm wondering how this place survives. Maybe they sell a ton of duck during the evening? I should drop by and try a couple of other dishes on the menu……

Yummy House
4633 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111

San Francisco – China Live Revisited and the Chinese New Year Flower Market Fair

January 25, 2020 mmm-yoso Chinese BBQ, Chinese Restaurants, Festivals & Events, San Francisco and Silicon Valley, Travel

The Missus and I decided to take a short trip during the long weekend. The Missus had really enjoyed our last trip to San Francisco; so we decided to head back for two nights.

Our flight over was quite pleasant; except for the arrogant and condescending young man who marched back and forth at the TSA security check-point telling people, "you can get it right…any idiot can do it…..it's not hard!" I understand that perhaps working for the TSA is not a pleasant job; but there's no need to be insulting….it's always the one that brings down the other ninety-nine. As my experience with the TSA has been that folks are at least somewhat professional. Or perhaps by "any idiot can do it" he meant himself? I heard the guy behind me mumble to his companion, "he's definitely a candidate for a colonoscopy without anesthesia".

We arrived fairly early; our room at the Marriott wasn't ready yet which wasn't a problem. We needed a place for a rather "early-ish" lunch….the Missus had really enjoyed the duck from China Live….yes, it was pricey, but we were on vacation, right?

Since Chinatown was basically right up the street, and China Live opens at 1030 we headed up Stockton. We quickly found that there were booths lining the usually busy sidewalks making things even more crowded with folks shopping and browsing.

We eventually got up to Broadway and China Live had just opened.

And in spite of the crowds and lines outside (the line at Good Mongkok went down and around the block!!!!), the place was empty.

We were tempted, and should have just had tea and the duck and called it a nice snack and head off….but we felt kinda guilty for just ordering the duck (albiet it being $27 – it had gone up a buck since September). We also didn't really enjoy anything else on our last visit. We just went ahead and ordered the Suckling Pig.

The Suckling Pig looked pretty nice…..

And it was decent; not the best I've had, but the meat was moist, the skin was a bit too thick and hard instead of crisp. It also lacked a good porkiness. So, not too bad, until you factor in the price….$34! That's over four bucks a wafer thin slice! I wouldn't complain if this was excellent; but it was not.

We did enjoy the duck ($27)

Which, like the last time didn't look particularly inspiring, but had a nice, thin, crisp skin….the subcutaneous fat perfectly rendered. Nice mild gaminess…moist meat. Like the last time; the "sesame buns" were dry and were just used for scallion-cucumber-hoisin sandwiches for us.

Looking at dishes on other tables….well, the rice and noodle dishes looked pretty mediocre. The total damage with tea was over seventy bucks……as we left the Missus told me, "I think we're done here…." I concurred….we'll try to find the best roast duck next time and just eat it in Portsmouth Square or something.

China Live
644 Broadway
San Francisco, CA 94133

We headed down Broadway and took a turn at Grant and oh my……the horde….the mass….the huge crowd.

But the Missus, who is usually not fond of crowds (neither am I), just smiled and headed off.

Grant was closed off….there were booths lining the street. I came to find out this was the Chinese New Year Flower Market Fair, which happens on the weekend before the Lunar New Year and everyone and their brother seemed to be checking it out.

To be perfectly honest; even I enjoyed myself.

The Missus found herself checking out many of the booths. "You know there's a problem with this, right?" She said. Not quite following Her logic I asked "Why?" She cracked up and said "No samples!"

Regardless, the Missus really had a fun time, She told me a few times, "this really reminds me of growing up in China!"

People watching was fun….checking out the folks in costume. I sent the photo to the right to my coworker "YZ" who is from Shanghai and she quickly pointed out to me that the fella' wasn't totally in character; "if he was really dedicated….he wouldn't be wearing Nike's!" You gotta love it!

Did I mention the crowds?

It was fun watching the kids having a good time with all the various characters. Call me out of touch but I wonder what the character "Fragrance" represents? And fragrance of what? Remember, this is Chinatown! The fragrance of roast duck…pork….fish, herbs, steamed buns, and other more "earthy" smells permeate the air. And that character looks like an egg?

I'd go crazy facing crowds like this everyday. But for one fine sunny morning in San Francisco, it was just perfect!

Happy Lunar New Year!

Clearing Out the Memory Card – Kangxi is Coming and Noble Chef

January 2, 2020 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants

A couple of revisits to places I've posted on several times already…..

Kangxi is Coming:

**** Kangxi is Coming has closed

It had been a while and the Missus was craving the Suan Cai dish…..mostly for the leftovers to reheat with our fairly potent homemade Suan Cai; so I went ahead and grabbed lunch. The same really friendly woman was working and she knew exactly what I was going to order "for your wife".

Not as much "gravy" as before and not stir fried as much. Still, fairly sour…..this is one of those dishes that tastes better the next day, after it had time for the flavors to meld a bit further. It could be that we added our own suan cai as well.

I needed a vegetable dish so I got the Cauliflower Dry Pot; which was pretty darn spicy.

Though you didn't get the nice buzz of Sichuan Peppercorns.

The woman recommended the Crispy Pork; which was indeed crispy and the temperature was molten hot.

It was also super sweet, it was doused in a super thick, super sweet syrup, which seized up with a texture like toffee as it cooeld down. The thin strings of ginger helped cut the sweetness a bit; but it just wasn't enough. Great texture though.

Kangxi Is Coming
4428 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111

Noble Chef:

The Missus wanted dinner from Noble Chef for our first meal after returning from our trip. It was the usual…..

And She was quite satisfied…..

The Noble Chef
6159 Balboa Avenue
San Diego, CA 92111

Hope everyone had a safe and happy New Year!

Golden City (yes, more visits)

December 11, 2019 Cathy Chinese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is still blogging about food. Today, Cathy is back at Golden City, a favorite (and underrated) Chinese restaurant located at the SouthEast Corner of the 163 and Clairmont Mesa Boulevard. Kirk is adjusting to the time zone.

Kirk's latest post about this wonderful restaurant was in January, where he linked back to his first post in 2005. My latest post was in May of 2018, so it's about time for an update. Here are two lunch visits. {The Lunch menu is available from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and again after 9 p.m.} {The Late Night menu does not include soup or rice with the meal; rice is $1 per bowl at that time}

Same location, some of the interior has been updated since 2005. Consistency. Always fresh tablecloths. Always friendly service.
Seafood Noodle Soup ($9.50)
Filled with shrimp, squid and fish as well as bok choy, carrots and plenty of eggy noodles, this chicken-broth-based soup is satisfying on many levels. Of course the flavors as well as textures and freshness make this a very satisfying meal on its own.
Fish Filet with Black Bean Sauce ($9.95). Plenty of fish, fresh and moist. Large pieces of sweet onion and a variety of bell peppers along with the saltiness of black bean sauce make this one of my cravings. The lunch meals (not the soup bowls) include egg rolls and a choice of egg drop or hot and sour soup as well as those magical 'crunchies' and plum sauce. Rice is included and hot tea is still free here; I like that it is made with loose tea leaves.
The egg rolls are cooked fresh and vegetable filled.
Fish with Lemongrass ($9.95) Breaded and properly fried, this is an indulgence. The lemony sauce, mixed with basil and spicy peppers make a great flavor combination.
Kung Pao Three ingredients ($10.95) is not too spicy. There are chilis and onion stir fried with the beef, chicken and shrimp. The peanuts mixed in help 'neutralize' any real spiciness you might encounter. Again, a mix of flavors (you can taste each ingredient) and textures and just a satisfying meal.

Golden City Chinese Cuisine 5375 Kearny Villa Road San Diego, CA 92123 (858) 565-6682 open Mon-Th 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Fri-Sat-Sun 11 a.m.-midnight

Hong Kong BBQ Kitchen (inside Vinh Hung Supermarket) (Mira Mesa)(again)

December 9, 2019 Cathy Chinese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

This is a food blog named mmm-yoso!!! Kirk usually writes about meals and various food he enjoys from nearby and afar. Cathy is writing a short post about a nearby place while Kirk is 'on vacation'.

A central location to meet clients, colleagues and friends is at the former movie theater converted to grocery store and restaurant (as well as a few other businesses in the former hallways). Kirk posted about a dinner here in April. I last wrote a post (with links to prior posts of both mine and Kirk) back in 2017.

Hong Kong BBQ and Dim-sum, near the front of the store, at the former concession stand and stairway to the (former) upper level seating was quiet enough to carry on conversations.
Fish XO sauce ($9.95) is always a favorite order here. The salty, dry scallop and dry ham base, which is cooked with chilis, onion and garlic is always mouth watering. Onions and bell peppers as well as some black beans round out the lightly battered and expertly fried fish in this dish. Always good.
Beef string bean ($9.95), stir fried simply with onion and garlic is also a good choice. The meat is thin and tender and flavorful. The green beans are fresh and flavorful. Dessert! Never a fortune cookie…steamed rice cake!

Hong Kong BBQ and Dim Sum 10550 Camino Ruiz San Diego 92126 (858) 408-4888 Open Sun-Thurs 9-9, Fri-Sat 9-9:30 Website

Sichuan City (Mira Mesa)

December 2, 2019 Cathy Chinese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! welcomes you back after the long Thanksgiving weekend. Kirk and His Missus are still enjoying their country hopping vacation and Cathy is holding down the fort here in San Diego.

In the first San Diego H-Mart location, the north end of the parking lot has been home to three restaurants; one has changed names a few times recently. It had been Golden State Seafood (where Faye used to go with family) for more than 20 years and then in early 2018 the owners sold and it changed to Spicy Hut, which abruptly changed the name in May of 2018 to Sichuan City (it's the same owner).

As with all Szechuan restaurants, there's an area of Cold Dishes to choose from, located in the dining area. A plate is $7 with up to three choices.
On this visit, we chose only two- the smoked chicken and smacked cucumbers. We munched on the flavorful smoked chicken and tried a few cucumbers while waiting for our order. The garlic-y crisp cucumbers were saved to accompany the meal.
On another visit, we shared an onion pancake ($3.99) with our meal. Wonderfully layered and light crispiness complimented that meal and the onion flavor was not overpowering. Juicy Dumplings ($8.99) were fresh made and did have a thin skin, with only one losing it's soup filling when I accidentally tore it when lifting from the papered steam basket. The soup filling itself was flavorful and the pork filling was meaty; a good sized bite. The single cooked noodle soup (rice noodle) ($7.99) was a good choice one chilly day. Ground pork, pickled vegetables, fresh cilantro and green onion along with a rich flavorful broth rounded out the bowl, complimented by the round and thick chewy noodles.
The fish filet in garlic brown sauce ($12.99) included tofu and mushrooms as well as carrot and onion. A filling plate of garlic goodness. We did order a side of rice ($1.50) to go with this (well, to go with the sauce) and the plate was a meal in itself.
Shredded pork with pickled vegetable ($10.99) was not quite what we expected, but it was good. (I had expected pickled vegetables like those on top of the noodle soup, above). The pork, by itself…I could taste the flavors, including ginger, and it was a good stir fry of pork. Those fresh chilis…good (and sweet/spicy) on their own, but when combined with a bite of pork, overwhelmed all other flavors. Not really a complaint (the menu did show two chilis indicating heat) but the fresh chilis were a surprise. We did take home leftovers and separated the chilis from the pork and the heat level was just right for a second meal.