Chinese Restaurants – Page 69

Two Dishes at Shanghai City

December 26, 2007 ed fromyuma Chinese Restaurants, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

mmm-yoso!!! is Kirk's wonderful food blog, mostly centered on San Diego eating, but sometimes Kirk goes out of town. And sometimes he lets one of his friends contribute. Today it's ed from Yuma posting about a recent meal at Shanghai City in San Diego.

Soon after moving to Yuma in 2000, I began to develop cravings for seafood and for a variety of Asian cuisine that was simply not available in the southwest corner of Arizona. Having lived in San Diego previously, I knew that I could satisfy those cravings in America's finest city. Of course, this was in the days before Kirk's wonderful blog got started, so I was mostly on my own at trying to locate great food.

On one trip, I got real lucky. I wandered into Shanghai City, heard the friendly waitperson describe a fish fillet special and asked her to pair that with some sort of the vegetable oriented appetizer. While I have long forgotten the exact specifics of the meal, I remember it being a very positive experience. On a couple of subsequent visits to this restaurant over the years, I have always been pleased with the friendly and accommodating service, so unlike the rather brusque indifference that one sometimes encounters in other Chinese restaurants.

However, it has been a long time since my last visit because it seems like I always have new and exciting destinations and/or old reliables that I just have to eat at. But on my most recent visit, I was determined to go back to Shanghai City for some fish and something else interesting.

As before, I was very impressed by the friendly service. The young woman who took my order was smiling, personable, and kind of leaning up against the wall as we talked about my choices. I finally decided on dried tofu with wild malantou herb (whatever the heck that is) and also chose braised fish tail, a dish that had intrigued me on the menu at the Green Valley restaurant in San Gabriel.

The friendly young woman made sure that I knew that fish tails have bones in them, and I assured her that I had encountered fish bones before.

Soon the appetizer arrived. When I looked at it, the plate triggered a memory flashback: this was the same vegetarian appetizer that I had had six or seven years ago. It looks like this (please do not click to enlarge):

As I began to taste the dish in front of me, I realized why it was such a positive memory. Instantly, the aroma and taste of aromatic sesame oil filled my mouth. Even more impressive was the complex mouth feel of the dish. As you can see from this close-up, the appetizer contains finely diced dried tofu, and a chopped green herb, both leaves and stems: The diced tofu is wonderfully chewy in a good way. The crunchy green stems add a contrastive textual note to the dish. The flavor of the herb itself is pronounced, if not overwhelming. I would say that it resembled a strong parsley flavor, but I'm sure there is someone out there with a more skilled palate than mine who is thinking to her/himself, "no, it doesn't taste at all like parsley."

Then the main course swam over to my table and landed in front of me. So, I thought, this is what braised fish tail looks like, four large conjoined and elongated chunks with no actual finny tail:
I have to admit that I approached the dish with a certain degree of trepidation. I was afraid that all that dark sauce was there to mask some unpleasant flavor and would overpower the fish. However, as soon as my serving spoon encountered the flesh of that fish tail, all my reservations were gone: Obviously, I am no expert on braised fish tail, but after beginning to devour this dish, I wanted to become an expert. The flesh was meltingly tender and flaky. It had a clean and mild flavor. The smooth skin with a thin subcutaneous layer of fat was rich and succulent. The thick sauce, which looked so heavy, never overwhelmed the fish, the sauce tasting mostly of ginger, bits of which would crunch occasionally in my mouth, with a light sweet soy sauce flavor in the background.

All through my meal, various members of the waitstaff would come over and ask me if everything was okay and if I needed anything. I tried to discover what kind of fish it was, but all I learned was the name was too hard to say in English and that it was a large freshwater fish something like a carp, but not a carp.

As you can see by the remains of my meal, I liked it:

At the end of the meal, I received my final satisfaction, as one of the friendly waitpeople came over and asked again how I liked my dinner. I said I loved it. She said, "not too many Americans like that dish." (She meant, I think, that not too many Americans try the dish – I can't imagine anyone not liking it.) This allowed me to use one of my favorite lines. While moving my hand in front of my face, I said, "American face," and then moving my hand over my happy belly, I finished, "Chinese stomach."

Shanghai City, 3860 Convoy St, San Diego,CA 92111
619-278-5883

Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot & Grill Part 2

December 3, 2007 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants

In part 1 of this post, I went over some of the lunch specials available at Little Sheep, so it’s about time to post on the hot pot. Just the subject of Huo Guo can be a vast universe of choices and personal preferences, so I’ll divide this post into little chunks…..all the better for digestion!

What is this sheet?

Yes, the menu at Little Sheep is a sheet……actually more of a checklist, makes things pretty easy, you just start checking things off.

The list is divided into sections for meat, vegetables, seafood, various "grilled" dishes(not for the hot pot), tofu, and other items, along with the prices. If you’re having Hot Pot you check off what type of broth you desire($3.75 per person), be it only the "Original" (non-spicy), "Spicy" (Ma-La Guo), Vegetarian, or "Half and Half" (Yuan Yang Guo), which gives you the best of both worlds……

Is it soup yet?

Soon after taking your order the pot of "broth" arrives at your table, and the heat is turned on. This pot soon becomes a boiling cauldron, with all sorts of "bits" floating around…..

Something like a total of 32 different flavorings is used for the two broths, probably to make the Colonel feel insignificant for using only 11 herbs and spices…… You’ll find everything from whole garlic cloves, ginger, to longan floating in the broth. Flavor wise, I much prefer the milky, rich, and tasty mild broth, I think the spicy broth, though nice and spicy, to be a bit "flat". It also depends on what various items you’ve ordered for your hot pot, some ingredients tend to go better with the spicy broth. One other note, having visited several times, we noticed that the flavor and oil content of the broth varied from visit to visit. So it is probably a good idea to get the combination. The hot pot also has 2 different eating/serving utensils for each person, one is simply a spoon, the other is a strainer, for fishing out all the good bits.

Where’s the Beef?

Now comes the fun part, all the "stuff". You should be served meat first, because meat will add flavor to the broth, and to everything else that comes after. Once we were served all our vegetables and noodles first, which is a faux pas. Our favorite items are…well since this is Little Sheep, not Little Pig, or Small Cow…..Lamb of course.

There are two different cuts of Lamb available; the fatty "Supreme Lamb" Shoulder Cut(above – $6.50), and the "Premium Lamb Leg"(right – $5.95). The premium cut is a bit leaner, and does well with the spicy broth. Our favorite is the fatty lamb, which is divine after a light dunk in the original broth. As you notice all meats are cut thin…and when the quality of the Supreme Lamb is good, it almost melts in your mouth(if you don’t over cook it).

Overall, we have the found the quality of the meat to usually be pretty good, from the Premium Beef(right – $5.95), to the Pork Belly, to the Beef Tendon (below – $4.95), which I thought was going to be really tough, but ended up being pretty good. While I’m on the tendon(no pun intended) one quick note; at Little Sheep you aren’t served the usual array of sauces, like the leek sauce or fermented tofu. The belief is that the broth has so much flavor you won’t need it. If you want sauces, you’ll be charged for them. There were a few items like the tendon that would be much better with the addition of some leek sauce.

One item we didn’t enjoy were the Lamb Meat Balls($6.95).

Rubbery and bland, I’ll pass on these in the future.

To Dunk or not to Dunk, is that a question?

Among the cornucopia of items available are glass noodles($2.95):

As much as the Missus loves these, they have to cook for a short while, which means they have to be "dunked" in the broth. Fishing these out can be problematic, the noodles become a net for all the herbs, and other detritus. So if you don’t mind eating a bunch of herbs stuck in your noodles…..Otherwise, stick with something a bit thicker in girth. Also, glass noodles get mushy when overcooked, which I don’t care for, but if it floats your boat……

Frozen tofu acts like a flavor sponge, and left to it’s own devices will absorb wonderful flavors from the broth. Which leads to the question, do I dip, or do I dunk? Well there are items that have to be dunked and cook, or like the frozen tofu benefit from a leisurely bath. One of my favorite items is the Lamb Wontons($4.95):

These taste better in the spicy broth. The nice wildness of the lamb stands up well to the heat. And of course these babies should be left to simmer until they start back-floating across the steamboat…..

Personally, I think high quality, thinly sliced meats should not be left to their own devices, but need adult supervision. Once cooked to just below your desired doneness they should be removed from the heat and consumed. If left to become stew meat they get tough, or break-up into little pieces in the broth….well maybe your Glass Noodle net will be able to catch a few pieces….. Like I said, everyone has their own technique and strategy.

Most of the veggies on the list, like our favorite Watercress($3.95), will do okay if dunked:

Is it just me or is it getting hot in here?

Ah yes, the social aspect of Huo Guo. Much like the dishes that Hot Pot is often associated with, Fondue and Shabu Shabu, Huo Guo is a social event of sorts. Groups of people gathering over a communal cauldron of of boiling liquid adding flavorful ingredients, while chatting and laughing, is a fun time.

Whenever we’re eating at Little Sheep, I always make several trips to the washroom, not because I need to go, but just to check out what’s going on at the other tables…..one table of three young guys, with 6 plates of meat, and the only green item on the table are the beer bottles. Another table of a older Gentleman and a Young Man, having dinner with a Young Lady. The older Guy and the young lady are having a nice conversation, while the Young Man(obviously the guy’s son) staring into the bubbling stock, looking very uncomfortable, is just stuffing himself silly so as not have to talk. Looks like some matchmaking going on here… A group of middle aged women having a raucous time at one of the larger tables in the back, while piling handfuls of Napa Cabbage into the pot…..

A young couple, who, you can tell by the mannerisms(there ain’t no slurping going on here), and very controlled movements, have probably been dating for a very short while, or maybe for the first time. People watching can be half the fun……..

Just remember to have some broth at the end of your meal…after all, you had a hand in creating it.

Ah yes, the prices…those familiar with Hot Pot in Los Angeles are in for a bit of sticker shock, all items reflect the "San Diego premium", which in most cases is about $1(or more) per item. That said, the quality and portions are about the same as we’ve gotten in LA. Service is generally good (except for the time we were brought our veggies first), and there is one hard working Woman(who seems to be there all the time), who doesn’t say much, but now recognizes us, and always gives us a smile.Which is what I’m usually doing after a nice meal at Little (Fat) Sheep……smiling, that is.

Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot & Grill
4718 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

Mon-Sun 11:30am -3:00 5:30pm – 9:00pm
Fri-Sat 11:30am -3:00 5:30pm – 10:00pm
Sun 11:30am -3:00 5:30pm – 9:30pm

Here’s Candice Woo’s article from CityBeat.

And Professor Salt did a nice post here.

Chung Hing

November 17, 2007 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants

What the heck was I doing at a Chinese Fast Food joint on Miramar Road you may ask……

Well, over the last 2 years, I’ve received at least 5 emails extolling the high quality and flavor of the Char Siu at Chung Hing. One of them said, "don’t get anything but the BBQ pork", another perhaps less reliable person said "gotta get that BBQ pork, and really good old school Chinese stuff like egg foo yung and cream cheese won tons." Egg foo yung and cream cheese won tons? Still, when I thought about it, I don’t consider those Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings I love so much, Chinese Food, but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying them. And who knows, maybe the Char Siu at Chung Hing might be really, really, good.

The interior of Chung Hing is cramped, with tables squeezed in to maximize capacity. The offerings at Chung Hing are like an encyclopedia of Chinese Fast Food. Beef Broccoli, Egg Rolls, and yes, a hand written sign, "BBQ Pork, $7.95/lb." I walked up and ordered the pork from the lady who eyed me with some suspicion. "BBQ pork, huh?" "Yes, BBQ pork….." She brought out several steaming hunks of meat and chopped them for me. I headed home, since a large pot of rice was waiting for me.

I must say, the Char Siu was very fresh, still steaming. But, though the meat was soft and juicy, the flavors were much too mild, not sweet enough, not rich enough, not enough fat. It had the texture of a regular pork roast, and lacked the mild beaniness and the complex depth of sweetness of good char siu.

After a few bites, I decided to let the Char Siu "rest" until the next day. And yes, the next day, the flavors were better, the texture of the meat had more of the tighter texture I’m used to in Char Siu. Not bad……not great, but not bad at all. I still miss the Char Siu and Roast Pork at places like Oahu Market and for some reason Island Manapua Factory in Manoa, and several other come to mind……

Chung Hing
7160 Miramar Rd
San Diego, CA 92121

So now what to do? Well, I decided to make one of my carb-loaded easy dishes. Stir Fried Egg Noodles, with Soy Sauce and bean sprouts. Really easy stuff. The only thing I do a bit different, is that I don’t boil those noodles, they get really mushy, and the texture is all wrong. Instead, I give them a quick rinse, than steam them for 8-10 minutes before stir frying them.

Just an easy stir-fried noodles dish…..

Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot & Grill Part 1 – Not the Hot Pot

November 15, 2007 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants

We were pretty excited when we first spotted the sign for Little Sheep. Though for some reason, once the restaurant opened we just never made it. Perhaps it was the weather being a bit too hot, or maybe we were just in a rut following our return from Peru. Than came a really hectic period, I got sick, the wildfires struck, I got food poisoning, etc, etc, etc……..

Whatever the reason, we finally got our act together, and made it over to Little Sheep. And though the selection for hot pot items looked very tempting……

A FOY (friend of yoso) had sent me an email regarding the lunch specials listed on the placards at each table. We found the restaurant empty except for one other table. And after giving the regular menu sheet a quick once over, and ordering a few things, we checked out the lunch time offerings.

Cold Pork Jelly ($4.95), this was from the menu sheet. If you’re a regular reader, you already know that I enjoy "jellied meats", tender connective tissue, head cheese, et al…..

This was pretty solid and chewy, served in a little pool of a soy mixture which added just about the only discernible flavor, other than the cilantro, to the dish. The Missus said, that in most versions She’s had, the jellied meat is topped with minced garlic, which would have been a welcome addition here.

Lamb Skewers($4.95), also from the menu sheet.

The lamb meat had some chew, but wasn’t overly tough. What was lacking was flavor, not enough cumin, not enough salt killed this street food favorite. We had ordered these "spicy", but the skewers were still very, very mild.

Beef Noodle Soup with Hand Sliced Noodle (Dao Xiao Mien – $6.95).)

I had been for warned by our FOY, that the Beef Noodle Soup was very bland. But since I love Dao Xiao Mien(Knife Cut Noodles) I had to give this a try. And yes, that broth was lousy, totally devoid of flavor, it was not even salty. I added chili oil, salt, soy sauce….uh-uh, not very good. The 3 thin slices of beef were flavorless, dry, and tough. Too bad, because the noodles were not half bad, much better than the Late Jamillah Garden’s doughy version. This version had a decent chew, along with some pull, and wasn’t shaved too thick. One more thing, we couldn’t believe how much noodle was in this soup……it seemed like an endless amount. Talk about a carb fest…….noodles upon noodles.

The Cumin Lamb Stir Fry($8.95):

This should have just been called Salted Lamb Stir Fry. Again, not enough cumin, and too much salt. Not even close to the version served at Dede’s.

House Casserole($12.95)

A light, but flavorful broth, with "Thousand Layer Tofu"(aka frozen tofu) soaking up the flavor, this was by far the Missus’s favorite of the day. It tasted even better as left overs. The bean thread in the dish along with the Napa Cabbage added substance, though the meat was on the tough side. Still, I’m not quite sure this is worth almost $13…….

I’m sure we weren’t the only ones wondering how Little Sheep will survive the warm, and sometimes downright hot summers. If this is any indication, it may be tough. But for now, as it gets cooler we will enjoy the Hot Pot at Little Sheep.

Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot & Grill
4718 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

Mon-Sun 11:30am -3:00 5:30pm – 9:00pm
Fri-Sat 11:30am -3:00 5:30pm – 10:00pm
Sun 11:30am -3:00 5:30pm – 9:30pm

In Part 2 we’ll do the Hot Pot……

Road Trip: Elite Restaurant – Monterey Park(LA)

November 4, 2007 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Dim Sum, Los Angeles County, Road Trip

The Missus and I have a tradition, during the Sunday of a time change, we attempt to make the best of the extra hour, by celebrating and having brunch. When we wind the clocks back…well, we celebrate by having brunch! However, on this day we decided to shake things up a bit, and have some Dim Sum. Why? Well, this year the time change occurred a week later, causing mild discombobulation. But more importantly, it seems that the Missus and I have a black cloud following us around to brunch. Last year, we had brunch at one of our favorites, The Red Lion Hanalei Hotel, one month later the brunch was closed, and the Red Lion became a Crowne Plaza Hotel. This past March, we enjoyed our time change brunch at European Bistro, and wouldn’t you know it, a few months later, Chef Axel had stopped serving brunch. I’ve heard the change is temporary, but last time I checked, they are still not serving brunch. Now the Missus and I had become concerned that if this pattern were to continue, Jim, the Sunday Brunchmaster might start hunting us down…… And we wouldn’t want that! So, what to do? Dim Sum seemed like a good solution, but we wanted something a bit different, not the usual stuff. One of the places on my "list" was Elite Restaurant. In it’s former incarnation Elite was called New Concept, and I had been waiting to eat there, but never had the chance. I was a bit disappointed, but after reading Dylan’s post on his meal at Elite, on his wonderful blog, Eat, Drink, & Be Merry, I couldn’t wait. So what’s so special about Elite? Well much like Happy Harbor, Sea Harbor, and Mission 261, Elite represents the "New Wave" of Dim Sum service, that would be menu service(no cart here), and interesting, sometimes innovative, creations. I couldn’t wait…..

One other item. On weekends Elite opens at 9am, which meant that we could take advantage of our "extra hour". Alas, due to some minor timing issues we arrived at 915 am, and were amazed at how packed the place was!

Elite was much different from the "usual" image of Dim Sum Houses. The restaurant was not the typical cavernous, giant Dim Sum restaurant. It became quite clear that there was no way this restaurant could ever accommodate carts without removing half the tables. Also, tasteful colors, decor, and lighting, replaced much of the faux Chinese ornamentation. Since we had just "missed the boat" we knew there would be a wait ahead of us, which gave us time to peruse the menu, and "people watch". It was pretty amazing how many people tried different strategies for getting ahead in line, from hovering around, to aggressiveness, to applying pressure. I’m wondering how many times the Chinese equivalent of the LA-ish "do you know who I am" was used! Seated customers who knew people waiting would welcome them to their table, moving and adding chairs, suddenly a two-top became a very cramped 5 top. Very nice for their friends, bad for increasing the wait of others…… 50 minutes later, we were seated in a nice quiet corner in one of the side banquet rooms, ready to order after going through the menu. We decided to have some "interesting" items, and a few standards.

Off we go. Baked Durian Pie($2.98):

This was wonderful. Think of it as a Durian Cream Puff. The very light, melt in your mouth Choux-like pastry is filled with Durian Cream. Perhaps the filling was a tad on the sweet side, but we both thought that the best aspects of durian were presented in the custardy-slightly nutty flavor, with very little of the cheesy-old socks scent. Having a bite of this pastry, followed by a sip of tea, was a combination made in heaven.

Macau Egg Custard($2.98):

One of those Dim Sum staples. This version had a nice and light crust. The custard was also light, though also a bit too sweet for me.

For the Missus, one of Her hallmark dishes, is the Taro Gok(Fried Taro Dumplings/Balls). There is a fine balance between oily, and light and crisp, and the flavor can tend to the bitter side if the balance of filling ingredients is not right. We ordered this from the server since it isn’t on the menu.

When it arrived, I wasn’t too impressed at the very light color. But one taste of the crisp, light as a feather, dumplings, with a perfectly balanced filling, I knew I had met the best version of this I’ve had in a while. The addition of preserved vegetable was a nice touch, both in flavor and texture.

Thai Style Papaya with Goose Feet($5.98). sounds really interesting, doesn’t it?

Think of deboned Goose Feet and sliced green papaya flavored like Chinese spicy pickles(like Kimchee). This was a nice refreshing change of pace. The flavor teetered on the edge of being too sweet. The spiciness was on the mild side. In fact, I added a good amount of chili paste to this. Goose feet won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, the texture consists of several levels of crunchy, from the leg portion which is chewy and tender, to the webbed portion which can be pretty hard.

Home Style Pork Legs w/Peanut in Special Sauce($5.98):

This was a hearty five-spice flavored broth, very rustic and home style. The pig’s feet were tender, with a good amount of gelatin. The boiled peanuts added nice flavor and texture contrast. The only thing we didn’t care for were the super hard and tough bamboo shoots. I was also wishing for a nice bowl of rice………..

The Macau Roasted Pork($5.98):

This was the dish I saw on Dylan’s post that had me adding Elite to my list. And it delivered as promised, 12 Andes Mint sized slices of the most perfectly roasted pork belly, served in perfect proportion of velvety and sweet fat, a thin layer of light and crisp skin, and a layer of meat made this an excellent dish. Served with salt and hoisin, which were not needed. Very rich, we(ahem, I) only finished 4 slices.

Bamboo Pith Fungus & Sea Cucumber Wrap($2.98):

First let me say, I’m not a big fan of of Bamboo Pith Fungus (zhu sun – 竹荪). In fact, every time I’ve tried it, I hated it. I think it has a strong, earthy-muddy-bitter flavor that tastes like medicine. The Bamboo Pith Fungus in this dish was fabulous, with a delicate earthiness to it. The rest of the dumpling was problematic. It was so large, dominated by the shrimp cake, that you really couldn’t taste anything else. We took it apart to sample the different flavors. Proportionally, not very good, I’d like something smaller with better balance.

The Scallop Steamed Rice Noodle(Cheong Fun – $2.98):

The Cheong Fun was sadly, a disappointment. Though it looked beautifully lacquered, and a had a good amount of scallop in it, the noodle was tough, and without a nice pull and elasticity. The scallops were flavorless, and the sauce tasted like almost pure soy sauce.

Shark’s Fin Dumpling in Supreme Soup Stock ($5.08)

For us, this was all about the broth, rich, with sweet-peppery tones. The huge dumpling residing in the middle was full of various seafood and pork, most of which were bland and tasteless. The dumpling wrapper was terrible, gummy and tough. That broth though……….

Shark Fin & Red Clam Dumplings($3.98):

A trio of very large steamed dumplings. Again on the bland side with the flavor of the masago dominating. The Red Clam (aka Surf Clam/Hokigai) was basically a garnish for the rest of the dumpling. Another case of out of proportion flavors.

Sticky Rice wrapped in Lotus Leaf($2.98). One of the Missus’s favorite. Compared to the enormous dumplings these looked positively dainty.

The Missus said that these were good, nice flavor, and hot. There’s a piece of abalone in the center of the rice, but it was super over cooked, tough, and flavorless. The Missus was satisfied, though.

And overall, so was I. We didn’t eat too much…..I know that you’re thinking we went insane here, but we’ve got a frig loaded with leftovers. The total damage, including tea was $51, less than what we’d usually spend at a good Buffet Brunch. I think the "super-sized" dumplings may appeal to some, but it really knocks the flavors out of balance. Also, I’ve also considered dumplings at Dim Sum service to be nice and delicate, full of flavor. Service was very good, considering the restaurant was stuffed to the gills. The Missus still preferred the flavors at Happy Harbor….but that pork……

Prices:

Small – $1.98

Medium – $2.98

Large – $3.98

Special – $5.08

E Special – $5.98

No not cheap, but some of the dishes are a notch above!

Elite Restaurant 名流山莊
700 S Altantic Blvd
Monterey Park, CA 91754
Hours:

Mon – Fri 10am-3pm, 5pm-10pm
Sat-Sun 9am-3pm, 5pm-10pm

This is what the crowd outside the restaurant looked like when we left.

Road Trip – No.1 Noodle House – Rowland Heights(LA)

November 1, 2007 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Los Angeles County, Niu Rou Mian, Road Trip

Well, I'm back, (almost)fully recovered from the "roast beef sandwich" from hell. Funny thing, I ate and drank all kinds of street food and other "interesting stuff" in Peru, with nary a problem. Now I'm back at work, and a sandwich from a (formerly) trusted source ambushes me….. Since starting this food blogging thing, I've spent much more time really "tasting" my food. EXCEPT, when busy at work, where I'll wolf stuff down at my desk. So about half way through my sandwich, my tastebuds finally sent a message, via slow boat, to my brain, that the sandwich tastes really "off"…..and the rest, as they say, is history. I'll just say, that right now, I can't look at a piece of roast beef without the word "emesis" in shocking white letters flashing in my head. Well on to better things……

Waaaay back in August we made our way back to the old neighborhood….that would be Rowland Heights. Even though we've lived in San Diego since 2001, we still see our Ophthalmologist in the area. I'm not quite sure what it is, laziness, trust, or maybe just for an excuse to eat. I'm sure the latter plays a large part in our decision. On this visit, I had No. 1 Noodle House directly in my line of fire.

No 1 Noodle House is located in the super refurbished Yes Plaza, on the corner of Colima and Fullerton Road, which used to be a pretty beat and seedy looking strip mall when we lived several blocks away. Now, after a major face lift, we can barely recognize the place! We cracked up when we saw the laundromat we used to use is still there, looking pretty new, I bet it doesn't smell like fermenting geriatric diapers any more……

The menu at No 1, is comprised of various Sichuan (Chengdu-style) snack foods….that would be various noodle dishes, and the like. And yes(or in this case "YES"), this shop is sporting a 'C', facility food rating….

After spying such a rating, there are those that are going to flee in the opposite direction as fast as possible, and those that will say, when it comes to Chinese Restaurants in the SGV, "A=American, B=Better, C=Chinese….."

I had heard some pretty good things about the Niu Rou Mian, so I was excited to try it out.

This bowl set us back $5.50, and frankly, was pretty lousy. The broth had the consistency of dish water, and was served at a tepid temperature. The broth had a diluted beef flavor and lacked spice, with just a hint of anise/five spice in the background. The noodles were simple store bought, and over cooked. The beef was tender, but like the broth lacked flavor, other than a slight refrigerator staleness. Needless to say, the bowl sat pretty much untouched.

Luckily, we ordered a few other items, which helped to balance things out a bit. "Cold Bean Noodle" (liang fen – $4.50):

For those who haven't had (or knowingly had) this type of Starch Jellied Noodle, Liang Fen is made from mung bean. This version was mixed with a sesame paste-soy-black vinegar mixture, and served with chili oil/paste, ground peanuts, and green onions. Oh yes, and MSG. The flavor was right and refreshing, and hit all the salty-sour-spicy notes for us. Liang Fen has a nice slippery-mildy chewy texture that was very pleasing. Good stuff.

We also ordered the Chili Oil Won Tons($3.50):

This was another surprisingly good dish. The Won Tons were pretty large with a good amount of filling. The generous topping of excellent chili oil, peanuts, and green onions made this a spicy and satisfying dish. Like many of these types of dishes, it sure looked like a lot of oil was used, but it was not greasy in the least. I'd have this again in a minute.

I really don't know what the deal was with Niu Rou Mian, but the other dishes made up for it. The service is typical San Gabriel Valley, brusque and efficient. You should not eat here if you have MSG-phobia, or have adverse reactions to MSG, you'll see MSG crystals in your food.

No 1 Noodle House
18180 Colima Rd
Rowland Heights, CA 91748

You know, I just realized the irony of this post….many people I know wouldn't dare eat at a place with a 'C' rating. And yet, I suffered no ill effects, just as I've encountered no GI problems when eating at Taco Trucks, and various eateries with 'B' rating or lower….and here I was ambushed by roast beef with an 'A' rating!!!!

Rickshaw Corner in Tierrasanta.

September 27, 2007 Cathy Chicken Wings, Chinese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso is the blog that never goes on vacation, even though Kirk does. Cathy is still here, talking about yet another meal she ate.

So, long story short. The Mister was stuck in some major traffic on 52 last night. He finally got to the Santo Road exit, took it and was looking for a pay phone (keeping it short, don't ask about a mobile phone right now) and eventually ended up at the Vons at Santo Road and Clairmont Mesa, where there is a pay phone in front of a Laundromat.

He told me there was a Chinese Restaurant on the end of the mall and it looked really busy with lots of people doing take out. I should have asked him to see what they were ordering, but it is too late for that now.

It turns out the menu is two sided, Chinese and Japanese. Taking the 50-50 chance, we chose Chinese…because…well

I grew up with this>

as my definition of Chinese food and so, nothing could be that bad…and- AND- and the Japanese Bento meals were being served on -Honest To God- sectioned cafeteria food trays.

Plus, well, if you read the menu, you get 8 Pot Stickers on the Chinese menu for $4.95-(62¢ each), versus the 5 Gyoza for $3.25 (65¢ each) on the Japanese menu.

Chinese it was.

The 10 piece fried chicken wing appetizer ($4.95). Nicely fried, plump and juicy but absolutely needed the Plum Sauce served with them. Soy Sauce also helped.

The pot stickers. Absolutely wonderful.

Plump, meaty, great pork with some water chestnut filling. Just right thickness skins stir fried to a perfect crispiness.

We decided to try the 3 Flavor Sizzling Rice Soup. ($4.95). It was brought out in two bowls, the rice was not sizzling, but was cooked. The broth was cabbage and white pepper based, not at all chicken flavored, even though there was a layer of oil on top and I thought that was an indication it was a chicken broth. The cabbage and peas were fresh and crispy, not canned. The shrimp had good flavor but the chicken pieces tasted old and maybe freezer burned. The beef just had no flavor. It was not good. If I had a cold, I might want it just to get hydration and something into me, but … no. Not really.

We decided to try the vegetable Egg Foo Young ($6.95). I have never seen egg foo young prepared this way. Two pancakes topped with stir fried vegetables and sauce. The vegetables were good and fresh and the sauce was nice and the pancakes were… pancakes, with canned or frozen peas and carrots-no bean sprouts- in them. Kind of thin, kind of tough. Strange.

As were our fortunes. The Mister's says "Great! You're ready for a party." and mine says "You are primed to come up with a creative solution."

Whatever. It was a meal. I am curious as to what they can to do to Japanese food now. The people working are all family, very friendly and nice, knowing the regulars who are coming in to pick up meals …I just wish I knew what they all ordered.

Rickshaw Corner 10428 Clairmont Mesa Blvd (at Santo Road) (Tierrasanta) San Diego 92124 (858)541-1998 (858)541-0877 Mon-Sat 11:30-9:30 Sun 3-9 (Closed M-F 3-4 p.m.)

Sam Woo BBQ-Part Two- Lunch Specials!

September 18, 2007 Cathy Chinese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the blog with the Temp, Cathy, writing while the Main Guy, Kirk, is on vacation. She still writes about food. That’s why you are reading this blog, anyhow.

Hi again. Yesterday, I blogged about breakfast specials at Sam Woo, inside the 99Ranch complex. Here is a little snippet of what the lunch specials are like.

You will notice there are two sets of items- Specials #1-#55 cost $4.95 each and #56-#82 are $5.95 each. The all include rice and a bowl of the soup of the day (sometimes egg drop, sometimes hot and sour, sometimes tofu, and on this day a black bean pork soup)

Pretty much this was the best soup I have had here, in that it was unique with the salty black beans and rich pork broth. You never know what the soup will be, so I always look forward to it.

This is a combination of two dinners post, therefore more than three entrees are shown. #56- honey glazed walnut shrimp, always a favorite. Plump, juicy shrimp, fried in a light batter and then topped with Kewpie- a mayonnaise sauce- and served with those crispy wonderful not sticky honey glazed walnuts. The flavors go together . Really… and this stuff is addictive. The only vegetable served with this- lettuce shreds, which you will like to eat with some of the mayonnaise.

#78- spicy salted squid. Oh yes. You will see plates of this coming out of the kitchen all the time. Fresh squid, batter fried with the spicy salt in the batter. The squid is scored and so it curls into tubes when it is fried, making it easy to hold and eat with chopsticks. Not too hot/spicy- that comes from the only vegetable on the plate; the chili peppers and green onion tops. Still, it isn’t a bad spice or heat. It is very light.

This is #5- shrimp with black bean sauce. Usually we get the rock cod fillet with black bean sauce, but the main thing I like is the black bean sauce. Spicy, salty, onions and green peppers compliment the flavors and you can still taste the sweetness of the shrimp.

#77 spicy salted oyster. Oh my, yes. There are only four oysters on this plate. They were obviously farmed in Chernobyl. Same light salt batter and those chilis on top, along with some more lettuce. Excellent flavor.

I saw some jarred oysters inside 99Ranch across the hall that were this size, so am pretty certain of the source for this dish (you know, after being shucked in Chernobyl). The Mister likes clams, and I like oysters so this dish is pretty much only mine to eat. He will eat maybe half of one oyster, as he does enjoy the salty crispiness of the crust. heh heh…the rest are mine….

Ah, #61- scallop with XO sauce. Oh. XO. Yes.

XO sauce is quite unique. It has dried scallops, dried shrimp, dried red chiles and various other spices. Most people make their own. It is unique, spicy in a good way, kind of crunchy because of the dried small pieces of seafood and…wow…I love XO sauce. Sometimes, we order #55- fresh mushrooms with XO. A whole plate of various mushrooms slathered in XO..and, oh, it’s a vegetable! As you can see, this dish is served with onions and green peppers as well as a lot of thin sliced scallops.

Here is a photo of #11- the rock cod fillet with black bean sauce. After a bunch had been taken off the plate. The rock cod is thin and juicy and the sauce is, again, the same one as witht eh shrim. above -and I crave it. Red and green bell peppers compliment this dish in a nice way. Crunchy and refreshing, to go with the saltiness of the beans.

We usually only get hot tea when we eat here (no charge at lunch, but 30¢ for a pot at breakfast…I dunno) but one day, I had a craving (they sell more of the iced/boba drinks via the attached ‘To Go’ Sam Woo steam tray area attached to the restaurant, but store the ingredients in the glass doored refrigerators where I could see them from where we were sitting) and asked for a red and green bean iced concoction-no boba ($2) sweet red beans and sweet green (yellow) beans, ice, sweetened condensed milk and a cherry. Very nice.

If you are shopping at 99Ranch anyhow and hunger strikes, this is a great place to stop and eat. We have tried just about every item on the lunch menu, and do like the beef and chicken and pork as well as tofu dishes, as well as the deep fried whole fish and the vegetable only dishes (sometimes we get a whole veggie plate because we know there basically aren’t any vegetables with what we ordered, as we always order three plates anyhow..but they usually only give us two bowls of soup, since there are only the two of us eating). I only blogged these most recent meals.

Sam Woo BBQ 7330 Clairmont Mesa Blvd, inside the 99 Ranch mall. Lunch Specials 11 a.m.-4 p.m., 7 days.

Sam Woo BBQ Part One-Breakfast!

September 16, 2007 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, Chinese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Part Two is here

mmm-yoso!!! is the blog that was started by Kirk, an Ex-Pat Kama'aina. He is on vacation. The Temp, Cathy, a White girl from Detroit and East San Diego County is blogging for now.

Hi, again. As part of my thinking about a "regular rotation" for The Mister and I, stopping into Sam Woo inside 99Ranch Complex for something to go or to eat inside the restaurant comes to mind.

Sam Woo BBQ has breakfast ($3.20 for all items, a choice of 33 different salty wonders, with a charge of 30¢ for a pot of tea, or 30¢ each for a cup of Vietnamese coffee-which I will explain soon) and lunch specials (either $4.95 or $5.95) seven days a week. I will post about lunch tomorrow.

So, anyhow, we went to breakfast this morning.

We got the only rice dish on the menu, #33. Fried rice with Lunch meat (i.e., fake Spam). It is always satisfying, and plentiful, made with peas, carrots and egg as well as the bits of Luncheon meat. We usually take some home to have later- for lunch or dinner. Sometimes we get the #1- stir fried rice noodles with Luncheon meat-same stuff but with noodles.

This day we also got #2 on the menu- Fried rice noodles with bean sprout and soy sauce. This is a favorite- the wide rice noodles, stir fried and slightly burnt, with onions and bean sprouts and in a light, not salty tasting soy flavored sauce.

We, of course always order three dishes (one for each of us and one for the table) and this day got the #10-Won Ton Noodle soup. This is always a favorite. The whole bottom of the bowl is all egg noodles and there are some pieces of bok choy in the rich, rich pork broth that has a slight white pepper kick to it. There are always five dumplings, thin skinned and filled with a lot of great pork filling. The #11- shrimp dumpling soup is the same but the dumplings had half the amount of pork filling and a whole shrimp inside. Some days, it depends on what we want to eat.

There are 6 different porridges on the menu, but Sam Woo does not make the fried donuts that go with porridge. You have to walk across the hallway into the 99 Ranch Market and go to their steam tray area and buy the donuts for 40¢ each. I see families sitting down, ordering and then one person running out the door to get donuts all the time.

Ah, one of the perks of breakfast here. 30¢ pots of tea and 30¢ cups of Vietnamese coffee- it is made in an electric drip coffee pot and not the traditional Vietnamese slow drip pot, but is just as strong, and served with the nifty pitcher of sweetened condensed milk that will 'cut off' the thick sticky substance and works perfectly to keep that sweetened condensed milk from getting all sticky on the container. They don't do refills on the coffee, but one cup, along with the tea is just perfect for me for breakfast.

A nice, inexpensive, wonderfully salty breakfast in a sit down restaurant. It is a great way to start the day. If you have to go grocery shopping, just walk across the hall.

Sam Woo BBQ inside 99Ranch Complex 7330 Clairmont Mesa Blvd San Diego 92111 (619)505-9888 fax (619)514-8988 (The paper handouts all have the 619 area code; I am not sure if this is correct; if you are trying to call and it doesn't go through, try 858 as the area code)Breakfast 9:00 -11:00 a.m. M-F, 8:30-11:00 a.m. Sat-Sun

Cam Ky Chinese BBQ

September 4, 2007 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Cam Ky has closed

On a recent Monday, in the mood for Banh Mi. I took a quick drive to the strip mall on the corner of Marlborough and University, the taste of Banh Mi on my lips…..only to find the place closed. And though Cafe Dore sounded good, I decided to try something new. The little Chinese BBQ restaurant in the mall, Cam Ky.

Check out "little neon piggy" sign, can you guess what Cam Ky does? The little restaurant has about nine tables, a Chinese BBQ counter, and that's about it.

I had a seat, and was given a menu by the serious and quiet lady. The menu wasn't very large, but I saw something that I wanted to try…..

In spite of the heat, I ordered the Goat Egg Noodle Soup($6.50):

A medium sized bowl of dark soup arrived in a few minutes, topped with some crisp fried Yuba, imitating fried goat skin, a nice touch. There was a large portion of stewed goat meat, which was very tender, if a bit short on flavor. Though the soup looked dark and rich, it was thin and also on the very mild side, with just the ever-so-mild essence of 5 spice. The egg noodles were still crunchy, and the addition of watercress gave the soup some life. Overall, this was not bad considering the generous portion of goat meat, but it's not something I'd order here again.

I figured this would be a "one and done", except something from the BBQ counter kept calling to me:

I know you can't really see it, but that side of roast pork looked sooooo good. I got a half pound ($3.75) to go.

I just had a few bites(3 pieces) and shared the rest of it with the people at work. From the texture standpoint this was very good, velvety fat, nice moist meat, very crisp, but not hard skin. The flavor was (again) on the mild side. Not perfect, but better than most.

Which meant that I'd be back……fast forward to a few days later. This time the lady was much more friendly. She asked me if I spoke Mandarin, I told her that I didn't. She had thought that I was Taiwanese….which is probably an insult to Taiwanese everywhere.

On this visit, I decided to go for the gusto, and ordered the 3 roast meats with rice($6.50). The meal started with a soup with stewed pork shank.

Man this was good. The broth had a good pork flavor, without being too salty. The meat, while not falling off the bone, was more than adequately soft. The photo speaks for itself……I wanted some rice!

After the broth, the rest of the meal was pretty anti-climatic.

This was quite a bit of food, I was ready for a major nap after eating all of this. Over a generous amount of rice was some BBQ Pork, which was just ok, the fatty pieces had some nice flavor, and was fairly tender, but the leaner pieces were tough, and lacked the sweet, rich flavor. The Roast Duck while nicely flavored with 5 spice, was on the lean side, and quite tough. The Roast Pork was the same as my previous visit, and for my money is the way to go here with regards to roast meats. Still, you get quite a bit of food here.

While eating, I noticed many men in "white T-shirts" and "paper hats" coming in to buy duck and pork. I'm guessing that several Mi Gia places get their roast meats from Cam Ky. By the time I left, the roast pork was gone.

The menu at Cam Ky ranges from Hu Tieu(Rice Noodle) and Mi(Egg Noodle) Soups, Fried Rice, and various items on rice. In keeping with the theme of the "neon pig" , while I was paying at the register I noticed a photo of a whole roast pig on the wall. cam Ky sells whole roast pig, ranging in price from $150-$190. Oink-oink…

Cam Ky Chinese BBQ
4141 University Avenue
San Diego, CA 92105

Closed on Tuesdays