Filipino Restaurants – Page 5

Gaya Gaya – A First Look(s)

May 15, 2019 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Filipino Restaurants, Poke

***** Gaya Gaya has closed

About a week-and-a-half ago, one of the folks in the office told me that Sarap had changed owners.

A day later, I read in the Eater that DJ Tangalin had taken over the spot and renamed it Gaya Gaya.

While I thought my meals at Bivouc Ciderworks were a bit of a mixed bag, I was interested in checking the place out. As were a couple of other folks so we headed on over.

The interior looks a bit more spacious; the rather huge benches and tables had been removed and things spaced out a bit better. Other than that things looked pretty much the same. The "Sarap" signage is still up, but one look at the menu and you know it ain't the same place. The names of the dishes are familiar, but reading the descriptions, well, it was now a different world. There seemed to be fusion touches to many of the dishes.

Of course; there were those that were excepted.

It had been ages since I've had decent Balut….but man five bucks! Whatever, I decided to try it. No one else around the table wanted to join me though.

In most cases; I've had it overcooked, which really didn't help texturally. Also, the nice "fowl-ly" flavors are lost. This was nice, soft, juicy, savory, with a light mustiness. I have a couple of stories about the first couple of times I had balut back home in Hawaii; but I'll save that for another day. I really enjoyed this version as it wasn't over-cooked.

The Bicol Express ($15) here is served with mussels.

While I missed the spice (thus not really Bicolano in my mind) and the usual good dose of bagoong; the mussels were tender and those twice cooked potatoes did well in the dish. This dish seemed more Thai than Filipino to me. Still, not bad.

The Bagoong Fried Rice ($6) on the other hand was terrible.

The rice wasn't coated well; there were many clumps and some really hard pieces of rice. Not enough bagoong for our tastes. All of us had eaten the bagoong fried rice at Sarap, which was much better than this.

Calvin just had to order the "Award Winning" Tuna Poke ($13).

Maybe it's because I just got back from visiting "home"; but man, this was bland. It seemed so good while reading it through on the menu; but the fish wasn't coated well enough, not enough white shoyu. The fish itself was fine, moist, tender, but was just so bland.

Next up; the Crispy Pata ($19).

This was interesting; the pata seemed brushed with a slightly sweet glaze. It was served with a pseudo atsara which had masago in it. The soy concoction was interesting as it had a good balance of salty and sour. Sadly, the skin of the pata was really hard….not crunchy or crisp, hard. The flesh was also quite dry…not sure why the mint-dill garnish was necessary. It was disappointing.

So, a bit disappointing, but I wanted to do a revisit a few days later….sadly, I had no takers so I headed over by myself.

I decided to go with the Adobo Rice Bowl ($12). This was quite good.

The pork belly was cooked just the way I like; not falling to pieces, but super tender and moist. The sauce was a perfect balance of salty to mildly sour, with just a hint of sweet. The porkiness of the pork belly came through nicely as well. The rice was decently cooked, perhaps a bit on the dry side. The pickled cucumbers helped to cut the richness of the dish. No, it's not your typical "gut-busting" portion; but more quality than quantity.

I also decided to the order the Pinakbet ($9).

This was decent; the eggplant soft and buttery; the pumpkin was slightly firm and not mushy, with a touch of sweetness. Loved the bagoong in this….it added a wonderfully pleasing savoriness and saltiness to the dish. I did sorely miss ampalaya (bittermelon); which I think adds tannic-bitterness to pinakbet.

Overall, a decent visit. Which had me wondering; was the first visit just a fluke? So, I decided to drop by one more time. Not being particularly hungry; I just went with the Chicken Tocino Rice Bowl ($11).

Not quite sure about this….the chicken thighs didn't seem to have been marinated enough. It had a decent amount of saltiness; but really needed that fruity sweetness (usually from pineapple if I recall), and some tanginess. The color was really light and the chicken was on the dry side. The egg was overcooked for my taste; I'd have preferred easy over. The rice was moist and fragrant.

Well, not sure what to make of my visits. The Servers working, a different one on each of my visits are very friendly; but man, the space is so large, so I'm hoping they'll staff a bit better. I feel the prices would be fine for elevated Filipino food; but I'm not sure if that's what is happening here. Still, things are still on soft-opening mode. The chef was either meeting with folks or doing paperwork in the dining area on each of my visits.

I'm going to revisit in a couple of months; hopefully things will just keep on improving.

Gaya Gaya
7580 Miramar Rd
San Diego, CA 92126
Hours:
Daily 11am – 3pm, 5pm – 9pm

Revisits – Chicago Fire Grill and R & B Filipino Cuisine

February 26, 2019 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants, Hot Dogs, Sisig

A couple of revisits for a quiet Tuesday

Chicago Fire Grill:

I'll often just drop by to hear what the owner has got on his mind….he's a hoot! And doesn't hold back.

And of course; for a totally decent Chicago Dog.

This place has gotten better over time. The roll, while not being the classic "S Rosen Mary Ann Poppy Seed Bun" was less crumbly and not as dry as usual. It was "dragged through the garden" in the typical Vienna Beef style; with all the typical players in place….fluorescent green relish? Check. Sport Peppers? Check. Celery Salt? A nice amount. Tomatoes? A bit riper than usual. The typical Vienna Beef dog had a decent snap as well.

The natural fries; while not my favorite; is done in thypical Chicago style.

And for dessert; well, I get to listen to the owner……this time he was grumbling about all those online food ordering and delivery platforms: "Geez, what the hell is going on with those Uber eats and stuff? Don't people get out from behind a desk and actually go get lunch these days? That's why they are so f*&%#@g f@+. They need to get out from that desk." I quickly and gently reminded him that he isn't the skinniest guy in the world. He stared at me; squinted and said; "hey, I like you….." I told him, "yeah…for now…until I order some ketchup on my dog." He cracked up. Priceless.

Chicago Fire Grill
8935 Towne Centre Dr.
San Diego, CA 92122

R & B Filipino Cuisine:

Speaking of getting fat eating behind my desk……

Well, it had been awhile since I've had anything from a turo-turo place and even longer since I'd had anything from R & B. Plus; I ended up giving away half of my plate anyway.

The beef mechado was greasy; though the slices (cut too large) of beef were tender. The carrots weren't cooked, but at least the stew had a nice bit of tangy-acidity.

I got half rice – half pancit. The pancit was very mild and on the bland side; though at least it wasn't mushy and over-cooked.

Timing does matter with these type of places and we lucked out as a new tray of sisig came out of the kitchen when we were in line. Like I mentioned in my previous post; I think the sisig here has gotten better over time. It's still not top notch; but the chopped lechon kawale wasn't to waxy and had both crisp pieces and some with a nice chew. Good vinegar, pungent onions, and a decent spice. The person I gave half my plate to came by later and asked me what this was….I guess he'd never had sisig before. He loved it….I told him he "needed to get out more."

R & B Filipino Cuisine
11257 Camino Ruiz
San Diego, CA 92126

Bivouac Ciderworks

February 13, 2019 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Filipino Restaurants, Gastropub

I'd been wanting to check out Bivouac Ciderworks since they opened in January of last year. The Executive Chef is DJ Tangalin; originally from the Phillipines, with a stop in Hawaii, and at JRDN, the possible influences intrigued me. Even though I'm not a cider drinker; which would be a moot point.

So, when the Missus had Her hair appointment in North Park a bit later than usual, we were able to check out Bivouac. Love the sheet stone dividers and all the rope work that decorates the place.

It was just after 4pm; so the Happy Hour menu was in effect. The regular menu isn't available until 5. The young lady who did awesome duty behind the bar and waiting tables was fantastic.

We weren't super hungry, so this was the perfect way for us to check out how the food was prepared here.

But of course…..but first a couple of cocktails.

The Missus enjoyed the Bivouac Rambler.

And I thought the Old Fashioned, while a bit on the sweet side was pretty good as well.

First up was the Tongue and Cheek Nachos.

The Missus enjoyed the thick and crunchy chips and the very refreshing avocado crema. The beefiness of the beef tongue and cheek came through quiet nicely and we both enjoyed this.

The Herbed Fries was a bit overdone and on the dry side for us.

It was salted nicely; though I'd have preferred a bit more garlic and we both didn't care for that "ketchup".

The "Street Taco" was pork; basically carnitas, which had nice sweet and salty tones to it.

Strangely, the Missus liked the tortillas; which looked like white corn. Nice combination of textures and flavors.

We were looking at returning….and then came Super Bowl Sunday. We both thought that Bivouac wouldn't be too busy on this day…..but they were doing good business. And the 'doodles were out in force.

So, the menu was different from the normal dinner offerings. Still it had the one item I was told to try by a couple of acquaintances.

Tacos were on offer so we got one Chicharron and one Carnitas.

The Chicharron was nice and tender….think good tendon. The flavor was a tangy-sour with the crema to calm things down. Of course the Missus enjoyed the tortillas again.

The Carnitas were much too sweet for my liking.

Which just detracted from everything else. Again good contrasting textures.

And then; it was the item that several folks mentioned to me; the Adobo Fried Chicken, served with what looked like Bibingka topped with a flavored butter.

The batter and skin were on the mild side and not very crisp. And here's where it went off the rails; this was obviously reheated, and not very well as the meat wasn't even lukewarm. That breast was so dry and flavorless. The honey butter was fine though the bibingka was also cold.

We thought about mentioning this to our wonderful Server, but a couple of parties had just come in and we didn't want to create a scene. Perhaps because it was Super Bowl Sunday, the kitchen wasn't on….though I think that on a day like that, with a limited menu; you'd be on your game (no pun intended).

We decided to cut our losses and head home. Bummer, because we were really looking forward to our meal.

Now; I'd like to give this place another try, but the Missus isn't going to go for it. So, it'll probably be a while before or if I return.

Bivouac Ciderworks
3986 30th St.
San Diego, CA 92104
Hours:
Tuesday     4pm – 9pm
Wed – Thurs 4pm – 10pm
Friday      2pm – Midnight
Saturday    Noon – Midnight
Sunday      10am – 9pm
Closed on Mondays

Revisits – Bann Cutlet & Teriyaki and Sarap Filipino Kitchen

September 24, 2018 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Chicken Wings, Filipino Restaurants, Korean Restaurants

A couple of revisits to places on Miramar Road that I posted on rather recently.

Bann Cutlet & Teriyaki:

**** Bann in the H Mart Food Court has closed

**** Bann has moved to the H Mart Food Court

I think the freshly prepared food at Bann is a decent choice; the prices aren't bad, and while it's not outstanding, you do get what you pay for. During one of my recent revisits; I recalled that while I've tried the Chicken Cutlet here (nicely fried, but the sauce is not to my taste); I hadn't tried the Teriyaki. So why not? Also, the two young ladies who work here are really nice. And (maybe) because I waited for my Teriyaki Chicken so long, they gave me a fried egg for no additional charge.

Whatever the motive for the gratis egg was; I appreciated it. As you can tell; this is a fairly hefty lunch….man, so much rice. As I posted on earlier; I do enjoy the salad, and that mandu was still crisp when I got back to the office.

The chicken was on the rubbery side, but not bad.

Not a big fan of the teriyaki sauce; it's too sweet for my taste and texture is really gloppy. The rice was perfectly cooked; the bok choy (along with the salad) made sure I got my veggies.

Though it was too much food. I'll stick with a "bowl" next time which is still more than enough for me. Like the kimchi fried rice bowl…….

Bann Cutlet & Teriyaki
9506 Miramar Rd
San Diego, CA 92126

Sarap Filipino Kitchen:

**** Sarap is now Gaya Gaya

After our visits to Sarap; the gang at work couldn't wait to revisit. And so; with one of the folks having a birthday, even though there were only four of us, we headed back to Sarap.

We ordered the Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings again.

While these were ok; they weren't as crisp as on my previous visits. Still, not bad. Also, not seasoned as much either.

The Lechon Kawale. I wanted to try this again after having a terrible version earlier.

The skin was much better this time around; though the pork belly was on the dry side, and the leaner portions were rather tough. I enjoy the lechon sauce here; it's on the fairly mellow side, with a nice balanced flavor.

Crispy Pata (of course):

This time around; the pata was chopped up; the meat taken off the bone and the two ends, with the nice gelatinous parts laying at each end. It was still good, perhaps a bit drier, but the skin was wonderfully crisp; the porkiness of the leg coming through nicely. It was also a bit smaller than last time as well.

Daniel from Georgia loved the Sinigang and the Bagoong Fried Rice (sorry no photo).

Not a huge portion; but the tamarind based broth was rich, had a nice sourness, and man; the okra (I do love my "neba-neba") was gooey goodness. The pork was moist and tender and this had that nice "aaah" appeal. I'd gladly have this again.

We ordered some white rice with this……but hardly touched a quarter of it……

So, there you go….still a mixed bag; but still closer than Villa Manila which I think is better. They also need to staff better….it's go early, or wait a while for your food.

I also heard that they have started serving breakfast on the weekends now.

We'll see how things go here.

Sarap Filipino Kitchen
7580 Miramar Rd
San Diego, CA 92126

Sarap Filipino Kitchen (Soft Opening)

August 20, 2018 mmm-yoso Chicken Wings, Filipino Restaurants, Sisig

**** Sarap is now Gaya Gaya

While on my "procrastintion drive" to the office over the weekend; I noticed that "Sarap Filipino Kitchen" had taken over the former Capetown Bar & Grill/Malted Diner location.

I was going to add that to my post for last Wednesday; but then on Tuesday; Eater mentioned the place was in Soft Opening Phase. I mentioned this to Calvin who got quite excited so we ended up going…..and I ended going for three days in a row! The last culminating with a group of six to celebrate one of the folks in our team actually surviving second anniversary.

As folks who've been to Capetown/Malted know; this is a huge spot. The folks working; especially the really kind and friendly Server named Lloyd were really nice; but I don't think they were ready for word getting out so quickly. They seemed a bit under-staffed and on my second visit; I saw folks actually change their order to take-out after waiting quite a while for their food. I'm hoping this will be remedied. I also heard folks grumbling about the portion size……sheesh, I guess they want this to be Tita's?

The menu varied from day to day; the first two days there was no Lechon Kawale; therefore no Sisig, also no Crispy Pata. Before our third visit; I mentioned this to Lloyd who promised me that "tomorrow we will have it….I will make sure we do." And as promised, we had our sisig, lechon kawale, and crispy pata.

So, here's a rundown on my favorite; to least favorite items so far….some of which I've now had multiple times.

Picks:

Everyone I've brought to Sarap has enjoyed the Bagoong Fried Rice, even those who had no idea what the flavoring was. It's very balanced in flavor; with garlic tones balancing out the shrimp paste. It's also not overly salty. They mango mostly added a nice textural contrast.

When I first had the Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings; I sent a photo to my friends, "these wings are good….when was the last time I said that about a new place?" I got a bunch of entertaining emoji's as responses; so I'm guessing it's been a while since I enjoyed fried chickens wings from someplace new.

These weren't the best quality wings; but were perfectly fried; moist, light, and crisp. The seasoning was nicely balanced; the wings had just enough salt. Like the fried rice; everyone who tried this, enjoyed it.

The Crispy Pata was very good.

Perfectly fried; very moist, porky, goodness, the seasoned vinegar helped to cut through the richness. Nice crunchy bits….though not as much gooey parts. Still the folks loved it. At one point no one was finishing up the pata…..they thought they'd finished it. I then got my paper towel; put the pata on end; grabbed the spoon, and proceeded to scrape off a pile of meat. I told everyone to finish things up…..I grabbed the bone as the reward and gnawed off all the good parts. Little "ND" cracked up and told me; "you clean the pata like my mom and you eat the bones like my dad." Now talk about a compliment.

Nilagang Baka:

This wasn't a particularly large portion and rather difficult to share for two people as they don't provide adequate spoons…plus we had to ask for bowls.

Still, this was pretty good; especially the meat, which was very beefy and tender. It's not quite as good as the version at Villa Manila; as the broth was on the mild side in regards to beefiness and the sodium level was a bit too high. Still; this was not bad.

Beer Break – We didn't notice the beer list on our first visit. On my second visit, I saw it on the table and took a look….and cracked up. When was the last time I saw Red Horse on tap? It would warm the hearts of my friends "back home" in Hawaii.

Here are the items I'm on the fence about…..

On my second visit; I ordered the Daeng Bangus….the milkfish.

In terms of flavor; this was great; from the vinegar tones, the milkfish had no off flavors. I especially liked the tomato-onion-chili relish; making this more like Daeng na Isda. I wished that this was fried a bit better and the flesh; though tasty was on the dry side.

The Liempo was too much on the burnt side for my taste; making it a bit bitter.

Beyond the charred-bitterness; the texture of the pork belly was quite good; a bit toothsome, but decent.

The pans……

We had high hopes for the Lechon Kawale, but were disappointed.

I will say the lechon sauce was lighter than other versions, but very tasty. The flavor of the pork was swiney goodness. But the skin wasn't prepped correctly and was super hard; most folks didn't even try eating it. It was fried to death and had lost a good amount of moisture in the process. This was a bummer.

When I was told the sisig here used pig ear and head, I was thrilled. I haven't had a good, more traditional sisig since we visited Gapo Resto a few years ago.

That it had the terrible hard lechon kawale in this didn't help…too many hard bits. For some reason this was also quite bland; we ended having to use the vinegar from pata to raise up the flavor. Good Sisig Kapampangan to me should always have combination of crunchy, soft, and chewy bits….this was mostly hard, had no spice in it, and no sour tones.

The worst item I've had at Sarap was the Garlic Rice. I ordered this with the Daeng.

You can tell by the photo. Hard, dry rice; bitter burnt garlic, it was almost inedible. I brought half the daeng and almost all the rice back to the office. Folks would have one spoon of the rice and that's it…… I'm hoping this is just a "one-off".

Overall; I'm glad to have a place like Sarap in the area to go with Mariscos Miramar, giving us two good choices for lunch.

At the end of our last lunch; a very nice older woman came over chatted. I asked about Bicol Express, something specifically mentioned in the Eater post. I was told that the main chef, from the Phillipines, is starting this week. And he is supposed to make a mean Bicol Express. So, it looks like another visit will soon be in the books for me.

I'm hoping they can overcome all the timing and staffing issues before their Grand Opening.

Sarap Filipino Kitchen
7580 Miramar Rd
San Diego, CA 92126
Hours:
Open Daily 11am – 3pm, 5pm – 9pm

Back to the Routine. Revisits to Taisho, Tiger Tiger, and Zarlitos.

June 20, 2018 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants, Gastropub, Japanese Restaurants, Poke

As I've mentioned in other posts, the past year, now year and a half has gone by in a flash. Our schedules have made it difficult at times to get back into our routines. Finally, after several trips, a heck of a lot of work, things are settling down. And we're getting back to those places that need no introduction for those who've been reading our little blog over the years.

Taisho:

It's been a while since we checked out Taisho; a least 4-5 months! For a place we used to visit every week.

It's still as good as ever. Now open seven days a week.

I'm hoping we can make it back more often.

Yakitori Taisho
5185 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117

Tiger! Tiger!:

**** Tiger! Tiger! has closed

Now that it's warming up; the Missus is in the mood to return to Tiger! Tiger! After a bit of a slump, it seems the food here has returned to form.

The "Ramen Sausage" was the oddest sounding item we came across. It turned out to be delicious. The sausage kind of had the flavor of a chicken-ramen broth. It was a nice surprise as we were ready to not like it.

Tiger! Tiger!
3025 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92104

Zarlitos:

**** Zarlitos has stopped serving poke

When it gets too warm for our usual weekend breakfasts at Aqui es Texcoco; it's time to head back to Zarlitos. These days, the Missus actually orders the Poke-silog.

Zarlitos Family Restaurant
505 East 8th St.
National City, CA 91950

To all of you who still read the blog after all these years; I think this is post #3851 or something like that. We thank you!

As does Frankie.

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Turo Turo Tuesday – R&B Filipino Cuisine Revisited

March 13, 2018 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants, Sisig

Here's the last of my posts on the four turo turo places in Mira Mesa. I often say that for most of these type of places timing is everything. Though for all except Mama Cinia I visited at what I consider a pretty good time; right before 11 am.

This might have been my lucky day as it looked like all the lunch items were just coming out.

As per my M.O., I got the sisig and beef kaldereta…..and much like other places, the friendly woman behind the counter laughed when I asked for "half the rice". It was still more than I could finish.

The beef kaldereta was actually still fairly hot when I got back to the office and the slices of rather lean beef was surprisingly tender. Though it was on the greasy side and in need of more onion, garlic, bay leaf, and some acidity. It was also on the thin side; perhaps in need of liver spread?

The sisig was much better than what I had on my last visit. This time it was decently sour, had enough onions, and the lechon kawale wasn't "petrified". Alternating moist and crunchy bits. I still think they chop it much to coarsely here and it could use a bit more spice. But this was pretty good overall.

Even the rice was decent.

Chalk one up for R&B, the best of the four……..for now.

R & B Filipino Cuisine
11257 Camino Ruiz
San Diego, CA 92126

Turo Turo Tuesday – Manila Fast Food and Desserts Revisited

February 27, 2018 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants, Sisig

Working long hours; but managed to escape for lunch, albeit on the early side and purely take-out from Manila Fast Food and Desserts. An early lunch here can actually be better since the steam table stuff might be fresher and less greasy.

On this day I got Beef Mechado and Sisig.

The woman behind the counter actually laughed at me when I told her to give me half the amount of rice. That's half rice in the photo above. There was a time when I thought MFF was pretty good; but they seem to have fallen off in recent years.

Case in point; the Beef Mechado was salty, lacked tanginess, and that beef was dry and tough. The sisig was dry, needed more of a vinegar punch, the lechon was hard, though it did have nice pungency from the onions, though there was way too much of it in the dish.

Sigh……mark another one off "my list" for a while.

Manila Fast Food and Desserts
8979 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

Turo Turo Tuesdays – Revisits to Mama Cinia Rice & Noodles and Nanay’s Best BBQ

February 6, 2018 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants, Sisig

Two places I'd been wanting to revisit; with two massive lunches.

Mama Cinia Rice & Noodles:

**** Mama Cinia has closed

I hadn't been back since the couple of visits when they first opened in 2016. I'd actually been wanting to go for the Mami; but still haven't made it there after 3pm. Anyway, we took the "long way" back to the office.

I actually bought this to share, which I did. It fed three. The lechon kawale was on the dry side and the skin was hard in some places and going soggy in others. It had been sitting too long. The Sisig was out of balance and in my opinion needed more vinegar tones, the pork was too lean and chopped too thick. It did have a decent spicy kick though. The item that surprised me the most was the kaldereta kambing, the goat stew. Nice tangy tomato, gamey goat. Which while a bit on the tough side, was not bad. The rice was a bit too dry.

Yeah, I still need to return for the Mami….if they still have it. Really friendly service. I understand that they've reduced their hours.

Mama Cinia Rice & Noodles
9178 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

Nanay's Best BBQ:

Another place on my "list". While I know it's still basically Tem's, I've only had the food here once since the name change and it was dropped off by a friend of mine.

I gotta say, the pork BBQ here was better than what I've had before. While still a bit on the chewy side, it had a nice sweetness from the sauce they pour over things. It's grilled so there that additional layer of light smokiness as well.

I didn't enjoy the Sisig as much.

It's basically the same pork as the BBQ chopped up and stir fried. Not much there in terms of vinegar or spice. It was basically a stir fry and pretty bland for sisig.

Like Mama Cinia, the rice here was on the dry side.

It was pretty much "all business" here.

Nanay's Best BBQ
6715 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92121

So there you go….just in case you're hungry…..way to much food for me these days, so I end up sharing with a couple of folks.

Saturday Stuffs – How About a “Poke-silog” for Breakfast (Zarlitos), The Fire Spot Coming to Convoy, and Other “Stuffs”

August 5, 2017 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Filipino Restaurants, Poke

**** Sorry, no moa' poke at Zarlitos

Pokesilog?:

So the Missus wanted a nice, early weekend breakfast at one of Her favorite spots. We were met by the same very sweet and pleasant young lady, that usually works on the weekends.

We were seated and handed the usual brown, sticky, well-worn menus. I was going to get "the usual", a Chicksilog. But as we sat, the young lady handed us this additional menu. "Zarlitos Family Restaurant Secret Poke Menu" it says.

Along with the poke on one side, it also lists….good lord….Poke Fries? Shades of Pokiritto; Poke Burritos? Even more hilarious, something called "Hashbrown Thing". Hashbrowns topped with spicy tuna, Spam, and an egg? I think this takes the poke on everything fad a bit too far…..

Somehow, the Missus talked me into ordering the Pokesilog ($9).

Ok, so the Missus got the egg, which She enjoyed, the rice was hard and not so good. You know what I think about the so-called "Seaweed Salad", but the Missus had no qualms about that and the Tuna Scrape; you know, the stuff they put into that spicy tuna roll you get at those gringo sushi shops; probably from True World Foods, was nice and spicy. That was a large batch of surimi…all fine. I chose the Spicy Garlic Poke, which was perhaps a bit too sweet, but I couldn't complain about the quality of the fish on this visit. And only nine bucks…..take that "Chi-poke" shop!

The menu is currently only available from 8am to 2pm during weekends.

And, if you actually do try that "Hashbrown Thing", tell me about it, ok? I'm probably going back to my Chicksilog next time.

Zarlitos Family Restaurant
505 East 8th St.
National City, CA 91950

The Fire Spot Coming to Convoy:

I noticed that some work was going on at one of the shops in that strip mall with the worst parking on Convoy. So I took a quick look and found that something called "The Fire Spot" was taking the Print Shop's place.

Couldn't find much online.

So your guess is as good as mine……hot pot? Sichuan? Meat Skewers?

I guess we'll find out soon enough.

4646 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

My favorite license plate frame of the week….or maybe year:

Obviously a very proud mom!

Is the 'C' supposed to be a 'G' or am I supposed to add an 'R':

I noticed this sign while waiting at the traffic light on the corner of Convoy and Clairemont Mesa.

I never noticed this sign before, but am pretty sure it's been here for a while. You'd think they'd fix it, right?

It did have me thinking what the correct spelling should be….'Massage' or add an 'r' and it becomes 'Massacre'…..

And then I got this texted to me:

Wow, who knew…..

Though I did ask the question; shouldn't it be 2 eggs and 1 wiener?

Hope you're having a great weekend!