Japanese Restaurants – Page 15

Monday Meanderings – Sushi Hachi by Kimura Opening Dec 6th, Harland Brewing Coming to Morena, and Stehly Farms Morena is Closed

November 30, 2020 mmm-yoso Beer, Japanese Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Vietnamese Restaurants

Funny, when it rains it pours; over the last week here are "stuffs" I saw while running errands and such.

Sushi Hachi by Kimura Opening Dec 6th:

While checking out Izakaya Sakura on Black Friday (they were closed), I noticed that Swab, ummmm Shabu World was being replaced by something called Sushi Hachi by Kimura.

I stopped and walked over. The sign said "Opening Soon" and taking a look at the menu gave me the impression that this is kind of fusiony sushi; with everything from Aburi Sushi, to various rolls, to nigiri….stuff like yuzu ceviche, truffle salmon carpaccio, tuna guacamole rolls, crispy rice……kinda interesting in a way.

And so, like I always say; "Google is my friend". I went ahead and did a quick Google search yesterday and found that Sushi Hachi is opening on December 6th. There's also a bio on Shuji Kimura, who owned and operated the SushiStop chain in LA. I'm guessing he probably sold the chain….you should look at SushiStop's menu….it looks reaaally familiar. Anyway, it seems that this is a family project that he's opening with his wife and three children.

3904 Convoy St #117
San Diego, CA 92111

Harland Brewing Coming to Morena:

I was actually told this by some friends and so I stopped by to take a look.

And yes, that's what the ABC notice says. This is in the fairly large spot that Benchmark Brewing was in for a hot second.

4112 Napier St
San Diego, CA 92110

Stehly Farms Morena is Closed:

On a recent visit to Zgara Greek Grill, I peered over and saw the "Available for Leas" sign in the window of the space Stehly Farms Market used to occupy.

Bummer….I wasn't a regular, but I'd drop by every now and then when I wanted or needed some good quality produce. Sad to see them go.

1231 Morena Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92110

I'm hoping everyone is safe. Things are getting a bit hairy out there, please take care, be considerate, it's times like these where our caring, compassion, and humanity should come thru. I pretty much keep the Missus and my work and non-trip/food related items separate from this blog. And I'm thinking you might wonder why I try to "gently" remind folks to be safe and take reasonable care.

Well, to not give away too much; both the Missus and I have skin in the game. I've been in healthcare since 1984 and the Missus is on the frontlines of this. I keep that photo of the Missus on my phone, as one of my Zoom backgrounds, as a screen saver, it is never far from my mind and my heart.

The last thing I would want is for this insidious virus to harm her or you.

So please, stay safe!

Takeout from Zen Curry

November 23, 2020 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants

Even though I was born and raised in Honolulu, I really do enjoy cooler weather….of course this is SoCal, so take that "cooler" weather comment with a grain of salt. I enjoy the hearty soups and dishes that come with this season; though this year, with the fear that Covid-19 outbreaks will worsen (the current data since we got back from our road trip agrees with this theory), has really dampened my enthusiasm.

Still, I had been craving some Japanese Curry for lunch. Since Hinotez is only doing dinner these days and Coco Ichibanya's opening delayed until next year according to Eater and "FOY" Elle. I decided to check on Zen Curry, since it had had been a while since my last visit.

There was an item on the online menu that caught my eye; the "Ono Combo" ($15.50) which included a fried egg and the item I thought Zen did best; the Spam® Katsu. I ordered online and picked up my order; which was on a table inside the restaurant when I arrived….no human contact at all.

Things came packed quite neatly.

I also ordered a side of Rakkyo (50 cents), since I thought correctly, that it would help to cut the spice and richness.

It took me less than 15 minutes to get home; everything was still hot; but I decided to heat up the curry a bit more, before combining things.

Things were pretty much the same in terms of flavors and how the items were prepped and served. The texture of the curry on the pasty side; what I now called "roux-inned"….pun intended. I got it at heat level five and it delivered. The curry was ever so lightly beefy. If not for the texture; this would be a decent curry.

The egg was sadly overcooked.

As with my previous experience with the tonkatsu; it was tasteless and tough. The Spam Katsu seemed a bit over fried, the breading a bit too hard, edging on bitter. Still, it was the best thing on the plate.

It's too bad….I had thought that perhaps Zen was still going thru their soft/grand opening period when I visited; but it looks like what I'd had before is the status quo.

Kind of a bummer, because I really want to support these small businesses. I'm sure I'll return some time in the future….just not for a while.

Zen Curry
7309 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111
Current Hours:
Sun – Wed 11am – 8pm
Thurs – Sat 11am – 9pm

Negi Pon from Menya Ultra

October 18, 2020 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants

In the comments of my most recent post on Karami Ramen, superstar "FOY" (friend of yoso) Junichi mentioned the Negi Pon form Menya Ultra. And while Junichi said it wasn't quite as good as Tori Nanban, I was intrigued. The Missus recently requested the Ramen Kit from Menya Ultra; so I thought I'd give it a try. I had always thought the marinade for the Karaage at Menya was pretty good; though in terms of texture it often wasn't crisp enough and was sometimes a bit on the tough side. Still, scallions, ponzu oil, and mayo? Since we'd be having the ramen for dinner; I thought what the heck and ordered the five piece Negi Pon ($6.95) to have for lunch.

I wasn't sure how it would hold up on the drive home; but it did quite well.

I didn't expect it to be particularly crisp; but it was not bad; the savory-saltiness of the marinade used for the karaage was nicely balanced out by the acidity and mild pungency of the scallion. The mayo added a rich-creaminess which might be a bit much for folks. The chunks of chicken were fairly generous and after a while all that mayo might have been a bit too much of a good thing for me.

It did help that I ate it with some kyuri and takana (mustard greens – which always remind me of my grandmother and mom who used to make the stuff); which really helped to balance the richness of the dish out.

While I still probably enjoy the Tori Nanban from Okan more; there's no way I'd do takeout with that. I'm not opposed to having this again; it's not bad at all.

Thanks for the recommendation Junichi!

Menya Ultra Ramen
8199 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111
858-571-2010
Hours:
Daily 11am – 2pm, 5pm – 8pm

Have a safe week everyone!

COMC – Visits “BC” (Before Covid) Cueva Bar, Ma’s House, Hachi Ramen, and Submarine Crab

October 11, 2020 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Japanese Restaurants, Latin American Cuisine, Ramen, Vietnamese Restaurants

Well, welcome to March 225th. Who'd have thought 2020 would be like this? For my posts; I usually do multiple visits to a place….after all, everyone can have an off day…..even though it goes against my "fool me once shame on you….fool me twice shame on me" rule, I'm willing to take full responsibility for my poor judgement….though there are many paces where; perhaps we've had absolutely terrible food/service; or the food has been lackluster and the prices quite high….or something in between that'll be just a "one and done". It's pretty obvious in many cases just by the absence of a post on those places.

To be perfectly fair; after a certain period of time; like 6-9 months or so, I'd just as soon start things up all over again. And Covid-19 has just changed things. So here are a bunch of places that I fully intend on visiting again once we're past all this craziness….and I'll just "start the meter" from the beginning with a clean slate, hours, staff, menus, could all have changed, right? But, I thought you'd like to see the photos anyway.

Cueva Bar:

**** Cueva Bar has closed

The Missus and I visited Cueva Bar last year and fully intended of returning in a couple of months, before the pandemic struck. We weren't particularly struck by the food; we enjoyed the Choripapas the most. The flatbread would have been pretty good, but there just wasn't enough Chorizo on the "Norteno" to really make an impact on our palate. I gotta say; really pretty presentations though.

I still need to try the Empanadas.

Cueva Bar Café
2123 Adams Ave.
San Diego, CA 92116
Current Hours
Thur – Sat 4pm – 9pm

Ma's House:

Ma's created a bit of buzz when they opened last fall. I went with Calvin back in November. Even though I know folks who were really excited about Ma's opening…..we'd been to Ma's Islamic in Anaheim and were really not impressed. Perhaps having all those meals at the now defunct Tung Lai Shun (in the SGV) and other places in China has set the bar too high.

Both Calvin and I were underwhelmed.

The cumin lamb was terrible and the deep fried crispy duck was super hard and bland.

The one item that was quite good was the sesame bread. In fact, we brought the leftover bread back to the office (remember those days? When folks worked in an office?) and gave it to "YZ" who loved it.

So, while that gave me a reason to return; I just feel I need to eat in the restaurant and I'm just not ready to do that here. The Missus who tasted the leftovers will probably not be my eating companion here as well, so….I need to wait I guess.

Ma's House
5537 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117

Hachi Ramen:

**** Hachi Ramen has closed

So….the curse of Hachi Ramen. I had visited a few times when the place was Artisan Bento. I actually used to have quite a few meetings up in the Hillcrest area. So in 2017 the place changed concepts and became Hachi Ramen. Like I mentioned in my Ramen Ryoma post, I'd had two aborted posts on Hachi (also mentioned in Waters Fine Foods post) , just because my visits were spaced a year apart.

So, in February, I decided to start over…..get things going.

And while the noodles were standard issue and the broth a bit on the overly salty side; this was not bad.

Then of course, we hit mid-March. And Hachi has been closed ever since. Though I understand you can order some of the menu items from Azuki Sushi.

So, there are questions; will Hachi ever reopen….AND will the "fourth time be a charm"?

Hachi Ramen
2505 5th Ave.
San Diego, CA 92103
Currently Closed Due to Covid-19

Submarine Crab:

So, this is an interesting one. Back at the end of February, I made multiple visits to Lotus Garden in City Heights. The young man working there; I believe his name is "Tu" is from Little Saigon and we had a couple of nice chats about Vietnamese food in San Diego. Surprisingly, he told me that he and his girlfriend will often visit Submarine Crab for the Banh Canh.

So, at the beginning of March, I grabbed Calvin and we drove over to Submarine Crab.

After looking over the menu a few times; I figured out that the Banh Canh was called "Udon" on the menu.

It was quite a thick/gooey as I like; but this was not bad at all.

The Beef Stew – bo kho, as a bit on the thin side, but not bad either.

We also had the chicken wings.

I understand that the "Seafood Udon" is currently on the takeout menu; but the Beef Stew is only available eat in.

I definitely need to return; but will wait for a bit, and will start things fresh.

Submarine Crab
4647 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 987-0333
Current (Covid-19) Hours:
Mon – Thurs 330pm – 9pm
Fri – Sun 12pm – 930pm

And lastly……I'm just adding these photos. We won't be returning here.

Hope everyone is safe and in good health! Have a great week!

Rei-men to go from Karami Ramen

September 7, 2020 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

Man…..this says it all for the past Sunday.

In Bay Park no less…..a 114 in El Cajon? What is going on? And with the Valley Fire raging away….all the evacuations and during the midst of a pandemic…..can we just turn the calendar over to 2021 now?

I needed to head out to Nijiya to do some grocery shopping, I decided to go ahead and continue trying take-out from all of the places in the strip mall. Next up….

Before you think I'd gone off the deep-end…..it was a 102 degrees on Convoy; Karami was doing their Reimen. Which I've had before. And though I left thinking it was quite mediocre, it seemed like a decent remedy for the heat on this day.

I placed my order, went shopping at Nijiya, and returned to find my stuff bagged and ready for pick-up.

Just for the heck of it; I ordered the karaage as well; which I though was fairly decent on a previous visit, In terms of packaging; well, the cheapo two part cardboard container had leaked so I lost some of the broth in the package.

At least things were nicely separated. First thing I did after getting the containers our of the saturated packaging was to put my thick ceramic ramen bowl in the freezer to help keep things chilled.

I had a taste of the karaage; which wasn't bad at all. I didn't expect it to be super crisp; and it wasn't. But it had a very nice savory-salty-mildly sweet flavor that I enjoyed. I really didn't need the sriracha mayo thing at all. I'm looking forward to having this again….when I'm ready to eat in.

As for the ramen…….

Not having to worry about a cold ajitama in the reimen works to Karami's benefit here. The egg was nicely marinated; if anything, the ajitama from Menya can be too salty at times. Loved the curly and nicely prepped noodles; which still had that nice chewy-crunch to it. For some reason, I really enjoy corn in my reimen (do you remember what one of the Gaijin customers at Ichiro's called it? I still have to stifle a laugh when I order this). But, much like the previous time I had this; the broth was super salty and had a weird tininess…….that; while I don't want to insult the place; tastes like mass-produced stuff. Bummer, because I'd enjoyed this much more than the last time I had it. But I just couldn't finish that broth.

Oh well…..at least I can look forward to having the karaage again when things get back to normal.

Karami Ramen
3860 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111
(858)430-6300
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 1130am-3pm, 430pm – 9pm
Sat – Sun 1130am – 9pm

Speaking of things getting back to normal….so we now have the Valley Fire; which as of the last time I checked the news had burned over 17,000 acres and was under 5% contained. I took this photo of the sun from my driveway. Though it's not as bright red as what I took in 2007 during the Witch Fire; it still looks other-worldly.

To all our "FOYs" out there, we hope you are safe, in good health, and managed to keep cool during the record heat of this Labor Day weekend.

postscript:

With all the craziness that's going on these days; I thought I'd end with a Frankie pic. I was changing our beddings this weekend. As usual, I remove the sheets and such a pretty much leave them on the floor while I put on the new set. When I turned to grab the beddings for the washer; I noticed someone had made himself at home……..

I don't recall F doing this before. It really cracked me up.

Have a safe and productive week!

The Menya Ultra Stay at Home Tonkotsu Ramen Kit

September 1, 2020 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

I'd been trying to get the Missus to try Menya Ultra since they first opened in February 2017; but there was just something that made Her refuse to go….call it "spouse syndrome"….you know the drill; I say "black", She says "white", I go "it's too hot", no She says it's "too cold"…going up? Heck no, we're going down….. And the more I tried to convince Her, the more She dug Her heels in. Until She was feeling a bit tired recently….don't worry, it wasn't Covid-19. The weather had cooled off (before our last scorcher) and I knew She could use some nice, rich, tonkotsu broth. So, I got the "Tonkotsu to go" for the Missus. And She did love that broth; though, for some reason, She didn't care for the noodles….even though I did my usual drill…I thought it was decently firm; but of course She likes Her noodles "katame" (firm). Which gave me an idea……I know that "FOY" Jason mentioned really enjoying Menya's "Stay at Home Ramen Kit". I also noted that the noodles provided are fresh, not cooked. A few days later, the Missus wanted more ramen and I went and ordered the Tonkotsu Stay at Home Kit from Menya ($38).

Like before, the drill when you pick things up at Menya was smooth as silk.

As you can see; this comes with four ajitama, chashu, green onions, and wood ear mushroom.

It also comes with four servings of fresh thin noodles.

And some instructions; which I basically ignore.

I basically use the same approach which I noted here; with a couple of differences.

The tonkotsu broth is provided cold; I measured the first time I ordered and it comes to six cups. So, I portion out three cups and slowly simmer until scalding.

The noodles are fresh; so I boil for 90 seconds, before doing a quick rinse and drain.

I still heat the bowls and then use the heated noodle water to heat the bowls even more.

I also now heat the ajitama for 20 seconds in the microwave before serving in the hot broth.

And the noodles are perfect after a minute-and-a-half.

After trying this for the first time; we noted that there was no way we could finish 2 servings of noodles and the Missus really mainly loves that broth. So, I get two-thirds of the noodles, and the Missus gets two cups of the broth…..sometimes "spouse syndrome" works to our benefit!

And what about those leftover noodles? Well, I'll make either Sichuan Liang Mian, Sesame Cold Noodles, or some other noodles dish with them…..which works just fine since these noodles are better than anything you can get at the market.

As I'm sure everyone who enjoys eating in San Diego knows; restaurants can now open at 25% capacity. On my visit to Menya this week, I noticed they were open for dining in. I was not inspired by the set-up in the least….tell me; doesn't this look like perhaps a makeshift ER or Urgent Care……or gasp; even a Covid-19 Testing Tent?

I think I'll stick to takeout for a while longer. Especially when it can be something like this. The menma in this bowl I had in the fridge and didn't come with the kit.

Menya Ultra Ramen
8199 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111
858-571-2010
Hours:
Daily 11am – 2pm, 5pm – 8pm
From my experience they start doing takeout orders a half hour before opening

Mikami- revolving sushi (no conveyor to revolve (covid-19))

August 27, 2020 Cathy Cajun, Southern, and Soul Food, Japanese Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is usually written by Kirk and sometimes Cathy helps. Todays post is from Cathy, because Kirk is busy with work.

Long story short, it is 2020 and there are many reasons I haven't posted about meals since mid-February. Now that the world, as well as eating out, has changed, here is an update from my January 2020 post about Mikami, a revolving sushi bar. The Mister and I had been here twice more, but everything was about the same as that first post. Now, with Covid-19, there is no revolving sushi or indoor bar area. The "Dine In" signage is leftover from when there was a six week or so variation in Covid-19 'rules'; why take it down when things could change tomorrow?. As of now, all California restaurant dining is "to go" or outdoor tables. I understand not wanting to expose yourself to possible Covid-19 and The Mister and I will eat outside at the opening time of restaurants- assuming the unused tables were just brought out and are freshly cleaned.
On this day, only three tables were set up when we got to Mikami. One was for handicapped. We were given paper menus and a pencil. Most of one menu was rolls and typical two piece sushi and sashimi selections. Hot green tea ($2.85) came in a paper cup, water in a plastic cup (with a straw!) and condiments in disposable containers.
We decided to order the chicken karaage appetizer($6). This seemed to be a larger portion than we had here previously. Hot, fresh, tender, juicy, crispy/properly fried. It came with a mayonnaise and spicy (not Sriracha, which is sweet and not sambal, which has garlic) sauce for dipping. Delightful.
We chose two hand rolls: soy paper yellowtail and the spider roll ($3.75 each). The yellowtail was not the spicy version and had great flavors of fish, cucumber and a better (sushi) rice. The soy paper is embedded with sesame seeds, which adds a toasted sesame flavor and crunch. The 'spider' is a half of a soft shell clam along with crab, avocado and cucumber wrapped in seaweed. These were larger than we remember and were made to order.
We decided to order a "Mikami Seafood Bucket Shrimp" (one pound, $15, add $2 for headless). The Cajun style buckets have been available only in the bar area and we have been curious.

A variety of flavors as well as (cajun spice) heat levels are available and we were simple and ordered garlic butter, which lined the heavy plastic bag filled with hot, freshly steamed shrimp. The photo of the plate is about half of the bag and the 'dip' is the sauce poured out into an emptied ginger condiment cup. You can see there was some spice used in the cooking process and it was just the right amount.

Trying to patronize locally owned places, the food is good here.

Mikami Revolving Sushi and Bar 7319 Clairmont Mesa Boulevard, San Diego 91911 Open Tues-Sun 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Closed Monday {Covid hours; check website -things might change Website

The parking lot is empty if you get there at opening.

Sunday Stuffs, the “Works in Progress” Edition – CoCo Ichibanya, Da Nang Corner, and Greenhaus Vegetarian Eatery, (hopefully) Coming Soon

August 23, 2020 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

Boy, this past week has been some kind of humid, huh? I'm just going to do a short post today of places that look like are current works in progress.

CoCo Ichibanya:

Last I heard, CoCo Ichibanya was supposed to open during this summer. Well, it's near the end of August. So, during one of my shopping trips to Nijiya, I decided to see what was going on.

Well, doesn't look like much yet. So perhaps it might not be ready for prime time this month? Or perhaps they are using my "endless March 2020" calendar…which would still make it March……176th!

I guess it's a bit too hot for curry right now anyway, right?

4428 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111

Meanwhile, right next to CoCo Ichibanya was a place I hadn't noticed.

Da Nang Corner:

The restaurant's Facebook Page mentions that the restaurant is taking a bit longer than expected to build out. I'm hoping we get some good Mi Quang?

I'm kinda excited about this place.

4428 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111

Greenhaus Vegetarian Eatery:

The Missus and I were taking a little drive around the 'hood, when I noticed that the long time Chinese Fast Food shop Wok in Express next to JV's and Waters was gone and is going to be……yep, a Vegetarian Shop! You gotta say…. Morena sure is changing, ain't it?

Now, if we only get a bakery selling really got croissants!

1118 Morena Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92110

Hope you're keeping cool and staying safe!

Have a great week!

Our Pandemic Rotation – Et Voila, the Original Sab E Lee, and Sushi Tadokoro

August 7, 2020 mmm-yoso French Restaurants, Japanese Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi, Thai Restaurants

You know things are pretty bad with this pandemic when I can actually do a "rotation" post……and since it's now March 160th…..well, that is long enough to have one I guess, sigh…..

Anyway, here goes:

Et Voila!:

Though I think the Missus is kinda burning out on the takeout Cocktails from Et Voila; I think the main reason might be the menu. It was already kinda slim pickins' to begin with and once this was no longer available….

We tried the Ravioli Aux Champingnons, Tarte Aux Champignons, the Coq au Vin, which I didn't care for….

Until we just kinda finally settled on the Charcuterie and Baguette.

We are sorely tempted to just order some baguette…..but that might be pushing our luck a bit, don't you think?

Et Voilà!
3015 Adams Ave
San Diego, CA 92116

The Original Sab E Lee:

**** This location of TOSEL is now Zab Linda.

The Missus is really missing Her fix from Thai Papaya which is still closed. So, we've been making due with TOSEL; which of course doesn't have several of Her favorites (Som Tom Khai Kem/Spicy Thousand Year Old Eggs). Still, for some strange reason She was craving Pad Thai….which doesn't happen every often…..must be the Pandemic.

Anyway, I got Her Pad Thai, Duck Larb, and Issan Sausage.

So, I got the Duck Larb at heat level three…..check out all those chilies….a level three….

Still, the Missus got Her "fix".

And the young lady working is one of the folks from Thai Papaya…..it was nice seeing her. I asked about when they'd be reopening and was told that she hadn't heard anything about that. Bummer….

The Original Sab E Lee
6925 Linda Vista Road
San Diego, CA 92111

Sushi Tadokoro:

After doing takeout from Tadokoro on almost a weekly basis, we've been trying to show some restraint…..it's now every other week.

And while Tadokoro now has outdoor seating on the patio…..

We're not quite ready to take that step yet.

So we'll just keeping on doing the takeout thing.

It's getting to the point that some of folks are starting to recognize my voice on the phone.

This is a nice treat for the Missus and I. And with the way things are going, we do need to have those moments.

Sushi Tadokoro
2244 San Diego Ave
San Diego, CA 92110

Take care!

Clearing Out the Memory Card – More Takeout from Sushi Tadokoro

June 5, 2020 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi

Here's a bunch more takeout photos from Sushi Tadokoro.

While it is probably in the "first world problem" category, the Missus and I have been missing our nights out and even more, we celebrated the Missus Birthday at home in nearly a decade. I'd made a promise a decade ago that we'd always celebrate Her birthday, even though it might be a few days after, in a different locale, and whether it was in Madrid, the Czech Republic, Lisbon, Budapest, or even Alaska, we were able to do that……but this is 2020 and things are different…..much more different.

And, while there are limits in place….some of which we've determined work for us…being able to get takeout from Tadokoro has surely enabled us to have a nice dinner at home…..

So here's a collection of photos form the last couple of weeks…..which usually starts with a nicely wrapped package like this.

And yields some pretty delici-yoso stuffs……

Which have led to some pretty nice meals……

And while many places have opened back up for dining in; Tadokoro included, Take-san made sure to show me the plexiglass dividers, UV and air purification devices in place….we're not quite ready to take that step yet.

So, we're just happy to be able to get stuff like this……

To have in the perceived comfort of home….until we're ready to once again sit in front of Take-san and say "please, make us what you think we'll like……"

We're just happy Tadokoro is still accommodating us.

Sushi Tadokoro
2244 San Diego Ave
San Diego, CA 92110