Japanese Restaurants – Page 18

Lunch Revisits – Wa Dining Okan

January 29, 2020 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants

A while back I noticed that Okan Diner stopped serving lunch and went more the route of Yakitori and such. Based on my visits, no big loss. At the same time I noticed that the lunch menu at Wa Dining Okan added dishes that Okan Diner used to serve….which kinda got me worried. After returning from our trip to Israel-Jordan-France, I had a rather hectic day and thought it was time for a lunch revisit since it had been a while.

I got in right at 1130 when the place opened. I also noticed that folks were waiting for Okan to open. A good sign I guess. Since the menu had changed a bit, I decided to try one of the "Okan Diner" dishes; the Katsuni, which was actually cheaper ($11) than what the price used to be at Okan Diner. It was also quite a bit more food.

The side dishes were really bland; the sweet potatoes ice cold and dry….and of course, I find seaweed salad a sad sign; basically the easy way out…premade stuff.

The rice was perfect; fluffy, hot, and the portion quite large.

That tonkatsu was terrible; the panko was burnt in several places, the pork dry and tough. The egg was overly sweet with too much liquid.

The miso soup was quite good; perhaps a bit too much seaweed, but not bad overall.

But miso soup and rice does not make this a good meal. It was strangely mediocre. What was going on here? After returning from San Francisco, on the way back to the office between meetings I stopped by and order my "usual" lunch here; the Tori Nanban ($11).

The miso soup was again quite tasty and not watered down. The sides….well, at least the tamago was decent. The rice wasn't hot enough on this visit, but that's splitting hairs I guess.

The usual, almost lacquer batter on the chicken was too soft and almost mushy. The tartar sauce this time around lacked balance and the mayo to vinegar ratio was off….too much mayo. Like the tonkatsu on the previous visit; there seems to be a real temperature issue with what's being fried here.

Kinda sad especially since I've been a customer since they opened over eleven years ago. These two meals had me wondering how Okan was doing for dinner these days. The Missus really hasn't been keen on having dinner at Okan over the last couple of years. Another interesting tidbit; while there were many Asian customers on my two lunch visits; none of them (except me) seemed to be Japanese….lots of Mandarin speakers though. Looks like I've crossed Okan off my lunch list for a while.

Wa Dining Okan
3860 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Mikami Revolving Sushi and Bar-a first look (Clairmont Mesa)

January 17, 2020 Cathy Japanese Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping to read mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Cathy is writing today while Kirk stays busy at work.

Another revolving sushi bar has opened in San Diego. Located at the South West corner of Clairmont Mesa at Ruffner, in the same mall as PT Eatery, Katsu Cafe, one of the original Lolita locations, the Tea Station location I write about. The corner across Ruffner Street has the Original Tommy's. The other corner, across Clairmont Mesa Boulevard, has Ajisen Ramen. The parking area is plentiful and free (compared to the parking area by the other San Diego revolving sushi restaurant, Kura).

The Mister and I were here on a weekday (and Mikami is still in the 'Soft Opening' stage) and only one Conveyor was open. The second photo is looking into the Bar area, which has no conveyors, but where appetizers, entrees and 'buckets' can be ordered.
The rolling conveyor (kaiten) had a good variety of choices, although a good 1/3 were salmon based (The Mister doesn't really like salmon), each group of plates proceeded by a plate with a description on one side and number on the other. All conveyor plates are $2.80. Beverages are $2.85 (and the hot tea is really good).
As always, we like to try the salad offerings. This was plentiful and filling. Fresh vegetables as well as good quality krab along with avocado.
We got all wild and crazy and chose a 'Las Vegas Roll' from the rolling belt. The breaded fried roll had a filling including real crab and cream cheese. It was fresh and tasty. We also shared this half and half (tuna and salmon with cucumber filling) roll, which was also fresh and well made.

Then we set our eyes on the touch pad ordering system. Pretty simple to navigate; we did order one item at a time. First we decided to try the fried calamari rings ($7).

The smooth running wood railed trolly delivery system was pretty much silent. Once you take your order off the rocket ship, you can send it back by pushing the button on the table or it will eventually automatically go back to the kitchen.
The sea salt topped (where else does salt come from?) fried calamari rings were quite nice, well fried, not greasy, and served with a slightly spicy dipping sauce.
We also ordered a Blue Crab hand roll ($2.80) which was quite large and fresh made (the rice was still warm). Really nice quality.
The soy wrapped spicy scallop hand roll (also $2.80) was wonderful and also much larger than expected. I would much rather have this than three smaller spicy scallop rolls from the conveyor for the same price.
We didn't see any soft shell crab on the conveyor nor on the menu, however when we asked, found out it's the 'Spider Roll' (again, $2.80) and wow, we will order two of these next time! Perfectly fried half of a soft shell crab.

A nice alternative in a good location.

Mikami Revolving Sushi and Bar 7319 Clairmont Mesa Boulevard San Diego 92111 Sun-Thurs 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri-Sat 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m.

Sunday Stuffs – the “My ‘Hood Edition: It’s Chef Jun Sushi and Kappo, Breakfast at Bay Park Coffee, and Spam at Poseidon Project

November 10, 2019 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Japanese Restaurants, Pizza, yoso-silly

So, here's a few updates and other "stuffs" in our neighborhood.

It's really Chef Jun Sushi and Kappo:

So, as "Friend of Yoso FOY" Derek, mentions in the comments of my earlier post; Chef Jun is a Sushi and supposedly "kappo", which I'm assuming really stretches the definition, style restaurant. So says the sign which I saw this past Saturday.

Okay……I'm not sure why I feel kind of disappointed……

4033 Avati Dr
San Diego, CA 92117

Breakfast at Bay Park Coffee:

So, Noel from Bay Park Coffee apparently reads this blog….and gave me a bit of grief about my post. Which I stand by. The croissant from Bread and Cie, works best when the lack of butter, salt, and sweetness is supplanted with eggs, ham, and cheese. The flakiness of said "faux croissant" works well with this.

And is a nice breakfast sandwich.

Though, like I told Noel…."I'll know when you've got some influence when I see a Spam, egg, and cheese croissant"…..

Bay Park Coffee
4130 Napier St
San Diego, CA 92110

And Speaking of Spam….and Pizza – the Poseidon Project:

So, I don't really mention the Poseidon Project much. But, over the last couple of years, they've become my "pau hana time" choice…..I usually visit twice a week. About two years ago, they added a pizza oven and have been making pizzas.

While the woodfired pies there won't make me forget Tribute or even Bruno's, it's a nice neighborhood place. And then there's a pie called the "hot honey", that has a sweet and (very) mildly spicy sauce that's made with soppressata. I felt that it would really taste great with Spam®. Nate, the owner always wrinkled his nose at the thought of Spam®. But, Chris one of the pizza guys, made us a pie……..we provided the Spam® singles……

Man, this was good…..the salty-savory, well caramelized Spam® (Chris – you are the man!), with the mildly sweet-spicy hot honey….. Even Nate, who hadn't ever had Spam® before thought it "was pretty good"….in other words….it was delici-yoso…..

And of course…..no bogus pineapple…….

Poseidon Project
4126 Napier St
San Diego, CA 92110

Currying On – Zen Curry, Hinotez, Izakaya Sakura, and Musashiya

November 3, 2019 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants

Zen Curry:

So, Calvin really, really, wanted to check out Zen Curry. And since they had just started opening for lunch during the weekdays, I thought why not?

We got there on the day that the businesses sign was (finally) going up.

We were seated quickly, same really nice young women working, just really pleasant service.

This time around I went with the Beef Curry and to hedge my bets, also ordered what was the best item I'd had on my previous two visits, the Spam® Katsu.

I still enjoyed the spice level 5 and the Spam® Katsu while I think was still fried too long, was better, though the breading was still on the harder side. The curry would have an appreciable combination of spices, if it weren't overly thick and pasty. Some of the pieces of beef were also too chewy.

Calvin, who loved Curry House and Coco Ichibanya in his hometown of Irvine looked at me and said, "I know what you mean now when you say; it's not enough to just have something….they've got to make it well."

Things were slightly improved, but I think there's a way to go.

Zen Curry
7309 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111

This meal did have me wondering about curry, at least in the Kearny Mesa area…so over the next couple of weeks, I went and managed to revisit a couple of places.

Hinotez:

I picked Hinotez, because last year, I had a pretty darn good karaage curry at here.

But before I could do a post, they changed up a the lunch ordering….and it seemed that this was no longer available. Which was my bad…..just like breakfast, you now choose your combo for lunch.

And so, I could get a version of what I'd had before.

I enjoy the curry at Hinotez, the flavor is much more complex than what was served at the pre-Taisho Curry Rice Hinotez. It's still quite mild; though the texture works for me, along with the crunchy, nicely flavored and fried karaage (Zen Curry please take note). I love mixing in the 3 minute egg with the rice a curry, making a rich, tasty mess. While not excellent by any means; this is my favorite Japanese curry in San Diego.

Though as much as I enjoy the curry, I didn't care for the really bland, insipid ,miso soup.

Can't win 'em all. I used to think that Hinotez had some fairly brusque service; but on my last two visits, the folks working here have really been nice and friendly. It's also nice to think that I've been to both Hinotez and Yakyuudori in Nagoya.

Hinotez
7947 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92111

Izakaya Sakura:

I thought I should revisit Sakura for the curry…..you know a couple of years back I did a "sorta, kinda, post", that included a photo of the Tonkatsu Curry from Sakura. So, I thought I'd better just do a proper one.

The curry here has almost a home-made feel to it. It's also the least spicy, with almost a slight sweetness and is the thinnest of the four.

The tonkatsu was decently done, moist, fairly tender, nice crisp crunchiness from the panko.

They use an interesting base for the miso soup here, I think much of the kombu breaks down and there's almost a slight gooeyness to the broth. Though it's not bitter with no off flavors. This version also had the best rice of the four.

While I've had some very surly service over the last two years, my last visit was quite nice. On this one; there were two of the long time Servers, I call them "good cop, bad cop"…..folks who go to Sakura know what I mean.

Izakaya Sakura
3904 Convoy St Ste 121
San Diego, CA 92111

And that was going to be it……but I decided to add one more revisit to this. A place that had really disappointed me since they've opened….

Musashiya:

So, I decided to try out their curry one more time….after all, it was the best thing I've had here.

You know, I can never fault the presentation here at Musashiya…the food though, is another story. While the curry was the second spiciest I'd had; it was also barely past lukewarm and really didn't have much in it.

The tonkatsu here suffers from the same issues as what I'd had in the past, there's some problem with temperature and technique here as the breading just peels off when you try to pick up the pork. It was also dry and tough. There were dry and hard grains of rice as wll.

My favorite item of the meal? The shredded cabbage. I left most of the curry and tonkatsu on the plate…..I just wasn't hungry anymore….

Musashiya
4240 Kearny Mesa Rd Ste 119 – In the Mitsuwa Marketplace
San Diego, CA 92111

So, my favorite of the bunch? So far it's Hinotez.

For those curry-sseurs…..what versions of Japanese Curry have I missed?

Ramen from HyShinu

October 13, 2019 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

HyShinu probably would have made it to R(ecommendations) & R(equests) week, but I was a bit late on getting my visits in. "FoY" and occaisional commenter "SomTommy" sent me an email mentioning a Ramen shop in El Cajon that his friends were raving about named "Hyshinu". I did a quick search and found that the actual name of the place was HyShinu Ramen, Sushi, & Poke….sigh…..I really wasn't too excited about checking this place out; but after a couple weeks decided to make the drive out to the Rancho San Diego area to try out the ramen.

The shop is located in the same shopping mall as Edwards Cinema, between a Rubio's and Dickey's BBQ.

I walked in and the really cheerful young man working the front handed me a menu and told me to have a seat. He said, "just come on back up here when you're ready to order". He was very nice and quite friendly. So friendly in fact. that when the couple behind me asked him where the place got their fish; he quickly said "Restaurant Depot". Well, even though I wouldn't eat the "chi-poke" bowls or the sushi rolls; I'll give him points for being honest. Apparently he is one of the owners.

I'll take away points for him accidentally calling what I ordered "Tonkatsu Ramen"; but that's a fairly common error.

What happened next was oddly funny; at least to me……

I'm trying to recall the last time I was given a fork for my ramen…… Maybe when I was working in Atlanta? Well, I guess they must know their "customer base" as well.

The bowl didn't look to bad; the broth was hot; though it was mostly salty and lacked any depth of flavor, porkiness, and the nice tongue coating collagenic mouthfeel of a rich tonkotsu broth. Whatever tare they were using was mainly just salt. The ajitama was actually quite good, decently marinated, the yolk still fairly soft, and not cold. Points for that.

The standard, bulk noodles were overcooked for my taste and on the mushy side.

The chashu seemed to have been torched or griddled on a flat top as some of the pieces had a pleasant initial crispness to them. While pretty mild in flavor, the nice textural contrast was interesting. I had however quite a few of what seemed like end pieces that were really hard and some pieces that seemed like just fat.

While not the worst ramen I've had; this was not particularly my cup of tea. If this was just me; it would have been a "one and done". But, since this was "ST" asking and honestly, at around ten bucks….well, I decided to return…..the next day!

Different gentleman working; he was just as nice as the other fella'. I just walked up to the counter and ordered the Shoyu Ramen and had a seat.

In some ways; this was better than my previous bowl.

The noodles were nice and chewy and while being typical was much better than before. The pork, while still very mild in flavor were nicely "browned" outside and no random fatty or hard pieces. The egg had even more soy sauce flavor and was still warm.

But that broth was terrible. First off, it was just past lukewarm and had started to separate by the time it arrived. You can see it in the photo above. It made the broth really greasy….not rich, mind you, greasy. And like the tonkotsu it was really lacking in flavor and complexity. Sorry to say; like salt flavor, greasy, lukewarm water.

Oh well. Can't win 'em all. I've had bad bowls of ramen in Japan; so you never know, I wouldn't want to write a place off due to the location. This is ramen for the masses, which is fine, since they've got to eat as well, right? And the folks working here were really nice; I hope they do well.

I can truly say; after trying Buta Ramen, Kimae, and now HyShinu, that we have truly hit critical mass with regards to ramen in the San Diego area.

Sorry "ST"….I do appreciate you letting me know about this place though! Thanks again!

Hyshinu Ramen, Sushi & Poke
2959 Jamacha Rd.
El Cajon, CA 92019
Hours:
Mon – Thurs 11am – 9pm
Fri – Sat 11am – 10pm
Sunday 12pm – 8pm

Zen Curry

October 1, 2019 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants

Way back at the end of July, in the comments of my post on Katzya, "Elle" asked me about Zen Curry. My sources had mentioned that a Japanese Curry place had opened in the former Popcorn Chicken location and a few weeks later Kirbie did a post on Zen Curry, which was then in soft opening mode with only evening hours. I decided to wait awhile and noticed they had lunch hours during weekends, so I decided to drop by.

Well, the sign for Popcorn Chicken is still up; though you can tell by the window décor and the menu that it's not Popcorn Chicken any longer.

I walked on in a was quite loudly greeted by the very nice young ladies working.

They've done some slight adjustments to the seating and configuration of the place since taking over. I was quickly seated and handed a rather wrinkled paper menu….I figure they are still in soft opening mode and using temporary menus.

I saw some interesting items on the menu; Hinotez's Curry Rice with Chicken Katsu is a current favorite so I ordered the karaage; SPAM® Katsu Curry is something I make at home, so I thought it would be interesting to try that as well.

The sweet young lady asked me if I wanted "pickled radish" with my curry. I said some "fukujinzuke" would me much appreciated. She looked at me and I realized that I wasn't understood….so I said, "yes, some pickled radish would be wonderful!"

I ordered my curry at spice level 5, which was just perfect…..many times more spicy than what you'd get at other places in San Diego. It was not shy in terms of mild beefy-curry flavors. I did think they'd gone a bit crazy on the roux as it was way too thick and almost solid in texture, and since the curry itself wasn't very hot when served; this seized up fairly quickly.

I also quickly noticed something about one of the pieces of karaage.

It had been sliced to check doneness….I guess they are still figuring things out. The chicken was on the dry side; they karaage hadn't been marinated very well and was really bland; the batter lacked crispness.

I really liked how the Spam® was sliced in terms of thickness and shape. It was fried a bit too long and was hard instead of crisp and crunchy. Still, this was thankfully not over-seasoned, which led to it not being too salty.

I took the leftovers home; the Missus tasted the curry and loved the flavor and spice, but hated the texture. On the nice side; when the Server asked me if I wanted to take the pickled radish home with me I expected her to give me a container to put my leftovers in. Instead, she gave me a nice little container of fukujinzuke for home.

I decided to wait a bit before my next visit and soon noticed that Zen Curry was now open for lunch on Thursdays and Fridays as well.

So, I decided to return for another lunch. looking over the menu; which was the same, I made my decision. I like "Kaki Curry", but I think I'll wait until I return to Japan or maybe find a good curry place that shucks and uses fresh oysters for that one. I knew that I wouldn't be able to finish lunch so had to think of what the Missus would eat in addition to my tonkatsu; so I wwent with a side of tofu.

On the positive side; the service was just as friendly and nice as before, the temperature of the curry was nice and hot, the spice level 5 seemed even spicier this time around, and the texture was much better as well.

As for the tofu, well, it was very bland, was more firm than I would prefer; thus the contrast in textures between the breading and the tofu was not what I expected nor desired. Man, if they's use a softer tofu, actually season it, and maybe use potato starch instead of panko….sort of an agedashi style tofu, I think it would be really nice.

The tonkatsu was fairly moist, but very bland, and tough.

The Missus enjoyed the leftover curry; though She had me eat the tofu! I'm thinking I'll stick with maybe just the beef curry or a simple curry rice bowl.

I really liked the service, the prices are reasonable, and I'll return once they are over the soft opening period.

Zen Curry
7309 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111

So there you go Elle! You're the star of this "R&R" post!

Kotobuki – It’s “R&R” Week

September 30, 2019 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi

I'm sure you're asking what the heck "R&R Week" is……and no; it's not "Rest and Relaxation", though I wish it was. This week; other than travel type posts, I'll (finally) get around to posting some of the "Recommendations and Requests" that I've gotten. I've often said; this blog would not exist without the wonderful comments, question, recommendations, and requests I get. Right off, I'll say that my definition of "R&R" might be rather broad; it could be just a quick email, comment, you know "have you tried????" kind of thing. But, I hope you enjoy these posts……

Several months back "Julie" mentioned Kotobuki in the comments of my most recent Kokoro post; saying "fish quality is fantastic". So, over the last couple of months I made a couple of visits to this rather low-keyed location (I believe it used to be Wa Sushi), in the corner of the strip mall that houses Khan's Cave, Boll Weevil, and La Miche.

In between meetings I headed over to Kotobuki right after opening for lunch.

The place is rather spartan; on both my lunch visits, a charming little girl was coloring and doing other things at one table. The Itaemae is an older gentlemen.

The sushi bar is "walled off"; so you really can't ogle the fish, nor watch the Itamae in action.

The lunch menu had several items priced rather reasonably; so I ordered the Chirashi Lunch ($14.99).

I wasn't a big fan of the watered down miso soup. The sushi meshi had a nice balance that I enjoyed; not too over-powering sour tones; but was quite pleasant and the rice was prepped nicely.

Of the fish; the salmon was nicely fatty and tender; the maguro quite decent, meaty with no off flavors, and the Hamachi was tender, almost buttery. The tamago had a nice eggy-sweetness and was fairly supple. The shiromi; the whitefish was dry and the shrimp mushy.

With some tea; this made for a decent meal.

A few weeks later; I decided to drop by for lunch again and got the Sashimi Lunch Combo ($15.99).

The miso soup was the same as was the Hamachi, very nice texture.

The maguro wasn't the best cut this time around; on the tough side and dry. The Tai was pretty good, slight chew, mild sweetness. The salmon was fine, though not as good as on my previous visit.

The rice was fluffy and moist.

This was fine; though I had enjoyed the chirashi a bit more.

After my two lunches; I decided to drop by for dinner and was seated at the bar. That wood paneling really separates you from watching the Itamae and he seemed to not want to converse with his customers. In fact, you order by menu from the Server and have no interaction with the Itamae. This kind of takes away form the experience in my mind. I've always thought that eating at the sushi bar was a very personal, somewhat intimate experience……

I did ask the very efficient young lady what was good today and was told, "it's on the menu……." Ok……

I placed my order and was served all my nigiri at once.

The nigiri are on the smaller size; even smaller than the Edomae stylings of Tadokoro; though it makes for a decent small bite.

The Kanpachi was a lot whiter than what I've seen in the past. It also seemed a bit fattier, with a mild sweetness.

I'm fairly certain it wasn't escolar and was told in no uncertain terms it was Kanpachi; which to me is Greater Amberjack. Whatever; this , in terms of texture was quite good.

The Hotate, scallop was sliced a bit too thinly for my taste and wasn't very sweet.

The Maguro had that "tinny" flavor that I don't care for, though in terms of fat and texture, it was the best of the three portions I'd had so far.

And it had that "center cut" to ensure it could be folded over the rice.

The Toro was very good; nice texture, meaty, buttery, no off flavors.

It was a pleasure to eat.

I had requested my Tamago to be served last, which they did.

It was a nice piece of tamago; just as good as what I'd had in the Chirashi and with a mild sweetness and the light handed touches to the shari; this was a nice "dessert" of sorts.

As you can see; I'm not a real big eater and this enough for me. Kotobuki seems like a decent neighborhood sushi bar; though the service seemed all business. Or perhaps it was just that "wall" in front of the sushi bar and the Itamae not engaging customers. The prices are good, the quality decent. Perhaps I'll drop by in the future again.

Kotobuki
9340 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92123
Hours:
Mon – Fri 11am – 2pm, 5pm – 9pm
Saturday 5pm – 9pm

Thanks for the recommendation Julie!

Eating to Beat the Heat – Revisits to Buga, La Miche Kabobgee, and Santouka

August 5, 2019 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Korean Restaurants, Lebanese Restaurants, Ramen

Well, it cooled down for a bit, got warm again, cooled off, and then it's Monday and quite warm again……and it's not really the temps, but rather the humidity that's kind of bothering me. Man, to think I was born and raised in Hawaii. Crazy.

Anyway, here are a few revisits.

Buga:

I just looked at my last post on Buga and it's been exactly one year! Strange; I thought it had been longer than that. I wanted some bi bim naengmyun and Buga is right off the 805; so I thought it would be a rather quick and easy meal.

I got there right at opening time so the place was empty. Strangely, it stayed that way for my entire visit. Even though I got out in 25 minutes, it was pretty strange to see the place completely empty.

And no; I didn't order the "Internal Organs Special"; which would have been too much for me anyway.

I got the Bi Bim Naengyun as planned.

The last time I had Bi Bim Naengmyun at Buga it was a bit strange. It was water and quite soupy, a far cry from the drier, more spicy version that used to be served here. What I got this time was a bit different as well; it seemed like a bowl of regular Naengmyun in a typical dongchimi – based soup topped with the usual spicy gochujang based sauce for bi bim naengmyun. It seemed like a hybrid of sorts; which actually wasn't too bad. It still had the spiciness along with the bracing – refreshing – sour – Asian pearish soup. The noodles were perfect; stretchy, but not hard. Enoguh to bring some sweat to the brow, but also cool me off at the same time.

Sadly the panchan was mediocre; really lacking in punch, with no fermented tones at all….it was all quick-kimchi and a too sweet potato salad.

Buga Korean Restaurant
5580 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117

**** Sadly, La Miche has closed

La Miche Kabobgee:

We usually head to La Miche Kabobgee when the temperature rises; to get some of the mezes we enjoy. So, one evening I headed over to grab some take-out and the place was closed.

I noticed the sign posted on the door with limited hours posted.

It seems that the really nice gentleman who owns the place had some heart surgery…..which had me a bit concerned.

So I dropped by during a lunch service.

I was happy to see him working. Moving a bit slower perhaps, but he was still the very mellow, and gentle guy I recalled. I chatted with him for a minute before this large party came in. He's doing better and is almost back to full speed. I'm glad.

The menu has fewer mezes than before; I think it's a bit of an abbreviated one; but there were still a couple of items I had previously enjoyed, starting with the Muhamarah.

I really enjoy the combination of flavors in this red pepper – walnut – pomengranite "dip" which is thickened with bread. Though it's much less spicy and tangy than I recalled; it's still a winnah' with the fresh pita that arrives scorching hot. I've learned that it's better to just eat all of the bread as it just isn't as good a few hours later.

I also got the Makanek; these little sausages had a wonderful snap, the ground veal is nicely seasoned, and that lemon based sauce is quite bracing!

This was a nice meal and it was good to know Nabih is doing well. So well, that La Miche will be back to normal hours in September.

La Miche Kabobgee
9350 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92123

Santouka:

In my last "eating to beat the heat" post; Junichi mentioned the Hiyashi Chuka from Santouka. I had actually had the Hiyashi Chuka from Santouka once before and had not been too impressed. But man, that was eight years ago! So, I figured it was time to try it again.

I wasn't certain that Santouka had the Hiyashi Chuka, but sure enough it was the summer special. I could tell it had been a very long time since I'd had this; it was $8.50 then; it's now $12.50. So, I guess its been going up by 50 cents a year?

Anyway, I ordered my noodles and had a seat. A few minutes later my number was called.

Well, if anything, Santouka gets points for consistency in presentation, as this looked basically the same as what I'd had eight whole years ago. At that time Dennis of A Radiused Corner (we miss you man!), called it a "tease" when it came to the proteins.

Those two thin slices of toroniku look rather lonely on that pile of noodles, huh? The provided toppings were rather "sparse"; though if you're carb loading, you've got your dish!

The "sauce" was weaker than I recalled, not as dashi forward and the sour tones were muted. I ended up mixing in all that mustard to help give things some "umph".

The noodles were nicely prepped and well chilled; so no issues there.

And as much as I like carbs and Santouka (remember us hunting down the original store in Asahikawa as few years back?), I'm not the biggest fan of the Hiyashi Chuka here.

Santouka Ramen
4240 Kearny Mesa Rd(In the Mitsuwa Marketplace)
San Diego, CA 92111

Things seem to be cooling down nicely as I'm finishing up this post……so maybe cooler weather is in store.

Trying to Beat the Heat – “Cold Ramen” at Karami Ramen and Gyokai Natto Don at Izakaya Sakura

July 28, 2019 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

Man, that humidity was pretty nasty last week, wasn't it? Well, here's something new I tried and also an old favorite for you.

"Cold Ramen" at Karami Ramen:

So, "FOY" SomTommy sent me an email in the middle of 90% humidity week asking me if I had tried the Cold Ramen at Karami Ramen. I mentioned that over multiple visits; Karami had never been a favorite of mine and that I haven't really found a "go-to" version of Hiyashi Chuka in San Diego. ST replied back that Karami was serving ramen, with cold noodles and a cold broth! Hmmm…..

So, before doing some shopping at Nijiya, I decided to see what this "cold ramen" was all about. And yes, there was a sign on the door that said Cold Ramen – $9.90.

It was pretty quiet during my visit. Considering that this was noon on a weekend and the strip mall was packed; it seemed strange. But maybe not, since it was still quite warm and muggy out.

The young man who served me was pleasant, the service prompt, no complaints there.

As for the "ramen".

So yes, this was nicely chilled. In fact, I bit into a couple of ice cubes. On the bright side; there would be no complaining about one of my pet peeves; the ice cold tamago….as it was cold, with a good shoyu flavor. Speaking of shoyu flavor; i'm certain the temperature really affects the tastebuds as this was super salty. It could have used some sour – savory – sweet tones to help things along. It became a bit much and I couldn't finish it. The chashu was also nicely flavored and tender. The menma was routine. For some reason, I really enjoyed the corn….I think the cold heightens the sweetness of the corn. It was my favorite part of the dish.

So, ST, I know Karami is a favorite of yours. The price at $9.90 is reasonable. This wasn't bad, but I'm not sure I'd have it again. Thanks for letting me know about it though.

Karami Ramen
3860 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Gyokai Natto Don at Izakaya Sakura:

Yes, it's that time again, yet another post on Izakaya Sakura. To be perfectly honest though, I think Sakura has not aged well…the service has been spotty and on occasion, the food has been a bit off. And so; it's been nearly a year since my last visit. It was during another hot spell and I got one of my two "hot weather" go to dishes at Sakura, the Ebi Kakiage Udon. This time though, I decided to retry what used to be my other warm weather favorite, the Gyokai Natto Don. The last time I tried it in September of 2017 it was mediocre; a ton of rice, barely any fish.

So, how's the 2019 version of the dish?

While still not quite hitting the same highs as when Sakura didn't have a sign (ChrisR – I still remember when you said it was "an end of an era"); this did hit the spot. Meaty magura and toothsome ika; with a few pieces of shiromi (white fish) thrown in; fermented goodness from the slimy-stringy natto; pungent wasabi, umami from the seaweed, textural pungency from the scallions……still a bit to much rice for me these days; but what the heck, I was hungry. The miso soup was good, the agedashi tofu held form and didn't breakdown and get mushy……

Just what the doctor ordered.

Maybe I need to return more often?

Izakaya Sakura
3904 Convoy St Ste 121
San Diego, CA 92111

Well, at least it's cooled off a bit today. And looking at the weather elsewhere, you know how much we love Paris, but the mercury hit an all time high there this week at 108.7! Sheesh!

Hope everyone kept cool over the last week. What have you been eating to "beat the heat"?

Little Sakana (Mira Mesa)(lunch)

July 22, 2019 Cathy Japanese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a blog about food. Cathy is writing today while Kirk is at work on some important projects.

We've been in this Mira Mesa neighborhood a lot lately, either meeting someone at the Starbucks or dropping into Hong Kong BBQ or R&B Filipino Cuisine. I had noticed Little Sakana while meeting clients at the 'new' Crab Hut (post to come) and finally had a few chances to drop in for lunch.
We have tried to arrive near opening (11:30) to avoid crowds.
One visit, we shared a cucumber salad appetizer ($6). Lightly dressed with rice vinegar and sesame oil and interspersed with krab, this is quite large and refreshing.
The seven piece Assorted Tempura ($8) was a great way to 'test' the frying technique here. Two shrimp and five different vegetable pieces (onion, squash, carrot, sweet potato and broccoli) were each crispy, not oily and went perfectly with the tempura dipping sauce. The 12 piece fried calamari appetizer ($7) was filling and also properly fried. The breading was crunchy, squid pieces fat and juicy and the Sriracha based dipping sauce was not overpowering.
The Shrimp Yakisoba lunch ($12) came with a choice of soup or salad and three beef potstickers. Plump shrimp, plenty of fresh vegetables (red and green bell pepper, onion, broccoli and cabbage) and not much in the way of yakisoba noodles (which were so very good). The Chicken Katsu Curry such special ($13) was also very fresh. This time, with miso soup and the same pot stickers (nice thin dumpling skin and quite a lot of filling). The katsu fry was, again, proper-light, crispy, non-oily, leaving the chicken moist. The curry sauce with the beef, potatoes, carrots and onions had a bit of sweetness and rich flavor that I crave on chilly days.
The Assorted Sashimi Salad ($15) could easily be shared. This photo doesn't do it justice. The lettuces are mixed and lightly coated with the sesame based dressing. The fish includes raw tuna, seared tuna, hamachi, salmon and shrimp. The salad is topped with a seaweed salad. The large quantity of fish is interspersed throughout the lettuce. Will order again.

All in all, a very nice, large restaurant serving really good lunch specials and appetizers. There are all sorts of weekday specials noted at the front door and apparently the sushi rolls and alcoholic beverages are a draw for most people (I really don't research places until writing a post; we drop in). There is also an 'All You Can Eat' option for both lunch and dinner. A more or less 'traditional' menu which we will try again.

Little Sakana 8270 Mira Mesa Blvd, Ste E. San Diego 92126 (858) 860-5000 Open Sun-Th 11:30-10, Fri 11:30-11. Sat 11:30-10:30 Website