As in, yoso-silly, yoso-hungry, yoso-full, or best of all; mmm-delici-yoso!!!!! A San Diego based food and travel blog. An Ex-Pat Kama'aina and Friends explore food, restaurants, and travel from San Diego and points beyond.
Here’s some stuffs I noticed in the Clairemont Mesa/Kearny Mesa area recently.
Sizzling House Has Closed:
Noticed this during our most recent visit to Eastern Dynasty.
Whoa, Sizzling House didn’t even last a year. So, much for the sizzling plate/pepper lunch fad, huh? Looks like this is going to be an outlet of Las Vegas based Urban Matcha…so one feeds another?
Also during that visit we noticed a new banner covering the Juewei sign.
Funny thing, I just mentioned how dissatisfied we’d been with our most recent visits to Juewei in my post on Spicy Duck Wang La Ya. Juewei seemed to be constantly changing concepts, last I saw they were trying to do Hot Pot, before that they had initiated doing skewers. They had an inconsistent inventory of items we enjoyed and we just decided to stop and not waste our time there.
So, I’m not sure if it’s still the same owners with a new concept….I do know there’s a LA Hot Duck in Rowland Heights. What’s up with all these places from the SGV opening here? They do not appear to be open yet; so we’ll see!
4690 Convoy St. #103 San Diego, CA 92111
And finally….
Isaki Japanese Restaurant and Nothing Bundt Cakes Taking the Former 85°C Spot:
I noticed some signage on the doors of what used to be 85°C off Balboa so I walked on over. Looks like they’ve split the spot into two businesses.
One of the signs said Isaki Japanese Restaurant.
And the other looks to be another franchise of Nothing Bundt Cakes.
I’m still looking for those perfect Asian dining spots to have meals with JJ. In terms of Japanese cuisine; well there’s Tanuki, where JJ does like the service and we thought some of the dishes were enjoyable; but it’s more of an early dinner spot for us as the lunch menu is quite limited. I had read about Oishi Sushi on Blvd and thought that perhaps JJ and I should give it a shot for an early lunch. So we headed on over.
Anyway, we arrived and took a quick peak around the tiny dining area and front porch before the nice Server sat us.
We didn’t have a chance to see the sushi bar area, but I can imagine how packed things can get here.
I was handed a menu, of which one whole side is “specialty” sushi rolls; like 41 in all with “14 basic rolls” on the other side of the menu. Yes, I did count them. The other side has more of what I’m looking for as I’m not a “sushi roll” kinda guy. Everything from ramen to yakisoba to nigiri to pulled pork sandwiches? Hmmm….. I guess they’re trying to please everyone here.
You know my strategy when wanting to see the quality of the usual “sakana”. I got the Chirashi ($28).
My goodness, the amount of rice was crazy? Did I look like I was a sumotori in training? I was able to finish less than half of the rice and took the rest of it home! Which was of decent quality; the shari was quite vinegar forward.
While the fish was routine; in my opinion, it was of much better quality than Kiiro, and the cuts much thicker.
My least favorite was the overly chewy and slightly metallic tasting Akami Marugo, much too lean. The Salmon was cut quite thickly and was fine.
The Hamachi was pretty tender, though on the drier side. As was the hirame.
The “Spicy Tuna” was made with scrape (nakaochi) which actually had a nice texture.
I thought the tamago was on the sweeter side and my favorite item in the chirashi was actually the hotate; scallop which, even though was a half slice was very tender and sweet.
Like I mentioned earlier, while the fish was fairly routine, it seemed to have been handled with some care; the quality, portion size, and execution much better than Kiiro in my mind.
I would also say that Oishi is more “Dogs Allowed” than dog friendly, though JJ didn’t mind.
A few weeks later I decided to revisit with JJ. It was basically at the same time as my previous visit and the place was quiet and relaxed. It was also the same woman as before.
This time I decided on some Chicken Karaage ($13) and not really wanting any otsumami or sunomono….I had thought the scallop was good on the Chirashi so went with a Scallop Handroll($7.50).
The portion size of the Karaage was quite large, but you see the immediate problem I had with this, right?
Yes, the chicken had been sliced…probably to check doneness? Real amateur hour here as this results in drier chewier pieces.
This also seems to be white meat; sigh…what’s up with places serving that as karaage these days? Perhaps it’s to control inventory, since they already make katsu and teriyaki chicken, so they only want breasts? Which are too dry and bland for karaage.
The batter got fairly soft rather quickly, but the seasoning had good soy-savory, slightly sweet tones. Still, the cutting before serving and the use of white meat is a deal breaker for me.
The hand roll was also quite large.
The hotate coated with salty-briney-crunchy tobiko. Like before, the scallops were nice and sweet and the amount of hotate was quite generous as it ranged all the way to the end of this rather large temaki.
The rice was a bit drier this time around; but that shari was just as strong. No complaints and I’d say that this was well worth the $7.50.
Overall, I’d say Oishi is pretty much in the same vein as Kiiro. Kind of a Westernized fusion (and portion sizes) of Japanese food serving everything. I enjoyed it more than Kiiro and it was nice having JJ along for lunch. Both lunches were on weekends at 11am and we were the only customers dining in until just before I finished my meal. I think it’s time for me to return to those more traditional favorites of mine…..
Oishi Sushi on Blvd 2850 El Cajon Blvd. San Diego, CA 92104 Current Hours: Sun – Wed 11am – 10pm Thurs – Sat 11am – 11pm
Well, since we’re hitting the trifecta of Valentine’s Day, President’s Day, and Lunar New Year, I’m thinknig all of you are pretty busy right now so I thought I’d just do a quick post of places I’ve come across over the last couple of weeks.
The Macaron Shop Replacing GyroGrill:
I was a bit surprised to learn that GyroGrill closed recently. I knew a few folks that really liked the place. I recently revisited Tenkatori and saw that the Macaron Shop was replacing GyroGrill and they even had a stand already set-up on the walkway.
6780 Miramar Rd. San Diego, CA 92121
El Sazon de Nayarit Truck replacing Mariscos Tone Camaron:
A couple of weeks back, I noticed that the Mariscos Tone Camaron trailer was gone from the side street behind Harland on Napier in Bay Park.
A couple of weeks later, I saw this Food Truck in the spot.
Not sure if the folks from the Mariscos Tone Camaron took over this truck, I waited a bit until I saw Logan, one of the great guys who works at Harland and he told me this is another truck. The Mariscos Tone folks have also upgraded to a truck, but it’s now at a different location.
4112 Napier St. San Diego, CA 92110
Sumo Go Coming to the Former Bunny Chow Spot:
Bunny Chow which replaced LouZiana Food closed a while ago. I’ve finally seen some activity in the spot. Looks like something named Sumo Go is taking the spot?
Not 100% sure, but I’m thinking it might be part of the Japanese Grab-n-Go trend?
7128 Miramar Rd. San Diego, CA 92121
Anyway, hope everyone is staying warm and dry with another storm hitting us the next couple of days!
During my visit to Zen Modern Asian Bistro at the Sky Deck, I came across a place that I’d had on my “list” but had totally forgotten about. Marufuku Ramen. I recall reading how popular Marufuku was when it opened in San Francisco’s Japantown in 2017. And since it was “ramen season” for me; I decided to return to try the place out.
Marufuku is located in the rear of the Sky Deck. The place was kinda dark at 11am, so pardon my photos.
I was seated by the very friendly and efficient Sugui, who told me he also works at Glass Box next door.
The prices, as anticipated were on the higher end of the scale, especially for what I consider to be a Food Hall.
I went with the Hakata Tonkotsu – regular size ($18.00). What arrived was about the same size as the small bowl I had at Santouka recently. Of course it didn’t have the toroniku and other stuffs.
The broth was fairly light, in spite of the dots of oil floating on the top. It was pretty straight forward, mild in flavor, though not salty.
It was rich enough to coat the thin, straight Hakata style noodles. Which were unfortunately a bit overcooked and too soft for my taste.
At least the tamago, which was edging on being overcooked for my taste was still warm. I’d say that’s a definite plus these days.
There were two bacon-thin slices chashu that were nicely flavored, with a nice toothsome texture.
And was probably my favorite thing in this bowl. The ginger would have helped to cut the richness if the broth were a bit thicker, but really wasn’t necessary in this case.
Overall, not a bad bowl of ramen, perhaps below what I last had a Menya…maybe what I’d consider level B+ ramen. Though priced like level A+ ramen. I’m not going to be in a rush to return.
Marufuku Ramen (In the Sky Deck at Del Mar Highlands Town Center) 12841 El Camino Real Suite 204 San Diego, CA 92130 Current Hours: Sun – Thurs 11am – 9pm Fri – Sat 11am – 10pm
After my last visit to HiroNori, I decided to revisit two other of my favorite ramen spots in San Diego. And both of these places have interesting “histories” with your truly.
Ramen Nagi:
I hadn’t been to Ramen Nagi in a while! And that visit was to try out the Veggie King Ramen! I was tempted to visit right after HiroNori, but heck, I ain’t going to UTC during the holiday season! I just waited until the calendar flipped to 2026 and headed on over. And guess what? No line!
I walked over and was shown to a seat at the counter.
It was quite mellow! I also have my preferences for my ramen here. Folks can choose and “customize” their bowl to their tastes, something I wish other places would do as well.
And while I waited, the older gentleman who was in charge came on over to say hello. And we had a really nice chat. I mentioned that my first bowl of ramen in Japan was at Nagi Ramen in the Golden Gai. And he cracked up! Apparently, he worked for Nagi’s parent company in Tokyo before coming to SD! Of course I had to ask him about Niboshi Ramen….and he laughed again. Apparently they did try it as a “special” for a short period, but the only folks who would try the stuff were the Japanese nationals and hardcore “ramen heads”. It was such a nice little chat!
As for my Original King Ramen ($16.95), well, I liked that the mildly porky broth wasn’t too salty…and check out all that richness! It just coats your tongue and tummy. That’s why I order it “heavy richness”. Normal garlic is enough to add some pungency without overwhelming the soup.
And those katame…..firm noodles do a great job picking up that broth and are so springy.
The egg was decently marinated and flavored. And perhaps because it was opening time, it was still warm.
To me, the pork shoulder chashu might be the weak link here as it is on the more chewy side.
But was decently marinated with good porkiness.
I think we have my favorite tonkotsu ramen in San Diego here! And of course, that memory of wandering thru Kabukichō to find that 24 hour location of Nagi Ramen on our first evening in Tokyo! Such great memories.
Ramen Nagi UTC 4301 La Jolla Village Dr. Suite 2033 San Diego, CA 92122
Santouka Ramen:
And of course, after Nagi, I had to get back to Santouka. Hard to believe it’s been over a year since my last visit. And like Nagi, I have some history with Santouka. To this day, I believe that the opening of Sanotuka in San Diego back in April of 2008 really changed the ramen world in San Diego. And after trying things for a bit, we had found our favorite here; the Shio Toroniku.
This was a solo lunch; so I just went with the small sized Shio Toroniku ($15.95).
I had never ordered the small size, so when my buzzer went off and I went to pick up my bowl….well, I cracked up at the size of the ramen bowl. Though I was happy to note that the portion size off the toroniku and garnishes were of the same size as far as I could tell.
To put things into perspective….check out the size of the porky, super tender pork cheek versus the size of the bowl of ramen.
Still, this was nice and warming….that thick bowl keeps the broth super hot for a long time. And no; I wasn’t in the mood for the usual horrible egg here.
The noodles were adequately firm. I already wrote about that tender-porky toroniku.
The broth creamy, not overly salty, nice savory tones.
And of course, I’ll never forget hunting down the original Santouka in Asahikawa...a tiny little shop! And of course we cracked up when the tamago there was just as bad! Points for consistency I guess! Such fun memories! And a good bowl of ramen as well!
I’d heard about Kiiro Sushi opening back in February of last year. So back in the beginning of March I decided to check the place out.
Kiiro is located next to the L&L BBQ on Sports Arena Boulevard….which I actually posted on back in…yikes 2005! I went for lunch right at 11 and the place was empty. The tables and chairs make the place seem almost cafeteria like to me?
I was greeted and seated by the nice young woman. Both she and Itamae were Hispanic which is kinda the norm these days at many places.
Looking at the menu; I noticed a lunch time bargain…the Chirashi was $21!
I thought it would be an interesting way to see how the fish was here. I also went with some Chicken Karaage….that when it arrived wasn’t just “some”; it was quite a lot.
It arrived with “spicy mayo” and I quickly noticed something about the chicken….it was white meat (i.e. chicken breast), which is not my favorite cut for karaage and it would prove to be true as the flesh was hard and dry; not especially flavorful.
The batter was lacking in crispness and fell off the pieces as I tried to eat them. The flavor wasn’t too bad, pretty straight forward soy sauce; hint of garlic….. Still, not a fan of the textures.
As for my Chirashi, well, I quickly noticed something.
It’s not only that the slices of fish were really thin; at this price point I expected that. But, it had that fish that’s banned in Japan since 1977 and also in Italy, escolar (aka white tuna) which can cause keriorrhea (aka the, ahem “orange oily leakage”)….I’ll just leave it at that. The rice was really hard, but also steaming hot, and lacking in seasoning.
You could tell this was really thin cut “saku” fish. The slices of salmon were especially thin, the maguro somewhat on the tougher side.
I didn’t expect much; but this was even less than expectations.
And of course, the Missus wouldn’t touch the leftover karaage, even after “helping it along” a bit and an air fryer session. So, I was just going to call it a day at this point. But Soo, did a nice post on the place and seemed to enjoy the kalbi? Apparently, the owners are of Korean heritage, so I thought I’d return. Though I waited several months before doing so.
I decided to try the Bulbogi and still wanting something more; went with the Tako Wasa as well.
Check out how the Tako Wasabi was served…pretty cool eh? The texture was fine, good toothsome chew. It was lacking in the pungent, sinus clearing attributes of wasabi though.
And I suddenly understood why this was served with wasabi and gari. This would be the first time I’ve ever had to add wasabi to Tako Wasabi!
As for the Bulgogi…..
Huge portion of bulgogi, huh? The rice was much better this time around.
As for the bulgogi…sigh; it had been chopped finely, was strangely mealy in texture, and over marinated and super salty.
This came with tempura, which was fine; though the batter was a bit soggy, lacking in the light and crisp texture I enjoy.
The shrimp was of decent quality, though the kabocha was undercooked and really hard.
Overall, I think I’m done with Kiiro…in spite of what’s written here. I prefer to spend a bit more for better executed food; though I’m glad I tried the place.
“Drink, Eat, Love”……..
Please let me know if stuff other than the huge list of rolls is worth trying here!
Kiiro Sushi Izakaya 3145 Sports Arena Blvd. San Diego, CA 92110 Current Hours: Sun – Thurs 11am – 1030pm Fri – Sat 11am – 1130pm
Our two week road trip up the coast was nearing an end. To break up the last two days, we were staying a night, first in Goleta, south of Santa Barbara….I was trying to stay in Carpinteria since it’s been a recommended stop, but was unable to book accommodation. Then we’d be staying a night in Temecula, before heading home.
It was a uneventful 4 hour drive from Santa Cruz to Goleta. We arrived a bit too early to check in, so I had a stop in mind. We decided to stop and do a nice little walk/hike at Ellwood Bluffs and the Ellwood Beach Loop. There’s a Monarch Butterfly preserve, but it was the wrong season for that.
Some nice wide open trails and also views from the bluffs.
After our nice little walk, we headed back to the main drag in Goleta. I had gotten us a room at the Leta located right on Calle Real. We settled in and relaxed. When it as time to head out for dinner, we wanted something in walking distance and I’d found a ramen shop a block or so away from out hotel named Nikka.
The reviews seemed positive and they had an outdoor dining area that was dog friendly. We were greeted and seated. The young man who waited upon us was very nice; but I could tell that this was more of a “fusiony” ramen place as he kept calling he ramen I ordered as “tonkatsu” ramen and while the menu boasted of the 24 hour simmering time for the broth, they called the version I had as “Shiro ramen” not shio ramen.
They also had stuff like poke bowls and ramen “burritos” on the menu. And in fact, I decided to order the Combination Baos (3 baos for $12.50). I ordered one of each.
As I figured, the baos seemed like those premade frozen ones you can get at the market. The karaage was too salty and dry, the chashu had a very nice texture but was super bland and over shadowed by the sweetness of the bao. The shrimp tempura, while overfried was the best of the three as it was tender and presented a decent shrimpiness.
As for the Tonkotsu Ramen ($17.50).
Well, the broth was barely past room temp and was super thin for our taste. It was pretty darn bland as well.
I had ordered the “thick noodle” which was a tad overcooked, heading toward too soft. Also, you can tell how thin the broth was since the noodles rea;;y didn’t “pick” any of it up.
The chashu was the best item in the bowl, nice texture, perfect tenderness, though a bit lacking in the porkiness department.
Overall, a “C” level bowl of ramen.
Well, service was nice. We hadn’t expected much from this place and I guess they lived up to those expectations.
Nikka Ramen 5701 Calle Real Goleta, CA 93117
We did have a nice night of sleep at the hotel and breakfast was included in our stay, which was enough food to keep us until dinner!
We had decided on making one last stop before heading home, at a place that we’d never really taken to. We had visited Old Town Temecula several times while living in the SGV and when we first moved to SD. But had never really enjoyed the place as it seemed overly touristy. I thought that perhaps staying the night might make things more enjoyable, so I booked us a room at the Hampton Inn, which was right across busy Rancho California Road from the start of Old Town.
JJ got in a nice nap while we drove to Temecula.
We checked in and then headed to Old Town to wander around a bit.
Man, the bars were doing some good business; even at barely 4pm on a Sunday.
The Missus got some cream for Her and JJ, which they don’t always have at Temecula Olive Oil in Old Town. I also got some olive oil as well.
Temecula Olive Oil Company 28653 Old Town Front St. Temecula, CA 92590
We wandered a bit more…..
And then decided to grab some dinner. An acquaintance had recommended a Bar/Restaurant named 1909 Temecula to me. The place had outdoor seating and was fairly busy; even at 445!
The menu consisted of typical items like burgers and tacos, stretching into Korean Fried Chicken, Risotto, and even Lobster.
The Missus started with a Sangria, which She enjoyed.
I had the Cedar Smoked Old Fashioned, which had some decent smokiness, but was a bit on the sweeter side and tasted a bit weak.
We decided on a couple of items; one of which was recommended to me; the House Chili (bowl – $12).
The blue cornbread was too wet and mushy. The chili lukewarm. There was supposed to be “steak” in this; which I think was super hard pieces of meat. It had an interesting flavor profile; perhaps a bit on the sweeter side? I was told that they use beer to make this chili. It was the best item we had during this meal.
The Al Pastor Tacos ($16) were not good. The pork very dry and chewy. The flavor too sweet.
The supposedly house made tortillas too brittle and lacking in good corn flavor. The fries were dry and soggy.
The Shrimp in the Shrimp & Chorizo ($18) was tough and chewy, with a muddiness to it.
The sausage seemed more like Longaniza as the meat seemed on the courser side and without the spice of chorizo. Still that was not bad. The bread had been nicely grilled, the sauce was quite tangy and acidic.
Overall, 1909 seems like a very touristic place, though it was super popular as there was a line of at least 20 people waiting when we left. Good thing we had an early dinner. Service was nice, but things took a while to get to our table.
1909 28656 Old Town Front St. Temecula, CA 92590
We walked back to the hotel and relaxed. I did a post and caught up on things. We had a decent night of sleep. There was a bit of traffic noise, but things weren’t too bad.
While not quite the ending of our epic little road trip we had wanted; we…and JJ still enjoyed ourselves, from revisiting Paso Robles yet again and enjoying the Alchemist Garden, to our favorite meal of the trip at L’Escargot in Carmel, to lovely Mendocino and Santa Cruz, this was one for the books. And we are so honored that you were able to vicariously come along with us!
Momo Sando & Omakase just opened in the spot that was occupied by Kumo Japanese Sando in the Plaza Sorrento Food Court. I heard that there was a “soft opening” period before the announced Grand Opening date of January 5th. Being curious about this “grab and go” sandos and sushi, by a former Executive Chef at two Nobu locations…and also, what made this concept different from say….Nijiya and Mitsuwa, I decided to drop by. Thinking that there might be some crowds based on the hype, I had a Plan B of Sue’s Korean Kitchen, which is located next door.
I arrived at a quarter to 11 and there was a short line waiting. So, I got into the queue.
The line grew exponentially as the minutes passed, so if I had arrived even a minute or two later, I’d have gone to Sue’s. Soon enough the door opened and we entered the small shop, with display cases of prepacked sushi and sandos. The woman working the register was like a Carnival Barker yelling out what each customer was purchasing! The line moves pretty quickly.
There are some special, limited offerings. On this morning, there was some uni available, but it was gone after the third customer!
As for me, I used the chance to peruse what was available and in the end; unlike the $90 purchases being made by the two customers in front of me….I just wanted to test the waters….
And simply got a Tonkatsu Sando ($15).
Check out the line as I walked to my car!
As for the Sando.
The shokupan, the bread, was on the drier side, lacking the mild, buttery-sweetness that I enjoy in that type of bread. On an interesting note, some of the crust was sliced off, and some left on?
The Tonkatsu, was pleasantly toothsome, the panko crust still had a good amount of crunch. I enjoyed the crisp-crunchy cabbage and the by-the-book katsu sauce. The bread was starting to get soggy by the time I got to the last slice seen above.
The sando was not bad, better than many of the other versions in San Diego. So, I decided to return the next day to try out the fish. I had the same strategy, which worked out about the same.
There’s quite a selection of fairly standard sushi/sashimi options and stuff that is on the “fusion-y” side…of course, dealing with a former chef of Nobu’s that’s to be expected. To be perfectly honest, we’ve been to Matsuhisa when we lived in LA back in the 90’s, and it was fine; we’ve been to several locations of Nobu and have always been a bit disappointed.
Instead of going with a standard futomaki, nigiri, or chirashi offering, I decided to getting something a bit different. There’s an option with black truffle on toro, but this one caught my attention.
As you can see….this ain’t no Nijiya sashimi set, being priced at $35! Yikes! Miso soup and the shoyu-wasabi-ginger are included.
This is what it looked like unpacked.
The miso soup was decent, not watered down.
Real fresh wasabi is provided, though as you can see, it’s starting to oxidize and brown.
The fish was of good quality; though I wasn’t a fan of the nakaochi – the tuna scrape which was really mushy and had a metallic finish to it.
The akami (maguro) was decent sushi-bar quality, nice texture, but in my opinion didn’t need the chili crunch.
Strangely the rice was hard and chewy……not a great standard to set.
The shari…sushi rice seasoning seemed quite aggressively seasoned, very vinegar forward which wasn’t too bad.
As for the toro….as you can see; much like the wasabi, the fish was starting to brown.
Still, it was very fatty and tender; quite good with the wasabi and shoyu.
It was quite interesting. It seemed like most of the customers were late generation Millennials or GenZers. I felt like jichan again. The quality of the product seems pretty good….though it’s very “concept heavy” to me. That “grab and go” toro was more expensive than the last 4 chirashi I had in actual restaurants. But perhaps it’s the perfect place for the tech crowd and that population who can afford $30+ for lunch. As for me; I need to wait and recover a while before visiting.
Momo Sando & Omakase 6755 Mira Mesa Blvd. San Diego, CA 92121 Current Hours: Mon – Fri 11am – 4pm
There was a restaurant I wanted to check out just a half block from where we were staying in Napa. Several decades back, I recall the Missus and I being glued to our television watching the original Iron Chef. And when I was in Philly for a conference, I remember being so excited having the chance to check out Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto’s restaurant there. Sadly, it was quite disappointing. But now, over two decades later, a few steps away from us was the Napa location of Morimoto. I thought it would be interesting to check out all these years after having dinner at the Philadelphia location.
And they had a patio! So I made reservations.
Upon walking over, we were greeted and seated on the patio. The service here was super friendly, the staff so warm and sweet. Folks came out just to meet and greet JJ! He was brought water….totally the definition of dog friendly. In fact, the next day while I was walking JJ, some of the folks working saw him and called out “hi JJ, hi JJ, how are you???”
The place wasn’t overly busy. Looking at the menu…well, it was obviously not going to be cheap!
I saw Sawara (Mantis Shrimp) on the menu; one of my favorite things, but they were out! Bummer….
Anyway, we placed our order and soon enough our food started to arrive.
First, the Toro Tartare ($32). This was kind of weird as it was so finely minced that it was more like Nakaochi (Tuna Scrape) making it really mushy.
The ponzu sauce was overkill; since it came with wasabi, nori paste, and other seasonings on the side along with sturgeon caviar. The sauce just basically nullified everything but the wasabi.
We got some Sushi….here they charge you by the piece.
Man, the quality of the seafood was top notch, though I would have preferred not having my o-toro ($16/ea) slightly torched, but it was still quite buttery, and don’t get me started on Hokkaido Uni ($20/ea) ok? Good lord, so melt-in-your mouth, buttery, and sweet-oceany tones…it took me back to Otaru! The Aji ($8) was a bit on the overly chewy-slightly metallic side and the Madai ($8) had too much wasabi. Still, this would have been really great, but the rice was hard and under-cooked and the sushi meshi was too strong. Sorry, but if I’m paying $88 for six pieces of nigiri…..
We ordered the Braised Black Cod ($43).
This was a non-starter as it was overcooked; even the sauce, which was overly salty could not save it. Such a waste of a nice piece of fish.
The actual “best” dish of the night was the Duck Confit Fried Rice ($20)
The Jasmine Rice was a bit on the dry side; the rice itself decently coated with a soy sauce – basil type sauce. You could make out the flavor of the duck in the rice; I’m thinking they use the confit duck fat for this as well. Loved that perfectly cooked egg, with the crisp edges and gooey yolk.
Overall, we loved the folks working here, but the food just fell short. The products seemed top notch, but the execution did not do it justice. And at this price point, well…. It’s kinda like what my experience was at Morimoto in Philadelphia.
Morimoto Napa 610 Main St. Napa, CA 94559
We took a short stroll after our meal. Right around the corner from Morimoto Napa is a location of Morimoto Asia. I know they have one in Waikiki as well. I took a looks at the menu; with stuff like XLB, Peking Duck, Sisig (!?!?), Pad Thai (double !?!?), Tonkotsu Ramen, etc, etc….
And then the faux Terracotta Statues…can you say PF Chang’s, in the image of Masaharu Morimoto???
What the heck???? Yikes!!!
Anyway, we walked along the walkway and promenade, enjoying the artwork.
We returned to our room….JJ was pooped, so I decided to walk a couple of doors over and check out the Cocktail Bar named The Fink.
I liked the somewhat nautical theme of the place. It was really quiet on this evening. I found it interesting to note that all the other folks at the bar were regulars.
The bartender was really friendly as was the gentleman talking to everyone. He introduced himself and I came to find out that he’s the owner of the place; Judd Finkelstein! Really friendly guy! I got to meet the “Fink” himself.
I got a favorite of mine; a Penicillin, which was nice and stiff!
Chatting with the bartender; I mentioned JJ and she asked me why didn’t I bring him in! So nice!
So guess who was coming with me to The Fink the next evening!
In a post from a few days ago, I mentioned actually finding reasonable parking in Hillcrest for a ramen fix. And yes, it’s time for me to make my “ramen rounds”…..and I wanted something other than what is ubiquitous ’round these parts….that is something other than tonkotsu ramen. So naturally, my choice for shoyu ramen is HiroNori. Looking at my previous posts, it’s quite funny as my last three visits had been in December! So, I guess the time was right!
It was kind of crazy, as I was part of a line of 10 people waiting when they opened! The place filled up quickly. As always, the service was friendly and efficient.
It was interesting to note that overhearing folks order….everyone was going with tonkotsu.
I was pleased to note that the Shoyu Ramen was priced the same as my visit a year ago – $16.45….a rarity these days!
As usual, I got the shoyu ramen with noodles extra firm and it was nicely delivered to the window seat I had.
Man, there’s something about the shoyu broth I like, the barrel ages shoyu has an interesting flavor, that’s not overly salty, nice slightly smoky-sweet umami. Decent richness and tongue feel.
The tamago was nicely cooked…and guess what? It wasn’t cold! In my best “Bourdain mode”, I thought “a glowing orb of deliciousness….”
While the chashu looks to be on the tough side, I’m thinking because it looks roasted and charred. but that adds to the flavor; it is decently tender, nicely roasted, with good porkiness!
And those noodles were firm, slippery, and perfectly chewy for my taste. It did a nice job of “picking up” the broth.
The really nice young lady came to check on me as I was finishing up and asked me; “is everything all right?” So I showed her my bowl…..
And she just laughed.
Overall, a lovely, warming bowl of shoyu ramen…..it just makes everything seem better…..
HiroNori Craft Ramen 3803 Fifth Ave. San Diego, CA 92103 Current Hours: Mon – Wed 1130am – 8pm Thurs – Sun 1130am – 9pm
