Japanese Restaurants – Page 26

Kyoto – Torito

March 21, 2017 mmm-yoso Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Kyoto, Travel

The Missus wanted Yakitori for our last meal in Kyoto and I had a place in mind.

But first, some shopping.

Teramachi Dori, one of the major shopping streets, was strangely quiet on this evening.

The Missus managed to do some damage at this location of Lupicia.

After which we took a nice leisurely stroll up to the Juingu-Marutamachi Station. On street level above the station was a rather discreet, but popular place named Torito. I was interested in the place because of the rather polarizing reviews, some folks declared it yakitori for tourists, yet other said it was amazing….the strange thing about that yakitori for tourists thing is….well, you'll see by what we ordered.

It was out last evening in Kyoto, a place that makes us feel quite comfortable…we just feel relaxed and at home here and our trip to Japan was coming to an end.

The Missus decided to get a Hiball, I had a Suntory Draft.

We noticed that we noticed quickly was that the guy doing all the grilling seemed quite young….also, there were English menus.

But what was on those menus wasn't quite your tourist yakitori items….though the tourists we saw come in ordered stuff like breast and chicken rice bowls, we went full speed ahead and started with some very smokey chicken gizzards.

Which was fine….though a bit too dry for me.

The Nankotsu was very, very good….perfectly grilled, nice and crunchy, but really pleasant to eat.

And followed with Tori no Tataki, seared, basically rare chicken.

This was dark meat, very clean, but definite chicken flavor. A bit too chewy for my taste, I should have gotten the white meat, which I think is much more tender raw. Tourist food, huh?

The Missus absolutely loved the "Kimo" (chicken liver) and declared it the best She's ever eaten.

The Kawa-su, chicken skin salad was a nice refreshing change of pace.

Up next was more Chicken Skin….but not "just" chicken skin, but we chose "Chicken Buttock Skin".

Very interesting texture….a bit more chewy, but man, the flavor was so amazingly distinct……

Next up was our Tsukune….this is what I basically judge my yakitori places on. First thing we noticed was that the tsukune was made to order. That is, when the order is placed, the chef forms it by hand. Now watching this guy was amazing as he juggled both the grill and the deep fryer, never missing a beat. As you can easily see; this was the tsukune I've ever had.

From the light and crisp exterior, to the creamy interior….I'm wondering how much chicken fat is in this….a quick dip in the egg; more richness and flavor. This by far is the best I've had.

The Wing Tips were okay, though a bit too hard and chewy for us.

One thing we were noticing was the perfect amount of salt was being used.

I absolutely loved the Hatsu…the chicken hearts, which weren't grilled too heavily…..just the right amount of smoke and salt.

Surprisingly tender.

There's a part of the menu which features local, Kyoto bred chicken (the tsukune is on that part of the menu) and we tried the chicken thigh with quail egg.

There was a more distinct chicken flavor in this; something that's missing here in the States for the most part. Loved the little piece of cartilage left on the meat, it added a nice textural contrast, as did the quail egg, though I could have done without that. The Missus though, loves Her quail eggs.

The Chicken wings were just ok…..especially after having all the previous dishes.

The skin on these was a bit too rubbery for us.

The Missus loved Her "finishing" dish (Shime), going with the rich and velvety chicken bone broth with meatballs.

She still talks about how rich and lovely this soup was.

I went with my standard; a nice, nutty, smokey, yaki onigiri.

A perfect end to a wonderful meal for us.

As we were finishing dinner, the Missus declared this Her new favorite yakitori shop. So I'm guessing we'll be back whenever we're in Kyoto.

The shop is rather discrete. From what I understand….you know, I'm basically about the food…Torito is a species of bird. So the best thing is to find the carving of a bird outside the door of the restaurant.

Torito
9-5 Higashi Marutamachi
Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan

As I mentioned earlier….Kyoto has a way of making us feel comfortable….in spite of all the tradition and sometimes, well, interesting stuffs…..

Okan Diner – A First Look

March 20, 2017 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants

Strange thing happened this past weekend….well, along with not having to go into the office to catch up on things, I had both of my planned dinner with friends cancelled….this up and down weather thing seems to be taking a toll on folks here. So, that first evening, I just headed out on Clairemont Mesa thinking I'd figure something out by the time I got to Convoy….and if not, well, I was hoping I'd be able to find a seat at Taisho. Right before passing over the 805, I glanced to my left and saw the Open Sign flashing in the window of Okan Diner. Then I remembered reading in the Eater that Okan Diner was doing a soft opening on this weekend. So I thought, "why not"?

The space looks about the same as when I visited during Izakaya Kanpai's short run. Looks like they've put up some portable dividers and other touches.

The menu, in current state are pretty standard appetizers; agedashi tofu and the like, Udon and Soba in both traditional and perhaps a bit strange and fusion versions…would "Mom" (Okan means Mom) make Vongole Udon…or even "Pho Udon"? And kamameshi; "iron pot rice". Many items are not yet available, but there was still quite a bit to choose from in those three categories.

I started with a favorite; Shishito Peppers ($5).

These were deep fried and as such a bit on the "oily" side. Very good quality though and every once in a while you'd get that one spicy pepper…aaah shishito roulette. The soy based dressing was good, not too salty, good vinegar, and the katsubushi added a good savory touch. Pretty much by the book and done well.

For some reason; I decided on the Kamo Udon ($15), in retrospect, I probably should have gone with Kakiage/Kitsune/Nabeyaki…something more traditional.

As you can tell by the portion size (I remember seeing these bowls in Kanpai), this wasn't very much. The duck was over cooked by my standards and had gotten tough in the broth. The noodles were excellent, nice pull and chew, though that 325 yen bowl at Mugimaru Yaesu Minamiguchi had noodles even better than these. The broth was on the weak side by my taste….though you can tell by my Kitsune Udon that I enjoy a more assertive flavor. This was just too watery for me, the dashijiru too weak.

Of course it was still during the soft opening period, so I intended on revisiting once they had the grand opening.

Then my next dinner got cancelled and I just decided to go back to Okan Diner.

This time I decided to try the Kamameshi and the Kakuni version ($17.50) of the iron kettle rice dish looked like it would fit the bill.

In terms of rice, this looked like more than I could handle. But surprisingly, I managed to finish all of it. The drill is simple; you mix the nicely flavored rice…….I was told it was cooked in a bone broth adding a layer of richness. I shredded up the pork, which, while a bit tougher than I prefer, was still moist and the seasoning was right on for Buta Kakuni in the soy sauce-sugar-mirin kind of way. You add the poached egg and mix in making a lovely gooey, but delicious mess. Scoop into bowl and enjoy. Next time, I'll go easier on the ginger as it tended to over power the flavors.

This was quite satisfying, if a bit on the expensive side. I'll probably try another version soon…though probably not the Salmon with Ikura as the bar for that has been set very high.

While I still prefer Wa Dining Okan, having a place like this is a nice addition to the neighborhood. The service was fine….the young lady with the glasses is super.

The other two young ladies were a bit unorganized…even though I know one of them from Okan. I'm sure they'll straighten things out.

Currently, the hours of operation is from 5pm to 1030pm daily. I'm hoping they'll eventually open for lunch.

Okan Diner
5430 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

Breakfasts of Champions – Revisits to Hinotez and Aqui es Texcoco

March 19, 2017 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Japanese Restaurants, Mexican Restaurants

When the Missus asks to go to breakfast on the weekend; She doesn't mean pancakes and eggs. No, She wants something from, say Zarlitos or Fernandez Catering. It's nice to have access to a bit of variety around these parts. Here are a couple of places I've posted on many times before.

Hinotez:

It took a while to talk the Missus into having breakfast with me at Hinotez. But memories of "Japanese Breakfast" in Japan finally made Her give in. I've already gone into what a simple breakfast of natto, egg, and rice means to me. And while Hinotez no longer serves the simple "Basic Breakfast"……you now have to get a bunch of proteins and the natto, egg, and tororo are add-ons, kind of a bummer, this is the only place you'll get something close to Japanese breakfast in San Diego. And only on Saturday and Sunday.

This ends up being a bit too much food and just like in Miyajima, we just head back to bed afterwards. Also, we've learned to request "half-rice" with this as well.

Anyway, it basically is all about the natto and rice thing….though I got beef and chicken karaage. The beef was tender and there were no complaints. The karaage was fine; crisp and nicely flavored…..but in a real amateur move, they had cut one of the pieces in half to check doneness.

Still, this brings back memories of places like Yaesu Hatsufuji.

Hinotez
7947 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92111

Aqui es Texcoco:

A big favorite of the Missus, she loves the Plato Azteca here….and always gets an order of beans to go. Go figure.

I'd never had the Sopes, so I thought I'd give it a try. It was very good; the combination of lamb and beans just went together well. The rustic thick corn base was also texturally pleasant.

The light milky-tanginess of the cheese helped cut through the richness….though I gotta say this is pretty heavy stuff. I was stuffed after one and a half.

Even the Café Olla didn't help.

The Missus got a Quesataco with Flor de Calabaza, which was very crunchy - creamy, but a bit too salty for me, which basically muted all the other flavors. And of course the Plato Azteca, which I've posted on a good number of times Like always it's huitlacoche and flor de calabaza. She also loves the leftovers as there's no way She can finish all of this.

Aqui Es Texcoco
1043 Broadway
Chula Vista, CA 91911

And then the best part…….because we're able to do this on weekends I don't have to go into work…..it's time to roll back into bed!

Kyoto – Arashiyama, Ippudo, and Din Tai Fung

March 18, 2017 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Kyoto, Ramen, Travel, Xiao Long Bao

We'd always had a visit to Arashiyama on the books and on our last full day in Kyoto, we decided to head out early in the day. We ended up taking the rather fun Keifuku Tram Line to Arashiyama Station.

It was a slightly hazy, but beautiful day….the air so clean. We walked out of the station and headed down what looked like Arashiyama's main street. And walked over to the Togetsu-kyo Bridge.

We headed north alongside the picturesque Oi River and took a right along a rather random street.

And just wandered around a bit.

And somehow ended up at the side entrance to Tenryu-ji temple.

It wasn't very crowded, so we just took in the sights a bit.

We headed out front, looking for the Bamboo Forest. I walked up to a traffic officer and asked for directions to the Bamboo Grove. In the typical Japanese way….he insisted on walking us most of the way there.

It was very pretty….but for some reason, I expected it to be a bit more grand.

I guess having grown up around various bamboo forests……

The place does take some really nice photos though.

Heading back down to the street, we found another entrance to Tenryū-ji. This is the garden area and is quite beautiful.

The Sōgen Pond, which was designed by Zen Master Musō Soseki over 700 years ago, is very beautiful.

By now, we'd had enough for the morning and headed back to downtown Kyoto. We walked around a bit and decided to have lunch at a place I had specifically marked down. We'd really enjoyed Ippudo in Osaka and there just happened to be a location in downtown Kyoto.

Call us boring, but we'd enjoyed ourselves so much on our previous visit to the Osaka location that we basically got the same thing. The Shormaru Special, what I call a classic tonkotsu with chashu and egg. And of course, the Missus got Hakata Chikara Meshi, chashu rice and an onsen tamago.

The broth was nice and rich, but not oily nor too fatty. The flavor is rather delicate. The chashu was tender and nicely flavored, the noodles just perfectly al dente for my taste.

I gave the Missus my tamago….now that's love. And when She cut into it….well, we had a perfect "egg porn shot".

Our meal was the perfect foil for the cool autumn chill.

Ippudo Nishikikouji
653-1 Bantoya-cho, Higashinotoin
Nishikikoji higashi iru, Nakagyo-ku

Feeling nice and warm, we headed on out to do some shopping. We found an underground passageway to Takashimaya Department Store.

Of course this lead right to B1 and the food floor.

We were wandering around the third floor of Takashimaya Department Store and I noticed this…..

Oh my….it was Din Tai Fung!

And there was no line…..

The Missus and I looked at each other……why not, right? We still had a bit of room in our bellies, so we went for a second, rather light lunch.

I was wondering just how good this was going to be. We got the pork and crab version of the Xiao Long Bao. When it arrived, it looked like the XLB on the left had leaked, but it had not. As for the wrappers….well just look at the classic "XLB hang". The wrapper were very nice, for some reason they seemed a bit thicker than the wrapper at DTF here in the states. I really couldn't complain about the amount of soup, nor the flavor (a bit too sweet for me), or the texture. This was pretty good. Much better than anything we have here in San Diego.

The Missus has got to have Her veggies, so we got some greens. Nice and simple, very mildly seasoned.

Din Tai Fung (Third Floor of Takashimaya Department Store)
52 Shincho, Shijo Kawaramachi-dori Nishi-iru
Simogyo-ku, Kyoto 600-8001

I guess that's fun part of trips…you make basic plans, but leave time to wander and explore. You never know what you'll run into.

XLB at DTF in Kyoto….who'd have thunk.

Nagoya – Yep, it’s Yakyuudori

March 13, 2017 mmm-yoso Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Nagoya, Travel

After a nice morning and early afternoon of visiting Kiyomizu-dera and shopping, we had a nice nap, then headed off to Kyoto Station. We had booked a trip to Nagoya.

For what, you might ask? Earlier on the trip we had visited Asahikawa in order to check out the "Main Branch" of Santouka, during one of our many visits to Taisho, Taka-san had told us that we should go to visit the "Main Branch" of Yakuyudori in Nagoya. We thought "why not"? And soon enough and told Taka-san that we'd be glad to visit Yakyuudori and told him what day we'd be there. On our next visit, being the nice guy he is; Taka-san handed me a small slip of paper with a phone number and the address of 142 Fujimigaoka. Apparently, there are several Yakyuudori and Hinotetsu branches in the area, but this is the one we should visit. He even told me that his friend, the main Yakitori guy there would be expecting us.

So it's was a pleasant trip on the Shinkansen, about a 40 minute trip to Nagoya Station where we meandered around a bit, then caught the Nagoya Higashiyama Line to Fujigaoka Station.

We walked around exploring the area, which is much different than around bustling Nagoya Station. We walked through the market and checked out some shops, before heading down Fujimigaoka, which parallels the train tracks (a key item).

Along the way we passed another Yakyuudori. We checked the phone number on the sign. When it didn't match up, we kept going. Until we ended up at this little shop right next to an auto repair.

The locale was quite amazing as it was built right below the subway tracks. Entering was even more interesting……consider the nice, rather darkly lit, austere, yet fairly classy Taisho…jazz music playing in the background. And then check this place out!

Man, you gotta love this place! A total neighborhood "joint", the guys working here were really friendly, almost jolly. And everytime the train passed overhead, the whole restaurant would rock slightly! Amazing!

The "main guy" was so funny…he'd been expecting us, and in fact, wore a Yakitori Taisho T-shirt to welcome us! Check out that crock of salt!

Don't let his jolly and easy going appearance fool you. He had some major grilling chops. Every so often, he'd pass us our food, wink, and say, "better than Taka"! And just crack up.

We ordered all the usual suspects…..if you read my Taisho posts, or have been to Taisho, you'll recognize them. This is where Taka-san trained.

Things started with some Hatsu (chicken heart). We weren't too thrilled by the appearance, but man, this was really good. Heart like gizzards always seems to absorb a good amount of smoke. Combine that with the perfect amount of salt and grilling the chicken heart to "just done" and this was so good. It was very tender as well. You could tell that the chicken here was much different than what we get in the states.

I thought the gizzards were a bit too hard for my taste.

Nice smokey flavor though.

This was good time for a beer break. We ended buying a round for the folks working and they were having a great time….singing aloud, almost dancing…..we were just loving it.

And we loved the Tsukune too. Up to this point in time; I'd say this was the best I had ever had.

My goodness, that tare was a wonderful combination of sweet-salty-savory….the meatball was slightly crisp on the exterior, and meltingly soft….as is the hallmark of the tsukune served at Yakyudori-Taisho-Hinotez here, there was a light background hint of ginger floating around. And a dip in that egg yolk…..adding a rich creaminess. This was number one, until it was dethroned later on this trip. Still, I'd come back for this in an instant!

The Missus loved the creamy Kimo – chicken liver.

Again, not over-cooked, and without tare….but the Missus said it was great.

The nankotsu was also a winner.

Great crunchiness, crisp on the exterior. Nice, restrained seasoning.

And of course……a Yakyudori classic….the Teba, chicken wings.

The akahimo also tasted like a carbon copy of what we regularly get at Taisho.

The kawa (chicken skin) was also a winner. Here it's served without tare as well.

Light and crisp at first bite, transitioning to a creamy interior. Perfect salt, really great chicken flavor.

And then the buto-shiso….the porkiness of this was very distinct.

The interior of the pork roll was very tender, this was another winner.

We loved this place…..the casual, yet welcoming crew, the unique atmosphere. This is what we were wishing for and were left wanting at the Yakitori places in Tokyo. After returning, I chatted with Taka-san about the differences in the chicken used at Yakyudori in Japan and here in the states. I was told that he "wishes he could get the same quality and breed" here.

Well, I guess we'll just have to head back to Nagoya……

Yakyuudori (野球鳥)
142 Fujimigaoka
Meito-ku Nagoya Aichi

Before catching the Shinkansen back to Kyoto, we stopped at Takashimaya Department Store….of course going to B1 and checking out the food and snacks. One of the women working at one of the stands was so friendly and warm….really wanted us to taste everything! She was a hoot….so of course we ended up buying some snacks.

It was about time we got into the "holiday spirit" right?

Thanks for reading!

Kyoto – Catching up with one of my favorite Food Bloggers (and friends) at Okariba and Beer Komachi

March 10, 2017 mmm-yoso Beer, Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Kyoto, Pubs and Pub Grub, Travel

One of the great pleasures I've had over the years has been meeting up with other like-minded Food Bloggers….and at the top of my list is Kat from Our Adventures in Japan. We had met before in Osaka and on this trip, we wanted to make sure to touch bases again. This time, I chose the somewhat quirky; kinda country, rustic "Hunting Ground", Okariba which we really enjoyed the last time in Kyoto.

We had a nice walk over and met Kat and Satoshi. The place was much more busy than on our last visit.

And we spent a good deal of time catching up on things and just having a good time.

After all, places like this were made for friends gathering, sharing "pupus".

You can read all about this in Kat's post….and it also shows how far behind I'm at with my travel posts as well!

So from here on; it's most it's mostly photos.

Man, I love basashi…..

At the end of the meal, we gave the owner some Mac Nuts….even though we were sure he wouldn't remember us, he'd given us so much samples on our previous visit, we wanted to make sure to show him our appreciation…so of course he busted out the home made ume-shu……

Okariba
Okazaki Higashi-Tennocho 43-4, Residence Okazaki 1F
Kyoto

After dinner, we had a nice nightcap at another familiar place; Beer Komachi…….lot's of tourists and such….but with the San Diego beer connection menu….

It was a fun stop.

And I think it's a great reminder for Kat and Satoshi……….you can always come out here for a visit too!

Thanks for such a great time K&S!

Ed’s SD Highlights: Prime, Golden City, Kokoro

March 9, 2017 ed fromyuma Chinese Restaurants, Japanese Restaurants, Korean Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

Ed (from Yuma) writes about three spots in San Diego today. Kirk or Cathy will be writing about who knows what tomorrow. That's the way mmm-yoso!!! rolls.

These restaurants have been written about here previously, so I just wanted to touch on a few highlights.

Prime – I had a lunch at Prime Grill (website) featuring dolsit bi bim bap:

It was okay though my stone bowl didn't crisp up the rice very well, unlike Kirk's experience.

The eight ban chan items ranged from good to excellent. The squash was perfectly cooked and lightly seasoned:

Some broccoli I forgot to photograph was nicely highlighted with a tangy red sauce. And I have no idea what this earthy, slightly sweet and slightly woody vegetable is, but I liked it:

And of course the kimchi was outstanding:

I always used to wonder why some Korean restaurants served kimchi that was not as good as what I could buy in a jar in a Korean market. Prime’s is more complex and much better. I also enjoyed the metal teapot and cup:

The bill:

Prime Grill, 4620 Convoy, Ste A, San Diego 92111, (858) 277-0800

Golden City – it had been many years since my last visit, but this venerable Chinese restaurant (website) on Clairemont Mesa Blvd is a longtime favorite of Kirk and Cathy. Memory is a tricky thing, but the interior seems more modern and appealing than it used to be:

Talk about an extensive menu; here, actually, three menus:

Of course I had half of a kwai fei chicken:

Cold, intensely flavored, and very tasty. The bone splinters were the only unappealing part of the bird. Most of this went back to the room and the ice chest. Great for munchies.

Off the monthly specials menu, I ordered steamed fish and pumpkin in black bean sauce:

Except for being far too much food, this was wonderful. The fish was fall apart tender and fresh flavored. Its natural sweetness was complemented by the sweetness of the orange squash and contrasted by the savory umami of the black bean sauce.

The bill:

Golden City Restaurant, 5375 Kearny Villa Rd., San Diego 92123, (858) 565-6682

Kokoro – Tina and I really enjoyed our omakase here back in December, so it was my splurge dinner on my visit. I told Akio-san I was in the mood for some sashimi and some sushi – whatever he thought I would like – and I assured him I eat everything. Here is the sashimi platter:

The scallops seemed better this time, but the "like red snapper" fish at the front of the platter was outstanding, rich and chewy. The Santa Barbara uni also excellent.

The eight pieces of sushi, served one by one, were very good. The highlights: This black snapper was attractive and had a nice firm mouth feel:

The toro was rich and tender as expected:

The hirame arrived with just a sprinkling of rock salt as did this wonderful plump oyster:

In both cases, the salt instead of shoyu emphasized the clean flavors of the seafood and the sweet/tangy flavors of the sushi rice.

But the number one highlight of the evening was this:

Alaskan cod ovaries served slightly warm. Rich creamy fecundity, even more decadent than uni, sinfully delicious.

The bill:

I don't usually discuss restrooms, but I was moved by the Ansell Adams poster on the wall:

It is sad to think about our government rounding people up, taking them from their homes, and putting them in camps.

Kokoro, 3298 Greyling Dr. Ste. B, San Diego, CA 92123, (858) 565-4113 (website)

What’s the Missus Craving? Gyokai Natto Don from Izakaya Sakura

March 6, 2017 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants

I know, yet another post on Izakaya Sakura, though it's been a couple of months. I'm not sure if any other customers notice, but the service here had started to tank over the last couple of years. On a recent weekend however, the Missus was craving the Gyokai Natto Don…..which is usually something I crave. So we headed on over. Man, this parking lot was a horror story. We ended up parking on the street past Nijiya.

Well, at least this time things were good. The service was decent and the Missus got Her fix.

While She did notice that the portion size had gotten significantly smaller and the quality of the fish was not what it used to be, She was still satisfied. And with all the other dishes; this ends up being pretty hefty.

I got the Katsu Curry.

The curry itself was better than I'd had here previously. Rustically thick, with a nice touch of beefiness, a slight sweetness, a mild umami that I believe is probably Worcestershire, with a nice kick. The tonkatsu was on the dry side, but ok. The rice perfect. We both enjoyed the miso soup, which wasn't as watered down as other places. It was a pretty chilly day….by San Diego standards, so this filled the bill for me.

As we were walking out of the parking lot, the Missus turned to me and said; "ok, now I'm ready for Japan again……"

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

Saturday Stuffs – Okan Diner Replacing Izakaya Kanpai, Gourmet City Under New Ownership, and Pho 87 Opening Soon.

March 4, 2017 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Japanese Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

Here's a couple a of places I passed on my way to and from work and one that I had intended to check out, but had already closed.

Okan Diner Replacing Izakaya Kanpai:

Driving home down Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, I noticed that the signage for Izakaya Kanpai had changed. I took a closer look and to my surprise; it said….Okan Diner!

I guess Okan's Empire is expanding yet again. So now it'll be a threesome, with the original Okan (Mom), Oton (Dad), wouldn't it be funny if they named this shop "Bozu"?

Be interesting to see what the menu's going to be like.

With Havana Grill and Private Kitchens opening in the last two years; the complexion of this strip sure has changed. I'm sure that the parking situation will probably become a bit tenuous as well.

5430 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

Gourmet City Changes Ownership:

The sun is rising a bit earlier these days. And on my typical 6am drive to work, I noticed a new Grand Opening sign on Gourmet City.

My sources tell me they now serve Cantonese fare in addition to the previous menu.

5541 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

Pho 87 Opening Soon:

A few weeks back, the Missus wanted me to pick something up from Northgate Market. I ended up having breakfast at Café Dore (post upcoming). On my way back home I noticed that the signage for Pho & Banh Cuon Ha Long Restaurant had changed to Pho Huong Viet. And while my sources told me it was still under the same ownership, I made a mental note to check them out. Having to make a return trip to Northgate Market, I turned into the parking lot at the corner of 54th and University.

And found that the place was being renovated. The sign on the door said "Pho 87 Noodle House. Coming soon in 2 weeks."

Man, talk about some quick turnaround since the Van Hoa days.

4016 54th Street
San Diego, CA

Sadly, the rather large spot last occupied by Pho Da Kao still sits empty….man, it's been closed for over two years already!

Hope you're having a great weekend.

Kyoto – Ginkaku-ji, the Philosopher’s Path, Honen-in Temple, and Obanzai at Mimasuya Okudohan

March 2, 2017 mmm-yoso Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Kyoto, Travel

The Missus was rarin' to go during our first full day back in Kyoto. We'd put in a it of mileage on this day, but She did let me (us) catch the Keihan Line two stops to Demachi Yanagi. We got out, had a quick cup of coffee and headed East. Thru a few winding streets somehow ending up at Hyakumanben Chion-ji Temple.

From which we were to get our bearings and head back down Higashioji-dori taking a turn onto Imadegawa-dori.

In spite of being a pretty large street, things were very quiet on this morning, with very few people, and this rather unhappy fellow around.

We knew we were getting close as the street went over the river…..

And then we were on a path with signs…..the beginning of the Philosopher's Path.

Leading us to the gate to Ginkaku-ji.

And a sign I love……"No Selfie Sticks"!

Basically named the "Silver Pavilion", patterned after the Golden Pavilion (we'll get there one of these days), Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu built his retirement home on he grounds.

After Yoshimitsu's death the complex was converted into a Zen Temple. That's the Silver Pavilion above……strangely, there's not much "silver" going on here.

However, we found the grounds to be quite impressive; especially the "Ginshadan".

Actually, we found the grounds to be quite tranquil and lovely……there comes a time when I need to stop typing and just let you enjoy the photos.

Looks just like a movie set.

And the view from the hill behind all the structures is quite pretty as well.

We left feeling relaxed…..

And headed down the Philosopher's Path.

And coming across this sign…..

Headed up the zig-zag road…..

To the gate of Honen-in Temple.

Which seemed to frame the fall colors perfectly.

And spent a few minutes.

Before heading back down that street and to the Philosopher's Path.

The path ends in the Nanzenji neighborhood and we walked on over to Sanjo Dori, crossing over the Kamo River. I was in search of our lunch destination.

Before we were interrupted by Typhoon Vongfong on our previous visit. I had planned having a lunch at a place that did Obanzai; basically a place that made seasonal dishes, many of them simple, rustic, and vegetable based, created to minimize waste. The dishes I saw just reminded me of stuff I ate growing up. this was almost the antithesis of the very popular Kyoto Kaiseki.

Just simple, home style dishes….soul food, if you will.

The place I chose was Mimasuya Okudohan……which had a display of "yasai" (vegetables), displayed outside a typical Machiya in the area north of Nishiki Market and the shopping arcades.

There was no one waiting when we arrived at opening time. The fragrance of steaming rice permeated the air as we were seated.

There was a simple two multi-course menu for lunch.

Like the "okazuya" I grew up doing take out from, things were prepped and set-up for a quick service.

And the place filled up fast.

We got one of each of the two lunches.

So many of the flavors were so familiar to me…and the Missus, since I make quite a bit of Japanese nimono style dishes at home. What we really remember is how good the rice was here….I mean, really fragrant, slightly nutty, just amazing.

And the miso soup….more of a red (aka) miso, with a savory bite to it.

And of course those items the Missus loves so much like Kabocha. I really enjoyed the nasubi (eggplant), which had so much savory and earthiness to it.

One of the lunches came with a not so traditional dessert…..which the Missus enjoyed as well.

As we left, we noticed that quite a queue had developed outside the restaurant. It's nice to see folks wanting to try obanzai. For me, it was like stepping into Baban's kitchen. And that's priceless.

Mimasuya Okudohan
318-3 Sanjocho, Nakagyo Ward
Kyoto, Japan