Japanese Restaurants – Page 40

Revisits: Grandma’s Tofu & BBQ, Homestyle Hawaiian, and Santouka

August 28, 2014 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Korean Restaurants, Local Kine Stuffs in San Diego, Plate Lunch, Ramen

Some revisits for a sizzling Thursday.

Grandma's Tofu & BBQ:

The Missus was craving Jokbal Bossam and it had been a while since we've had it here, so the timing seemed perfect. I do wish they'd choose something other than napa cabbage, but other than that, this was porky goodness. In spite of the name, it's dishes like the jokbal bossam, heukyumso jungol, kimchi dolsot bi bim bap, and on good days the seolleongtang that works for us here.

The panchan on this day was good. I think folks have gotten used to the "quick kimchi" style panchan, and this sometimes is a bit too fermented or salty for its own good.

Grandma's Tofu & BBQ
4425 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111

Homestyle Hawaiian:

Not much to say about this than I need a nap after eating this.

If you want more, you can read one of my previous posts on the place.

Homestyle Hawaiian Island Style Food
7524 Mesa College Drive
San Diego, CA 92111

Santouka Ramen:

Santouka, that chain that originated in the coldest city in Japan, Asahikawa, has long been my go-to ramen spot. As with many places I eat at, there's one item I usually order. Here it's the shio ramen – toroniku style.

After going to all the major ramen shops in San Diego back in February 2013, Santouka still was my favorite. the rich, stick to your ribs broth, the nice firm noodles, and the pork which, when "on" has a wonderful, almost smooth texture with a nice pork flavor.

I know, it's really hot out….but on this, a cooler day, it hit the spot.

Still my favorite and I think Jinxi also agrees.

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

Shirahama: One Night of Sushi in San Diego

August 26, 2014 ed fromyuma Japanese Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

Usually at the mmm-yoso foodblog, Kirk is the head chef, presenting meals from around the world and in San Diego; many times Cathy serves up some interesting dishes here too; today, however, ed (from Yuma) has some sushi (from San Diego) for you to enjoy.

Like most people, I am a creature of habit. I also love sushi, so when I find myself overwhelmed with desire for a sushi dinner (or two), I head to San Diego. Which explains my two day visit earlier this month.

The first dinner was Shirahama. I had been twice before and posted about it here and here. Because the chef’s presentations on this evening were similar to previous visits, a lot of this post will be pictures with minimal comments.

One thing that has changed in the past two years is the signage at the restaurant:

Something else different were the marinated baby squid that led off the meal:

Koji-san explained that the squid are placed in the marinade as soon as they are harvested to preserve their soft and delicate texture. These little guys were full of umami:

Next came tuna and fluke, much as before:

A mantis shrimp and a solid piece of snow crab were next:

The crab was very good, but the shrimp was rather different from what I would have expected, meaty but a bit dry and lacking in standard shrimp flavors.

The next to arrive were amberjack (kanpachi) and sprat:

The sprat was quite appealing to the eye, shining and reflecting light, a silver strip at each side of the little filet. This relative of herring had a clean fresh fishy flavor. The taste of the amberjack was even more striking – balanced firm richness, worthy of the mmm-yoso dance according to my notes.

Next came Spanish mackerel and a clam:

The mackerel was flawless and nicely accented with fresh grated ginger. On this evening, I was especially impressed by the clam which had a nice variety of textures from crunchy on the edge to soft chewy in the center, all very fresh and flavorful. One of the other customers said to his friends, "mirugai overwhelms rice; this clam is more balanced and refined." It was a good point.

I had started the meal drinking chilled water, but I finally broke down and ordered a 300 ml bottle of Dewazakura sake ($26.50):

Its label says that it has a floral nose and a mellow fruity flavor, along with "a wholesome freshness, a green apple tartness, and a refreshing finish." It seemed fine to me.

Octopus and see bream showed up next:

To me, the bream tasted a lot like good hirame, fresh clean whitefish flavor. The octopus, on the other hand, was uniquely wonderful. Uncooked, it was creamy and moist with a firm soft chewy texture and mild molluscy flavor. Three stars in my notes. Certainly one of the highlights of the meal and even better than the clam I had fallen in love with just a few bites earlier.

Fresh sardine and squid followed:

The ika was fine, pristine and mild in flavor, making it a perfect foil for the sardine, which had a big mouth filling flavor, the taste of the sea but not overly fishy, rich but not unctuous. Another excellent fish.

Koji-san had already wondered if I was finished, but I simply couldn't stop the wonderful meal. I did worry, however, that he might be running out of interesting sushi. The toro and yellowjack that he delivered next convinced me that he had not run through his bag of tricks yet:

The jack was okay though I am hard-pressed to remember much about it because the toro sitting beside it was so absolutely wonderful. Tender and buttery. It melted in my mouth, dissolving into creamy bliss. Wow!

The last item was sea eel topped with a few of salt crystals:

I thought it good, but not exceptional.

One thing that did seem exceptional that evening was this:

I took that picture of the gari as a reminder to myself. Shirahama’s pickled ginger that night seemed especially floral, complex, and sweetly spicy, so good it almost made me doubt my taste buds.

Shirahama is still on its game. Rather than trying to say what I have already said in some new way, I’m just going to plagiarize myself: Koji-san is the master of the traditional and old school and understated. Like a rock garden. If you have some extra money sitting around (this meal was $111) and want to have real Japanese sushi in a Japanese environment, this place is for you.

Sushidokoro Shirahama, 4212 Convoy, San Diego, 92111, (858) 650-3578, open daily 12:00-2:00 and 5:30-10:00

Go Go Sushi and Ramen (Mira Mesa)

August 25, 2014 Cathy Japanese Restaurants, Ramen, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping at mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Kirk and Ed(from Yuma) are enjoying the cooling weather today. Cathy already has done so.

The little space right next to HMart on Mira Mesa Boulevard has changed business owners at least twice since 2012. Since The Mister and I try to have a bit to eat before shopping, we stopped in for quick bites.

The full menu as well as a Specials Board is out front. The two times we were here, the Specials were the same…The interior has been redone and is not as jarring (when the space was Po and Pho, florescent lights were almost too bright for my old eyes). Complimentary edamame was served. A better soy sauce is the only condiment on the table. For the first visit, The Mister's order came with miso soup (mine didn't) but the nice waitress brought me a complimentary bowl. That was nice. It was good; pretty standard. The Mister ordered the 'Lunch Special' bento box ($6.95 and included a beverage; regular $7.95 without beverage)). Teriyaki chicken (a more citrus rather than sweet flavor sauce), California roll and tempura vegetable along with rice and salad. The nicely grilled chicken and sauce was plentiful, the California roll was fresh (warm rice; good) and the tempura was properly fried…salad dressing was tasty. Because of the hot day, I had decided I wanted a salad and ordered the "Hawaiian Poki" ($9.95)(that's how it is spelled on the menu), which was wonderful. A good amount of fresh, properly marinated tuna on top of a seaweed salad, topped with crushed macadamia nuts. This was very satisfying. We also ordered the mixed tempura side ($4.95) which included two pieces of shrimp as well as broccoli, onion, zucchini and sweet potato all breaded and fried properly.Next visit, I wanted to try the calamari salad ($7.95). It's listed as an appetizer. The size was a disappointment. You can see only five small strips of fried squid and it wasn't really enough for me, much less to be shared. There was plenty of lettuce…but still.. one thing I would not order again. Many people here during each visit were ordering sushi rolls from the five pages or so of their listings on the menu. However, the table placard caught our interest.The tonkatsu ramen with a side of tonkatsu. ($7.95 + $2). The broth was very rich and deeply flavored; the BBQ pork pieces were meaty and moist; I especially liked the egg; the noodles had a nice tooth and this was well made. The side of tonkatsu was fried by the same guy who did the calamari pieces for my salad… too thin, too crispy…

We will have to try more of the menu but, for the most part, we're happy with what we have tried. Here's a link to Mary's post, when she came here just after Go Go opened last July.

Go Go Sushi and Ramen 9430 Mira Mesa Blvd San Diego 92131 (858)530-8600 open 11-9 daily (closes 9:30 on Fri and Sat)

Revisits: The High Dive, Kayaba, and Island Style Cafe

August 18, 2014 mmm-yoso Beer, Chicken Wings, Japanese Restaurants, Local Kine Stuffs in San Diego, Loco Mocos, Plate Lunch

Some revisits to start off the week.

Tonkatsu from Kayaba:

**** Kayaba has closed

I guess it’s strange that I go to a “food court” when I want my Tonkatsu fix.

But for under nine bucks, this tonkatsu is a favorite of mine in San Diego…….

Crisp, usually moist, love that mashed potato salad.

‘Nuff said.

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

The High Dive:

So, the Missus has become a big fan of the Tap Hunter app. I guess She’s now an offical Beer Geek. Anyway, there are places that are real good at keeping Tap Hunter up to date and places that are kind of blase’…..Common Theory, I’m looking at you. For all its short-comings, mainly food-related, The High Dive seems to do a good job keeping things updated. Recently, when the Missus was busy with work, She noticed that one of our favorite beers, La Fin du Monde was on tap. I was ordered to head on down and report back post-haste.

And of course, when I arrived, it was there, poised and ready. There’s some flavors with “La Fin” that we enjoy, a mild fruit, with flavors that seem like clove and other spices, which make it fine match with spicy food for us. The flavors seem to go really well with anything I make with ghost peppers, strange as that may seem.

This draft version seemed a bit lighter without the spice notes. Maybe for the first time, I preferred the bottle to the tap….weird.

I Buffalo Wings were adequate and by the book. Nothing to make them stand out, but no complaints.

I thought it was a bit too heavy in the sour end and the wings were fried way past well done, but that would be nitpicking.

High Dive Bar and Grill
1801 Morena Blvd
San Diego, CA 92110

Getting my “loco fix” at Island Style Cafe:

It was time for my bi-annual locomoco fix……well, strangely, it would be the first “loco” I had this year. I’ve got some catching up to do! Anyway, I went with the Kaloko Loco at Island Style Cafe. A rather unconventional Loco Moco; usually I’m not a fan of fried rice for my loco and this one even has a crepe, but it all seems to work out for me.

Like my good FOY CAB says, there’s an interesting, yet complimentary interplay of sweet with savory going on that I enjoy. The eggs were overcooked for “over-easy” on this visit and I’ve kind of gotten used to jasmine rice so the calrose got my attention….I gotta head back home for an attitude adjustment soon! I think the burger here is still too tough and lean, but that’s nit-picking as this is still my favorite loco moco in San Diego.

Island Style Cafe
5950 Santo Road
San Diego, CA 92124

Sushi Deli 3. It’s all about what to order.

July 30, 2014 Cathy Japanese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Thank you for stopping by to read mmm-yoso!!!. This post is not written by Kirk or Ed (from Yuma). Cathy is polite and eats any thing anywhere when friends invite her out.

I've heard the stories, read the 'reviews' and ordered carefully a few Tuesdays ago when client-friends invited me to dinner. It seems a lot of people think Sushi Deli 3 is a loud place, with customers mainly of the younger/college age crowd, serving lesser quality fish in the (five menu pages of) rolls with corresponding low prices.Most of that above statement is true. Being (probably) the oldest person in the room, not looking for a date and not drinking alcohol because I drove myself gave me an advantage in being able to order what I wanted (reading the whole menu) and not worry about any sort of social interaction other than with my friends; the televisions on the other side of the room were muted. [Above is a photo taken on a Sunday. You can tell this is not a weekday because there are empty parking spaces on the street- East of Convoy, a block from the Costco Business Center. The day I met my friends, we found out you can't even be put on the wait list until all members of the party are present. We waited about 30 minutes for a table that day.] Since I was not paying, I was polite and ordered the "July Special Bento" ($5.99) which included a very nice miso soup, chicken karaage, tempura vegetables, salad, four pieces of California roll and a heck of a lot of rice. The roll contained *real* crabmeat, not 'krab'. Everything was quite good, fresh, properly fried and plentiful. I was not disappointed.

Unafraid to bring The Mister here, we decided to try a bit more of the menu. Above, hot tea (no charge) and a pint of Shock Top ($3).

We were seated in a creatively decorated air conditioned room toward the back of the building. It was fun to check out the decor and not have to talk business, listen to loud music or a television.

The Mister ordered a calamari salad ($5.99). This was served in a VERY large bowl with mixed lettuces, shredded cabbage and carrots on the bottom, cucumbers and tomato and a cup of nice vinegar based salad dressing along with a large amount of perfectly fried, crispy and non-greasy calamari rings. The seaweed poke salad with yellowtail ($7.50) was a bit different than I'm used to- it was a non- marinated poke/sauce placed over the raw fish, but very good. The fish was fresh, plenty and tasty and the sauce had a nice 'bite' and was not overpowering. (For $1 less, you can get a lettuce and seaweed salad, which appears larger because of the lettuce, but has less fish and less avocado).

A side order of tempura ($3.99). Again, perfectly fried, lightly battered and consisting of one piece of 'krab', one chicken breast tender, one shrimp, two broccoli pieces and two sweet potato pieces. This could be a meal for me.

The last item to arrive at our table were these un-artfully displayed pan fried gyoza ($2.99), which were very tasty and pork filled with very little filler. I'm glad we ordered these; presentation isn't everything.

All in all, I can see why the younger crowd dominates; the prices are low for the amount of food served, which is prepared quite well and the beer on tap selection is good.

Sushi Deli 3 7986 Armour Street San Diego 92111 (858)292-5515 Open Mon-Thurs 11:30-2:30 , 5-9 Fri 11:30-2:30, 4-10, Sat 12-10, Sun 12-9 Website The menu is interesting to read in that there are all sorts of additional charges if you want to make substitutions in your selections.

Lunches at Fish Attack

July 22, 2014 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants

**** Fish Attack has closed

Fish Attack….yes, I actually ate a place called Fish Attack. I thought Playa Azul which used to be in this location was pretty good; perhaps not as good as La Playita, which is also now gone, but a nice place for some mariscos and perhaps a beer. It closed back in 2010 and Fish Attack took the place of the "Blue Beach".

I really wasn't motivated to eat here however, a couple of folks I know like the place…..not for the "California Sushi", which they said was better than Sushi Deli, not exactly a glowing recommendation, but for the lunch specials…….

So there I was, waiting for my Fish Attack……

To be perfectly honest, the Servers here on my two visits were just wonderful….very nice, efficient, on top of things. It looks like a roll heavy neighborhood sushi place, which is really nice if you go for that kind of thing.

The lunch menu features various combos, about 10 or so in all….though I was kind of surprised that the 4 piece nigiri bento was $9.95….you can get a good 8 piece nigiri lunch from Kokoro for $15.

A nice touch with lunch is that a bowl of edamame is brought to your table.

This was fine, a nice touch, and we'll leave it at that…..after all, just the color of the edamame tells all.

I went with the Chicken Katsu Bento ($8.95).

Which came with some bare bones miso soup, which was not bad, it had flavor, and wasn't too diluted.

I was kind of wondering if there was dressing on the salad as it didn't seem so…….tasting like plain packaged greens.

The chicken katsu was thigh meat, which I kind of liked, it was moist, had more fat, flavor, and was fried quite well. This was pretty good…..

So when was the last time I had a California Roll? Probably somewhere around 2008. There's a no substitution rule….and frankly, I'm trying to think what I'd be able to substitute for this. In all honesty, the "surimi and mayo" to rice ratio was edging on the "krab" end. Still, it's not my thing……. hopefully, I'll have another reprieve until like 2020? You get your choice of spicy tuna or this….. but really, saku fish in Sriracha mayo versus this? Like I said, it's just not my thing.

Well, that katsu did have an effect on me, so I decided to return to try the Chicken Karaage ($7.95).

This was a mixed bag….the salad was better than the last time… I could taste the dressing.

Not a big fan of the karaage; I enjoy crisp and light. This was dense and gummy. The rice was also mushy this time around.

But….the folks here were really nice. So I thought I'd come back to try something once again. Until I thought about this; because the folks were really nice, I tip about $3 each time, which makes this an $11-$12 lunch. For under nine bucks, I get this at Kayaba.

And while I tip the gals doing the cleaning a buck, it's still under ten……I mean really, which would you choose?

Fish Attack
4575 Clairemont Dr
San Diego, CA 92117

Kokoro part 2: Omakase Dinner

June 17, 2014 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi

I enjoyed lunch enough at Kokoro that I decided, what the heck; let's roll the dice and go for the omakase dinner.

So I made reservations for an early dinner. I like to give places like this the best chance of creating a nice meal, so we usually eat early. The Missus wasn't quite sure and She had to work anyway, so this was a solo deal.

I was given the nice corner of the bar area, a place I really like to sit. It's quiet and I get to concentrate on my meal.

Things started off with a very well done ohitashi….spinach with mushroom served in the typical kobachi – small bowl.

Subtle and very balanced, the dashi wasn't too over-powering, you could taste the mushrooms, not too salty….clean and refreshing.

The shiromi (white fish) was nice and firm, the ponzu bracing, making this a nice follow-up.

Next up was the sashimi.

I really enjoy the saba here, maybe I'll go ahead and try the battera here next time. The San Diego Uni was excellent. We got into a nice short discussion on uni. Akio-san told me that the best uni comes from the waters off San Clemente and is almost impossible to get since most of it goes to Japan. He used to have connections when he owned Kappo Ishito, but no longer. The toro was ok, though the kanpachi was very firm which I enjoyed.

I really enjoyed the Ushio-jiru.

This had a very clean finish, almost restorative. Light, delicate, the wonderful broth made from tai (snapper) bones just hit the right spots. If I bring the Missus, I'll need to make sure She can try this….it's something She would love. The seemingly simple dishes are deceptively difficult to make….it may not impress some, but for me, I really enjoyed the balance and subtle flavors.

The next dish was a kamo, duck breast, which seemed braised, along with daikon and okra.

The sweet, soy sauce flavor reminded me of buta kakuni. The duck was good, a bit more chewy than I prefer, but it was that piece of daikon, that I really enjoyed. It held shape until I placed in my mouth, which then proceeded to melt away.

Next up was the dish I enjoyed the least…..something that should perhaps be banished from these type of meals…..Saikyo miso Tara (True Cod).

Call me jaded because I've been eating this all my life, but this just didn't do it for me. The fish needed a bit more time under high heat….it just tasted mundane and mediocre compared to what had preceded.

Next up were the nigiri, starting with a large slab of maguro.

The kohada – gizzard shad wasn't as "milky" in flavor as I enjoy.

I do enjoy the preparation of anago here and also appreciate the yuzu kosho which added a nice, mild punch to the nigiri.

At this point, I was asked if I wanted more nigiri, or if I'd go the soba route. I asked Akio-san which direction to take in this fork in the road. He told me "I think you'd like our soba, you should try it……we do a good gobo tempura soba."

And he was right….the soba was perfectly prepared, with a nice texture. The tsuyu was balanced without being too salty. The gobo….well, I love gobo, was crisp and earthy, not oily in the least. I was full and ready for a nap after this.

But I was told, "you must have dessert!" So I did…..

The damage? Dinner and a beer…..$70 bucks without tip. Not bad at all. Here's the thing. I think the fork in the road was after those pieces of nigiri….go for more and you'll hit the $85 plus category, which I think is just dandy if that's what you want. The one really telling moment was when Akio-san recommended I have the soba……it was an honest recommendation. He could have easily led me down the road to more $$$, but whether it was experience or intuition, he looked past the possible additional revenue and gave me his recommendation. The preparations here are more straight forward and traditional than other places. The folks here are really great; I'm not sure what happens when they get slammed, but I try to put myself in the best situation for a good meal and I definitely got one. I'm not going to get into the "is this place better than that place" thing. What I will say is….I'll be back and that's what matters to me.

Kokoro Restaurant
3298 Greyling Dr
San Diego, CA 92123

Kokoro Part 1 – Lunch

June 11, 2014 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi

Timing is a funny thing. First off, I hadn't had rice for almost 5 weeks. Our trip, then supporting the Missus with Her latest "thing" meant rice was "no bueno". I was given the ok to consume said grain on "my own time", but I still didn't hae the motivation to do so. Until I received and email from "FOY" SomTommy who told me that the former owner of the well regarded Little Tokyo Sushi, cum Kaiseki restaurant Kappo Ishito had opened a small restaurant in Serra Mesa. A day later, I read about it in Eater San Diego. Apparently, Akio Ishito had been biding his time at Oton, before opening his own place. This kinda made me waver a bit…..I've never been the biggest fan of Oton having had a couple of rather uneven meals there. So I contacted SomTommy again who also mentioned that he dropped over $250 for the omakase for two at this new place called Kokoro. Now I'm not adverse to spending that kind of money for an outstanding meal……but I truly had my doubts. Then I read that they did lunch……I realize that lunch would not display the full range of what the Itamae could pull off, but it would give some indication of his style and preparation.

So, I believe this location used to be the combination Chinese Fast Food – Western Steakburger? It's not got a simple front; no large sign yet, looking somewhat incomplete from the outside. The interior is simple, clean, and rather generic. The woman working, who I assume is Akio-san's wife is so very nice, in a calm, relaxing way.

The lunch menu is set with a combination bento like offering, a bunch of rice bowls (only to-go I believe), chirashi, and a nigiri combination. There's also a page full of rolls, which I really didn't pay attention to.

I ordered the Nigiri Lunch Special – 8 pieces and miso soup ($15). First thing I noticed was that Akio-san works fast, I mean like a well oiled machine fast. He put my lunch together in less than 5 minutes. But don't get the idea that his work is sloppy, rather, things look quite uniform.

Things I noticed right away; it seemed like the nigiri were bigger than I was used too….perhaps I've been consuming a bit too much Edomae style nigiri. The amount of wasabi was consistent on each piece and was to my taste….heck even at Shunji, there was bit too much wasabi in the first two pieces of nigiri before things settled down. And while the offerings were pretty much routine, I thought it was an excellent $15 lunch, 8 pieces nigiri, miso soup (not bad – a bit too light), and two decent pieces of tamago (good), was more than enough for me.

The best items by far was the Tako, which was nice and tender, the saba was prepared, I'm not sure if he does the curing himself….I'll ask next time, but it had a nice meatiness to it, while still being very tender, with a faint cheesiness, and good oil. The anago was really good….it really didn't look too promising, but it basically melted in my mouth.

While not too talkative initially, Akio-san got a bit more chatty as the meal went on. In the end, this was a very nice lunch….I left satisfied.

So what about that omakase? Well, you notice that this is "part 1", right?

Stay tuned!

Kokoro Restaurant
3298 Greyling Dr
San Diego, CA 92123
Hours:
Mon – Thurs 1130am – 10pm
Fri – Sat 1130am – 11pm

Noodling around – Revisits to Ristorante Kaz, Mien Trung, and Pho Lucky

June 9, 2014 mmm-yoso Bun Bo Hue, Italian Restaurants, Japanese Restaurants, Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

I tried to get my fill of noodles before our trip; here's a rundown of a few of those revisits:

Ristorante Kaz:

It had been over a year and a half since I visited "Sakura's Son of a different Mother", the Japano-Italian Ristorante Kaz. I'm not super fond of that fusion. Though, while I thought having the same type of pasta for almost every dish a bit tedious, I did enjoy a couple of items I had. So I decided it was time for a return.

It's good to note that the lunch prix fixe menu still has a base price of $12 for a salad, soup, and pasta. There are upcharges for various substitutions for each course. This means that top price for the lunch would be about $18….kind of pricey.

I decided to try some of the substitutions this time around, starting with the marinated vegetables in the place of the standard salad, a $1 upcharge.

I'd say save your money here; this is more like a couple of grilled vegetables and one that should have been roasted (the red bell pepper), but was not, with some vinegar and olive oil thrown on it.

The potato soup ($1 upcharge) was not bad.

This version was a bit less thick and creamy, lighter in texture overall. It needed a bit more salt.

I went with one of my favorites here the Shishito Pepper and Mushroom with "Citrus" Flavor.

The pasta, as in my past visits was nicely done. I did notice some fairly significant changes; there was a lot less shishito and mushroom. I also think they aren't using much, if any yuzukosho, as I couldn't detect anything but a very strong and bitter white pepper flavor which detracted from the dish.

Too bad I guess. I will say that when I left the place was packed….with women and infants; the Japanese National version of "women who do lunch" with strollers, highchairs, and such. Perhaps they've found their niche. For me, it was just a bit too much carbs………

Ristorante Kaz
3904 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Mien Trung:

Yes, yet again, for maybe the zillionth time.

Mom was less heavy handed with the MSG this time around and the lemongrass flavor and the spice up front.

The Hen Xuc Banh Trang – Stir Fried Baby Clams with Rice Crackers was a spicy-peppery joy to eat. The left-overs come home with us and we eat it with rice the next day……I believe this was the last time I ate rice until tonight, something like 6 weeks!

Mien Trung Restaurant
7530 Mesa College Dr
San Diego, CA 92111

Pho Lucky:

Yeah, I know, yet another post on this place. This time was different though. We both thought they went a bit too far with the MSG…..I know that San Diego is notorious for glutamic overload, but this was the first time I noticed it here. I hope this was a one-off….otherwise I'll have to stick with the Bo Kho.

Pho Lucky
9326 Mira Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92126

Shizuoka Japanese Restaurant (La Mesa) (revisit)

May 21, 2014 Cathy Japanese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for coming back to read the food blog named mmm-yoso!!! Kirk is (still) on vacation, visiting beautiful and historic sights. Ed (from Yuma) is busy, but (soon) will have the time to do anything he wishes and Cathy is (here) writing while making lists of things to be done.

I didn't realize how long ago I had first shared Shizuoka with you, much less only one revisit. A small Mom and Pop Japanese restaurant, with limited seating and limited hours, it's been in the same East County location for almost 25 years.

Located on Fletcher Parkway North of Grossmont Center in a mall anchored by Souplantation and Michael's, it's easy to pass without noticing.

Step inside and this small waiting area greets you.

The entrance to the kitchen is behind those silks on the left. This photo is taken from the table at the front window. There are six booths total in addition to the tables you see. It's small.

There are menus and specials on each table, to make it less work for the waitress(es) when you are pointed to a table to be seated. The miso soup is standard and good, as is the hot tea. The ika (squid) karaage ($4). This ever so lightly floured and fried version here is always fresh and crispy.

Bento Box 7 (Lunch price, $6.20)- tempura and broiled mackerel. Good size portion of mackerel, properly fried tempura, lettuce salad, noodle salad and edamame. This is so good and satisfying.

Bento Box 2 (Lunch, $6.20) Chicken teriyaki and sashimi. The fish is so fresh, the chicken meaty and juicy and the house made teriyaki has a citrus undertone and is not too sticky/sweet.

The waitresses are friendly, stop and talk and catch up; they know the regulars. The food is always fresh and tasty. It's like a nice dinner at the home of a friend.

Shizuoka Japanese Restaurant 9118 Fletcher Parkway La Mesa 91941 (619) 461-1151 Closed Monday, open Tues-Fri 11:30-1:30 and 5-8:30, Sat 5-8:30, Sun 5-8

The entire menu.