Japanese Restaurants – Page 60

5 Days of Feasting Day 3 – Road Trip, Sushi Komasa (LA)

May 30, 2006 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Los Angeles County, Road Trip, Sushi and Sashimi

**** Sushi Komasa has closed

After two pretty good meals at China Max and Izakaya Sakura, the Missus decided that she still wanted some sushi from Her favorite little restaurant in Little Tokyo, Sushi Komasa. My original post on Sushi Komasa was done way back on May 27th of last year. As a matter of fact, it was my second post. Since much is still the same, I'll try to spare you most of the details.

One of the really good things about Sushi Komasa is the late closing time of 11pm. A word of caution though, we've found that an 11pm closing time means an 11pm closing time. On many occasions the last seating will take place at about 1020pm or so, after which the closed sign will be posted, and "Komasa" will be "turned off".

We usually get the same ol', same ol' thing at Komasa, and are absolutely content. The Missus loves the Albacore, and usually gets the Albacore Sashimi($12):

Tonight the Albacore was among the best I've had here. So very moist, and meaty. Most delici-yoso!!! The Missus kept looking at the slices of Albacore going, "look at how juicy it is, look at how moist it is". Geeez, sometimes I just can't take Her anywhere!

Komasa also dishes up consistently good Ankimo, though not on the menu, it is usually available.

Tonight's version was oh so very rich and creamy, and the ponzu and cucumbers helped to cut the richness.

Of course we get a variety of Nigiri sushi(most priced around $3.80). Let's see, on this evening we had 4 orders Albacore(for who else???), 2 order Hamachi(yellowtail), 2 orders Maguro(tuna), 2 orders Hirame(flounder), and 1 order Tai(snapper). As we hand over our sushi order, we usually get, the "I think this is too much", comment. To which our response is, "don't worry, we're hungry"………. And we've never failed to finish everything, except the oshibori(the hot towel), of course.

The Hamachi at Komasa is usually very good, and tonight was no exception. The Tai was also very good. I'd say the Maguro was decent to good, though a little lower in grade then usual. The Hirame was a bit on the dry side. I usually enjoy my nigiri sushi with just the barest touch of soy sauce, so I can truly appreciate(or not) the texture and flavors. According to the Missus, the Albacore nigiri was every bit as good as the Sashimi. Why order more Albacore you may ask? The Missus enjoys the rice, grated ginger, and green onions on the nigiri, and heck it's (one of) Her night(s).

I'm not much of a "roll" person, but the Missus enjoys the Soft-Shell Crab roll at Komasa($8):

Quite filling and rich, and full of contrasting textures. I ate one piece and was stuffed.

We left Komasa satisfied, until our next visit, which will probably be quite soon. Komasa serves up good sushi at decent prices, we demolished everything, and our bill came out to about $70. Though I really love the Sashimi at Sushi Gen, I prefer the Nigiri Sushi at Komasa. Sushi Komasa also seems to be getting much more popular with Los Angeles Food Bloggers, recently Pam from Daily Gluttony also visited Sushi Komasa, as did Jeni from Oishii Eats, please check out their posts.

Sushi Komasa
352 E 2nd St
Los Angeles, CA
213-680-1792

Open Tuesday-Sunday 530pm – 11pm

Tomorrow it's back to San Diego!!

5 Days of Feasting, Day 1 – Izakaya Sakura

May 18, 2006 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants

The Missus recently celebrated Her Birthday. And in keeping with tradition, we did our "5 days of feasting". Where we go and have 5 meals at 5 of the Missus’s favorite restaurants. Now since I’ve posted on most of the restaurants before, and really wouldn’t want to bore you. I’ll do our "5 days" posts intermittently over the next week or so.

One the first day of feasting, we decided to work up an appetite, and visit the Birch Aquarium at Scripps.

If you’ve never visited, please do, I’m sure you’ll enjoy yourself. Along with the popular shark reef, tidal pool, and kelp forest exhibits….

Our favorite part are the various "habitat" displays, which feature sea life from sixty different habitats, from the Pacific Northwest down to the waters of Mexico, and thru the Pacific.

We had a nice relaxing time, and built up an appetite.

Birch Aquarium at Scripps
2300 Expedition Way
La Jolla, CA 92037

For our first "feast" we headed over to Izakaya Sakura on Convoy Street, an honest to goodness Izakaya. As I noted on my previous Sakura post. Izakaya Sakura may be a bit hard to find, with no signage.

Sakura also has the distinction of being Ed from Yuma’s favorite restaurant in San Diego. The food at Sakura includes everything from Sashimi and sushi to various Agemono(fried items). On this evening we started with one of my favorites, Maguro Yamakake:

Usually simply cubes of raw maguro(tuna), with grated yamaimo(mountain yam), topped with strips of toasted nori(seaweed). Kazu (the Itamae) also adds a touch of Shoyu(soy sauce) to the maguro, which adds a nice sweet-salty touch, and takes it to the next level. The Wasabi also gives the dish a little zip. I’m sure the glooey-gloppy texture of the yamaimo may be off-putting to some, but we enjoy it.

Albacore Tataki:

Slices of seared albacore, topped with onions and green onions, and topped with ponzu sauce. Think of it as a refreshing seared albacore salad. I enjoy the ponzu sauce that Kazu serves, it is neither too sweet, nor too sour, and complements the albacore and sweet onions. So refreshing, it also helps to stimulate your appetite.

Fried Oyster:

If there was anything we ordered on this evening that was even close to being a "clunker", it was the Kaki-Furai. Though the oysters were fried perfectly with an excellent crunch and no trace of oiliness, the oysters were on the dry side. Again, the little touches shine, the oysters are served with tartar sauce, mayo, and a cocktail sauce.

And the "star" of the evening Karei Karaage (Deep Fried Flounder):

The spine of the flounder is removed and fried separately creating a "sail" for the fish. The bones are also one of the favorite parts, when fried with expertise like this, the bones have achieved a cracker like texture, this is why we call it "senbei"(cracker in Japanese). The meat is mildly flavored, as most flounder is, and not overly seasoned so you can taste the fish. The meat is moist, and the fish is fried to perfection. In the end, there was not much left of the fish, just some head parts, and part of the spinal column. Everything else, fins, skin, ribs, have been happily devoured.

Izakaya Sakura, is not cheap. Our bill came out to $45(the karei karaage is not a menu item, and runs about $18) without alcohol, but the food is well worth it. So if you visit Sakura, bring your wallet, I’m sure you’ll leave satisfied.

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

More Sakura Posts can be found here, here, and here.

PWTSDS: Umenoya – And other Sunday Silliness

April 9, 2006 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants

After some thought, I’ve started a new category of posts. I’ll call the these PWTSDS (sounds like putdz). There are just some eating establishments where I’m unable to take photos, usually from lack of adequate light. So I’ve come to call them my "Posts Where the Sun Don’t Shine" or PWTSDS. There have been many potential posts that have been discarded due to terrible photos – Parallel 33 and Balboa Tofu House come to mind. But I thought I’d do the ones that are somewhat salvageable. Please understand that the real PWTSDS is me, for being unable to take even remotely decent photos, and do not reflect upon the quality of food and service of the restaurants I’m eating at.

Most of my PWTSDS photos have long been discarded. But for some reason I still had a couple of photos from Ume No Ya Japanese Restaurant on Miramar Road. I don’t really know how this place manages to survive, it’s pretty difficult to find, blink your eyes and you’ve passed it. The location is kind of strange as well; next to a Truck Accessories shop and in the same strip mall as a ~~stri~~, ummm "gentleman’s club". The interior of Ume Mo Ya is quite dark, with Japanese posters, and other "stuff" adoring the walls, and a small television always tuned to the eternal infomercial channel. But the wonderful smell of shoyu and mirin is always floating in the air.

The food at Ume No Ya is strictly homestyle Japanese. If you’re looking for sushi and other items you’ll be best off trying elsewhere. The only Server I’ve seen here is a Little Old Lady, so if there are several patrons, the service might be a bit on the slow side. I’ve never had dinner at Ume No Ya, but I’ve had lunch there a few times, and the dishes can be hit and miss, but are very reasonably priced, usually between five to seven dollars(US). All lunches come with the "de riguer" green salad, and miso soup which often a bit on the salty side. I’ll usually get the Katsudon ($5.00):

Simply done; a deep fried pork cutlet and egg over a bowl of rice, with some dashi-soy sauce-mirin type broth poured over it. Nothing fancy; I’ve had it on days when the broth was much too sweet, or too salty, but it’s never been terrible. The portion size is decent, and Ume No Ya can be a nice change of pace from the other restaurants in the area.

The one thing that always gets me when I have lunch at Ume No Ya, is when exiting, from the dark dining area, you open the door, and "Wham!!!"

The bright sunshine always blinds me…..and I have to stumble around, luckily, the parking lot only holds about 10 cars.

Umenoya Japanese Restaurant
8650 Miramar Rd Ste B
San Diego, CA 92126

Some Sunday "stuffs":

Doesn’t "Poulet Sel et Poivre" sound so very refined? What is it? Ha, you’ll love this, it’s Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings! This goes to prove what I’ve always believed; it always sounds better in French. Lately, one of my favorite Food Blogs has been Emily K’s "What’s For Lunch" emanating from Paris. There you’ll find some very interesting "lunches" and even the Poulet Sel et Poivre. I just love the Chinese Restaurant named, "Delices Celestes". I’m telling you, it always seems to sound better in French. I wonder what would happen if I dropped by Royal Mandarin and asked for some Poulet Sel et Poivre?

Amanda, on Her Food Blog Too Many Caesar Salads recently featured a few pages from vintage recipe booklets and cookbooks. My favorite is something called Spork. Seems that one man’s Spam, is another’s Spork……..

I’d also like to congratulate Robwonton on the birth of his daughter Maya.

I recently had the pleasure of some wonderful company for dinner, Ed from Yuma, Howie from A Foodie’s View, mizducky who often posts on eGullet, Gayla who often posts on eGullet, as well as Chowhound, Calvin who often gives me great restaurant rec’s, and his friend Diane, all sat down and broke bread (more like shells) at Saigon Restaurant. I must say, the food on this occasion took a back seat to the fun and lively conversation. Thanks for a great time everyone. What a great group of people!

Finally to get your work week underway – here’s an interesting bit of "Engrish" from Nijiya Market:

Don’t ask me what part of the pig this came from……

Road Trip: Sushi Gen – Little Tokyo(LA)

March 26, 2006 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Los Angeles County, Road Trip, Sushi and Sashimi

I’m going to make this a short post, because the photos speak for themselves, and I’m quite "bushed". We took a drive to Los Angeles last night for the Missus’s "sushi-fix". Though San Diego has quite good sushi, the Missus will only eat sushi in LA. So we drove to Little Tokyo and quickly headed to our usual sushi destination in Little Tokyo; Sushi Komasa. Sushi Komasa gets very little publicity because it’s really just a good old fashioned sushi bar. But today, as we stood waiting for the 530pm opening, a Young Man came out and told us that there was a water pipe problem within the restaurant, so we had to head elsewhere to eat. Since I’ve heard some really good things about the prices and quality of fish at Sushi Gen, we took the short walk over to Honda Plaza and walked into Sushi Gen.

It was 535pm and the place was almost full, we were able to get one of the few remaining tables. The scene was controlled chaos, there seemed to be as many Employees as customers! In fact, I’ve never seen as many Itamae(Sushi Chefs), at least 8 of them! We quickly scanned the menu and the Missus ordered Her Nigiri and Makezushi by indicating amounts on the "order sheet." I had my sights on something else.

The Missus and I watched the Servers flying back and forth delivering good looking food, and making remarks like, "Hey, maybe I shoulda’ ordered some tempura." And soon enough the Missus sushi arrived:

The Missus loves Albacore Nigiri, I’ve even seen her eat 6 orders of it in one sitting. She bit into the first one and…..not even a change in expression. So I had a piece of the Hamachi, and though the fish was good, the rice was very, very dry, and not even a taste of any "awase-zu" or vinegar flavoring. Also, there was much too much wasabi, taking away from the wonderful silkiness of the Hamachi. You must realize that I use no Wasabi, and just a drop of Shoyu with my Sushi, and it still overpowered the Nigiri. That said, all of the fish was of excellent quality.

Still, good quality fish, though not my favorite preparation.

When my dish arrived, my heart skipped a beat:

I had ordered the Deluxe Sashimi that cost $30, and worth every cent. The fish was so fresh, and of good quality. Not a loser in the bunch, and the Missus loved the little piece of Mirugai! The two items that really ranked the lowest were the "spicy tuna" and "negi-hama", I couldn’t help but compare them to poke, which to my tastes they could never measure up to. I could go on ad nauseum, about the melt in your mouth toro, and the rich and smooth hamachi, but I think the photo speaks for itself.

I’d say, that this was the best sashimi I’ve had in a while, and even the Missus(we shared everything) who doesn’t care for Toro was amazed at how good it was. Perhaps not a decadent as my Live-Uni Meal nor as interesting as our Maguro Yamakake – Aji – Shiokara meal at Izakaya Sakura, this was still a very delici-yoso!!!

Our total bill came out to a very reasonable $70, and I was sooooooo very happy! I think we’ll go to Komasa for our sushi and a more laid-back vibe, and stick with the sashimi, and other items at Sushi Gen. The atmosphere at Sushi Gen on this night was a bit rushed, and there was a line out the door of people waiting for tables, I guess they know a good thing……

Sushi Gen
422 E 2nd St
Los Angeles, CA 90012

We took our time strolling back to our car, and wandered through various shops, and the "new" Nijiya Market which replaced Enbun Market. We always walk through Yamazaki Bakery, and sometimes grab something small.

And though the Young Lady serving us was rather rude (she looked like she had a long day, and couldn’t wait to close up), I pointed out something to the Missus that she just had to get:

It’s a fruit tart ($1.10). But you know why she had to get it, right?

Yamazaki Bakery
123 Japanese Village Plaza Mall
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Update on Vientiane, Dao Son, and Other Mid-Week Odds and Ends

March 15, 2006 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Lao Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants, yoso-silly

*** Vientianne has since closed….

Just a quick "hump day" post. I created a post on March 6th, about a visit I made to Vientiane Food to Go a few weeks back. A few days ago, the Missus had a craving for the "Fried Rice" (The Lady there called it "Nem") she had eaten there. So I drove down to 47th and Imperial to find the take-out window in Lao Plaza had a "For Lease" sign on it. But luckily, the snack and noodle soup counter next door had taken over the business, and Papaya Salad and sticky rice were still available. Whew!

I ended up trying the Beef Laab:

Fairly tender slices of beef along with tripe, in a surprisingly mild fish-lime sauce. I really was shocked at the mildness of the dish, even when I ate a few hot peppers.

I also managed to get the rice the Missus wanted along with some very good perfectly fried pork rinds. The rinds were cut into thin strips, and almost looked like calamari. They hadn’t the slightest bit of greasiness to them, and were "light"(in relative terms) and crunchy. Delici-yoso!!!

So 2 orders Beef Laab, Fried Rice, Pork Rinds, and Container of Sticky Rice – $15. I did ask where the Woman who formerly ran the "take-out window" had gone to, and was told that business was slow, so she decided to get a regular job. Bummer. Though I didn’t try the papaya salad, both the sticky rice and the fried rice tasted perfectly fine, and so there probably is just the minimum amount of change if any.

Here’s a few photos of a recent visit to Dao Son. I had the Chicken Katsu Curry($5.50):

Very thin, but spicy curry. Flavor was more like a Thai curry then the sweeter Japanese Curry. Katsu was a bit over-fried making the crust rather hard, but the overall flavor of the dish was good.

And two dishes that were on included in my previous post. The Red Chicken($5.99):

Chicken a bit too dry this time around, but oh man that sauce………

Fried Catfish with Eggplant($6.99):

I don’t know why this dish hasn’t been added to the regular menu. It’s always been on the "grease board menu".

Some odds and ends:

I read about the 5lb 7oz mango from the Big Island that made it into the Guinness Book of World Records. You can read the article here.

And from the la.food blogging site, a post about Tommy’s Ultimate Fan Free Combo Meal contest. Yep, that is the word "free"….

If you wonder what the ‘Butter Side Down School of Science’ is, you can find out here. Not really about food…I think????

Since it’s close to that time of the year, here’s Colleen’s version of "Silence of the Peeps."

And finally, you can help name Pam’s from Daily Gluttony‘s Baby "Brother".

Oh, one more last thing, please check out the Website of a Movie I’m really looking forward to seeing. I know it’s not really about food, I really was trying to figure how to tie in a link to it, but just gave up…. Looks like a really funny film!

Hope the week is going well for everyone!

Gunco Ramen/Kanpai

March 5, 2006 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

Ever since we moved to San Diego, I’ve been searching for a good Ramen Shop, not that Chopstix or Tajima is bad. But I want something along the lines of Daikokuya or one of Shin-Sen-Gumi’s Ramen Houses. During a recent visit to Hogetsu Bakery, I asked the Friendly Lady there about a a place I’ve passed on every visit. Gunco Ramen:

I was told, that the clientele and style was "very Nihon", and to give them a try. So that very afternoon I paid Gunco a visit. The first thing I noticed when I entered was that Gunco, and Kanpai, as basically one restaurant, separated by a doorway. They even have 1 menu.

The Server was very nice, and brought me my tea and ice water immediately. I decided to order something that I hadn’t had in years; Champon($7.50).

Now, the variations of Champon I’ve had in the past, were basically a fiercely boiled pork-chicken bone broth, very rich, topped with stir fried vegetables, and some boiled seafood, usually shrimp and squid. Champon itself, was supposedly invented in Nagasaki, and Chinese in origin; created by a Chef originally from the Fujian Province named Chen-Pingshun, in a restaurant called Shikairou. Or so they say……. Today, the Champon, was a bit weak in flavor, not rich at all, causing all the stir fried vegetables and seafood to be flavorless. The one saving grace were the noodles, which were a perfect ‘al dente, both elastic and mildly chewy.

And despite the rubbery shrimp(pretty much a norm for champon IMHO), I enjoyed the dish enough to give Gunco another try.

On my return visit, I was seated on what I think is the "Gunco" side, facing a "Bar Counter".

Again, the service was excellent, and a Gentleman, who I think is the Owner, engaged me in some conversation, starting with the familiar(to me) question; Are you Korean? "Ummm, no…"

On this visit I ordered the Tempura Appetizer($5.50), and the Hakata Ramen($5.40). To my surprise, the Ramen arrived at my table first:

I’ve had what was described as "Hakata Ramen" once before, in a now defunct Restaurant in Honolulu. The broth was Tonkotsu-style, that is the deep-boiled whitish pork bone based broth. The noodles, which were supposedly imported from Hakata, were quite thin, and very straight. This variation had basically the same broth as the Champon, but today the broth had much more flavor, and a nice quantity of oil. The interesting addition of "gari"(pickled ginger), added a nice palate cleansing element to the ramen. The two thin slices of Charshu, though a bit fatty, had some flavor. The noodles were exactly the same as the Champon, and again I enjoyed them.

Though the bowl of Ramen was on the small side, I still rather enjoyed it, though I wished that the broth had a richer "tonkotsu-shiru" flavor.

As I was in the process of eating my Ramen, my tempura arrived:

All in all quite mediocre and forgettable, and a bit undercooked(except for the broccoli, which was scalded), the batter being very pale. Not worth the $5.50. Kind of sad, on my last visit, I saw an Older Lady demolishing a very delectable looking plate of tempura.

What was interesting was a "side door" to my left. Apparently, the tempura was made in the "Robata and Sushi" restaurant next door, also part of the Gunco/Kanpai "complex".

Overall, great service, reasonably priced food. Though it seems "Your Mileage May Vary" here.

Gunco Ramen
305 Palomar St
Chula Vista, CA 91911

Kanpai
301 Palomar St
Chula Vista, CA 91911

Mitsuwa Marketplace

February 22, 2006 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Markets & Grocers

Mitsuwa the Japanese Mega Market chains’ San Diego branch resides on the busy corner of a strip mall located on Kearny Mesa Road.

Though the Marketplace facade is quite large, the interior of Mitsuwa in San Diego is not quite as grand as the other locations in Los Angeles. In fact, whenever a special "event" is going on, it can get quite cramped.

The variety of products is quite large with all the usual "suspects" from the variety of produce, to meats, and so on.

For this post I thought I’d just stick to a few of my favorite things about Mitsuwa, because frankly, I do most of my shopping at Nijiya. Nothing wrong with Mitsuwa, but I prefer Nijiya. My favorite "department" within Mitsuwa is the great selection of tsukemono at Niitakaya’s little "alcove":

Niitakaya is producer of Tsukemono and other Japanese Food items. The main office is located in Montebello, and many branches of Mitsuwa feature the wonderful varities of tsukemono from Niitakaya. There is an abundance of Umeboshi(pickled plum) in all sizes.

As well as a huge selection of pickled cucumbers(kyuri), gari (pickled ginger), and the list goes on and on:

Here are a few photos, just for the heck of it.

Another of my favorite vendors within Mitsuwa is the outlet of Utsuwa No Yakata toward the back end of Mitsuwa:

Utsuwa No Yakata is one of the largest tableware chains in Japan, and my "go to" place for gifts.

Right past Utsuwa is the small Houseware section of Mitsuwa. Though small there’s a good variety of appliances, and other items, though I think prices are kind of steep.

Of course along with the "wall of snacks" there’s the Sake alcove.

But the most popular area is Mitsuwa is probably the bentos and sushi from Daikichi Sushi.

There are times during the weekend where the Ladies can’t keep up with demand.

On this day I purchased the Unagi Chirashi($6.50) and the Kara-age Bento($4.75):

Today, they weren’t quite as good as usual. The Missus said the unagi was really fishy, and made her feel queasy, and the Chicken Karaage was cold and greasy. Most people I’ve spoken to like the variety from Mitsuwa, but for me Nijiya is much more consistent.

As a whole Mitsuwa has a better variety of Japanese products, and Nijiya has better produce. The prices at Mitsuwa used to be much higher, but they’ve lowered their prices in recent years. The bentos? My advice is to try both and come up with your own decision. My one real problem with Mitsuwa is during check out. On most days there are lines down the isles of people waiting for check-out, as Mitsuwa will only have two registers open. I mean Mitsuwa only has three registers total, so get ready for a wait. But still, if you haven’t visited Mitsuwa, it’s worth a visit.

Mitsuwa is also home to a little Ramen Shop which I’ll post on in the near future.

Mitsuwa Marketplace
4240 Kearny Mesa Rd Ste 119
San Diego, CA 92111

A Uni-que Dinner at Sammy’s

December 18, 2005 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi

*** Sammy Sushi has closed.

A few weeks back, I made mention of a Live-Uni meal at Sammy Sushi, my regular, neighborhood sushi joint on Chowhound. At that time I was thinking of a setting up a small "set menu", with Uni as the centerpiece. Well as things would have it, after exchanging Emails and discussion with Sam, we seriously expanded the menu. We still tried to keep the price down, and purposely tried to keep to a small party (9 or so). I knew that Ed from Yuma was going to make it. Due in part to the busy Holiday season, people started dropping out. Until in the end it was the wonderful Annie, fellow food blogger, from Green Beans in Writing, her Beau, Ed from Yuma, and Myself. No problems though, it is the busy time of the year! I arrived about a half hour early; to a "Ooooh, Kirk-San, I got some reaaallly GOOD Stuff!" Sam immediately started showing me the live lobster, and all the other "stuff".

Ed arrived and soon after Annie and Her Mister arrived, and the meal started. Let me just say that this was pretty funny. Every dish fell victim to 3 digital cameras. I finally felt a bit "normal"!!! I've always had problems taking photos in Sammy's, and this time was no exception. My photos really won't do justice to the food. I'm hoping that Annie's come out better, and she does a post, which I'll link here.

We started with a Salmon Skin Salad:

A nice small portion of mixed greens with with toasted strips of crunchy, chewy salmon skin(think bacon), sprinkled with tobiko(Flying Fish "caviar"), dressed with the tangy, salty-sour ponzu sauce. As we were eating the salad, we could see Sam and his Assistant "working" on the live Uni. First perforating the shell, then cleaning, and arranging the wonderful "gonads" on a Shiso leaf in the Uni shell on a bed of ice. Sorry for the bad picture; I'll go back soon and try to take a better photo! For all you Uni haters out there; the flavor of "fresh Uni" is a far cry from "wood/styrofoam Uni". If anything, the taste is milder then w/s Uni, yet sweeter, and the texture is like a velvety custard. I watched Ed close his eyes tightly, as if to imprint the taste in his mind, he started raising his hand, almost to delici-yoso dance level, but he caught Himself in time. I'd mentioned the delici-yoso dance to Annie, so I guess Ed was feeling a bit self conscious. The bad thing about live Uni is, once you've had live uni, it's really hard to eat the "other stuff".

The next item was a portion of Misoyaki Gindara(Black Cod/"Butterfish"):

The moist, buttery fish, had a very smooth and slightly sweet miso taste. The fish could have stood for another day of marinating, and perhaps a bit more carmelization. But as a whole pretty good.

Next up was the Awabi(Abalone) Sashimi, one of the items that Sam added to the menu. Ed & I shared a whole small abalone. I thought this was just ok. The abalone was very fresh, I saw Sam opening and cleaning it when I arrived. The taste was not as sweet and the texture, not as soft as I expected. Honestly, I'd have preferred Mirugai(Giant Clam/Geoduck).

The Nigiri started arriving, first with Maguro and Kanpachi:

The Maguro was excellent, but the Kanpachi(Amberjack) was fabulous. Nicely ivory-pink in color, with a taste and texture that can be best described as a firmer Hamachi. Sam mentioned that this was Big Island Kanpachi, by telling me; "Kirk-san this Kanpachi swam all the way from Kona to have dinner with you tonight!" Ed actually did a three-quarter delici-yoso dance; he stopped when we started laughing, I'm sure it would have been a full delici-yoso dance had we not started cracking up.

Kaki(Oyster):

Two plump Washington State Oysters with ponzu and tobiko, one of my "regular" dishes! Today I could really taste the brine and freshness.

More Nigiri:

That's nice and fatty toro, sweet and crunchy Mirugai, Salmon rubbed with a bit of lemon. We also had Amaebi(sweet shrimp), as well as the fried Atama(head), in my opinion, the better part of the shrimp. As we were finishing up, we started watching the show; a new reality series called Sammy versus the Lobster. At times it seemed that the lobster had the upper hand, but finally one, then the other lobster gave in, and the Lobster Sashimi arrived. I'd never had lobster sashimi before, but this really didn't "wow" me. There was the same faint essence of "cooked" lobster, with a very faint sweetness. The meat is quite dense and rich, and very filling. After trying several different flavor combinations, I settled on a squeeze of lemon. This was a nice experience, though I don't think I'll have it again.

To finish up this decadent meal, we had a Lobster Soup:

The head and claws of the lobster is simmered in a mild dashi-miso broth, and makes a rich, slightly salty broth. Now this is delici-yoso!!!

So the hits to me? Live Uni, Salmon Skin Salad, Kanpachi, Oysters, Toro, Mirugai, and the Lobster Soup. Just goes to show you that looks are deceiving, there are places that are hidden gems everywhere. Oh, the damage? Without alcohol about $70 a person!

Thanks for being great company Ed & Annie!!!! Hope to do this again in the future.

Bamboo Hut

December 1, 2005 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Plate Lunch

I’m really con-"fused" about Bamboo Hut, a little Japanese-Plate Lunch-Filipino-Asian restaurant located on Mira Mesa Boulevard. I took a detour , and instead of going to Pho Hoa Cali, ended up having a late lunch here.

The restaurant was totally empty, and the employees were having a "break" and chatting outside when I entered; so I sat Myself. For some reason the two "Guys" looked really irritated; I guess I interrupted their break, but the Young Lady quickly came over and handed me a menu, and asked me if I had any questions. I looked over the menu, and there was everything from Spam Musubi to Lumpia, to Kalua Pig, to Nabeyaki Udon, to Kalbi, to Sushi(mostly specialty rolls) on the menu. But for some reason this really didn’t seem like a "plate lunch" kind of place.

I did find an interesting item on the menu; "Tuna Poki"($7.95):

What I got was somewhat a surprise. I guess I have a different picture of what "poke" should look like. I now understood why this item was under the heading "Salads" on the menu. This large goblet of maguro, various greens, and seaweed salad was not a very satisfying dish. First of all, there was too much togarashi(Japanese Chili Pepper), so that you could taste nothing else. The fish was also very dry, and the grade of fish was fairly low; there were alot of fibrous pieces making the few chunks of fish somewhat tough; what I call "buffet grade" Maguro. Cross any possibility of sushi at this place off my list. As you worked your way down the goblet you hit the next layer. Apparently all the "dressing" resided in the bottom of the glass, so you went from lip numbing, to very sour as you ate the other half of the dish.

I also ordered the Chicken Katsu Curry($5.95):

The panko(Japanese breadcrumbs) breaded Chicken Katsu was delivered to my table in a plate along with two scoops of rice(good start), a green salad dressed with a mild Asian dressing(ok), terribly bland macaroni salad(can you please use some mayo…please!!!!). The Katsu itself was perfectly fried, the panko coating was nice and crunchy, and not oily at all, and the chicken was very moist. The "curry" was a bit strange. I read the fine print on the menu, and it said "curry sauce". Well no kidding! It was literally curry sauce, not the usual beefy, thick, dark, and slightly spicy curry. The taste was not bad really, slightly spicy, with a mild curry flavor, I wish there was more of it though. Again, kind of a "mixed bag".

I don’t know, maybe someone who eats here alot can clue me in, I’m a bit con-fused. This lunch didn’t really give me a reason to pay another visit here. Especially after an acquaintance of mine told me that the kalbi here was the absolute worst he ever ate; and the service was terrible. I thought the Gal who served me was very nice, though the two Guys behind the Sushi Bar kept staring at me. Since I was the only person in the place, they probably wanted another break.

Bamboo Hut Pacific Grill and Sushi Bar
9172 Mira Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92126

Chopstix

November 21, 2005 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants

Chopstix is a very popular Noodle House residing on Convoy Street. I’ll readily admit that I enjoy Chopstix, and it is one of my favorite places:

I think much has to do with the homey, somewhat cozy, surroundings. I won’t call it atmosphere, because there really is no true atmosphere. But there’s something about the decor that is comforting to me. Service is always good, never very friendly, but never cold, and always very polite. Call it dependable if you will; but dependable is very comforting.

One of the dishes that order quite often is the Chasyu-Men($6.50):

The Chasyu-men has 4 slices of Chasyu; which in this case is the Japanese version which is usually a rolled and tied pork loin cooked in a soy sauce based sauce for several hours. Versus the Chinese style Barbecued Pork. The broth is chicken, pork, and soy sauce based. The noodles are thin egg noodles, and a half a boiled egg, bean sprouts, a slice of kamaboku, and green onions complete the dish. Just so you understand that dependable does not mean consistent, I’ve never had two bowls of ramen here that were exactly the same. I once had a broth that was so oily, I thought the Exxon Valdez had crashed into my bowl. Today the oil content was perfect, just many tiny beads of oil floated on the surface of the broth, and the flavor was balanced; controlling the saltiness of the broth can be problematic at times. I enjoy the ‘al dente noodles, and everything else in this bowl. Except the Charsyu (Char Siu); today it was very, very dry and flavorless. Definitely not good eats. Good thing I didn’t order the Deluxe Chasyu-Men($7.50), which has even more meat.

We usually get a side order of the Mix Tempura whenever we visit:

With 12 pieces of mixed tempura, I think this is quite a bargain. There are 4 pieces of shrimp, as well as carrot, Kabocha Squash, broccoli, and my favorite, onion rings, among other items. This type of tempura is not quite the very light and lacy, nor the thick and "eggy" type. It’s more of a crunchy lacquer, and will keep for quite a while. Very tasty.

The one item that I order the most often is the Curry Rice($5.95), but today I ordered the Chicken Katsu Curry Rice($7.25):

I enjoy the Curry at Chopstix, it’s beefy and slightly spicy, and has little chunks of beef and other disintegrating vegetables in it. And most of all, not overly sweet as Japanese Curries can tend to be. The Chicken Katsu in this case, are actually "chunks" of dark meat chicken breaded in panko and fried, not the usual flattened white meat. One item that made eating the Katsu somewhat ponderous, was that it wasn’t sliced, so you had to pick up the whole piece with your chopstick and take a bite out of it. The katsu really didn’t add anything to the dish. I’ll stick with just Curry Rice next time. This dish came with Miso Soup that was way too salty, and a salad with an Asian Sesame Dressing.

I usually stay with these three dishes at Chopstix and maybe Hiyashi Ramen during the summer. I’ve always been unhappy when I’ve ventured too far from my favorites here. The Mabo Tofu is overly sweet, and I think things get really bad with combinations like Curry Ramen or Mabo Ramen. So my suggestion, find what you like, and stick with it.

Chopstix Sushi & Noodle Cafe
4633 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111