Japanese Restaurants – Page 62

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

Teri Cafe – You Coulda’ Been a Contenda’…

October 19, 2005 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants

*** Update – This location of Teri Cafe is closed, it is now Katsu Cafe

….For my rotation, if not for food shortcomings. Located in a strip mall on Clairemont Mesa Blvd, Teri Cafe serves up Ramen, Yakisoba, and other standard Japanese fare like Teriyaki(of course!!!).

The decor of Teri Cafe goes for a "surfer – Hawaiian" flavor; with surfboards mounted on the walls, surf videos playing on the two plasma televisions with "Jahwaiian" (Reggae flavored music from Hawaii) music playing in the background, there's a definite tropical influence in the decor. The menu is quite extensive with over 50 items, from Teriyaki and Udon, to Soba.

But what drew me here were the locally made noodles, sold from the Teri Cafes Owners other business, a company called Nihon Seimen. Sounds pretty close to saimin, huh? So I decided to order the Chicken Teriyaki and Yakisoba ($5.70):

The dish consisted of a good portion of noodles, stir fried vegetables, and a small piece of chopped grilled chicken with "teriyaki sauce" on it. The noodles were as advertised, thin, slightly chewy, with a nice pull to it. The problem starts with everything else. The noodles were way over-dressed, making the noodles, cabbage, carrots, et al, very, very, sweet and salty. So salty that I finished my bottle of water with my meal, drank another in the car, and had two glasses when I arrived home. Some of the sauce's personality should have been saved for the chicken, though nicely grilled was basically tasteless, and the teriyaki sauce was the smokey/mild type, that lacked any sweetness or saltiness, in a word; bland.

But those noodles were great! So I thought I'd give Teri Cafe another shot; and this time I ordered the Banzai Ramen ($5.45):

This was a bowl of noodles with "Tonkotsu" style broth – basically deeply and fiercely boiled pork bones, but in this case I'm pretty sure it was made from a "base". Topped with stir fried vegetables and chicken, some Kamabuko (fish cake), and bean sprouts. The noodles again delivered, and if anything was even better suited for Ramen than the Yakisoba. Everything else again was a bit of a let-down. The broth was just plain salty, and not the rich, almost creamy Tonkotsu broth. The stir fry was bland and also some of it was burned; you can see the black specks in the soup. So again I was left with basically mixed feeling regarding this dish.

There's alot to like about Teri Cafe, the facility is clean, well-lit, and I kind of enjoy the atmosphere. The prices are good, and the service is excellent; even though you just place your order, pay, and the food is delivered to your table; there are little things that makes Teri Cafe a bit different. If you purchase fountain drinks, the "Girls" refill them for you for free; they also check on every table at least once during the meal. And of course I think the noodles are very good, even though it's not Saimin noodles, so good that I'm thinking of just purchasing the noodles. Unfortunately, the rest of the food does not live up to the quality of the noodles.

Teri Cafe
7305B Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

Mon-Sat 1030am-9pm
Closed Sunday

Sammy Sushi – Every Neighborhood should have one

September 1, 2005 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi

*** On October 11th 2008, Sammy Sushi called it a day.

HAI! IR-RAI-SHAI KIRK-SAN!!! Booms through the tiny restaurant as I enter. It's the typical greeting from Sam, owner and Sushi Chef at Sammy Sushi.

It can be kinda unnerving, as the guy greeting you is holding a pretty sizable sharp knife. It's his Marine Corps training that gives Sam that booming voice. Sammy Sushi is the kind of Sushi "joint" that every neighborhood should have; pretty good fish, good sake and beer, and a good understanding of what his "regulars" enjoy.

I've known Sam for a few years now, originally from his days at Katzra, and when he opened his own Restaurant on Engineer Road, I followed. He's even got his own wall of photo's. As is the norm for these neighborhood Sushi Bars, Sam's customers range from Japanese Nationals to "working stiffs". And the menu is comprised of whatever roll you want, be it a Caterpillar, Rainbow, or even a "One Night Stand Roll"(he won't remember how to make it again!), I'm not much of a "roll guy" but those are very popular; but Sam will also make Maguro Yamakake, even Oshi-zushi. One late evening, after closing I showed him how to make poke, and it's been on his menu ever since.

Sam's fish is usually decent to excellent, and if you ask he'll gladly let you know what is "good" at the moment. I've always found his hamachi, smoked salmon, and kaki (oysters) to be excellent. He has Live Uni in season (I'll post on it at a later time), and sometimes has Aji (Spanish Mackerel).

There's a real benefit in developing relationships with the people who make your food. It's especially evident in a intimate environment as a Sushi Bar. For instance, Sam knows I love Hirame Senbei (fried bones), and tonight he has especially good ones, so they were brought out without asking. On some nights he'll bring me Hamachi Kama(Yellowtail collar) or Ankimo(Monkfish liver pate), or some other dish he knows I like.

Fried crisp with a touch of salt and dipped into Ponzu, these "crackers" were delici-yoso! What I usually do is place an initial order, and do most of the rest "omakase" style. Tonight after reading Pam's post on Sashimi on Daily Gluttony, I had a sudden hankering for a bit of sashimi, so I ordered some:

Tonight the Hirame was excellent; probably why the senbei was so good!

So if you're a regular customer at a Sushi Bar; develop a rapport with the Sushi Chef. This in turn will become trust, in fact I never ask for prices at Sammy's, he knows what I want and how much I want, or he'll just ask with a "Kirk-san Daijobu(are you ok)?" And sometimes you'll get some really good surprises.

Funny thing, I've been having a really hard time taking pictures in Sammy's, probably a combination of the lighting and composition of materials. Or maybe I really don't want to post about this place, and just keep it to myself.

Some notes on Sammy's. This is a one Man operation, with one in the kitchen, and usually one or two wait help. Along with the 12-18 seat sushi bar, there are 4 tables, but when crowded, the wait may be somewhat long. Because of all the regulars, there's a real neighborly atmosphere, sometimes borderline raucous(it's the beer, sake, and sochu). Everyone is very friendly and helpful. There is a full food menu with Teriyaki, Tempura, Tonkatsu, and even a few Okinawan dishes. Beer and a few Sakes, including Otokoyama(yummm) and Kurosawa. There are Happy Hour specials. Sam was raised in Hawaii, it's probably one of the reasons we get along so well, even though he's from Aiea, I don't hold it against him! Sam is of Korean heritage, but speaks fluent Japanese along with Korean, and originally cut his teeth at Yanagi Sushi in Honolulu, you'll also be able to order Kalbi and other dishes here as well.

Tell Sam Kirk-san sent you!

Sammy Sushi
7905 Engineer Road
San Diego, CA 92111

Nijiya Market – Our Dependable Standby

August 25, 2005 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Markets & Grocers

The San Diego location of Nijiya Market is our good dependable standby when we’re unable to decide what’s for lunch and sometimes dinner. Though both Nijiya and Mitsuwa Market are within a mile of each other, we usually chose Nijiya. I think the bentos are better and the prices are also better here. It wasn’t always that way though; Nijjiya moved to this location from a really small location across the strip mall (this used to be an Autozone), a few years ago, and the selection and quality has improved.

We’ll just stop by and pick up a bento (or two):

And of course a few snacks; though Mitsuwa has a better selection of snacks, you can’t leave here without getting some Pocky or arare:

This location of Nijiya features a bakery that bakes fresh bread daily, a tempura/fu-rai bar, organic produce, and of course sushi and bento’s. Though I don’t buy any sushi with raw fish from a market, I’ll purchase Kappa Maki (cucumber rolls) or inari sushi on occasion.

There are three bento’s that I’ll usually get here; the Chicken Katsu, the Chicken Karaage:

The chicken karaage has a nice shoyu flavor, and though not very crunchy by the time we usually get it, it still has alot of taste and is pretty moist. I also like the homemade kurobuta (pork) sausage that are sometimes included in the bento. Don’t ask me what the organic rice thing is, I ignore it. After all I can’t taste the difference.

Sometimes I’m in the mood for a combination bento ($6.99), which always includes a few croquettes, some nimono vegetables, and a main okazu(dish to eat with rice). A real quick hint; the best time to “hit” Nijiya is at about 11am, or thereabouts. Most of the varieties of prepared food is available and the crowds haven’t arrived yet.

In our opinion Mitsuwa features a better selection of snacks and other items, and they have wonderful “events and festivals”, other than that I’ll chose Nijiya most of the time.

Pretty clinical post, huh? Well of course I can’t end this way. I’ll add a very shameful secret. Most of the cashiers at Nijiya think I speak Japanese. I’ve fooled them to this point. I understand some Japanese, but will never speak. But 75% of the time I’m there I’m spoken to in Japanese at the check-out. So as they speak to me, I just nod, with an occasional “Hai”, “domo”, or “credit-to no” (credit card), but that’s it! Of course the Missus is standing next to me whispering “you’re such a fake”, and other terms of endearment….but I think I got ’em fooled here! Of course there is shame in living a lie! Go-men-nasai!!!

Nijiya Market
3860 Convoy St Ste 109
San Diego, CA 92111

Ichiro’s Japanese Restaurant – How can you not love a “Happy Restaurant”

August 9, 2005 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants

**** After 36 Years Ichiro Closed in 2021

I'd not been to Ichiro's in a while. That's the one thing that Food Blogging does, it really makes you think about where you've been, what you enjoy, and what you're "sticking in your mouth". I've always gotten a kick over the sign, after all, how can you not like a "Happy Restaurant"!

There had been many changes to "Ichiro" since my last visit. There's a sushi bar, and the seating had been changed, and the menu revised. But my old "friends" and former Katzra employees Masa and Tenryu still worked here. It's still a really nice neighborhood Japanese Restaurant, but like many businesses, Ichiro had evolved. There is now a quite extensive "Izakaya" menu of goodies ranging from Tsukemono to Tamagoyaki:

The hours have also changed; Ichiro is now open until 1am, Mondays thru Saturdays, making it one of the few eating places in San Diego that will not "roll up it's sidewalks" at 9pm. My main reason for coming here are the lunch "specials", they range from $5.25 – $6.95, and you get your money's worth. For example, on my first visit, I got the "special" Menchi-Katsu and Tempura ($5.95):

The mechi-katsu was very good, lot's of filler; that's how I enjoy it, nicely battered, and status quo tempura; which is the shrimp tempura, tasted like the expected shrimp tempura, also a slice of kabocha tempura (very good!), and a slice of zucchini tempura, the green mostly iceberg lettuce salad is dressed with a watered down sesame dressing. You also get a pseudo-kimchee tsukemono, that's really not worth mentioning, and a decent bowl of miso soup, with shred of green onions and onions. Not bad for under 6 bucks.

On my next visit I had the Sesame Chicken combination ($5.50):

I had always wondered about this "Sesame Chicken". In a nutshell, the chicken is battered with tempura batter, fried, and covered with teriyaki sauce and sesame seeds. There's a nice crunchy texture, and the teriyaki sauce adds the sweetness to the dish. Again the tempura is purely routine. 1 piece shrimp (nice "shrimpy" taste this time), 1 piece zucchini, and 1 piece kabocha. I actually enjoyed this, and loved the price to boot! Actually, I could've gotten just the Sesame Chicken lunch for $5.25.

I had forgotten all about Ichiro; but now it's back in my sights. Ichiro also has pretty good Chicken Katsu, the sushi is +/-, purely neighborhood standards, the Kaki Fu-rai (fried oysters) were really good. The service is very friendly (what do you expect from a "Happy Restaurant"), and open pretty late.

Ichiro's Sushi Restaurant and Bar

4344 Convoy Street
San Diego, California 92111
HOURS OF OPERATION
LUNCH
Mon – Fri 11:00 – 2:30
Sat 11:30 – 3:00
DINNER
Mon – Sat 5:00 – 1:00am
Sun 5:00 – 10:00

Road Trip – Marukai Gardena and Harry’s Aloha Chop Suey

August 1, 2005 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Los Angeles County, Markets & Grocers, Road Trip

I made my way to Marukai Gardena from the Torrance Farmer’s Market. When I got there just at opening time, it was already quite warm, seems like it was going to be a "hot one".

Almost as big as an airplane hangar, Marukai Gardena is located right on Artesia Blvd. I remember the first time I entered this place; it had almost everything I needed. I had indeed reached the Ex-Pat food "Mecca". Redondo and Purity Portuguese Sausage, S & S Saimin, frozen Zippy’s Chili, Diamond Bakery Soda & Creme crackers, and Aloha Shoyu, to name a few, can all be found here. One of the first things you’ll notice when you enter is that for a place so large, it’s really somewhat cramped.

It can really get crowded in here, so we always plan to get in and out ASAP. The "wall of snacks" here is daunting.

There’s just so much here, I won’t go into it in too much depth. Just enough to say, it was a quick stop today, no maguro, no ogo for me. Just some snacks and alot of nice memories. Marukai is a membership market, but a daily membership ($1.00) is available – it’s cheaper than Disneyland, and almost as fun! So I shopped quickly loaded up my bounty, and headed back to my hotel room for a quick rest and to check out.

Marukai
1740 West Artesia Blvd
Gardena, CA 90248
Summer: Monday – Saturday, 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. & Sunday, 9:00 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Winter: Monday – Saturday, 9:00 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. & Sunday, 9:00 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.

*** Harry’s Aloha Chop Suey has closed

I than decided to hit Harry’s Aloha Chop Suey for a quick bite before hitting the road.

The definition of "hole in the wall", with only 6 tables, Harry’s has a small menu featuring hot table combinations (beef stew, fried chicken, etc.), cooked items (chop steak), and Saimin and Won Ton Mein. Call it a case of saimin insanity, today I decided to order what’s probably the most expensive item on the menu – a large size "Super" Saimin ($9.00).

There was a ton of Char Siu, several slices of kamabuko, what probably amounts to half a head of napa cabbage, carrots, and won tons. The best thing about the dish were the noodles, perfectly cooked, saimin (not ramen) noodles. The crunchy texture triggered many a memory of bowls of saimin and teriyaki beef sticks. The broth on the other hand was nothing to write home about, weak and almost flavorless, shoyu was a necessity. The other item I was thankful for was the watery "chinese mustard", just like back home. A swirl with the chopsticks to get a bit of mustard on it, place into the spoon, grab noodles and place in the spoon, consume – delici-yoso! I finished just about everything, enough to get a comment of "you did pretty good".

So great noodles, not the best broth, great service, and everything under $9.00 (actually most items are under $6.50). Not as good as I remember from my last trip here, but still worth the culinary trip down "memory lane". Enough so that I was willing to eat this even though the weather outside was clearly "heatwave" in nature.

Harry’s Aloha Chop Suey
1721 W Redondo Beach Blvd
Gardena, CA 90247

Izakaya Sakura – Nothing “Fishy” Here!

July 21, 2005 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

*** Another updated post on Sakura from 05/19/2006 can be found here. More posts on Izakaya Sakura can be found here, a lunch bento can be found here, Cathy does Sakura for lunch here.

Izakaya Sakura, or just “Sakura” to us, is one of those places dear to the hearts of Chowhounds in San Diego. And over the last 3 years or so, Sakura has developed a bit of a cult following beyond the range of the locally stationed “Salarymen” and Japanese Nationals. Located in a strip mall between two military recruiting centers on Convoy, you’d never know it’s there, unless you really made a concerted effort to find it.

You’ll notice, no signs, no banners, no ubiquitous “Sushi” roadside sign. In fact, I believe that Sakura is slowly collapsing upon itself in a way. I remember there being some kind of store front sign the first time I recall seeing this place. And I distinctly recall some signage existing as recently as last year. Now there’s just the stark, plain entrance. When people ask for directions, I get to use a favorite line of mine, “when you see nothing, you’re there”. At least they let you know they’re open!

I met Ed from Yuma in the parking lot and we walked into Sakura. Ed started moving toward his favorite position on the sushi bar (left end), but I asked him to sit on the right corner (better light), and Ed in his easy going way moved over to the right side of the sushi bar. I had wanted better light so as not to use the flash on my camera. After all, we didn’t want to give the people passing by the wrong impression. That due to the flashing strobe, that there was some kind of “rave” going on inside! Actually, there was a “rave” of sorts going on, just not the dancing kind.

We started things off with Ed’s favorite Tako Wasabi, real wasabi is used, so the usual edges associated with a dish of this type are rounded. I also ordered one of my favorite dishes here, Shishito Tempura. The tempura was done to perfection. The batter is light and crunchy, the Shishito has become soft and creamy, a very nice play of textures. My one problem with the dish during this encounter had nothing to do with preparation. The quality of the Shishito was not quite as good as on previous visits. There is usually a very slight heat and nice sweetness, and the seeds are soft and you almost don’t know they exist. I think that the peppers were a little older this time. There were a number of hard seeds and the peppers were not as sweet as I’m used to.

Next up was the Buta Kakuni, braised pork belly, one of the standard Izakaya dishes.

There was a nice balance of flavor; shoyu, mirin, a dab of hot mustard, et al, blended together, and the pork was cooked to perfection. I think Ed enjoyed this, he ended using his chopsticks to “fish out” all the little bits that remained. As we finished our Omakase Sashimi was delivered:

Hamachi, Hamachi Toro, Maguro Toro, and Mirugai, and most of all the headliner, Aji (Spanish Mackerel) laying in all their perfection. I don’t know how, what, or where Kazu get’s and prepares his Aji, but it’s among the best I’ve ever tasted. Slightly oily, but creamy, the skin of the sashimi provides just a slight resistance, with just a bit of grated ginger and green onions. This is the star of the show! As we started in on the sashimi one of the waitresses came by and removed the carcass of the Aji, to return in a few minutes with the bones of the Aji fried! For many, this is the best part of the dish. Again, remaining completely in character the bones were fried to perfection. Usually there are always one or two bones that are hard and can’t be eaten, not in this case however! With a squeeze of lemon and a dip in ponzu, these superlative “crackers” were delici-yoso!

You may think that this would be enough, quite a grand meal. But oh no, not for “me and Ed down at the Izakaya” (sorry Paul Simon..). Ed ordered Ika no Shiokara! For those who don’t know what this is….to put it simply it’s salted or fermented squid intestines.

I have had Shiokara before, and had found it to be really terrible, bitter, salty, yuck! No Mas! But this version was a revelation. Slightly salty, sweet, with a nice aftertaste. Mid-bite I asked Ed to try and describe the taste, which made him stop mid-bite as well. Kind of at a loss for words or at least colorful adjectives, I thought Umami with a touch of bitterness. This little “cup of guts” kept us occupied, grasping for a description. As Ed began to speak, I waited in anticipation for maybe an Shakespearean Sonnet or two. He answered simply, “savory”. Anti-climatic, but good enough!

The last time we had sushi at a different locale, Ed noticed the Sushi Chef grating a long tubular radish looking vegetable. I told him it was naga-imo, he seemed interested. So to finish our dinner off, I ordered Maguro Yamakake. Diced Maguro is seasoned with a bit of shoyu and is covered with gluey, gloppy grated Mountain Yam (naga-imo) and topped with shredded nori with wasabi on the side. Forget the wasabi, no need for it. Naga-imo is pretty much tasteless, and looks alot like Elmers Glue, but in this mix it somehow seems to amplify both the salty and sweetness in the maguro, and the texture is unique. Another dish that’s hard to describe, I think you’ll need to try it to see, it was an apt end to a great meal. Thanks for coming along Ed!

Notes: Ed and I were amazed that it even though it was Wednesday, the place was packed when we left, not only with the “usual” clientele, but with a really diverse group. The price for dinner was $75, without any alcohol. There is a pretty extensive sake list, and beer and wine are available.

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

Dao Son Noodle House – Hot Dishes from the ‘Hot Chef’

July 9, 2005 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Japanese Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

“Ok, that’s an order of Yakisoba and Chicken with Lemongrass – be about 15 minutes”. Now normally when I hear something like this; I’d be afraid, very afraid. The kind of fear that is associated with signs that say ‘Authentic Cantonese, Szechuan, and Mandarin Cuisine’. Except in this case I overheard this at Dao Son Noodle House on El Cajon Blvd. Dao Son, I’m told literally means ‘Hot Chef’, and he’s not kidding. There’s even a little neon sign above the restaurant sign that say ‘Hot Chef’.

The spartan interior could be dropped into any number of Asian restaurants, but the aroma, ooh the aroma, garlic, chilies, “shoot me now and put me out of my misery…” The service was friendly, and the Chef himself let us in the front door. We looked over the menu and placed our order, and an entire carafe of water was placed on our table.

Our first dish was the Special; Fried Catfish with Eggplant – ordered medium-hot ($6.99):

This dish was a winner! The catfish was battered and fried perfectly. Crunchy on the outside, moist and tender on the inside. The eggplant seared on the outside, with a wonderful molten, creamy interior. The sauce was nice and spicy, and the peanuts added a nice textural component to the dish. This was the best dish of the night.

The next dish was the Garlic Chicken – ordered medium hot (5.99). Boneless, Dark Meat chicken was marinated, than battered and fried and served with a nice and spicy garlic/chili sauce, and is topped with scallions and tempura “bits”. The chicken was tasty, and the sauce (seems like it was sambal based) was hot enough to bring sweat to my brow. The scallions and tempura bits added a nice counter-point to the whole meal. The only gripe I had about this dish was that the chicken pieces were pretty large and we only had chopsticks so there were some problems managing the pieces. Also, the batter was very savory and crisp, but very hard, almost like a shell, I’m thinking that this was a corn-starch based batter. All of this is relatively minor. If the chicken were smaller and bite-sized, the crunchy texture would be viewed as a positive attribute.

The last dish was Garlic Fish – also ordered medium hot ($5.99). I had thought that this would be the same as the chicken dish, but was pleasantly surprised. First off, the fish was coated with bread crumbs, and there was the distinct taste of lemon grass all through the dish. Other than the addition of lemon grass this was essentially the same as the chicken dish. The fish was prepared well, though the fish was relatively bland, the toppings and sauce made up for any deficiencies.

We left Dao Son, satiated, and looking forward to another meal. The flavors had been unique and distinctive, and the food well prepared.

So tonight we did Dao Son part 2, this time we did take-out, and decided to order a few other dishes. We ordered the Red Chicken ($5.50) medium hot. This is almost a perfect dish! Chicken stir fried over high heat, in a spicy “red” sauce that is both sweet and spicy, with tomatoes, red peppers and chili. This dish is a keeper! On a whim we ordered the Yakisoba ($4.95). This dish was not bad, flavorful, with the distinct taste of sesame oil, and well prepared, but unremarkable except for one thing; the noodles. The noodles were great, they had a nice crunch and reminded me of “fried saimin” Daoson12 . The last dish was Shrimp w/Lemon Grass and Garlic sauce ($5.99). Basically the same sauce as the Garlic Fish, but this was one spicy dish, nose bleeding hot! There’s no slow-burn here, it’s in your face!

Dao Son, has interesting, and very well prepared, flavorful food. The price is also right! We’ve added Dao Son to our “rotation” and will be going back often. The menu is varied with everything from Yakitori and Yakisoba, to Sate Chicken and Lemongrass Shrimp. This range of dishes would usually scare me away, but in this case, the “Hot Chef” does a good job with preparing all the dishes that we’ve had so far. The service is fast – I was unable to get through on the phone for my take-out order, so walked in and ordered. I was told it would take 15 minutes???? Now the restaurant was half-full, and the phone was ringing off the hook. I got my food in 10 minutes, and all the tables were also being served. Impressive.

The bottom line? Good hot and spicy food from the “Hot Chef”.

Dao Don Noodle House

2322 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92103
(619)291-5051
Lunch:
Mon-Fri 11:00am-2:00pm
Dinner:
Sun-Thurs 5:00pm-9:00pm
Fri-Sat: 5:00pm-10:00pm

Hogetsu Bakery

June 19, 2005 mmm-yoso Bakery, Japanese Restaurants, Markets & Grocers

I’m almost sure that 99.9% of the people in San Diego or Chula Vista have never heard of this place.

Located in another one of those non-descript strip malls strung throughout Chula Vista, Hogetsu Bakery makes excellent Manju and Mochi, and also sells Castella and other Japanese goodies.

A friendly, Family run operation, Hogetsu has been in business since 1983. So I’m still amazed that only 1 person that I’ve spoken to has ever heard of this place! Many people I know still drive to Los Angeles to get their Manju, or just buy them from Nijiya or Mitsuwa.

The prices are reasonable ranging from $.95 and up. And there are many varieties available. I purchased a small box of goodies ($9.00).

It’s amazing when you bite into a “fresh” Habutai; usually somewhat chewy, this one is softer, more delicate. It’s almost strange being used to store bought manju how different this was.

So there’s really no need to drive to Los Angeles for mochi anymore. It’s just down the street in Chula Vista.

Hogetsu Bakery
1210 3rd Ave
Chula Vista, CA 91911

Open Tues-Sat 10am-6pm

(619) 422-6677

One quick post-script – For fellow Chowhounds, Hogetsu Bakery is located in the same mall as the infamous Kaga Zushi…..