Korean Restaurants – Page 11

Cross Street Chicken and Beer (Pre-Soft Opening)

October 4, 2017 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Beer, Chicken Wings, Korean Restaurants

Cross Street has fascinated me since I first noticed that Your Story was closed back in June. I'd heard that the place was going to do KFC….you know K(orean) F(ried) C(hicken), which was confirmed by Eater a few weeks later.

While driving by last week, I noticed that the place looked open. I sent a text to "YummyYummy" who through her connections verified that they were in "Pre-soft" (???) Opening mode. Soon enough, "YY" and "Xiāng Jiāo" and I decided to meet up.

The place is dressed up in the very modern; industrial style that is popular these days. Lot's of staff on hand….super friendly young folks. This being "before" the soft opening, I expected some mishaps, but there were none. Some scrambling, but these folks seem up to the task.

The menu is mostly made up of fried foods, with Chicken Wings (of course) being the focus. It's basically $11 for 6 wings prepared in one of six "styles".

But first that popular Korean drinking snack, Corn Cheese ($8).

These were pretty dull for corn cheese, not enough cheese, the corn not sweet enough.

And some Beer Battered Fries ($6), which I found to be ok.

I thought these could have been more crisp and the fries got soggy fairly quickly.

So, what about those wings. Well, before folks freak out about the $11 for six wings thing; I'll say this, the wings are pretty large, in my opinion too large as I prefer a small to medium size wing….better skin to ratio. The wings were good quality; tender meat, juicy, no broken bones, no off colors.

As to how these compare to the KFC we had at, say, Mirak or Kkanbu in Seoul? Or even Gala, "Bee-Bee-Q", or Kyochon? Well, let's take a look.

The Original……

I was told these were the "signature" wings, but though while it had enough salt, it needed some zing. The wings are so large that I think the double fry method doesn't work as much magic here as all of the fat under the skin did not render down all the way and the batter got soft rather quickly. This was the only wings we had that were served with a "salad" rather than the traditional mul kimchi….which would have done good in this case.

Salt and Pepper…..

Royal Mandarin, Mandarin Canton, and the rest have nothing to worry about for now as again the coating didn't hold out too long. It also wasn't very light and crisp on this version. The flavor was very mild for S&P wings and was a bit greasy as well.

Here's the classic, very typical, sticky, Spicy Korean style wings you get at many places.

I expected a bit more heat, but we were told that they were worried about it being too hot and scaring away the non-Korean customers. It was sweet and sticky. This got soggy really quickly and the young man who I think is one of the owners really apologized about that and tried to take it off the bill. But that's not our style…..hey, they're not even in Soft Opening mode!

I thought the best wings we had was the Soy Garlic…..

While on the mild side with regards to garlic flavor; it wasn't too sweet, had a decent bit of saltiness, the batter was a bit thick, but held up the best of all the wings. This ain't no Kyochon, but I'd take this over "BBQ Chicken" and Gala.

The owners were very nice and gracious….they asked us our opinion….usually we'd balk, but this time we were very honest. We were thanked for our opinion and told to please return because they're hoping to "get better every day"! There was such sincerity in that declaration, that having to run some errands for the Missus, I returned the very next day…..

They were a lot busier this time around, but the service was still very friendly….everyone smiles here. At least on my visits they did.

This time around I had Max Cream, an all malt beer, brewed by Hite. This wasn't too sweet, very light, unobtrusive, slightly winey (cat pee), easy to drink.

I actually ordered way too much food, but really enjoyed myself.

Starting with the Fried Pickle Spears ($8).

While I thought the breading was really hard; I really enjoyed the tart-sour of the pickles….it really got my attention; especially when I took a big first bite.

The Beer Battered Fries were better this time around.

Staying nice and crisp.

I ordered the Original Wings again.

While the flavor was still rather plain and the wings didn't quite have that signature light crispness of good KFC; in terms of keeping a nice crunchiness throughout the meal; this was much better.

As were the Soy Garlic wings.

A bit more garlic; lighter crisper coating that held out well, this was much better than the previous day. They just need to get a handle on rendering out a bit more fat and I think this is a keeper.

So, I guess the really nice folks here weren't kidding when they said things "get better every day". At least it did for me.

I like these folks, I hope they do well. Though I'll wait until or maybe after their upcoming Soft Opening.

I also need to order the Garlic Parmesan wings that Kirbie enjoyed in her post on Cross Street.

Cross Street Chicken and Beer
4403 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Revisits – Tasty Noodle House and Prime Grill

May 2, 2017 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Korean Restaurants

Man, when did summer start? I've been craving a few of my "warm weather" favorites recently. Here are a couple more…..

Tasty Noodle House:

Remember, back in October I was craving some Zui Ji (Drunken Chicken) from Tasty Noodle House and they were out of it? Well, it was warm enough that I was willing to brave that horrid parking lot and return to see if I could get some thing time around.

And guess what….they had it.

Now the version here had always had a strong wine flavor and been on the salty side. Today, it was much too salty, as in almost unpleasant to eat. Too bad, because it was fairly tender and almost boneless. But man, this was way too salty.

I also ordered the Chao Nian Gao (stir fried rice cakes), which, while usually a bit undercooked on past visits, had been decent overall.

In terms of flavor, this was fine, a light touch of sesame oil, the mild bitterness of the Jì Cài (Shepherd's Purse). But today this was overcooked and mushy.

Sadly, I'd been waiting for warmer days to return here, but the food just didn't measure up this time around. I think I need to switch things up a bit.

Tasty Noodle House
4646 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Prime Grill:

One of my favorite warm weather dish is Bibim Naengmyun…something about those chilled and chewy noodles combined with a bit of spice that I find refreshing. Calvin wanted some Korean food for lunch….but not barbecue or anything like that….. So we thought we'd hit up Prime Grill. Funny, Calvin didn't even know what Bibim Naengmyun was…..

The variety of panchan wasn't particularly good this time around; though I think they make the best baechu kimchi. While it's doesn't compare to Korea, it has a touch of fermented flavor and isn't overly salty as most restaurant versions in San Diego.

While a bit under-sauced, I prefer the way the noodles are prepared here in comparison to…say, Buga. They use a thinner version of the buckwheat based noodle; while still chewy, it isn't like eating rubberbands. I'm not sure if it's just me; but I find the cho-jang here to be a bit more sweet than other places. A dash of vinegar a bit more sauce….a touch of sweat on the brow and I feel refreshed.

We also ordered the Yukhoe. Sorry about the photo, the nice lady mixed everything, the egg yolk, pear, pine nuts up right when she brought the dish to the table. The meat was a bit too frozen when the dish arrived, but the texture got better, and we could make out the other flavors especially the hidden pieces of garlic which had some major bite as the dish thawed. Not too sure I'd order this here again though….even though it's a favorite dish of mine.

Just in case this wasn't enough, I ordered the Kimchi Pajun. Since I enjoyed the baechu kimchi here, I wondered how it would taste in savory pancake form.

While this could have been a bit more crisp, it wasn't soggy nor too doughy and you could taste the kimchi. Not a bad dish….though we could only finish a slice a piece. Calvin took the leftovers home.

Overall, a nice meal…..the Missus and I returned a couple of days later and though I didn't take any photos, I thought the Bibim Naengmyun was even better. What was even more interesting was that all the Korean customers were getting that….so I guess it is a nice remedy to the warmer weather we're having!

Prime Grill
4620 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And of course the kimchi was outstanding:

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

The bill:

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

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

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

Of course I had half of a kwai fei chicken:

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

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

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

The bill:

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

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

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

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

The toro was rich and tender as expected:

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

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

But the number one highlight of the evening was this:

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

The bill:

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

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

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

HoM Korean Kitchen

November 22, 2016 mmm-yoso Korean Restaurants

**** This location of HoM Korean Kitchen has closed

I was up in the Hillcrest area for a couple of days of meetings recently. I don't get up here very much these days and most times, when I do, parking is kinda horrible. Not bad in the way of, say the worst parking lots on ECB or Convoy (you all know those ones, right?), but its either meter or pay lot (though I think they validate) and sometimes there's nothing on the street.

Anyway, I saw this place, which used to be Which Wich, named HoM Korean Kitchen. It seemed interesting, so I walked in.

Very nice set-up; basically using the "bones" of the old shop.

Looking at the "menu" it became quite clear that this was a "fast casual" shop; the Chipotle model, or if you prefer, like one-of-a-zillion-until-critical-mass-hits-and-business-normalizes poke shops. Basically, design your own rice bowl concept. 1 protein, starch or salad, and three "sides", in this case "panchan" (heavy on the air quotes).

I've always thought that rice bowls would be a great food truck concept…..kind of had a fantasy to do a Korean inspired rice bowl truck and name it the "Bap-Mobile". Maybe it's because then I'd be "Bap-man", but I digress.

The guy working the front counter was quite nice and even asked me if I wanted some samples.

I simply went with the "Korean Steak" ($9.25).

The portion size for the price was pretty good….though a fountain drink is two bucks for a 12 ounce cup.

The beef was decent; chewy, but not overly so, a few pieces of gristle here and there, but better than I've had in, say a carne asada burrito. Speaking of carne asada; I'd say the flavor steers more toward that then Korean Barbecue. There's some soy sauce notes and this is far from bland, but it's fairly neutral.

The rice was fragrant, but there were quite a few hard pieces.

The panchan, is that in name only. The cucumbers and daikon seem to be quick pickled and really lacks spice, sour tones, and any sign of even slight fermentation. Hey, I thought this place as supposed to be healthy…..isn't fermentation supposed to have many health benefits? But I guess it's more about fast. The mushrooms were decent; well seasoned with some garlic tones.

This was not bad at all. Because the set-up and food screamed out "chain", I did a bit of research and found that there's another location in San Jose, but that's it for now. I also decided to return after my meetings ended the next day.

Same nice guy working. This time I went with the Braised Beef ($8.50) with Toasted Rice ($1.25).

Not a big fan of the toasted rice….it's more like a bland baked fried rice with a lot of hard bits. Not high on the "braised" beef either; it was shredded into mush, and was much too salty and In my opinion needed to be tempered with some sweet-pungent tones. The faux baechu kimchi is just that; basically a bland quick kimchi; the namul was worse. The spinach was my favorite item; like the mushrooms on my previous visit, it had a nice garlicky kick.

So, was it "HoM sweet HoM"? Well, I'm not so much of a "HoM-boy". I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here, but I think it's more Korean than Chipotle is Mexican. The ingredients are good, while some of the execution and seasoning may not be to my taste. Also, I do prefer that the Korean food I eat, well, would kind of remind me Korea. I would encourage you give the place a try though….who knows, you might find that there's "no place like HoM" (last one, I promise).

HoM Korean Kitchen
3825 Fifth Ave
San Diego, CA 92103

Prime Grill Revisited

October 10, 2016 mmm-yoso Korean Restaurants

After having a great time with Cathy and Ed from Yuma at Prime Grill (click on the links to read or reread their posts), I decided to check out some of their non-Korean Barbecue dishes. Plus, it was pretty darn hot during this time, making for the perfect set-up for my meals.

The parking lot here can be a real horror show, but at 11 am on a Monday or Tuesday, things are pretty quiet.

I ordered the Dolsot Bi Bim Bap and soon enough the panchan arrived. The baechu kimchi; the napa cabbage kimchi was a surprise as it had a bit of a fermented flavor; not just the sour quick pickled versions I've had recently at most places. It was pretty good. The other item I hadn't seen in a while was the gaji namul; the steamed eggplant panchan. In spite of the rather grey look, it had some decent garlicky tones.

When my bi bim bap arrived…..which looked pretty textbook, I was disappointed that it didn't have an egg yolk on it…..which was hiding under the shredded nori.

This was pretty much by the book; though the mushroom, fernbrake, and blanched spinach with sesame oil was very nice. The bulgogi was on the bland side. What really made this good was the rice; which was prepared perfectly as was the stone bowl. A beautiful, nutty crust quickly developed and after mixing kept on going for a good part of the meal. The Cho Gochujang here was very thick, mostly gochujang, with very mild sweet and sour tones. Not a bad lunch…plus, if I recall, this is a buck cheaper during lunch.

About a week later, temps hit the mid-nineties in the Convoy area. I decided to drop by for lunch and try the Bi Bim Naengmyun; the spicy cold noodle dish that I crave when temps rise.

Only four panchan this time around. I'm guessing it's based on what is ordered. The regular kimchi wasn't as good on this visit; though still better than most. The baek (white) kimchi would have made the Missus happy as it had distinct fermented tones.

On the menu it says Ham Heung Bi Bim Naengmyun, naming the city in North Korea that made this dish famous.

Man, this was a lot of buckwheat noodles. The Server was very friendly and quite funny. She asked me if I wanted my noodles cut and when I said "I wouldn't even be able to eat the noodles if they weren't", she relayed a pretty funny story about her father, who was from Pyongyang, who refused to let her eat her noodles cut. Until one day when she tried to eat entire noodles and started choking. Her dad grabbed the noodles and actually pulled it all the way from her stomach! I don't know if it's true, but it was a heck of a story.

A bit too little sauce for the amount of noodles and that chojang wasn't especially spicy. But a slushy bowl of mul-naengmyun broth was also provided.

Overall, I enjoyed my meals at Prime Grill and it's sure to be on the list along with Grandma's Tofu & BBQ and Buga.

Prime Grill
4620 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Ed in San Diego Part 2 – Sakura and Prime

September 18, 2016 ed fromyuma Japanese Restaurants, Korean Restaurants, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

Today Kirk and Cathy are busy. Ed (from Yuma) not so much, so he's posting.

Sakura. About a dozen years ago, when Kirk and I first ate at Sakura together, I had no idea that this Izakaya would be the restaurant most posted about at mmm-yoso!!! Of course I also had no idea that Kirk was going to be starting a food blog and that I would ever do a post for it. Long time ago.

Gleefully surprised to find an empty space in the lot, I parked, walked over to Sakura, tried the door, and learned that it doesn't open until 11:30. That explained the parking space. But I was content to sit down at an outside table, enjoy the pleasant weather, and wait.

When they turned on the sign and opened the doors, I knew what I wanted, tempura soba and iced green tea. The tea showed up first:

That's bright green.

Then the tempura soba:

This is an old favorite of mine. I love the textures – the crunch of the tempura, the juicy chew of the shrimp, and the gentle coolness of the buckwheat noodles in the broth. Contrasts of temperatures and flavors.

I also enjoyed the basic cabbage salad:

and the pickles and rice ball:

In some odd way, the simplicity of the lunch just seemed right.

Prime, in contrast with my lunch, would be a much more elaborate meal in a new Korean restaurant where Kirk, Cathy, and I had never eaten before. It was great for me to get together with Kirk and Cathy since I don't get to see them very much being stuck out in the desert. But we had a great time and a dang good meal. Cathy has already posted about it, so I’ll try not to repeat a lot.

Dipping sauces showed up first:

The little one in the middle was slightly sweet and was intended for the brisket slices which were not marinated. The largest bowl was my favorite sauce as it had some tartness that helped cut the richness of the beef. Also the crunch of onions added texture, and the sauce seemed to go with everything.

I was happy in general with the pan chan. The kimchi was complex and deeply flavorful, not too sharp or sour:

The shiitake mushrooms were simple and focused:

We all liked the little shrimp in a sweet chili sauce. Pleasant textures too:

The bean sprouts were unusual with horseradish or wasabi seasoning and went well with all of the beef:

To me the cucumber slices were well prepared with more crunch and bright flavors than standard cucumber pan chan:

For my tastes, the only shortcoming to the pan chan was the lack of anything dried – dried radish and dried tofu being particular favorites.

We also got this vegetable and soybean paste soup that we ate very little of:

And a nice fluffy custardy egg dish with mild seafood flavor:

But Prime is all about the meats, and what an array we got with Combo C:

It's interesting comparing Cathy's picture of the meats with mine because we sat more or less across from each other and our photos have a different perspective. This picture, for example, emphasizes the size and thickness of the ribeye steak.

All this top-quality meat was tasty. Prime even uses ribeye steak for their bul gogi. The ribeye steak itself and the brisket were totally enjoyable. But my favorites were the two furthest away in the picture. The boneless ribs were full of tendon and cartilage and had deep flavor and a pleasant chewy mouthfeel. The marinated galbi was supremely rich and butter tender. Overall it was a first-rate Korean beef barbecue.

When I first saw that plate of beef hit the table, I thought there was no way we would finish it. However:

One final note – our server was friendly and helpful throughout. She explained the dipping sauces, put the meats on the grill, took them off, cut them up, and otherwise facilitated, which was great because we three could concentrate on our conversations and our eating. I sure had a great time.

Prime Grill – A Korean BBQ feast with Kirk, Ed (from Yuma) and Cathy

August 31, 2016 Cathy Korean Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a blog about food written by three friends who have known each other more than ten years, yet they've only shared about five meals together. Today's post is about one of those rare occasions, written from Cathy's perspective. Here is a link to Ed's perspective of that meal.

A week or so ago, Ed (from Yuma) decided to drive (from Yuma) to enjoy many San Diego foods he had been hankering for. He let Kirk and I know when and where he was going, had some questions about what to order and also had some 'blank slots' for meals. The stars aligned and all three of us were available on the same day at the same time. We decided to try some place new and it was fun!

Prime Grill has been open only about six weeks now, taking over the spot of the (Blue) Korea House which all three of us had been to but none of us ever posted about. The refurbished interior is neat and clean. The menu is pretty much a traditional Korean BBQ and as a first visit, we decided to try 'Combo C', the meal for three people.
Salad was brought out first (and we ate it as 'dessert', at the end of the meal) along with a variety of dipping sauces then

a variety of Banchan were brought out.
There were more than these; we were catching up and talking, not taking clear photos, you get the idea. The grill was being warmed and the tray of meats (with some veggies) was brought out. Our nice (and funny) waitress placed the vegetables and the thin sliced brisket on the grill first. This cooked rather quickly and the fat helped to begin the seasoning of the grill. Rib eye and boneless short rib were put out next and finally the marinated short rib and bulgogi. There also was a steamed egg and also a soybean paste stew brought out sometime in the middle of meat cooking.

Oh. You might want to know how it tasted; I don't have a thesaurus with me right now. Tender meat, deep, excellent flavors; quality. A special meal with special friends.

Prime Grill 4620 Convoy San Diego 92111 (858) 277-0800 Open 7 days 11-10

Sunday Stuffs – Do Re Mi House Closes, Dede’s is Becoming “Facing East”, and What’s Going on with 99 Ranch Opening on Balboa

July 17, 2016 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Korean Restaurants, Markets & Grocers

So last week, I noted all the changes in the Kearny Mesa/Clairemont Mesa area. Well this past week, there was more………..

Do Re Mi Houses Closes:

This was kind of a spooky one. I drove by around noon this past Wednesday and noticed the place wasn't open. I went in and took a look. There was a hand written "thank you for the support" note. Kind of sad considering I first visited here back in 2001 and first posted on the place in 2005. Over the years they seemed to have changed hands not less than three times.

What really made it spooky was that an hour or so later, I had "FOY" Sage tweeting me, letting me know Do Re Mi House had closed down.

While I thought the quality of the food at Do Re Mi House had fluctuated over the years, they had always provided a reasonable lunch option. I'm sad to see them go.

Do Re Mi House
8199 Clairemont Mesa Blvd Ste M
San Diego, CA 92111

Dede's Becoming "Facing East"……

Or Something like that. I went into this strip mall because I saw the Notice of Ownership Change posted for the former Convoy Noodle House. I was shocked to see that Dede's had closed.

While over the years; I thought the food at Dede's had really gone downhill….I'm more of a quality over quantity kind of guy; it was sad to see the windows papered over. then I also read Faye's post as well. It looks like this place will become a Chinese Restaurant named "Facing East"?

4647 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Meanwhile Convoy Noodle House is Becoming "Submarine Crab":

Or at least that's what the sign says…..

Which is yet another, I think….crawfish chain from the OC?

4647 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

So 99 Ranch is really going into the old Haggen Site on Balboa:

In spite of what Eater San Diego said, I always had my doubts since it seems they would be competing with themselves. But on a recent (I really don't shop there enough these days) visit to 99 Ranch Market I saw this sign:

So I decided to actually drive by that location which had nothing posted the last time and found these signs.

So there you go…..

5950 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92117

Midweek Meanderings – It is Great Wow Restaurant, FuAn Garden Changes Course, Prime Grill Soft Opening, and Marukai is no Longer a Membership Market

July 6, 2016 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Korean Restaurants, Markets & Grocers

Quite a bit of stuff happening on "Da Mesa's".

It is Great Wow Restaurant:

Remember the somewhat cryptic hand written sign on cardboard I posted on several months back?

I had thought that it might have been a typo. But apparently it's not. Meet the soon to open Great Wow. My sources told me there's a Beijing connection on this one. Wow…..

In the former location of Goldfish World.

3860 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Fu An Garden Changes Course:

Well, I think it was inevitable. The folks that used to work at Ba Ren bugged out a while back and my last meal there was terrible. So meet Fuan Garden Seafood Restaurant.

Same source told me that there's a Jasmine connection with this one….so perhaps I'll temper any excitement I may have.

Fuan Garden Seafood Restaurant
4768 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Ready for Prime Grill's Soft Opening?:

Back in January I noticed that the old (Blue) Korea House was becoming something named Prime Grill.

Then in April, Eater mentioned that this will be a "High End" Korean Barbecue. That might be something to get excited about! Passing by this past weekend I noticed a sign for a soft opening from July 11th. So there you go!

4620 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Marukai is No Longer a Membership Store:

At least the SoCal stores. As of July first. They replaced my card with one that acts like the typical supermarket discount card, but also allows you to accumulate points. Not sure for what, but I guess I'll find out.

Also of note, I was told that Marukai in Hawaii will be using a different system….so we'll see what happens when I travel back "home".

Marukai Market
8151 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92111

Where Did We Eat to Beat the Heat? Buga

June 21, 2016 mmm-yoso Korean Restaurants

Man, yesterday sure was a hot one! I walked out of the office to grab a quick lunch; this wasn't too far from the shore mind you….and it was pretty darn hot.

We usually get a couple of days in September or October that's pretty nasty….but this is June! Lot's of records set……

Heat usually dampens our appetite and this hot day was no different. We really didn't want to stay at home and stew in our juices, so we went through our options for dinner. If this was, say 2011, the choice would be obvious; it would be Ba Ren for Sichuan Liang Mian and Ko Shui Ji, but those days are long gone. Thai Papaya was one of the possibilities, or even some Gyokai Natto Don from Izakaya Sakura. In the end, the Missus made an interesting choice; Buga. While the Yukwe Bi Bim Bap and the Bi Bim Naengmyun had been among our favorite versions in San Diego; our last couple of visits after the ownership change had not been particularly delish. Still, it had been two-and-a-half years. It was time for a revisit.

It was interesting as the place always look empty from the street, but the parking lot was quite full on this day, as was the restaurant. The folks working here were really nice, in spite of basically running from table to table.

We placed our order and soon enough the panchan arrived right before the food we ordered.

On our previous two visits, we were thoroughly unimpressed with the panchan. This was totally different. Perhaps it was the fact that the cold dishes were nicely chilled, but I gotta say, the baechu (napa cabbage) kimchi had a bit of fermented flavor and the gobo (burbock root) glazed with a nice sweet soy based sauce was very good; earthy, salty, and slightly sweet. Those two items were the highlites.

Of course the Missus went with the Yukkwe Bib Bim Bap…..still served with the rice on the side.

I know the Missus was wishing for something like She had at Gogung in Insadong. But while the meat was sliced a bit too thick, it was nicely chilled, very fresh, with no off flavors. There was quite a pile of vegetables, which, when combined with the chojang made for a tasty dinner. I know as I got to finish off what the Missus couldn't.

Of course I ordered the Bi Bim Naengmyun, which looked different from what I'd had here before. The noodles were thinner and there was quite a bit of sauce/soup.

This might have been the best I've had at Buga. The noodles were perfectly elastic and stretchy; the sauce spicy-sweet-salty-savory…the Missus enjoyed the egg. A simple yet refreshing dish; perfect for a scotching day.

All finished with Sujoenggwa, the persimmon-cinnamon drink; still a bit too sweet for our taste, but throw in some ice cubes and it was just what the doctor ordered.

After having a couple of not so great meals here a few years ago, we were pleasantly pleased and surprised this time around. I guess Buga is back on our list.

Buga Korean Restaurant
5580 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117

So, what did you eat to beat the heat this past week?