Markets & Grocers

Odds and Ends – The Salted Egg Yolk Chicken Wings from Taste of Hong Kong, What’s up with Oxtail Prices, what Made my Xmas Day, and Other Stuffs

January 2, 2026 mmm-yoso Chicken Wings, Chinese Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, yoso-silly

Just a couple of things as we recover from New Years.

The Salted Egg Yolk Chicken Wings from Taste of Hong Kong:

Remember how I was mourning not ordering the Salted Egg Yolk Chicken Wings during my last post on Taste of Hong Kong? Well, last week we did a revisit to ToHK…I decided to not take any photos since I’d just done a post. But then the chicken wings came out.

My goodness, these were terrible! Something has changed with the batter as it was too wet-mushy and had an almost mealy texture to it. There were fried (burned) slices of garlic incorporated into he batter, which had a strange sweetness. The wings had been overfried and while the exterior was saturated, the meat was tough and dry. What a bummer!

This is what it used to look like.

Well, I guess we can cross this dish off my “favorites” list.

Taste of Hong Kong
4428 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111

What’s up with Oxtail Prices:

The Missus had thoughts of me making my oxtail soup for New Years, so I went to Zion to see if they had oxtails….I found them, but look at the prices!

I guess I haven’t made oxtail soup in ages? I don’t remember paying this much for oxtails! I need 4-5 pounds for my soup….but yikes! I did go to other places, but all the oxtails were over $14 a pound!

Is this the norm?

What made my Xmas Day:

On Christmas day, I took JJ up the street to visit the local donut shop and grab my usual. Like I wrote back in 2020, I think these businesses are part of the “fabric” of the neighborhood and I try to support them. Especially if the place has such wonderful owners as the Cambodian couple who run TK Donuts. So, I try to visit at least once a week and I guess because I used to go there like 4-5 times a week during Covid to help them stay open, they still remember me!

And on Xmas day, after I got my usual, they asked me to wait a minute and handed me a bag with something wrapped in foil. They told me that “this is something that just finished cooking for Christmas”, it’s a traditional family recipe. What was it?

My goodness, it’s Cambodian style roast chicken! It was still hot when I got home. Actually, the Missus loved it and took most of it to work for lunch the next day!

They are so nice! And this beautiful gesture made my day and really touched me!

TK Donuts
3095 Clairemont Drive
San Diego, CA 92117

Please be careful out there!

The major storm that hit us on Christmas must have made international news? Because fellow blogger and good friend Kat sent me an email wondering if we were ok! Bless her…Kat, you’re amazing! I emailed her back saying I didn’t think it was too bad. Then a day later, I took JJ to Western Hill Park after having my usual morning coffee and my goodness!

There were actually three trees down in the park! Yikes!

So please, be safe out there and take care!

Happy New Year

January 1, 2026 mmm-yoso Italian Restaurants, Markets & Grocers

Well 2025 is in the books! Hope everyone had a fun and safe NYE!

Things were pretty much the status quo for me….I started NYE shopping for some Osechi at Nijiya. Something I’ve been doing since 2005!

These days the selection is pretty straight forward as I think many folks preorder their stuff.

Still, knowing that Nijiya opens at 8am on NYE helps as I don’t think too many folks know that. It was pretty empty at that time. I’m making some of my own stuff these days, so I just got something simple to have with lunch/dinner on New Years Day.

To be honest, most of this is for sentimental reasons these days…..

One thing I did notice was how much cheaper the Hamachi Kama was!

So, I immediately sent the Missus a text! She told me to get one…..and I got a really good looking kama.

Of course, when I got home I found out who this was for…..it wasn’t us. Shades of Shishamo!

As for NYE…..we decided to have dinner locally and made reservations at Romanella which had a special New Years menu. At $65 it seemed quite reasonable.

We basically had one of the regular apps – the lamb chops; and the NY dinner, with oxtail meatballs (of course), the Chilean Seabass, with the Limoncello Cake for dessert.

It was a nice dinner….the Missus got the Limoncello Cake….which She loves to go.

Romanella Cucina Romana
3055 Clairemont Dr.
San Diego, CA 92117

All in all, a nice NYE!

We hope everyone had a great New Years Eve and wishing you all a wonderful 2026!

Quito – JW Marriott, Mercado Santa Clara, TelefériQo, and Helados de Paila Pomasqui

November 14, 2025 mmm-yoso Airport/Airline/Cruise/Rail Food, Ecuador, Farmer's Markets/Night Market, Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt, Markets & Grocers, Travel

Last year, before JJ came into our lives we took several trips. One of them was to a place we’d had on our “bucket list” for a while. The Galapagos. Being born and raised on an island, places like Easter Island have always fascinated me. So, of course we had to do the Galapagos. There were basically two ways to get there, it was either Guayaquil or Quito. After doing some research, I thought Quito would be a good starting point.

Well, getting there from San Diego was going to be interesting. We’d be flying Delta with Hartsfield as our transfer point. Man, Hartsfield….during the 90’s, I did consulting work in ATL, and Hartsfield was the airport….it’s always been crazy busy!

Well, at least we’d be flying domestic first, then international business, which means things were a bit elevated.

The actual lounge was a bit less crowded than I recalled.

With a decent selection of food.

So that made the three hour layover a bit easier to handle.

The flight from ATL to Quito was 5 1/2 hours and seemed to go by quickly.

I arranged for a private transfer from the airport to where we were staying the JW Marriott in Quito. I was using accumulated points for this and we had access to the Club Lounge which made things really easy.

It made arriving at 9pm at night and the check in a breeze.

Along with the lounge there was a rather popular restaurant in the hotel, though we never had to visit. The property was huge….like it’s own little city.

My guess is that it is set-up so folks wouldn’t have to leave the property.

The Executive Lounge was quite large and it was never full during our stay.

It had a nice view….

And made having a nice, light breakfast so convenient.

Since we had limited time in Quito; I arranged for a private tour….actually three private tours for our days in Ecuador. This would end up being such fun! I organized the tours based on what we’d be doing…in other words, first I’d want us to just get acquainted….then to expand our horizons so to say. On our first day, I booked us a Private City Tour of Quito, Teleferico, and the Middle of the World. We were asked about our interests and mentioned that we enjoy learning about food and cuisine. So, our first stop was the large Mercado Santa Clara.

Where we were able to taste some of the local products….

The most interesting was the Tamarillo aka “Tree Tomato”, a member of the nightshade family. It was quite puckery and acidic; the skin pretty thick.

Also quite interesting was what they called the “Taxo”, also know as the Banana Passion Fruit.

Slightly sweet, acidic, and mildly fruity.

This was a fun way to start our tour of Quito.

Mercado Santa Clara
RG22+473 Antonio de Ulloa
Quito, Ecuador

In any city, there are things that are every day occurrences and Quito is no different. While driving up one of the streets our guide pointed something out to us saying; “I don’t think you see this in San Diego, huh?”

Can you imagine someone walking goats here? Well, maybe in North Park??? jjk….

Next stop was on the western side of the city. Along the eastern side of Pichincha Volcano, would you believe that the western side…Wawa Pichincha is still active, is the TeleferiQo, a cable car.

Here the 20 minute or so ride brings you up to over 12,950 feet. Making it one of the highest in the world. Quito itself is at around 9,250 feet.

Needless to say, the views, even on a slightly cloudy day are outstanding.

And, it’s even dog friendly…..

There a famous six mile trail that goes to the top of Pichincha ending at 15,400 feet….I’m glad we didn’t have time to do this one! Whew…..

Once back at 9,000 feet elevation we headed off. We stopped near the north side of the city at this little shop; Panificadora Quito.

Where the Missus got a Helados break!

Panificadora Quito
Av. Manuel Córdova Galarza
Quito, Ecuador

After which it was time to head to…..”the Center of the World!”

Thanks for stopping by!

Saturday Stuffs – Trader Joe’s Coming to Clairemont Town Square, Oi Shiba Replacing Da Nang Corner, Hongdae DakGalbi Replacing Nice 2 Meet U, and the Tacos La Chorreada Truck Has Moved Two lots Down

November 8, 2025 mmm-yoso Food Trucks, Japanese Restaurants, Korean Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Taco Shops

Here’s a bunch of things I’ve found or noticed over the last three weeks.

Trader Joe’s Coming to Clairemont Town Square:

I had to run to Ace Hardware to get something and I noticed that Burlington Coat Factory was being downsized, with a bunch of construction going on. I asked the friendly guy working what was going on. And to my surprise he told me that a Homegoods and a Trader Joe’s was coming! Which confirms what “FOY” Peter mentioned in the comments of a previous post.

Did some searching and found this on Instagram.

With this background – sorry for the terrible screen capture.

I knew that the old AMC theatres were becoming LA Fitness, but man….it’s about time, right?

Not sure what the exact address is for the new units….

Thanks for the initial heads-up Peter!

3962 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117

Oi Shiba Replacing Da Nang Corner and Hongdae DakGalbi Replacing Nice 2 Meet U:

I knew that Nice 2 Meet U at 4428 Convoy had closed, but then read that Da Nang Corner had closed as well.

So, I drove over and the two businesses which sit next to each other have their signage up.

Oi Shiba, is moving from PB….you know the folks, they own Steamy Piggy, Formoosa, Viet Nom, Flama Llama, etc, etc…..the one’s who will give out free desserts if you review them on Yelp. Though you gotta show the Server your review first. So let’s see, the SDB Restaurant Group does Taiwanese, dumplings, pho, Korean Fried Chicken, ramen, Peruvian….

HongDae from Seoul specializes in Cheese Dak Galbi, which I’ve heard folks call Cheese Fondue Dakgalbi.

4428 Convoy St Suites 120 & 130
San Diego, CA 92111

Tacos La Chorreada Truck Has Moved Two lots Down:

I had noticed that the Tacos La Chorreada Truck seemed MIA in the V Outlet Parking Lot.

Then I noticed a bunch of “Tacos” signs in the parking lot at 3040 Clairemont Drive; two lots down.

They actually have a nice spot with some tables and seating. I saw one of the guys who works in the truck and he told me they moved on the 2nd.

So, in case you were wondering!

The Tacos La Chorreada Truck
3040 Clairemont Dr
San Diego, CA 92117

Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend!

Monday Meanderings – Gusto Grocery Italian Market Moving from Bay Ho, La Posta de Acalpuco (Hillcrest) Closes, Ajisen Ramen (Kearny Mesa) Closes, and Other “stuffs”.

August 11, 2025 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers, Mexican Restaurants, Ramen, Taco Shops, yoso-silly

A couple of closures and a move for this Monday……

La Posta de Acalpuco (Hillcrest) Closes:

I noticed lots of upcoming changes in my short walk from where I parked my car during my visit to Makai Sushi. Like this one.

Though one of them caught me by surprise. Looks like La Posta de Acalpuco, like El Cuervo has closed.

Like El Cuervo, this was a place I'd go to every so often when my office was in Hillcrest….though mostly when I'd have to work nights as there wasn't much open late in those days. And much like El Cuervo; I hadn't been back in ages.

Times change and it seems that Hillcrest is in major turnover mode.

I'm sure folks are going to miss what I used to call the "late-early crowd"……which someone once described to me as "Goth's, Grungees, Gays, Gargoyles, and the bar scene from Star Wars!" And another once told me "You know, the food here is okay, but it sure tastes better at 4 am!"

3980 3rd Ave
San Diego, CA 92103

Ajisen Ramen (Kearny Mesa) Closes:

This one was fairly widely announced, but I was shocked at how quickly the signage was gone for Ajisen on Clairemont Mesa.

Which explains why they tried Wagyu Street concept. Was never a big fan of Ajisen, though the late Ed from Yuma enjoyed his visit there in 2017. And of course, ramen-maniacs will always remember the Ajisen soup scandal.

7398 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111

Who you calling a creep ummm, Creap?

On occasion, while shopping, I'll see something that will bring a smile to my face. While looking over the ever changing "treasure hunt" at Nijiya, I cam across this.

I've come across this in Japan before…it's known as being the only "powdered creamer" that uses real milk. But on this day I just read "Foaming Creap"….. I know, silly me….. But I was sorely tempted to buy some for folks and see if they got the pseudo double entendre.

Gusto Grocery Italian Market Moving from Bay Ho:

A week or so back, I needed some Pesto Genovese….for some reason, we've starting enjoying Avocado Toast with a touch of pesto. And yes, in spite of what I learned in Liguria, I just didn't see myself making pesto from scratch for some avocado toast.

So, I decided to head up to Gusto Italian Market, which, since they opened their brick-and-mortar shop in Bay Ho next to Rose Canyon Deli has been a blessing for picking up Italian Staples for us, without having to head into Little Italy. So, I headed on up and arrived at 1030…and strangely, the shop didn't seem open.

So, I walked on over and noticed the door was unlocked so I walked on in. I found all the shelves empty! The nice woman who works there came on out, smiled and explained to me that the grocery was closed and moving to "somewhere north"…… Their online orders were being fulfilled at their warehouse now. Bummer, as I'd been kind of taking this place for granted!

I do wish them luck in their new space; wherever that might be!

4901 Morena Blvd Suite 314
San Diego, CA 92117

Monday Meanderings – Potato Powder Love Noodle (for real) replacing Shann Xi Magic Kitchen in 99 Ranch Market (Balboa), TP Tea coming to Clairemont Town Square, and slicing your own bread at Whole Foods

June 23, 2025 mmm-yoso Caffeine Fix, Chinese Restaurants, Desserts, Markets & Grocers, yoso-silly

I'm doing one of these "meanderings" posts today because I just noticed a couple of things over the last two days that I thought interesting.

TP Tea coming to Clairemont Town Square:

I took JJ to an early morning walk and since I like to keep it some variety, I'll often rotate venues. For some reason, I headed on up to Clairemont Town Square early in the morning, and quickly noticed something new.

TP TEa Coming Soon

Looks like the chain TP Tea – which I guess stands for Taiwan Professional Tea, is opening a shop which was the last known location of Isa.Bella, located in the same structure as Main Chick Hot Chicken. For me, this is great, as I always wondered why there weren't more Asian businesses in this huge complex, other than the Panda Express.

4705-A Clairemont Drive
San Diego, CA 92117

Slicing your own bread at Whole Foods:

The Missus wanted some escargot for dinner, so I headed to the Cuisinery to restock. She also wanted some bread and I really didn't want to drive to Secret Sister or even Con Pane. So, I decided to head on over to Whole Foods La Jolla, which is sort of on the way to the Cuisinery. I had gotten the Baby Boule from there before and had it sliced. It's small and not too expensive and would do in a pinch. When I arrived and walked to the bread counter I asked for a Baby Boule and was told it's now self serve….this includes the slicing of the bread!

WF Sliced Bread 01b

I've seen these used at Con Pane and Secret Sister….but never thought it would be safe for me to use one!

WF Sliced Bread 02

But I just tried it out. It's not hard at all. The hardest part was getting the sliced bread into a bag!

It turned out ok.

WF Sliced Bread 03

And I still have all my fingers…..

Whole Foods Market
8825 Villa La Jolla Dr.
La Jolla, CA 92037

Potato Powder Love Noodle replacing Shann Xi Magic Kitchen in 99 Ranch Market (Balboa):

Yesterday, the Missus told me She wanted me to make my Cumin Chinese Cauliflower. So, I headed over to 99 Ranch Market on Balboa. I walked past the food court to see what was happening adn noticed that Shann Xi Magic Kitchen was closed. Which I thought was strange.

Shann Xi Closed 01

There was a note posted on the counter…never a good sign….

Shann Xi Closed 02b

Which just confirmed what I thought…..well, this location of Shann Xi Magic Kitchen is closed. So, it looks like you'll need to go to the Convoy location if you're craving their food.

I also noticed a note on the cash register.

Shann Xi Closed 00

And it seems like "Potato Powder Love Noodle" is opening here next month? What a name! I did a quick search and found that PPLN has shops in San Gabriel and City of Industry. Knife cut and potato noodles (thus the name I guess) with various broths.

Man, Shann Xi is one of the "OG" stands in the food court, which has been kind of a revolving door with Dao Xiang recently replacing Mama Lin's, which replaced Saigon 5, and Cluck n Sip replacing Krispy Krunchy Chicken within the last year.

It seems that places are having a hard time staying in business here.

5950 Balboa Ave (In the 99 Ranch Market Food Court)
San Diego, CA 92111

Odds and Ends – Roast Duck from 99 Ranch (Balboa) and Ibis Market Revisited

May 8, 2025 mmm-yoso Chinese BBQ, Markets & Grocers

The weather has started to "bounce around" a bit. Nothing illustrates that more than these two "meals" from grocers a few days apart. So here's a quick post for today.

Ibis Market Revisited:

Good lord, has it already been 2 1/2 years since my last visit to Ibis Market? Well, at least it wasn't a 20 years gap, like before our previous visit. The weather had been skewing warm and the Missus wanted a Hummus Sandwich like we had recently had in Mendocino. Yes, a sandwich, not a pita. Options for decent hummus had pretty much disappeared from our area since Harvest Market on the corner of Clairemont Drive and Balboa closed a while back. Balboa Market sells the Sadaf and similar brands, but we wanted something a bit more fresh. North Park Produce came to mind, but we didn't want to make that drive….then of course we remembered Ibis. I'm thinking that the location; tucked away on the corner of Ibis and Fort Stockton, in, of all places Mission Hills, can sometimes slip away from my aging mind…..

Ibis Rev 01

The same really nice couple were working and all of our "favorites" were in stock.

So of course; even though I had just thought of getting hummus…..

Ibis Rev 02

I got a nice array of items.

Ibis Rev 03

And the price? Well, all of that for $20; a bargain these days! I need to revisits again soon…I'm thinking that their falafel might reheat real well in the Air Fryer.

Stay Tuned!

Ibis Market
1112 Fort Stockton Drive
San Diego, CA 92103

Roast Duck from 99 Ranch (Balboa):

The Missus and I were doing a bit of shopping and 99 Ranch Market when we both, for some reason looked at the Roast Duck in the case.

99 Ranch Roast Duck 01

It didn't look half bad. Now we had tried the roast duck from the deli section at the Clairemont Mesa location of 99 Ranch Market years ago…..it wasn't very good. But we just kind of wondered how this would be. Though the price of $19.99 for half a duck……well, that gave us pause.

99 Ranch Roast Duck 02

Man, that Styrofoam container felt quite heavy.

This was quite a hefty half duck.

99 Ranch Roast Duck 03

It was however, more quantity over quality. Very meaty, but on the tougher-dry side of the scale. The skin rubbery, the usual savory-sweet-anise tones muted.

99 Ranch Roast Duck 04

We tried it three different ways. As a side dish…meh, in a bao, more meh. Finally, because the temperature had dropped and the weather got cooler, I went and used the duck drippings/sauce/fat, along with some shiitake mushrooms and did that 20 minute Zhou/Jook. With all the duck sauce and fat and the earth mushrooms this came out quite good.

99 Ranch Roast Duck 05

Topped with the skin crisped up in the Air Fryer……well, this was pretty good.

Not that we'd get it again. Though, if you want a real meaty-bland fowl…….

99 Ranch Market
5950 Balboa Ave.
San Diego, CA 92117

Now, what I wanna know is how you've been eating with the see-sawing temps?

Genoa – Antica Friggitoria Carega and Eataly

February 22, 2025 mmm-yoso Cinque Terre/Genoa, Liguria - Italy, Italian Restaurants, Italy, Markets & Grocers, Seafood, Travel

We were sad to leave the Cinque Terre. We had really enjoyed our stay. My first instinct when planning our trip was to head back to Milan. But while planning things out, I watched Stanley Tucci's Searching for Italy and in the episode on Liguria he visited Genoa and basically indicated that it was the "home of pesto". The episode featured a restaurant, Il Genovese, yes I made sure to call Genoa, "Genova" during my time in Italy. Anyway, the owner of the restaurant established the Pesto World Championship. And heck, we'd had pesto almost everyday during our stay in Liguria, so it made sense to stay in the city, right?

It was a mere hour-and-a-half train ride from Monterosso to the main train station in Genoa. We were staying in near the Old Port, Porto Antico. It was an interesting half hour walk from the train station as we got an introduction to the Caruggi di Genova, the narrow alleyways of the city. Our hotel, the Best Western Hotel Porto Antico Genoa was right down one of these side streets. We had arrived too early to check in, so we stored our luggage and went for a walk.

There are quite a few things to see in the area. It seemed quite touristy during the days, but quiet during the evenings. We quickly figured out things when we saw two cruise ships in port. Still, in spite of having a population of over a half-million, things seemed so relaxed.

It was interesting to watch folks line up for the Bigo a lift on cranes which give you views of the city.

We decided to just relax, especially after all the walking and hiking we did in the Cinque Terre. Just take our two nights and enjoy things.

While walking down the lovely porticos of the waterfront we noticed this little shop. The smell of frying seafood wafting in the air.

Looking things over, we got a "Misto a Piacere" (mixed seafood), "medio" (medium) for a mere 9,5€!

The Missus didn't want the calamari, so we got just the Gamberi Fritti (Shrimp) and Fritto di Pesce (Anchovy). Man the shrimp was fried nicely, still crisp, and quite briny-sweet.

I loved the crisp-savory anchovy. Like I said before, the seafood in Liguria!

Nothing like some good fry-o-lated seafood to get started in Genoa!

Antica Friggitoria Carega
Via di Sottoripa 113r
Genova, Italy

We decided do a bit more exploring before heading back to the hotel. There's quite a bit to do. The Genoa Aquarium is right across…well, across and under highway SS1 which hugs the shoreline, there's Vascello Neptune, a replica of a Spanish Galleon. It was market day at the port.

Part of which ran right under the highway.

We took our time checking things out.

And though we didn't find anything we were interested in; this little one seemed to be happy with its purchase!

We passed this historic building. It's the Palazzo San Giorgio, which is currently the HQ of the Port Authority. This lovely building was built in the 13th Century and the palace was once a prison.

Which housed the one and only Marco Polo. It is said that during his time in the prison, Marco Polo dictated his travels to a fellow prisoner; the writer Rustichello da Pisa. The manuscript which eventually became The Travels of Marco Polo!

A bit further down the port we noticed a location of Eataly.

Well, we'd been to Eataly locations in Copenhagen, Florence, and Bologna, so we thought why not check it out?

As always, there's much to tempt you if you have the $$$$ or in this case the €€€€.

The cheese looked quite enticing, but we were only spending two nights in the city.

And we'd find better ways to spend our Euros.

Still, it was a fun exploring…..

Eataly Genova
Edificio Millo, Calata Cattaneo 15
Genova, Italy

As we left the shop, we figured it was time to check in and take a break before heading out to dinner.

We were enjoying our time in Genova!

Thanks for stopping by!

Morro Bay – Giovanni’s Fish Market And Galley

February 6, 2025 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Seafood, Travel

JJ seemed to be enjoying Morro Bay. After taking a short break, we decided to head out for dinner.

Like I mentioned in previous post, I had forgotten that it was MLK Day, but during our pre-dinner walk, things didn't seem to busy. Well, when we set out for dinner it was a whole 'nother story. Places were packed; we stopped by the Galley which didn't take reservations hoping that because it was winter folks wouldn't be sitting on the patio…well there was an hour wait for a table! We went down my list and the story was the same…..man, it was busy!

In the end, we decided to check out the place we'd stopped by before Giovanni's Fish Market And Galley, which I recalled had an outdoor dining area to see what was going on.

So, the Missus went to take a look at the market, while went to the walk up window.

And while still waiting in line, the Missus returned with Her bounty. I ordered to supplement what She had bought.

She had gotten the smoked fish, which was mild in flavor.

IMG_5187b It was very moist; though it had a ton of bones. Still it was not bad.

She also got the smoked mussels, which had some "grit" and was on the chewy side, but still retained the oceany-sweetness and a touch of smokiness. Also not bad.

Of course, the important accompaniment was the Pitcher of Modelo.

IMG_5179b

Our favorite item of the meal were the Garlic Fries, which had been dusted, thus making it quite crisp.

They weren't shy about the amount of garlic or cheese, which made this quite enjoyable.

I also got a Dozen Oysters.

They also strangely gave me some packets of Tapatio….and after tasting the oysters I knew why. I'm always a fan of the "finish" when having oysters; these were on the chewier side and really mild in flavor. The Missus lamented the lack of a Mignonette, which cracked me up….as this was just a food stand of sorts.

It wasn't quite the dinner we had in mind.

Giovanni's Fish Market And Galley
1001 Front St.
Morro Bay, CA 93442

Though JJ wasn't complaining about things.

In fact, I think he offered to catch dinner for us; but I quickly pointed out the "No Fishing" sign……

And our after dinner walk was quite lovely!

Thanks for stopping by!

Wooltari Premium K-Food Opens on Clairemont Mesa

January 30, 2025 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers

My visit to the new location of Zion Market had me wondering what the status was of the upcoming San Diego location of the Korean specialty market Wooltari, which I first noticed was opening back in September in the Crossroads Center off Clairemont Mesa Boulevard. So, I drove on over and noticed that the front door of the shop was open!

Wooltari 01

I decided to park the car and stroll on over and perhaps take a peek inside.

When I was crossing the parking lot…the open sign was turned on! Ok, I guess they're open!

Wooltari 02

I walked on over and entered. And much like "FOY" Peter described based on his experience with the former business; the shop is a small rectangle with cold cases and freezers occupying east and west facing walls and shelves in the middle stocked with all kinds of goodies.

And this being a Korean based market, well ginseng specialty products greet you as you enter.

Wooltari 03

Speaking of greeted….well, I was met at the door by a very friendly and shall we say super-enthusiastic woman. She sort of became my "personal shopper" and insisted on following me and explaining what everything I looked at was, the source, and how that product was of great quality. Now, I really appreciated the enthusiasm and she was very nice; but I wanted to explore myself and of course the basic reason you'll not see too many general photos from this first visit was because she was right next to me the entire visit.

There was of course kimchi.

Wooltari 04

Yes, it is $55….but those are 5 kilo bags of baechu kimchi! I was so tempted and the woman told me where it was made in Korea, but I've forgotten. There's just no way I'd have enoguh room in the fridge and even containers to store the stuff once I open it. I'm wondering how long it would take us to finish this as well. Still, I'm tempted.

Wooltari 05

Wooltari 06

There are of course frozen meats….

And even Jokbal….

Wooltari 07

I did get a couple of items before leaving and I knew the Missus would enjoy shopping here. The woman was really nice, but a bit much.

Wooltari 08 Wooltari 09 Haven't tried the pajeon yet, but the Maneuljjong Muchim, the panchan made with garlic scapes was maybe the best I've had! Still quite crisp, decent, but not overwhelming spice and fermented tones, hint of sweetness, and most of all, great, pungent garlic flavor! It was awesome with some rice porridge…which we've been having quite often during these cold evenings. The Missus enjoyed the Mechurial Jjorim, the briased soy sauce quail eggs as well.

So, of course the Missus wanted to check the place out. We headed over after hitting up 99 Ranch Market arriving right when they opened. This time, there were two older gentlemen working; it was much more laid back, but they were also full of info as well! And they both had a great sense of humor when I joked about how much the Missus was going to spend.

Wooltari 02b

This time I managed to get a few photos to give you a better idea of the layout.

Wooltari 02c

The really nice gentleman told me "yes, we are more expensive than Zion or H Mart, but you won't find what we have there. Our buyers source regional specialties which are either packaged and distributed by various manufacturers or in some cases packaged by us. On the back of each bag, you will see the source location for each item."

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The highlight of the visit was when the gentleman, who knew I was Japanese, asked me if I liked "natto". I exclaimed that we both enjoy natto. He proceeded to grab a package from the shelf and give a sample of this.

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It's freeze dried fermented soybeans. We loved it! Crunchy, you get the initial sweetness from the coconut sugar and then it goes into funky "natto town"! If you like that flavor profile; you might enjoy this. We bought two bags.

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Of course the Missus got Her ginseng stuff and we haven't tried the mushroom soup thing yet.

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The Missus watches a lot of K-Dramas and shows on Netflix and Amazon and told me that LactoFit….it's a probiotic powder is one of the latest things.

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Ohhh-kay…..

The Missus is enjoying the frozen persimmon thing and seeing both chili and gobo type chips, well, I had to get those.

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You know me and gobo chips, right? These are interesting, both the chili pepper and gobo chips have been coated with corn starch and glutinous rice so both are quite crunchy. THe chili pepper chips are quite spicy, but that's about it. The Gobo chips have a nice earthy-sweetness, with a touch of saltiness.

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So, with the freeze dried fermented soybeans and the gobo chips I have two "keepers"! Wooltari 21

The Missus was admiring the sesame oil, when I told Her it was "time". The two guys working cracked up!

We were told that Wooltari will be having their grand opening on Valentine's Day and are currently in soft opening mode.

I think it's a nice addition to the area!

Wooltari
7420 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111

If you do check them out; let me know what you think!