Markets & Grocers – Page 30

COMC: Phnom Penh – Kampong Thom Market, Asia Hotel…and something else.

April 7, 2009 mmm-yoso Cambodia, Chains, Markets & Grocers

COMC, definition: When a kind of forgetful blogger tries to "Clean Out the Memory Card" and posts on events that happened quite a while back.

Recently, the Missus reminded me that I had never posted on our two days in Phnom Penh. I didn't believe Her…."there's no way I forgot to do posts on Phnom Penh." And yet I did. So pardon me while I C(lean) O(ut the) M(emory) C(ard) and catch up on all those potential posts that have been languishing on my hard drive.

We had decided to "bus it" to Phnom Penh from Siem Reap, it was cheap, and it gave a glimpse of the countryside. The bus happened to make a stop in Kampong Thom. And while everyone rushed into the nice and clean restaurant and shop. We noticed something several blocks away. It was a rather large market. It was situated on a large dusty, drab, patch of dirt, with piles of garbage lying around, but it was interesting. It was also fascinating to note that no one on the bus ventured even close to this market. So here's a few photos:

How's this for a big pile of bugs?

Andof course there's always prepared food….. just as in Vietnam, Baguette Sandwiches are very popular.

And there were several of these typical eating stands.

Each stand had pots or trays lined with dishes…a steam table, without steam. You were free to peer into the pots, and eyeball the various items.

You pick out what you want, and the dishes usually come with rice…..have a seat and eat.

Unfortunately we had a bus to catch…..

We made it into Phnom Penh, and in spite of the very comfortable bus ride on the very clean Mekong Express Bus ($10 Siem Reap to Phnom Penh), after hitting the National Museum of Cambodia I needed a rest. Instead of staying along Tonle Sap, we decided to stay on busy Monivong Boulevard. Our Hotel was the Asia Hotel. This hotel has a special place in our heart…..it was quite quirky in several ways. First, many of the folks working here are somewhat detached, but the folks who are nice, are really…well kinda overboard nice. The lobby smelled kind of strange…the fragrances from the attached restaurant permeated everything as the lobby did not have great ventilation. And then there were the signs….everywhere….. Tons of signs in the lobby of things you cannot do:

Everything from No Cooking and No Durian, to no drying laundry, to no bringing strange women (!) into your room. And it seemed that management would not be responsible for anything!

And to top it off there was this sign…yes you too can fire off a B40 Rocket Launcher for just 200 bucks!

When I read the ($8 US) "go to shooting by taxis 2 ways"…..I couldn't stop laughing. I hope no one took that literally! BTW, I saw a couple of young men "packing" when we went for a walk….I'm guessing this is legal in Cambodia. And there was a fridge in lobby where you could grab a bottle (or two, or three, or….) of beer, and an attendant would pop the top, and you'd trot off to your room…..

And then there were the hallways. Did you ever see the movie "Ju-on" (the Grudge)? I found the perfect setting for a sequel. The gloss white along with bad flourescent lighting, combined with rather tight hallways, is not very flattering.

In spite of these somewhat amusing quirks, the rooms were very large, clean, and the hot water was….well hot!

And thankfully, the A/C worked well, and the beds were comfortable.

And on the cleanliness note. This young lady was death on two legs for any flying insect in the lobby. We called her the "Ex-term-in-NATOR", and she worked with a dedicated fervor. I'm still looking for one of those battery powered fly zappers……but I don't know if they sell them here in the states.

And yet, there was something even more amusing……

When we checked in, one of the young men, looked at me proudly, and guided me toward an adjoining doorway, telling me: "we are very modern, and advanced…."

So what was he talking about…..some kind of cutting edge technology?

Something advanced?

"We are the first to have……" He proudly puffed out his chest.

"A KFC in Cambodia!"

Yep folks, you heard it right here. And this KFC did bang up business…plus the Missus turned out to be quite fond of Mirinda Orange.

Of course this KFC had it's own regional specialty:

Called Colonel Rice (which I believe is a Malaysian KFC item), which I tried….it's rice in some bland seasoning with sweet raisins (ick) covered with gravy. One thing I did like was the inclusion of chili paste with everything.

Just think, among all of the strong selling points of the hotel, big rooms, cold A/C, comfy beds…..KFC outshone them all!

$5 Fry-Day (Really) – Convoy Sushi and Fish Market

March 20, 2009 mmm-yoso Korean Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Seafood, Sushi and Sashimi

*** Convoy Sushi is now Sushi Yaro.

Meet my friend Abe:

Things have been kinda tough recently, we've been seeing lots of Abe's going out, with less arriving in return. Sheesh, in most cases you can't even get a bowl of Pho for five bucks anymore. Even Banh Mi's are topping out at over three bucks! Solutions? Sorry to say, I don't have any…..but maybe there are still a few reasonable options out there. I'm not asking for anything ridiculous. I just want to feel like I got my money's worth. You know what I mean?

When I first saw that Convoy Sushi and Fish Market had opened, I wasn't really moved. In fact, I found the $5 lunch to go sign, along with the mention of "Sushi Rolls, Fish & Chips, Ceviche, and Ahi Salad" for five bucks to be downright scary. Luckily, I have folks like FOY (Friend of Yoso), Trent, to set me right. A couple of weeks ago, I got an email from Trent telling me that while the food may be nothing amazing, it is fresh, prepared decently, and you feel like you get your money's worth.

Hey, if it's good enough for Trent…….

This little shop looks fresh and clean…and most of all smells, fresh and clean.

On one side is the fish market portion, with Catalina Offshore Uni, sides of maguro, dried squid, a tank of live prawns and abalone, and pre-packed sushi.

Next to the packaged items is a small table of whole fish. As you can see, some look fresher than others…..some are suffering from "cloudy eyes".

But I was here for the lunches. Deciding to "play it safe" I ordered the Fish, Ika, and Chips, parted with my "Abe" and change, and soon enough received a large styrofoam container with the cut out corner oozing steam.

Unpacked in the car, this is what it looked like.

Wow…this was five bucks? Three white fish filets…moist and fresh. Three pieces of Ika – squid, soft, and not bad at all. The fries were totally routine. I thought the batter to be rather "gummy", and these are best eaten right away, as they get soggy pretty quickly. One more reason for eating it at one of the tables in the market….my car still smells of fry-o-lated fish and squid!

Still, from the value standpoint, this was not bad. It was good enough for me to have the Missus check this place out. So armed with a couple of "Abe's" we made our way back to Convoy Fish…..

The Missus decided to order the Grilled Ahi Salad.

This didn't look bad for five bucks. Six slices of seared, lower grade maguro, slices of avocado ad cucumber, on mixed greens. Frankly, I expected iceberg lettuce. I don't know how this salad was since the Missus scarfed it all up before I had a taste. But to quote the Missus, "the tuna was on the dry side, but not bad, the sesame dressing was okay, the greens and avocado were very fresh."

She also wanted to try the Ceviche…so bye-bye Abe…..

The ceviche was really packed into this container. Now usually I'd hesitate in ordering this, but the Missus had just had some "pretty mediocre ceviche" when dining with Her "ladies who do lunch" group. It cost Her nine bucks, and "was only half this, and not even close to being as good." This was a fairly straight-forward ceviche, good amount of shrimp and fish. It came with a large container of chips.

As we dug deeper into the container, it tasted better and better. The jalapeno started kicking in. This was not bad…pretty generic, but worth the five bucks. The Missus enjoyed it.

So what did I get?

It was the Pound of Mixed Seafood…also five bucks. This was just dusted with flour, which made it lighter than the Fish & Chips. The seafood was fresh, with lots of good sized shrimp(unshelled), and tasty baby octopus. The bay scallops were pretty much an after thought, and I thought this could use a bit more seasoning. I'm not a big fan of the tartar sauce…but the ketchup-y cocktail sauce is okay….in a tastes bottled kinda way. This was well worth my hard earned "Abe".

So is this worth it? I think you need to ask yourself. What would you rather have, a $5 sandwich from Subway, or a pound of fried seafood? The food won't set the culinary world on fire, but we think it's worth it.

This Korean owned business is starting to get busy. Lots of folks buying sushi. You may want to give it a shot for yourself. Lunch is served Monday through Saturday from 11 am through 230 pm.

Convoy Sushi & Fish Market
7905 Engineer Road
San Diego, CA 92111

Mon-Wed 11am – 230pm
Thurs-Sat 10am – 7pm
Sunday 1pm – 5pm

Lunch Served 11am – 230 pm Mon-Sat(!)

Postscript: Earlier this evening I found the Missus just sitting, doing nothing, just sitting as if waiting for something……very unusual as the Missus is usually pretty much in constant motion during this time of the day. When I inquired as to why She was just kinda sitting around, I was told, "I'm waiting for the diarrhea to start…..it was so cheap, something must be wrong with the food!" What a pessimist!

Thanks again for the recommendation Trent!

T & L Food Incorporated and Roasting Sichuan Peppercorns

March 7, 2009 mmm-yoso Cooking, Markets & Grocers

A few years ago, FOYs CandiceW and Trent told me that T&L Food, a wholesaler on Engineer Road right off of Ruffner Street, did general sales to the public. The subject at that time was frozen dumplings. It's something I filed away, but had never had the chance to follow-up on. Late last year, the Missus and I were having dinner at Ba Ren. The subject of getting good Sichuan Peppercorns came up. The peppercorns we got from 99 Ranch Market were decent, but lost pungency quickly. The Missus asked Wendy, one of the Ba Ren's owners about Sichuan Peppercorns. And Wendy, always helpful, told the Missus to get the peppercorns from T&L Foods! We were told that they go through stock quickly, so the peppercorns are fresher.

Say no more…..

T&L is a food wholesaler and warehouse that does sale to the public.

If you need things in bulk, this might be an option.

And the variety of products is good….it reminded me a bit of TS Emporium in City of Industry.

A room in the back is stocked with woks and pots, cleansers, pots, pans, tea pots…you name it.

So just in case you need to add to your "generic Chinese Restaurant plate collection". This might be the place for you.

I didn't have much time to look around, but I'll be back. I want to check out the collection of pickled vegetables. You may want to check T&L out as well. There is no minimum purchase requirement, we just bought a bag of Sichuan Peppercorns. All the customers in front of us were buying stuff like rice, MSG, etc…..

T & L Food Incorporated
7373 Engineer Rd
San Diego, CA 92111

Roasting Sichuan Peppercorns:

This is for FOY Dave, who emailed me something folks have commented on a few times. It seems that the Sichuan Peppercorns that Dave had purchased really didn't have much of the "ma la" (numbing – spicy) effect that he appreciates. The flavor was more bitter, with lots of hard "bits and pieces". When I inquired as to how he roasts the peppercorns, the response was, "just like on television, I start with a cold pan, crank up the heat, and toast them…."

I'm far from a expert on this, but I think I know what the problem is. It's cranking the heat up when roasting the Sichuan Peppercorns. I've had the best results starting with a cold wok, and than slowly coax the fragrance out of this little pod of the fruit of a species of prickly ash. I take my time time roasting the peppercorns. I also only make a small amount, perhaps 4-6 tablespoons of peppercorns at a time, which will yield about half the amount of ground Sichuan Pepper. Burning the Sichuan Peppercorns will make them bitter.

So here goes…..

– In a cold wok, place 4-6 tablespoons of whole Sichuan Peppercorns.
– Heat wok over low heat, stir frying for 5-8 minutes until the lemony-anise fragrance fills the kitchen. The peppercorns may smoke, but should not be actively "popping" (a little is ok), like you see on television. Do not burn it will make the Sichuan Peppercorn bitter.
– When the peppercorns darken, remove from wok and let cool.
– Once cool you may grind them in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. I tend to make a rough grind in the mortar, and sift twice to remove the unwanted branches and pieces. You'll end up with a 1/2 to 1/3 yield.
– Store in a airtight jar and use ASAP.

If I'm using it in dishes as "La zi ji" (Chicken with Chilies) or Ma Po Dofu, I like a rougher grind. If I'm using the Sichuan Peppercorn for Sichuan Pepper Salt, I'll further make a finer grind.

Oh, how were the Sichuan Peppercorns we bought at T & L? The brand was one that we regularly purchased, but these were much fresher. We did have to purchase a whole pound, which took us about 4 months to use up. It was very fragrant to the end…….

Luang Prabang: Tamarind Cooking School Part 1 – Trip to Phousy Market

February 3, 2009 mmm-yoso Laos, Luang Prabang, Markets & Grocers, Travel

In previous Luang Prabang post, I mentioned two personal rules that I broke during our stay in Luang Prabang. The first was buying t-shirts, the second was taking a cooking class. I had never really been interested in taking a cooking class, but because we were staying in Luang Prabang for 6 days, why not? Plus, I really didn't know very much about Lao, or Luang Prabang cuisine. I had read up a bit about Tamarind Restaurant, and thought why not? The Missus made other "shopping" plans for the day, and I made reservations for the cooking class.

Tamarind was located right around the corner from our hotel, right across from Wat Nong Sikhounmuong.

The class is pretty much an all-day affair, and cost $25 US. The fearless leader of our group of Aussies, Brits, French, and yours truly, the token Asian-American was Joy Ngeuamboupha, who, along with Caroline Gaylard, own Tamarind. Joy and his sisters work the kitchen of Tamarind.

The first part of the class was a market tour of Phousy Market, which is the largest market in Luang Prabang, and supplies many of the homes and restaurants in Luang Prabang. Phousy Market (also spelled Phosy Market) is vastly different in scale than the morning Fresh Market, the products sold are much more mainstream (relatively), and there are some pretty large vendors in the market.

We all jumped on a soon to be overloaded tuk-tuk, and headed off to market.

I'll keep the text down to descriptions, a few things I learned about Lao food and eating habits, and a few anecdotes from here on.

As with all of these type of markets, everything is separated.

Which included the all important Water Buffalo Skin.

Available in all shapes and sizes, I was most familiar with the slices used for Jeow Bong, the wonderful Chili Dip.

Of course there were dried chilies:

And Padek in many stages of, ummm, fermentation.

Joy noted: "As you can see, no flies. When it is good, the flies won't touch it!" I thought perhaps the inverse was true……

One large portion was devoted to the varied produce available in Luang Prabang.

Here's Joy with a piece of Sa-Khan (piper ribesioides), which is used in the making of Or Lam, the various Lao stews.

And of course, there were "Hops", the stuff we saw eveyone munching on. I also learned that the flowers are edible as well.

And of course chilies, like these bright little ones:

At this stop Joy asked if anyone wanted to try one of these chilies. Seeing there were no takers, I decided to volunteer. Now Mom always told me, "the smaller the chili, the hotter it is." And man were these tiny chilies hot! Even though I didn't let the chili touch my lip, I felt an almost scalding heat in my mouth. I wanted to let out a "whooooaaa", but could only let out a "gakkkk." At which point I noticed that all the women vendors had stopped, and were watching me. They just started cracking up, and laughing. Joy told me, "the ladies say, only the tourists are crazy enough to eat these chilies by themselves……"

As we walked pass the fruits, and stopped by this lovely pile of Sapodilla, Joy answered aquestion I had about fruit. We had noticed a lack of fruit in the very tropical Luang Prabang, and I was wondering why.

The reason? It is believed that fruit is for the very young, and the very old, who have problems chewing, or little or no teeth.

Eggs were another little learning moment for me.

All eggs that are produced in Laos are stamped. If there are no stamps on the eggs it means that it was probably imported. Eggs with what looks like hand written numbers on them are fertilized duck or chicken eggs (aka Balut), and the numbers indicate the gestational age of the eggs.

And soon it was off to the meat "department":

I learned that in Luang Prabang, offal is much more expensive and treasured than lean cuts.

I also learned that Water Buffalo is getting to be much more expensive. Machinery is slowly replacing the Water Buffalo for use in agriculture, so there are less of them.

I was also surprised at how many turkeys I saw.

With the Mekong River on one side, and the Khan River on the other, you knew that fish and other products of the river was quite important.

This catfish was very much alive, and even tried to bite my finger off. I was told that it can live for quite a long while out of the water.

On the outer perimeter of the market reside some of the more interesting items, like bee larvae hives.

And all manner of dried "meat".

You could make out some fish, birds, and various rodents. But I had no clue what some of this stuff was.

Soon enough, Joy met us at the tuk-tuk, with a little plastic bag filled with greenish liquid, and a little bamboo tube. I guess it was time to start cookin'!

Stay tuned for part 2!

Road Trip: Ajisen Ramen & Diamond Jamboree Shopping Center – Irvine (OC)

January 21, 2009 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Orange County, Ramen, Road Trip

**** This location of Ajisen has closed

I had purposely not gotten a large bowl of Pho at Pho Thanh Lich, so that I'd have a chance for another meal on my way back from the 'OC'. Plus, I wanted to check out the new Diamond Jamboree Shopping Center. I had decided a nice bowl of ramen would do the trick, and selected Ajisen Ramen.

Now, I know that Ajisen is a Chinese run Ramen chain, with over 300 outlets around the world, that according to Rameniac has strayed far from its Kumamoto roots. Still, I'd gotten a few recommendations, so I thought I'd check it out. At the time I arrived there were only a few tables occupied in the place. The dining area was ind of cramped, and not in the cozy ramen shop-izakaya kind of way.

The second thing I noticed, was a lack of a certain sound….slurping. There were folks having bowls of ramen, but not a single one of them were slurping….which made me feel a tad uncomfortable. You see, over the years, I've gotten used to, and now, relish the noise that a good bowl of ramen makes. It's almost like you can hear a great bowl of ramen before you smell or see it. I once knew a very proper Japanese girl named "Reiko". Now Reiko-chan, would never think or even conceive of slurping down some Chow Mein, or Spaghetti, but place a good bowl of ramen before her, and she would be instantly transformed into a slurp machine befitting of a certain truck driver many are familiar with.When asked why, she explained thusly: "Kirk-san, you cannot help it, when it tastes good, you must!" 'Nuff said….

All I wanted was a basic bowl of Ramen, so Iordered the Ajisen Ramen ($7.50), which also was the most inexpensive ramen.

Being used to Santouka portion sizes, I found the bowl that arrived to be pretty large. There was also quite a bit of cabbage, wakame, and hijiki in the broth, and the scent and flavor of the garlic oil, wakame, and hijiki, wiped out any subtle flavor the broth would have. The broth was lukewarm, which would usually be a real a no-no with a rich tonkotsu style(rapidly boiled pork bone based) broth, but in this case the broth was so thin it didn't really matter. No matter how cold the broth got, I doubted that a "skin" would ever develop. From what I've read Kumamoto style noodles are known to be softer than the more well known Hakata Ramen, and yes the noodles were a bit softer, and lacked a nice elasticity that I enjoy. The chashu (braised pork) had a nice caramelization, which added some texture, and tasted a bit on the sweeter side. It was probably the best part of the dish.

The service I received was curt, but professional. And the young lady managing the front was really very, very, nice, almost respectful….probably because I seemed to be at least (at least) a decade older than anyone else in the room.

The restaurant had filled up by the time I left, a mere 30 minutes later. Without a doubt, Ajisen is quite popular. Still, tilting my head toward the mass of ramen eaters, I could here nary a slurp….and that says a lot in my book.

Ajisen Ramen
2700 Alton Pkwy
Irvine, CA 92606

Elmo article from OC Weekly, here.

Ajisen Ramen is located in Diamond Jamboree Shopping Center which is a far cry from the typical LA Asian Stripmall, or even Focus Plaza, in it's size, and breath:

The focus is multi-cultural, and perhaps multi-con-fusional, with Crepes de Paris, next to Capital Seafood, next to BCD Tofu house, across from BBQ Chicken, which is next to a Greek Restaurant, with Tokyo Table on one end. In spite of the rather large parking lot, I think this place must be a zoo. Especially since there is only one small parking lot entrance. In fact, as I left, the parking lot was full, and the mall is only half occupied.

The mall is anchored by an outlet of the Korean Supermarket Chain H Mart, which strangely enough, has a fairly small parking area allocated in front of the market.

For those who fear the sights, scents, and sounds of Asian Markets, H Mart is for you. No worries of seeing or smelling piles of dried squid or dried filefish here. In fact, the first thought that came to me when I entered H Mart, was….. Whole Foods:

Everything is nicely wrapped, or behind glass, with no odors assaulting you.

Things are tidy, and the store is very clean. The prices of the produce seemed on the high side, but I found the meat, and other items to be reasonable.

And yet, I felt something was missing……but it was probably just me.

Diamond Jamboree Shopping Center
2700-2750 Alton Parkway
Irvine, CA 92606

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Thuan Phat Market, and Yum Cha Cafe coming to San Diego

December 28, 2008 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers

If you're a regular reader of mmm-yoso, you know I've been following the opening of Thuan Phat Supermarket in the former Vien Dong location. Now that the crowds have calmed down a bit, we decided to check the place out.

First thing I noticed was the "SF" logo, and after returning home, I found that Thuan Fat and Shun Fat (aka SF) Supermarket are basically one in the same. Though it was noted that each Supermarket adjusts what they carry for the demographic.

Walking into Thuan Phat, you'd notice little difference from the former Vien Dong market.

The store is brighter, and looks cleaner. But the basic layout is pretty much the same.

This being basically an SF Supermarket makes for a good variety of products, and though the focus of the produce, and most items being Vietnamese, there's also a good selection of Chinese products as well.

The variety of seafood is good, as are the prices. I'm not sure if the prices observed will be regular prices, or are just a grand opening draw.

And though I found all of this interesting, I was a bit distracted. I was on the hunt for verification of some info I was given.

FOY "Chia" mentioned that Yum Cha Cafe was opening in Thuan Phat. In case you aren't familiar with Yum Cha Cafe, it is a very popular take-out Dim Sum (Yum Cha) shop located in the San Gabriel Superstore. It's not the most mind-boggling Dim Sum you'll ever have, but it has always been of decent quality, and very cheap. This made perfect sense since the company that owns Shun Fat and Thuan Phat, also owns the San Gabriel Superstore. I did notice the construction taking place in the now partitioned former "deli" area:

Walking around the corner I noticed a doorway. Above the doorway was all the verification I needed:

So it looks like dining in the Linda Vista area is getting more and more interesting……..

In case you're wondering about Yum Cha Cafe, you can read Wandering Chopsticks post about the San Gabriel location, here.

Thuan Phat Supermarket
6935 Linda Vista Road
San Diego, CA 92111

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Luang Prabang: The Morning Fresh Market

December 22, 2008 mmm-yoso Laos, Luang Prabang, Markets & Grocers, Travel

The Fresh Produce Market in Luang Prabang gets going pretty early in the morning. I've been told 5am or so. I really wasn't too excited about visiting the market since it was located on a side street right past the Palace Museum, and just steps from tourist central. Man, was I totally wrong! The Fresh Market proved to be the most fascinating market I've ever visited. The following photos were taken during the course of our stay in Luang Prabang, as we passed through the market on the way to "Same-Same" every morning. It got even more interesting after I started recognizing some of the more exotic items after taking a cooking class. So off we go…..

At first glance, this market looks just like any other outdoor market in Southeast Asia.

There's a ton of fresh produce:

The covered meat and poultry section….

Where I snapped one of my favorite photos….

And all the usual suspects.

Everything you'd need, and also a ton of prepared food as well.

And so we strolled along. Just your typical SEA market, ho-de-do (Lunag Prabang has a way of putting you into a calm, relaxed state)….until we turned the corner.

And ummm, isn't that chopped and portioned python? And what about all those honeycombs?

And were those silkworms? And what the heck is in that blue bucket? Is that someone's pet, or "what's for dinner?"

Later on we'd (well, I) found that fried silkworms and bee larvae are delicious!

There's a lot of various dried critters, many of which are used to flavor various Or Lam (stews).

And there were many forest animals, some cleaned and prepped, and some, like that snake on the left, very alive.

And those little bodies in the center were the same as the little dude in the blue bucket. I was told they called these "forest rats". And no, we never saw any Laotian Rock Rats. But this was a veritable edible zoo.

There is a premium on "live"…….

I also saw a good number of turkeys, something I didn't expect.

This woman sold live poultry, which were kept in baskets. Inquire about one of her chickens, she'd quickly pull one out of the basket in a smooth motion for inspection.

Purchase something, and it is dispatched and cleaned in a quick and efficient manner.

The variety is staggering!

Water Buffalo Skin is very popular for dishes like Jeow Bong…..

And no matter how many times we visited, we always noticed something new and different. Like the weird human looking "fruit" the sign said was "Karipom". I haven't been able to find anything on this, so if you have some info I'd love to hear from you!

And there were those items we learned to identify after eating and learning to cook some of the dishes. Like the river moss that they make into Khai Pene:

On the lower left are "Lao Olives", on the right, Sa-Khan, the branches used to flavor Or Lam:

This is called Cha-om….and if you think it looks familiar, you'd be right. It's acacia.

On the right is Wick Wai – Rattan, also used to flavor stews:

Many of the folks in the market are very friendly….even to clueless tourists like us. The (relative) cleanliness was also apparent.

Many of the vendors live in the forests, mountains, and along the rivers surrounding Luang Prabang. Much of what you see is what was gathered for market. Sometimes it's just a few items….a bird, or maybe a few mushrooms……

Whether you want them unplucked, or ready for cooking, you'll find it here.

And of course, that all important staple, Padek, is represented in full ripeness.

I started looking forward to our walks through the market every morning. You'd never knew what you'd see. And in spite of the camcorder carrying tourists, this is a vibrant "people's" market.

At the end of the market is the grill area…….. where all manner of sausages and "meat on a stick" are grilled up.

Grilled pork belly is very popular……

Ever had the feeling that someones dinner was staring you down????

So if you're ever in Luang Prabang, don't forget to check out the Fresh Produce Market….. you'll never know what you'll find!

Saturday Stuffs: Update on 97 Market moving and becoming The Village Market, and Thuan Phat Supermarket opens

December 13, 2008 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers

I drove up to 97 Market to stock up on Beer Lao, and was told that they won't be bringing in Beer Lao until they finish moving at the end of January. So when I asked where they were moving to, I was handed this pamphlet, and of course all the information was there!

To bad I don't read Cambodian……

But as always with the nice folks here, I was given some directions to the new location, and the bottom half of the flier was pretty clear.

So I followed the handy-dandy map, and this will be the location of The Village Market, right off of University on 30th street.

Pretty interesting location. No Asian markets nearby……

4679 University Avenue.

Thuan Phat Market opens:

Having received a flier in the mail, I drove by earlier this morning.

You can't make out the huge mob, but it was packed! I don't ever recall seeing cars parked in the stalls near Linda Vista Road…. must be the free 10 pounds of rice being given away to the first 500 customers. I think I'll wait until the mob settles down to visit. But just in case you've been waiting for the market to open…. it's here!

And if I wasn't already confused….

Check out this restaurant, right off of Aero Drive:

It is just one restaurant…really. But two different signs. The greaseboard in the front lists Chinese "lunch specials". What made it more confusing is that the Owner is Vietnamese….. but no Vietnamese dishes on the menu.

How (not) to plan a vacation the mmm-yoso way….And yet another update on the (former) Vien Dong III Supermarket

October 12, 2008 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers, Travel, yoso-silly

One day after we returned from our trip to Vietnam and Cambodia, the Missus was after me to start planning our next vacation. Our first idea was:

We both thought this would be a great idea……I’d get to eat my fill in Merida, and other towns, and the Missus has always wanted to visit Chichen Itza and Uxmal, and perhaps even get some beach time in at Tulum. Just as I was about to pull the trigger, something happened, and we thought that maybe we should do this some other time.

So up next was another bright idea:

Tikal is another site on the Missus’s list, and the areas we planned to visit were away from the paths of most hurricanes. As a plus, I thought we’d bus our way into El Salvador. But what stopped us this time, were the ticket prices….they started in the mid $300 range…and slowly approached $800!

About the time I was contemplating just calling it a year, some civil unrest took place in another country. Now the Missus knows not to trifle with Mother Nature, but a little civil unrest, in a Country that is known as "The Land of Smiles", and that we’ve always heard fantastic things about? The only thing that the Missus, a classic opportunist, thought was "lower ticket prices!" And so it came about, by the time I purchased our airline tickets, the Prime Minister of Thailand was forced to resign for taking payments for appearing on a cooking show.(!) There’s got to be some irony there somehow…..so maybe this is the trip that was meant to be.

We’ll soon find out. As many of you are reading this, we’re on the way to LAX. This may be a bit different than other trips. Other than making our first nights hotel reservations, we’ll be "winging it", with just a basic outline, and no real plans. I only know when we’ll be arriving in Bangkok, and when we leave, everything else is wide open. The basic outline is to spend a day or two in Bangkok, than head North, past Nong Khai into Laos, and Vientiane, and eventually Luang Prabang, before heading back to Thailand. I think I’m a bit old to be traveling by the seat of my pants, but what the heck…..

And even though I now have the largest collection of Lonely Planet guides in San Diego, at least we know where we are headed, sort of……

So I’ll now turn you over to Cathy, who I can’t thank enough for keeping our blog’s heart beating. I’ll try to check in every now and then, but other than that, we’ll see you in a few weeks!

One last update:

As mentioned by "Sam" in a previous post. Vien Dong Market is now going to be a location of Thuan Phat Supermarket.

I know there’s a Thuan Phat Supermarket in Westminster, so I’m wondering if they are affiliated?

Clearing Out the Memory Card – Revisits to, Pho King, Sab-E-Lee, Tita’s Kitchenette, Okan, Ba Ren, & one more. Plus some Vien Dong Linda Vista rumors.

October 8, 2008 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Filipino Restaurants, Japanese Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Thai Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

I can't believe how many photos I've stashed away for no good reason. It hardly ever rains here in San Diego, so if I'm saving 'em for a rainy day, these'll never see the light of day. And usually, if I return to a restaurant several times, I pretty much stop taking photos. But these are exceptions, and instead of a rainy day, we'll just have to say I saved these for one, super hot-dry, SoCal day. So hot, to prevent my fingers from melting on my keyboard, I'm going to keep the verbiage to a minimum. So let's see how many different cuisines I can hit in one post.

Pho King:

Yes, it's the Hu Tieu Mi Kho(large – $7.25), from the unfortunately named Pho King.

And even though the ingredients aren't quite the same on each visit, and the pork-soy sauce mixture is a sodium bomb, I like this. Being served "dry", also makes it a pretty good dish for a scalding day.

Just don't eat the Pho'.

Pho King Restaurant
4658 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

Speaking of don't eat the Pho, check out what FOY, and one of my favorite bloggers, Jelly, ate….this is what they call Pho in Ulsan. Jenn asked me not to weep, but it's hard not too….

Even more Sab-E-Lee:

**** This location of Sab-E-Lee has closed

The Shrimp Larb($6.95):

Man, this was the hottest thing I've had at Sab-E-Lee so far(And I've had more than a few items from the menu)…nearly burned my lips off.

A bit more toward my taste was the Nam Sohd ($6.95):

If you've ever had Nem Chua (Vietnamese fermented sausage), you'd know what the flavor of Nam Sohd was like. It is a fermented sausage, less dense than it's Vietnamese counterpart, lighter, and with whole peppers embedded in the meat. Combined with a slice of raw garlic, some galangal, and maybe a chili or two…it will surely get your attention.

What I found interesting was that this is listed under "Salads" on the menu. What was really good, but I don't have a photo of is the Larb Pet, the grilled duck larb. The Missus scarfed it all up before I had a chance to even catch a whiff of it. She did mention that it was very good, so I'll have to take Her word for it.

Sab-E-Lee Restaurant
2405 Ulric St
San Diego, CA 92111

Tita's Kitchenette:

3 years after my first post on Tita's, and I still ask myself the same question. How can 1 person finish all this?

MG was kind enough to pick up lunch for us, and in addition to the lechon kawale, was nice enough to pick up something "more healthy" (in relative terms) a Tortang Talong, what they call an "eggplant omelette". I wasn't even able to make a dent in this!

Tita's Kitchenette
2720 East Plaza Boulevard
National City, CA 91950

In case you wondering how they make this, you can find a nice YouTube-y thing here.

Wa Dining Okan:

We've dropped by Wa Dining Okan a few times since my last post. And though the Gobo Salad wasn't up to par on our last visit. I really enjoyed the Beef Tataki ($8.25):

Light, tasty, good acid, quite nice.

Wa Dining Okan
3860 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Ba Ren:

**** Ba Ren has closed

What would one of these posts be without Ba Ren. After all these years, still our favorite. If you want to read previous posts, you can find a listing on my rotation page. Not much more to add, just a few photos:

Steamed Pumpkin stuffed with Pork (#129 – $14.99, you need to call one day ahead).

I've had this a few times before, but it was especially good on this visit! This was during dinner with Ed from Yuma & Tina. I'll let Ed comment if he desires.

And of course during other visits; the usual suspects.

Ba Ren
4957 Diane Ave
San Diego, CA 92117

And one more just for the heck of it:

This one is for FOY JeffreyC:

I know how much he enjoys Katsudon. It's a bit too hot for that right now……but this version from Kayaba was passable.

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

I hope you enjoyed, this little collection…..

Recently heard about Vien Dong Market in Linda Vista:

I can't confirm this, but I recently heard from a very good FOY, that the former Owners of this location of Vien Dong has reacquired the lease. This would mean that Vien Dong would reopen after a renovation. Again, this has not been confirmed…so if anyone knows anything…let us know!

Hope you're all having a great week!