Markets & Grocers – Page 31

Roadtrip: Be Thui from Cho Ben Thanh Market – Westminster (Orange County)

August 24, 2008 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers, Orange County, Road Trip, Vietnamese Restaurants

A funny thing has happened since I’ve started this little ol’ food blog. Among the emails I receive, there’s always bound to be one naming some dish I’ve never heard of before. And it usually goes something like this: "Kirk, have you ever tried xxxxxx? I don’t eat it myself, but my (fill in the blank – Father, Mother, Uncle, Grandfather) just loves the stuff." I guess it’s just a sign of old age, I’m getting lumped in with what "Dad" eats. However, this one came from a good "FOY" (friend of yoso!!!), TammyC. The basic gist of the email was that her Dad loves what she called "almost raw baby cow meat dip" from Cho Ben Thanh Market in Westminster. Not quite the most appetizing of descriptions, but TammyC knows my "tastes" pretty well, and recommended I try it out. I understood that I was a bit out of my depth here, and perhaps needed a bit of help. This, of course, was a job for the man we simply call "Beach"! Of course he knew exactly what I was describing. Always generous with his time, Beach agreed to meet me, and in fact took me on a whirlwind little tour of some of Little Saigon’s little shops and eateries. It was a wonderful 2 hours, and will be the subject of a future post.

Our fourth (yes fourth) stop on the tour was Cho Ben Thanh Market…..and a plastic vat of pinkish meat covered with a powdery substance….. Be Thui. Beach explained that this version is roasted veal, dusted with rice powder, and is eaten with a ginger based dipping sauce and basil. The market itself is fairly busy, and the shoppers (mostly women) are pretty aggressive.

You haven’t lived until you’ve seen an anxious group of women with tongs (not thongs) attack a steaming vat of intestines. The gentleman manning the register seemed to grow 2 extra pairs of arms as he deftly handled all of the transactions coming at him. Beach made sure I got what I came for, the gentleman covered his hand with a plastic bag, grabbed a handful of the meat, folded the bag over, and that was it. I paid, and fearful of what damage ladies with tongs could do, beat a hasty retreat.

After I arrived home, I opened up my little package and checked out my Be Thui.

Slices of very pink meat along with fat and skin, coated in rice powder and sesame seeds. I tried some straight out of the bag, and the meat had a chewy texture almost like that of cured meat. Being veal, the flavor was very mild, and though the fragrance had a bit of a "metallic" edge to it, it was not reflected in the meat, as the rice powder had absorbed much of the moisture of the meat, and provided a bit of a nutty flavor to the whole thing. The pieces of skin were on the crunchy side.

And so I made myself a plate.

The real star of the show was the dipping sauce, made with what Beach said was Tuong Cu Da, a fermented bean sauce. According to Wikipedia the sauce is made in a town in the Hà Tây Province, which as of 2008 is now a part of Hanoi. It was the ginger in the fairly salty sauce that really shown through. Though the Missus wouldn’t touch the Be Thui, she kept tasting the sauce. The combination of the dipping sauce and the basil gave the dish a very clean and refreshing flavor.

As Beach pointed out, this would be pretty good with a "cold one". Should you want to brave the "women with tongs" you can get Be Thui, and a whole range of Offal at Cho Ben Thanh Market.

Cho Ben Thanh Market
9172 Bolsa Avenue
Westminster, CA 92683

I’d never had thought to try this without that wonderful email from TammyC, and Beach’s(who should do food tours of Little Saigon) help. So thanks again to both of you!

BaLe Linda Vista Reopens

July 30, 2008 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Markets & Grocers, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

*** Bale has closed and is now Farm Sandwiches and Market.

So finally, Ba Le on Linda Vista resurfaces. The sign on the "old location" said the end of May, but when I took that photo it was already June! And when I shopped a Vien Dong Market a few days later, that sign was gone. This past weekend, I noticed that Ba Le had indeed taken the place of the old Dai Tan Supermarket, which had been there for quite a while.

In spite of the looks, there is quite a bit of parking further down the lot, where you're not packed in, and people aren't backing into you(I saw a little Vietnamese Lady driving a BIG SUV, hit another parked, BIG SUV, and she just kept on going…). As I walked in, I wondered what the heck Ba Le was doing with a market….but I guess that's the plan.

Seeing that the sandwich counter is not yet completed, I inquired about Banh Mi, and was told, that even though the counter, and seating area wasn't finished yet they were serving Banh Mi. And the current special is; buy 2 get 1 free. So I placed my order, and seeing the chaotic situation; a line of grocery customers, I took a walk around the market.

Dai Tan never struck me as being the cleanest looking market, but the place has been cleaned up a bit, and the lighting is much better. The produce looked fresh, and there was quite a steady flow of customers.

Which meant I'd probably be waiting a while, so I took a seat. Surprisingly, a few minutes later one of the Gentlemen comes walking out of the back of the market with 3 Banh Mi. Which I paid for, than proceeded to hightail it out of the parking lot, before a little lady in a BIG SUV had a chance to hit my car.

So, what did I get? Well let's start with the Dac Biet (special – $3.50):

In my visits after my post on the old BaLe location, I found the sandwiches to be inconsistent. There was a tendency to over-margarine, than over toast the baguette, making the bread crouton-hard…the stuff that rips up the roof of your mouth. This would obviously distract from the decent crust-to-bread ratio. Today, the baguette was okay, slightly crusty, but nothing special. The meats were piled to each side of the baguette…the ham on one side, the Cha Lua on the other…kind of strange. All of the meats, and the pate were very mild in flavor, if not down-right bland. The jalapenos were quite mild on this day. All in all, nothing special….

The Xiu Mai(meatball sandwich – $3.00):

The crumbled Xiu Mai(meatball) had a very mild flavor…sort of like what could be described as a "pork meatloaf". Not bad, even though I enjoy a more assertive flavor. Because of the juicy meatballs, this Banh Mi got soggy pretty quickly, but at least it wasn't dry.

As for the Banh Mi Bi, the Missus didn't feel like eating it, so I took it for lunch, well, breakfast the next day. I won't go into that, "Bi-cause" I wouldn't want to wish that decomposed sandwich on anyone. It just is not a fair assessment of the Banh Mi.

With regards to the Banh Mi, not much has changed at BaLe. If you enjoyed the sandwiches at the former location, you'll enjoy them here. But at least now you can catch up on some shopping while waiting for your sandwiches. All sandwiches run from $3 to $3.50.

BaLe Supermarket and Sandwiches(In the former Dai Tan Market location)
6959 Linda Vista Rd.
San Diego, CA

Sunday Shopping

July 6, 2008 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers, yoso-silly

Are food prices affecting the way you shop? That was the question posed by Caron, who does the fine San Diego Foodstuff Blog, in her May 28th post. I recall reading the post, and for some reason it has occupied a place in the back of my mind for several weeks. If you’re like us, fuel and food price increases have had an effect on how you shop, eat, and play. I’ve noticed that we’ve been eating at home more. And over the last couple of months, there’s been sort of a shopping "rotation" that occurs on either Saturday or Sunday. And at first I thought the rotation was purely random, until I realized that there was a reason, some of them having nothing to do with $$$ cost, but still a reason for doing things in the order I chose. Yes, you’ll finally be able to get a look into the anal-retentive mind of yours truly. I’ve always been a bit odd in that way. My late Mother always enjoyed kidding me about my childhood hobby of reading flight schedules. I remember my favorites were the schedules of the now defunct Western Airlines(who remembers, "It’s the oooonly way to fly!" ). I also hate crowds, so early weekend mornings are best for me, even back "home", my friends used to kid me, saying, "you like to shop with the Obachans(Japanese for Grandmothers)".

So the mmm-yoso express is taking off…….

Stop 1 – Henry’s Farmer’s Market – Clairemont:

Why? Well first off, the place opens early, 7am. I usually get there at about 800-815. There are always a few cars in the parking lot, but the place is pretty empty. This location of Henry’s is also only 3 miles from our house.

For what? Mostly cheap, basic produce. And the Missus always has a list of bulk items. The mid-week ad helps us decide.

Henry’s Farmers Market
4439 Genesee Ave
San Diego, CA 92117

Stop 2 – 99 Ranch Market:

Why? Next stop, 3 miles from Henry’s, and 99 Ranch Market opens at 8am. I’m usually there a bit after 830 (you’ll see why next). I hate crowds, and especially hate the shopping cart demolition derby that occurs later on in the day. It’s nice to see the parking lot looking like this.

At this time of the day you won’t have to worry about coming back to your car to find a whole new set of dings in your door.

For What? All the Chinese ingredients that are running low at home. Chinese greens, and other vegetables, the fruit at 99 Ranch is a bit disappointing. And if you want help at the meat or seafood counter you never have to worry about getting "hip-checked" by grandma…..

The empty aisles also allow for some nice browsing. No matter how many times I shop here, I always find something Id never seen before. I’ve mentioned my preference for shopping here at an early hour before.

"Chinese Spaghetti Sauce" anyone?

99 Ranch Market
7330 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

Stop 3 – Zion Marketplace:

Why? Only 1.24 miles from 99Ranch Market. Zion also opens at 9am…even on "Holy Days". This is one market that gets crowded pretty quickly, so I want to get in and out ASAP. I’ve been jostled, knocked aside, and almost run over by many customers here. I want my shopping experience to be as enjoyable as possible, not something akin to a blood sport. Plus, this parking lot is hell…even with the parking lot across the street. Seeing it like this brings a smile to my face.

What for? Zion always has fruit on sale, also the garlic is usually the cheapest and best quality, along with other produce. Of course there’s the panchan, and the meat. Among other things….

Zion Marketplace
4611 Mercury St
San Diego, CA 92111

Stop 4 – Nijiya Market:

Why?: 1 mile from Zion, Nijiya opens at 9am but is not as busy until later on.

What For? Most Japanese staples, some fish, one of the few places we’ll by chicken. Has always been our dependable standby.

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

Sometimes I’ll drop by First Korean Market, but usually it’s.

Stop 5 – Mitsuwa Marketplace:

Why? .41 miles from Nijiya. I know it’s backtracking, but there’s a reason. Mitsuwa opens at 9am.

What For? Stuff I can’t find at Nijiya. I enjoy selection of tsukemono at Niitakaya’s little "alcove".

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

Stop 6 – Marukai:

Why? Marukai opens at 930, that’s why I backtrack. .34 miles from Mitsuwa.

What For? We get the monthly ads for Marukai, and because all the sale items are sold at LA/OC prices, they are pretty cheap. So we can plan on what we need from Marukai.

Marukai Market
8151 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92111

Sometimes, I’ll hit Vien Dong on Linda Vista, and backtrack home on Genesee. Or like on this morning, I’m finished at 940…just in time for Costco…..

So, how have gas prices affected your eating and shopping habits?

El Cajon Market/International Mediterranean foods and Deli and Bakery in El Cajon

June 16, 2008 Cathy Markets & Grocers, What Cathy Eats!

This Market has closed. There are several more markets on the same block, across the street and further East on East Main Street.

mmm-yoso!!! is what you are reading-the blog. About food. Blogging is done mostly by Kirk, ed (from Yuma) and Cathy, along with a few others. Today, Cathy is back. Talking about yet another meal and where she acquired it.

Hello again, I am blogging about a meal The Mister and I got in the bakery and deli section of a small Market which has been in El Cajon for a number of years. Nondescript storefront, good prices on Mediterranean staples inside. A limited, but fresh, produce and fruit section with great prices (On June 8, Romaine was 3 heads for $1, Persian cucumbers were 2 pounds for 99¢, Roma tomatoes 69¢ a pound, parsley bunches were 3 for $1).

I was unable to take a photo of the store front when nobody was standing around (look at my posts; I try not to have any people in the photographs). The Market is on the North side of Main Street, just East of the Avocado/Ballantyne intersection, walking distance from the courthouse and City Hall, if you ever have Jury Duty (or happen to be let out of the Jail, or are visiting someone in the Jail) and the wording you see on the front is "International Market" but the store receipt is "El Cajon Market"…

Inside there are a great many Mediterranean staples in the three main aisles and along the back of the store, there is a small deli selling fresh Feta, olives, hummus, baba ganoosh, meats and pickled goodies. Along the side where the entrance and exit doorway is, there is a small deli and in back of that, a baking area. We decided to pick up lunch here. As I said, I don't take photographs of people and almost everyone else in the store was speaking a different language than English to each other. But everyone behind the counters are very nice and helped us. We have been here before.

For our lunch, we decided on the following items:

A piece of fresh made (still hot) leavened bread-you have to walk in and see the lady in the back making this…she takes a piece of the risen dough and flattens it, places it onto a curved cloth covered disc with handle on opposite side and slaps to dough into a deep circular oven, poking holes in it if it is bubbling and pulling it out as it is finished cooking- in about 30 seconds. This piece of bread is easily 18 inches across and costs all of 99¢. There is a stack of the breads on the counter right next to a stack of large paper bags. You will see people walking up and placing three or four pieces in a paper bag.

The hummus is in the deli section in the back, prepackaged and …oh, yes…homemade. Not quite smooth. Chickpeas and tahini, garlic and -oh you can taste it- olive oil. This was a prepacked one pound container for $3.99 and it is the best hummus I have ever tasted. (I have tasted a lot of hummus in my time, by the way).

We decided on five kebabs ($5)(yes, $1 each) which are grilled fresh over low heat after you order. The meat is ground beef and the spices have a slight kick of heat to the flavor. Just enough to make it wonderful. The kebabs are very juicy, not dry at all. We had two leftover kebabs from this meal.

We also got a pound of lamb and beef Schawarma ($4.49). Cut off the spit, the spices and freshness are something I crave. They also have a spit of chicken Schawarma. The amount of meat here is the same as in the five kebabs, as was the amount of leftovers for the two of us.

We also got (left) 1/2 pound of chicken Biryani (Basmati rice, chicken, sliced almonds, raisins with curry) ($2.49) and 1/2 pound of bulgur made with Ghee (clarified butter) ($1.99). Again, extreme fresh good flavor and, I must say, I could eat the Biryani as a meal any day.

There are a lot of prepackaged, Baklava in the store, with labels from where they are made (Southern California). But on the back refrigerator counter, there is a tray of these filo covered 4 inch long honey covered goodies. Obviously made here.

But, they aren't nut filled. It has a creamy, non-tangy, not sweet cheese, kind of chunky, like a milky ricotta. I am not certain. It's only $1 and I am happy with the flakiness of the filo and sweet of honey and anyhow, it is pleasant and I don't buy (and consume) a lot of the bakalava by getting this.

Yes, all of this food cost $21.10 with tax and is easily two meals for the two of us. Stop in if you are in the neighborhood. There are many products I have not discussed.

El Cajon Market 502 East Main Street El Cajon 92021 Market:(619)444-5800 Restaurant phone: (619) 328-1901

A Market Comparison – Hang Be Market(Hanoi) and 99 Ranch Market

April 22, 2008 mmm-yoso Hanoi, Markets & Grocers, Travel, Vietnam

"Market….." Nice word. What comes to mind, when you hear the word "market"….or "Asian Market"? If you live in San Diego, it might be this:

But if you happened upon Hang Be Market located on Pho Gia Nhu starting on the corner of Hang Be in Hanoi, instead of fluorescent lights, and tiled isles, you’d see this.

Though it’s more likely you’d get run over by a motorbike than get your shins rapped by a Little ol’ Lady pushing a shopping cart at Hang Be! I thought I’d do a little comparison of sorts, there are a few similarities, and maybe a few differences…….

I know 99 Ranch Market is pretty well known for the variety of veggies and fruits.

Actually, I think the fruits at 99 Ranch Market are not a strong point…many of the offerings are often over-ripe, bruised, or of low quality. Still, there’s always a nice variety. When it comes to "greens" 99 Ranch Market always has a nice selection.

At Hang Be Market, you won’t find the huge stacks of oranges perilously stacked, but you will find a good variety of different items.

You gotta love the Dragon Fruit in Southeast Asia, it is leaps and bounds better than what I’ve had in the States; it is much sweeter, and the Missus ate the stuff by the kilo. And lest you think this is all locally grown; the oranges are from China(quite good), Dragon Fruit and Durian from Thailand.

A note about prices:

You’ll notice quickly that most places won’t post prices, so you’ll have to bargain. The Missus had a very original way of bargaining…..She was especially frustrating for one lady. She would bargain hard…..the lady always wanted something like 25,000VND per kilo, the Missus would start at 15,000 VND….and so forth. Finally they’d settle on 18,000 VND. By then, the Missus was so tired, She would just hand the wad of money to the lady who’d just pull out what she wanted! Why bother bargaining? I guess the "bargaining fatigue" was just too much. Regardless, the Missus bought 2-4 kilos of Dragon Fruit almost everyday.

It was fun seeing uncommon(for us here in the US) items for sale, like Betel nuts.

Buddha’s Hand anyone?

99 Ranch Market has a pretty large meat department.

And though the signs are sometimes unintentionally humorous; looks like the "prok for stew" has been selling pretty well today. There is a nice variety of items from the butcher counter and prepacked trays of meat.

No white coats and hats, or the "singing of the saws" at Hang Be.

Just fresh meat on metal tables, meat is ground to order.

And some items screaming "I dare you to eat me"!

It is all fresh….

Ah yes, the Seafood Department at 99 Ranch Market.

For many people I know, 99 Ranch Market is the place to go for fresh and live seafood in San Diego. There’s always a good variety, and the prices are reasonable.

At Hang Be Market, the variety might not be quite as large, but as with the beef, everything is fresh.

And most of it is caught locally.

And if it’s not still alive…..

It’s still "breathing". These were bought up in an instant.

Someone requested a photo of Rice Paddy Crabs.

Here’s one of my favorite photos from Hang Be Market.

Even more stuff. Teas and spices from 99 Ranch Market.

Teas and spices from Hang Be Market:

A pretty large variety…..

And of course there is that staple; rice. We found the rice in Vietnam to be of very low quality….full of grit, lots of "brown bits", and unpolished.

But why have rice when you can have……..Bun!

Fresh Bun looks wonderful; pure and white as the new fallen snow, it is brought to the market in baskets lined with banana leaves.

One of our Guides told us how Bun was made; rice is first fermented, then ground and sifted. Water is then added to form a dough that is kneaded. The dough is then pressed through an aluminum sieve with tiny holes into boiling water. The Missus’s verdict? "Too much trouble, why don’t you just eat rice?"

And then there are those things that catch your eye:

So what’s going on here? This gentleman is burning the hair off a pig’s feet.

And those items that would be pretty hard to find in the states.

One constant we found in every market, was a barber!

We visited Hang Be Market 3 times, once during each period of the day, during the morning, afternoon, and evening. Each visit offered something different. And on one of the visits, I started comparing the market set-up of Hang Be Market with 99 Ranch Market. Strange, I know……

Miss Oishii Eats visit to Hang Be Market can be found here.

Someone tell the ~~Ham~~ Missus not to quit Her day job….

Sunday Shopping…..

February 3, 2008 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers, Orange County, Road Trip

Price Wars……

I was interested to see what the reaction to the opening of Marukai would be. So earlier this morning I decided to do a quick "run". Since Nijiya, Mitsuwa, and Marukai are just within a mile of each other, it will be very easy to "cherry-pick" your way through the 3 markets(and you can include Zion to make 4). Since both Nijiya and Mitsuwa open at 9am, and Marukai opens at 930, the timing is pretty easy as well.

I arrived at Nijiya at about 910am…and probably because of the weather(rainy and windy) and the Super Bowl, the place was relatively empty.

I noticed a bunch of sales, and purchased just a few items:

It would seem to be nothing Earth-shattering….Yama-moto-yama tea bags….not high quality, but good to have at the office. At 2 for $1, a major bargain for me! That’s a shade over 3 cents per tea bag. And the Pocky…well to quote the Missus, "what, regular Pocky? I’ve soooo moved on from that…." Until I told Her…also 2 for $1! I think the sale is only for the weekend, but it seems that Nijiya is taking the competition seriously. I’ll keep close eye on Nijiya flyers in the future.

Arriving early had its benefits, I got out of Nijiya by 925am…and by 930 reached Mitsuwa. The only thing I noticed at Mitsuwa was a giant poster….sorry, but my photo didn’t come out. You get one item free (i.e. miso….) with a $10 purchase.

I arrived in the empty parking lot at Marukai (I took note of the empty parking lot, because this may be the only time I ever see it empty) at 940am. And entered Marukai. As I took a lap around the store, I noticed a few additional things. First, the fish department is up, but it was slim pickins’ at this time of the morning.

There were some great deals:

The only thing I got was this for the freezer…..its good to have on hand, for those days when you feel lazy, and just want something simple at home. And at 98 cents a package, another bargain:

Of course my camera can’t ever resist an "end" display of Spam:

Though if you want something a bit more high-end, there’s Wagyu Beef from Japan:

"Only" $68.99 a pound!

Looks like competition will be a nice thing for us customers, just as prices came down at Mitsuwa once Nijiya renovated and moved to their new location.

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

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

Marukai Market
8151 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92111

And just to make it an even "foursome":

During my trip down to Garden Grove, and after my lunch at Anna’s Mondu, I drove the block and a half down the street, and dropped by Hannam Supermarket:

Though this location was a bit "worn", and the variety was not a great at the Di amond Bar location, it was still nice to stretch my legs and do some browsing. I hadn’t intended on taking any photos, but I came across this magnificent display of "Spammy goodness", and could not resist. Huge display with almost every version of Spam known to mankind…….amazing! SPAM® Cheese! SPAM® Hot & Spicy! I think I saw all the different varieties, except for SPAM® Garlic(maybe they were sold out…).

The prices were quite reasonable, especially the dried Filefish and dried squid:

The Missus thought this dried filefish was excellent when roasted…it was chewy, but not hard, and had a nice salty-fish flavor, with a slight hint of sweetness. I’m glad I didn’t come home empty handed….Oh, and dried squid, toasted, chopped, and dipped into mayo with a touch of soy sauce….delici-yoso!!!

Hannam Chain Super Market
9772 Garden Grove Blvd
Garden Grove, CA 92844

Marukai San Diego now open

January 27, 2008 mmm-yoso Local Kine Stuffs in San Diego, Markets & Grocers

**** Updates for Marukai San Diego can be found here.

Well, as reported by FOYs (Fred and Carol) in comments to this post, Marukai has gone forward with a "soft opening" to shake out bugs and get people trained. The signs out front still say "Opening February 1st", but as the Missus noted this past Friday in a hurried cell phone call, "the lights are on, and people look like they're shopping."

I drove by later that evening and saw people pushing shopping carts filled with grocery bags in the parking lot. This meant one of 2 things; either Marukai had gone the soft opening route(as the West Covina did years ago), or this was one heck of a training drill!

Having a full plate most of the weekend, I managed to drag my wind-burned and rain soaked self to Marukai this morning. I arrived at about 930am, to find the place empty. I grabbed a shopping basket, and started walking……

On my first lap, I just did a quick check of "what wasn't there"….fish department and prepared foods. I've always had good luck with the fish I've purchased at Marukai, and was a regular at West Covina, where I could ask the Fishmongers to cut my maguro, or hold ogo for me when we lived in LA. The meat department didn't look fully stocked either.

After looking through the Japanese offerings – 3 brands of Shiokara, anyone? Which was adequate…and the prices which are as a whole cheaper than the other 2 large Japanese markets in San Diego. I started going through my mental lists of "Local Kine Stuffs"…….

Purity and Redondo's Portuguese Sausage – check.

S & S Saimin – but no Okuhara's – but Sun's Okinawa Soba – maybe three-quarters of a check???

Frozen Zippy's stuff – check.

Frozen Okuhara Kamabuko(it doesn't taste quite the same…but it's still ok) – check.

2 Brands of Lau Lau(both of which I hate….but if it floats your boat) – check.

Coral Tuna – but only water packed, not oil packed – one-fourth of a check.

Pa'akai and another brand of Hawaiian salt – but Auwe! No moa' Alaea! (red sea salt) – kinda, sorta a check!

Aloha shoyu and other sauces – check!

Hawaiian Sun Jam and Jellies – check!

Malolo Syrup – but all lemon lime, and one lonely strawberry – a reluctant check.

Diamond Head Bakery Soda and Saloon Pilot Cracker – check.

Enough Chocolate covered Macadamian Nuts, cookies, and sweets, to keep all of San Diego's Dentists in business till the next century.

No moa Maebo's One Ton Chips which I was looking for.

No Halm's or Park's brand stuff either……

By this time the handles to the shopping basket were digging into my hands, and I got tired of shooting my photos one-handed, so I decided to call it a day.

Tonight I'm taking a trip back into time, and having something I haven't had in years:

Something simple…..it is just frozen stuff, and some pretty bland Char Siu, but for a somewhat homesick Ex-Pat Kama'aina…a little slice of heaven.

Marukai Market
8151 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92111

A couple of notes: Marukai is a membership market, though you can pay $1 for a one-day membership. The manager on duty said that I didn't need a membership to shop on this morning, because I wanted to renew my card. But after speaking to Cathy today, I found that they had her purchase a membership – which is $10/year(and in my mind more than worth it) so I dunno. This parking lot is going to be a horror……it is not nearly big enough for Daiso, Marukai Living, and Marukai Market…… The Manager also told me, that not everything has come in yet, so there are more items to be stocked.

Midweek Meanderings

August 1, 2007 mmm-yoso Cooking, Markets & Grocers, Vietnamese Restaurants, yoso-silly

Just a few midweek odds and ends, and other stuff….

Just An Observation

I was having lunch at Pho Hoa Hiep recently, when I gave my Com Tam dish (Com Tam Bi Cha Suon Nuong – $5.80) a "break" and came up for air.

As I gazed across the restaurant, I noticed something. Two-thirds of the customers were non-Vietnamese! During a meal a few days later, I noticed the same thing. I recall that when I first started eating here, almost all the customers were Vietnamese. I couldn’t help but smile…… You see, sometimes when I read that the "Best Chinese Restaurant" in San Diego is PF Chang’s(Pick up Stix is #4!), the "Best Japanese" is Benihana (Todai is #6!), sheesh…. This mild change in demographics tells me that San Diego’s tastes are changing, albeit slowly, and people are trying new things.

I think it’s a wonderful thing….

BTW, the Com Tam was pretty good, the pork chop was moist and tender, if a bit shy in flavor, shredded pork is tricky, this version was soft and moist, not the dry and tough stringy stuff. Not bad at all.

Rice Is Nice!

I don’t know what it is….perhaps withdrawals from doing Plate Lunch Week. But I’ve been craving rice. My rice intake had been seriously cut down since moving to San Diego, but recently…I dunno. I’ve been making stuff like Kimchee Fried Rice.

No recipe, I just use whatever’s on hand. The required ingredients are Kimchee(of course!), onions, Gochujang, and another one of those magical "four letter word" ingredients,(others being stuff like L-a-r-d and P-o-r-k) Spam®! I also like garlic in my Kimchee Fried Rice.

It could have been worse, remember my Spam® Katsu Curry?

Which led me to make stuff like this…..

Just an omelet…..

A fried rice omelet. Some left over Portuguese Sausage Fried Rice as filler……

Marukai Coming to San Diego

Check out this building on the corner of Balboa and Mercury.

No big deal, huh? Maybe a closer look….

There it is….Marukai. This looks like a 99-cent store operation, but all the buildings in the complex are being worked on. Daiso is a large Japan based "100-yen" store operation.

I’d been waiting for Marukai to open up since we moved to San Diego. I sent Marukai Corporation an email, and here’s the response:

Dear Valued Customer,

Thank you for contacting us.
We are planning to open San Diego store.
Hopefully non-food section will be open in August 2007 and food section will be in late this year.
We will put our upcoming store information at www.marukai.com.
Again, thank you for contacting us.
We hope see you at our new store soon."

Regards,
Marukai Corporation
Tel: 310-660-6300
Fax: 310-660-6301

So there it is…..

Some other posts on Marukai can be found here, here, and here.

Passionate Eater….

Like I’ve said before, I truly feel blessed to have gotten to know some of the wonderful fellow bloggers and readers of our little blog. It seems like mmm-yoso just started a short time ago, so I was a bit startled when Jay, the Proprietor of the Linkery graciously called me "The dean of San Diego food bloggers", kinda makes me feel really old……. But come to think about it, my San Diego Food Blogs typelist has really been growing, with excellent new blogs starting up all the time. I hope you give them a try.

I haven’t been able to meet one of my favorite fellow bloggers, Passionate Eater, but ‘PE’ as we call her, has always filled her wonderful posts with humor, and Her comments have always been so kind and positive. So when PE broke the news that she was leaving San Francisco, I knew that I needed to do something a bit special. This is not bad news per se, PE will be taking on exciting new challenges in New Orleans(another great food city!). Since PE was the one who requested, nay demanded that Sammy and Frankie have their own photo album, I thought this appropriate:

Good Luck PE!!!

"oh-oh, did I do that?"

Seattle: Pike Place Market, Piroshky Piroshky, and other stuff…….

July 28, 2007 mmm-yoso European Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Seattle, Washington, Travel

I readily admit that I am an unabashed fan of that Seattle icon, Pike Place Market. I make a point to visit at least once during every visit to Seattle.

My preferred time to visit this Seattle Icon is in the morning, before the crowds. To me Pike Place Market is almost a living breathing creature, and watching it wake is both relaxing and invigorating at the same time. Yes, a paradox…..

There’s a mild sense of excitement watching Pike Place wake and take it’s first deep breaths of the day.

The variety is quite staggering. From the Hmong flower growers/vendors:

To the wide array of appealing produce:

And of course, the seafood.

I can’t remember the last time I saw Razor Clams for sale…..

There’s always something new, something you’ve never noticed on previous visits. And perhaps you may run into Truman:

According to his "Dad", Truman "helps" with deliveries on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

There are of course many places to grab a bite as well, and I’m sure everyone has their favorite. At times you just need to follow your nose and it will lead you to some good grinds.

In the past, the Missus has literally spent an hour watching the donut machine at the Daily Dozen Doughnut Company…..

In spite of all the choices, it seems that the scents emanating from this shop always draws me in.

This little shop specializes in…what else Piroshky.

Whether you call them Piroshki, Piroshky, or Pirozhki, these Russian stuffed pastries are hard to resist. There over 30 different versions served, ranging from the more traditional beef and onion, to the "Pacific Northwest version", the smoked salmon. Sometimes making a decision can be quite difficult.

After sampling a good variety over the years, we tend to stick to the vegetarian versions, like the Smoked Mozzarella, Broccoli, and Mushroom($4.25):

The Missus didn’t care for the caraway-sauerkraut flavor of the Sauerkraut, Carrot, Cabbage, and Onion($3.25). But i didn’t mind it at all.

The Potato, Mushroom, and Onion, is another of our favorites, but we were getting full.

We ate as we strolled down the Seattle Harbor Steps, and made our way to Pier 52. Why Pier 52?

Pier 52 is the terminal for Washington State Ferries Bainbridge Island route. A ferry ticket costs $6.70(it has gone up over the years), and I call it the cheapest "tour" in Seattle. During clear days the view is wonderful. Even during overcast days like this, the view was fantastic.

The trip is about 35 minutes each way and the fare is for a round trip.

Of course you can’t miss that other Seattle icon, the Space Needle.

Bainbridge Island is a nice place to wander around a bit if you have a chance. But on this day we needed a nap!

Return to Vien Dong III – Part 2 Following Up

June 19, 2007 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers

*** Vien Dong Market is now Thuan Phat Supermarket. And updated post can be found here.

I know that those of you who commented on the first part of this post have been wondering when I'd get around to doing the follow-up. Following the initial email from Daniel, I made several visits to Vien Dong, research I guess you could say.

Daniel provided a "list" of several key improvements, and I thought I'd verify them.

"The pungency factor is no longer a factor"

This one was strange. Each time I entered the market, there was the standard issue smell, not quite as strong as before, but it was there. But strangely enough, as I walked toward the meat department the smell would dissipate, growing more and more faint. Each visit was during a different time of the day…mornings are always the best, but there it was, the slight meaty-fishy smell. But several steps later, it was gone.

I don't know if my sense of smell made an adjustment, or if there was an environmental or other reason for this. One thing I did notice was that the cashier area is much brighter, and there's a feeling of "space".

Raised our ceiling added skylights and brighter energy efficient lighting

I'm wondering if the raised ceiling has in some way contributed to the pungency issue. Perhaps all of the smells collect in one spot. Still, on my 4 visits it was not nearly as bad as before.

Renovated the seafood department with newer more accessible tanks and freezers.

This one is quite obvious.

But there was one thing I wanted to check, what was in those vats. I was pretty impressed, the water is well circulated, and very clean. Usually most live seafood lives in poorly circulated, murky, sometimes filthy water. As you can see this wasn't the case.

Expanded produce department to include wider variety and volume of produce

I always thought of the produce department at Vien Dong to be quite good, though somewhat cramped and claustrophobic. I can't even begin to tell you the number of times I've been rapped in the ankles or almost run over by durian laden shopping carts pushed by little old ladies…..

Now the produce department has been spread out a bit, and the aisles are a bit wider, and it seems that the department has been brightened up a bit as well.

And then there's my favorite part….

Resurrected the food to go + deli and bakery area

I know it's really just steam table stuff, but you can't beat the prices (2 items and a starch – $3.50, 3 items and a starch – $4.50). And sometimes there some pretty good stuff to be had.

I'm partial to the fried chicken…it's not bad.

It's nice to get a hearty meal for the price of a burrito….

Thanks for restoring my faith in customer service, Daniel!

One last thing

Daniel sent me the URL for a website Originalpho.com that is being developed by Daniel's Company. Usually, I don't do stuff like this, but because Daniel was generous enough to let me reprint his email in my earlier post, this was the least I could do. So check it out, you can request free samples. And here's something interesting. Our very own Cathy actually requested some samples…..

And in her own words:

You sent me the *very nice* letter from Dan, dated April 28, on Sunday April 29, where he mentioned www.originalpho.com to request product samples, and I immediately checked it out. I know companies send out samples because they want you to try and buy. Good business.

I got to choose a flavor (savory chicken, traditional beef, garden vegetable and succulent seafood). I was torn, thinking I would get a chance to try one small "Cup O' Pho" (as in the photograph) and wasn't sure if I shoudl play it safe with vegetable or go for what I know- beef. I expected one of those Styrofoam "Cup O's" to show up someday in the mail. I know whenever I request a product sample, I end up forgetting about it and eventually, months later, it shows up and I am pleasantly surprised.

You can see from the photo that it was sent on April 30 (I requested it Sunday night) and I got the whole pack, like they sell in the store- 6 cups, 70 gram cups. WOW! I certainly did not expect that much at once. It was a *very* pleasant surprise.

The Mister and I got to try the Cup O' Pho in the plain, unadorned sense- eating it as it came from the packaging (after adding the boiling water to cook the noodles, of course)…and then following the recommended add ins- add 1.5 ounces beef, 0.5 ounce bean sprouts, and red onion with the 'optional' (like it is optional) add ins of lime wedges, fresh chilies, cilantro and basil.

I combined two of the cups/ingredients and the add ins from home and made a very nice meal for the two of us one night. (There is a beef bullion-ish seasoning packet; a dried vegetable packet with garlic/onion/chervil/carrot and a spicy oil packet -shallot oil, soy bean oil, garlic and onion).

The foldable fork is helpful and I always save them from wherever I get them. You never know. I have chopsticks and foldable forks in my car side doors at all times. (really)

I sent Daniel a follow-up email asking him if Originalpho.com really did always send out a 6 pack of samples, and here's his reply:

We plan to slowly introduce more products on the internet and this is sort of our first run at it. We are able to ship very quickly because we've setup a good shipping operation out of our warehouse and are able to ship very inexpensively to commercial addresses. We think it makes sense to send out 6 pack samples because they are already well packaged for shipping and are light weight. We also hope that people will share them, especially come lunch/snack time in the work place, and that people will really understand first hand how convenient and tasty they can be.

So all you instant noodle fans – Free Pho!!!