Markets & Grocers – Page 31

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!

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