Markets & Grocers – Page 4

Zion Market Now Moving in 2024?

March 9, 2024 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers

*** 01/25/2025 – The new location of Zion Market has finally opened, if you'd like to see my post on the new location you can find it here.

I was doing some quick shopping at Zion Market….I try to get in and out of the chaotic place as quickly as possible. I took a detour to the restroom and walked thru the food court.

Zion FC

For some reason, I hadn't noticed that Monnani Kkwabaegi had closed!

Monnani Closed

In fact, three of the seven food court stands are now closed. I wondered if Zion's (supposedly) impending move had something to do with this?

Back in August of 2022 I noticed the Zion Market Coming in 2023 sign on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, which caught me by surprise. Of course, 2023 in now in the books! Last month Eater had an update on Zion's relocation. Which had me wondering how the construction was coming along. I hadn't been east of Mercury Street and Clairemont Mesa in a while, so I took a quick drive after shopping and swung into the parking lot at 8330 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard to take a look.

And check out the construction across the street!

Zion 2024 00

Looking at the construction of Zion Market, it seems that things are moving along.

Zion 2024 01

The Eater post claimed that Zion will relocate and open in the Summer of 2024. Hmm…… Like "FOY" Kenneth said in the comments of my previous post:

"Just take the developer's projected time frame and triple it and that's about when they'll complete the job…..."

Lol!

And guess what? The "Coming Soon 2023" sign is still up!

Zion 2024 02

So perhaps it's been decided not to make any more ambitious projections?

8330 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111

Honolulu – Fort Ruger Market a Quarter Century Later

January 4, 2024 mmm-yoso Honolulu, Markets & Grocers, Oahu, Poke, Seafood, Travel

The Missus and I were looking at some of my old photo albums and flipped the page to my third grade class photo. I started cracking up and the Missus gave me a quizzical look. I then pointed something out to Her. All the boys were wearing long pants (no shorts were allowed in those days), Aloha Shirts (after all, it as class photo day), the girls Mumu's, but…….most of us were barefoot! I explained to the Missus that until the fifth grade, many of us actually did walk to school barefoot (though not uphill both ways). I mean this was the late 60's, early 70's, and things were different then. Plus, as I mentioned in my post on my "old neighborhood", Ali'iolani Elementary was just a block away from where we lived.

And this kinda brings me forward to this post. On our last trip back "home", the Missus asked me when I first remember having poke. We had just finished doing some stuffs at Ala Moana and I decided to show Her. Way back, when I was in the 5th or 6th grade, my Mom had an appointment in the Fort Ruger area. I was raised by a single parent and my Mom never ever drove, so we had to catch the Ruger bus and I waited while my Mom did her thing. After the appointment, we walked over to Ruger Market, and that's where I first remember having poke I really liked, over 50 years ago! I'd probably had it before; of course during the holidays there was sashimi and stuff, but I remembered the poke from Ruger Market clearly. Later, when I was older, my friends and I would drive on over after going to Cromwell's (I can't believe the cove is still around, though maybe not for long) and grab some poke, then go for a drive around Diamond Head Road and eat at the lookout or hele on over to Kapiolani Park or Paki Park and grind there.

So, we drove on over….and heck, I hadn't been to Ruger Market since before I left the islands; which would be over 25 years, but the place looks pretty much the same.

IMG_5734b

Though it's more of a seafood- Filipino/Hawaiian restaurant these days. When I was growing up, this was the neighborhood grocery for the area.

Different grades of Ahi is available, you can get poke made with pre-frozen Ahi (nah) or with fresh Ahi, what is called "Auction Fresh Ahi" on the sign.

You know what we got, right?

We'd already had some small stuffs to eat at Foodland Farms and this was a kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing, so we didn't go too crazy. We got one poke bowl, with brown rice, the chicharrons looked really good, so we got that, and also some boiled peanuts.

And then we headed off…..just like those hanabuddah days, I drove around Diamond Head Road to the lookout.

You can find the Amelia Earhart Plaque here as well.

As well as the "best seat in the house"….at least on this day.

And the local "security detail".

We headed on down and found parking and a table at Kapiolani Park and proceeded to dig in.

I was surprised to find that the kimchi was decent; not overly fermented, but still quite refreshing. The brown rice added a nice nuttiness to the bowl. The quality of the fish was good; tender and buttery in texture without connective tissue. We preferred the restrained, classic, soy-saltiness, with a hint of oceany sweetness of the Local Style Ahi. The Spicy Shoyu wasn't very spicy and was a bit on the salty side. Still, the quality and prep was way above anything here in San Diego.

The Chicharron was as good as it looked.

Crisp, with a slight crunch; porky and savory, which just enough salt. Talk about a guilty pleasure.

As for the boiled peanuts, well, the Missus was saving them for later. Though this little fella tried to make a move on the legume.

The Missus loves Her boiled peanuts, so he didn't stand a chance!

It was good to know that Ruger Market still makes decent poke.

The older I get, the more I treasure and appreciate those times and the chances I get to reflect on them. And it was wonderful to share a bowl of memories with the Missus.

Fort Ruger Market
3585 Alohea Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96816

And I also want to thank you for sharing in those memories with me! Thanks for stopping by!

Happy New Year!

December 31, 2023 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers, yoso-silly

After forgoing the usual thing last year, this year, well it was back to heading out to get Osechi for New Year's day, much like I'd done for most years since way back when. Even excluding the "Covid years", I had noticed quite a decline in offerings over the years. So, this year, I had noticed the adjusted 8am opening time for Nijiya and got there right at 8. There was no queue of folks and I was pleasantly surprised at what seemed like more of a selection.

I quickly got a couple of things and then headed on out.

Surprisingly, Marukai had almost nothing! Regardless, we're ready for tomorrow!

And so, we're closing the books on yet another year here at mmm-yoso! I'd like to propose a toast!

IMG_4369a

Ooops….sorry for the "dad joke"!

I'd like to raise my glass and propose a toast:

"To all of you, who read our little blog. Here's wishing you all a wonderful 2024"!

Cheers – Happy New Year!

The Market at HFS has Moved and is Now Hawaiian Fresh Seafood (HFS) At Centerpark Labs

August 24, 2023 mmm-yoso Local Kine Stuffs in San Diego, Markets & Grocers, Poke, Seafood

A couple of weeks back, I decided to head on to the Market at HFS. For some reason I went to their website and noticed the name of the place had changed to HFS at Centerpark Labs? I took a look and noticed that the address had changed as well! Strange because I had been to the Weathers Place location just a couple of weeks before! Anyway, I headed on over to make the 10am opening time. The "new" location was one traffic light further east on Mira Mesa Boulevard at Flanders Drive. Driving in, I found the new location with minimal problems because they were setting up as I drove into the parking lot.

HFS Centerpark 01

I parked and walked on over. There a large outdoor eating area at this location.

HFS Centerpark 02

And I saw a familiar face setting things up. It was Hope the manager who is from Aiea.
HFS Centerpark 02

After setting up, it was still before opening time and Hope saw me, waved and came on over to chat! It was great seeing her. Hope told me they had just completely moved things over a couple of weeks before and things were now busier than ever with an expanded menu and hours. The Weathers Place shop still did wholesale and Hope was in charge of both places! Yikes! She was working long hours, but was trying to find some manager candidates.

HFS Centerpark 04

Meanwhile there was line forming, but I didn't care since I was enjoying my chat with Hope. She even guided me into the shop and had the young lady running the register hand me a menu. Hope told me that they had really expanded the menu with cooked items, I'd already tried the fried ahi belly, but she recommended the Ahi Kama, the collar, which I'll make sure to try on one of my future visits.

Meanwhile, I gave "JeffP" my copy of the menu since he's a fan of HFS and didn't know they had moved, so here's a copy from their site.

HFS Centerpark Menu

These days, you can gaze at the seafood offerings like before…..

HFS Centerpark 05

But you order at the register, where they also have the available poke as well.

HFS Centerpark 05b

On my two visits, I just went with my typical poke bowl, I always get the rice separate from the fish and I usually avoid the salmon items.

HFS Centerpark 06

And the portions seem a bit bigger, but the poke is as good as always.

HFS Centerpark 07

And it makes me miss "home".

If you have trouble finding the shop, look for the big "6835" on top of the building, or the outdoor eating set-up, and there are signs strategically placed.

HFS Centerpark 10

And yes, you can get poke for dinner since they're open until 8pm these days. Though I'm not sure what the selection will be like then.

Maybe "FOY" Jason who mentioned stopping by this location as well might know?

HFS at Centerpark Labs
6835 Flanders Dr.
San Diego, CA 92121
Current Hours:
Daily 10am – 8pm

HFS Centerpark 08

Catching up with the “Fishmonger” at TunaVille Market and Grocery

August 15, 2023 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers, Seafood, yoso-silly

The one and only Tommy Gomes along with Mitch Conniff of Mitch’s Seafood opened up TunaVille Market and Groceries over a year ago! I have known Tommy for over a decade now and have some great memories of when he was at Catalina Offshore. I basically stopped going to Catalina after he left in 2019. And then of course Covid hit. And then Tommy Gomes got his own television show; the Fishmonger. Look him up now and he's listed as a "Television personality"…..well, at least they got the personality part right!

Anyway, a couple of months back Candice asked me if I'd like to meet her at TunaVille and I jumped at the chance! It would be great to see Tommy and interesting to see if time and "fame" had change him at all. Well, it hadn't, to me he's still the same old Tommy. I had a great time and have returned to TunaVille several more times, even when Tommy's out being a "personality"!

I'm just going to breeze thru this post since I'd like you to just drop by the place for yourself.

The shop is located on Driscoll's Wharf in Point Loma. Though getting there the first time using Google Maps was weird as I put in the address and it tried to take me into the gated Government facility there!

My best advice; if you have problems when on North Harbor Drive, just look for the vintage Driscoll's Wharf sign.

Tunaville 01

Park in the lot, you can get 1 hour of free parking from the machine in the lot. I park in Lot 'F'.

From there you head toward the water and Regatta Walk.

Tunaville 02

Tunaville 03

I like walking along the waterfront….a real "working" wharf. On Saturdays boats are selling their tuna along the wharf.

Unlike the owner, TunaVille is fairly discrete. Sometimes there's a sign outside, otherwise just look for this storefront.

Tunaville 05

On one of the days I visited, Tommy saw me coming and opened the door for me, waving me in:

Tommy: "See a television star is opening a door for you….."

Me: "Wait, I thought PeeWee Herman was dead……"

You get the picture! It's still Tommy!

The shop is spacious, clean, and wonderful…..

Tunaville 06

Tunaville 07

With lovely fresh seafood….I've gotten the wild shrimp from here a couple of times. And as always, Tommy is devoted to the local fishing community.

Tunaville 08

And prepared items as well.

Tunaville 09

But visit a couple of times and you'll see that there's a special place where Tommy likes to hold court.

Tunaville 11

It's at the table right across the dry aging cabinet.

Tunaville 10

Where Tommy will entice and ply you with wonderful samples of dry aged seafood.

Tunaville 12

And ever the showman, Tommy will extol you with the virtues of what you are tasting.

You can tell Tommye is in his element here.

Tunaville 14

And Tommy is really a proponent of what he call "seacuterie", basically charcuterie of the sea.

Tunaville 15

And strangely enough, the Missus has been into this stuff over the last couple of months too. Here's my last haul from TunaVille. BTW, the Missus loved those percebes that Tommy recommended. It brought back fun memories of Portugal.

Tunaville 16

And while perhaps his celebrity and success has changed him a bit over the years, he's still Tommy. Recently, I dropped by to get some Salt Farm Ghost Pepper Salt, but they were out. When I asked Tommy about when he was getting more in; he asked me to hang on a minute….and proceeded to call the company and order some for me! His heart is as big as his personality.

So, I'm now a regular customer, whether it's seafood, some stuff for the Missus's "seacuterie" dinner, or just to say hello (which can last up to an hour!).

Tunaville 17

It was good to see that Mister Grumpy Tommy was doing well!

TunaVille Market and Grocery
4904 N Harbor Drive Suite 102
San Diego, CA 92106
Current Hours:
Wed – Sun 10am – 5pm
Closed on Monday and Tuesday

Sandos from Grocers- Nijiya, Marukai, Mitsuwa

August 10, 2023 Cathy Markets & Grocers, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

Todays mmm-yoso!!! post is being written by Cathy. Kirk is enjoying air conditioned comfort and is too busy to write.

As I was reading Kirk's post about Kumo Japanese Sandos, in early May, I realized that The Mister and I have also been grabbing Japanese supermarket sandwiches for decades but never posting on this ever present inexpensive quick and tasty meal. So, here's a small compendium.

Nijiya Japanese Market is a favorite stop because of the organic Produce section as well as the prepared foods area. I wrote about some 'grab and go' meals in 2010 and 2013. We were here a lot during Covid (yes, "Covid" defines a period of time), when they removed the outdoor tables so we had to eat in the car or at home. A few prepared items, along the back wall, have changed but overall the quality remains. There is a two sided refrigerated area near where you stand in line for the cash registers. One section has various sandwich choices.
This is a "Mix Sandwich" ($5.49) on white or wheat. Four different fillings- Tuna Salad, Egg Salad, Ham with butter and a Lettuce and Tomato with cheese and mayonnaise. Each piece of sandwich in this mix is 1/3 of a crustless bread sandwich made with three bread slices and two layers of filling.

The "Fruits Sandwich" varies daily. This one had melon and pear and orange along with whipped cream in between slices of a quality white bread.

Picked up some sushi while I was there and we had a nice meal.

There is a Chicken Cutlet sandwich ($5.99)-breaded deep fried chicken with a house made tonkatsu sauce (A Pork Cutlet sando is $6.99). On this day the Fruits Sandwich was simply strawberries with whipped cream.
Placed between the three Chicken sando sections were three smaller lettuce/tomato/cucumber/mayonnaise sandwiches. A nice, balanced meal.

Nijiya Market 3860 Convoy Street San Diego 92111 Open daily 9-9 Website (858) 268-3821

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Marukai has two 'grab and go' island refrigerators as well as closed door freezers and a small hot deli counter. There is just so much inside this small yet packed market.

The egg salad sando ($4.99) as well as the katsu pork sando ($4.99) are exceptionally good here. You can see I also purchased the potato salad and some katsu chicken (which is really tasty from here). {Yes, we use Christmas plates all year.}

Marukai 8151 Balboa Ave San Diego 92111 Open daily 8a.m.-9 p.m. (858) 384-0248 Website

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Located between Marukai and Nijiya is Mitsuwa, which has three small restaurants in the 'Food Court" area as you enter the store and a sushi area as well as plenty more 'Grab and Go' choices along the right wall with two open refrigerated sections across the aisle.

The Mix Sandwich here ($7.99) consists of four sandwiches, each 1/3 of a whole sandwich. Egg Salad, Tuna Salad, Ham with lettuce and a Japanese Potato salad sando. Each sandwich is fresh and flavorful and fancy. Again, katsu chicken was purchased as a 'side'.
Mitsuwa Marketplace 4240 Kearney Mesa Road San Diego 92111 Mitsuwa website (858) 569-6699

We have so many great choices in San Diego.

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Toulouse – Marche Victor Hugo (Again), Lunch at Restaurant Attila, Criollo Chocolatier, a Walk Along Canal de Brienne, and Other Stuffs

July 30, 2023 mmm-yoso Chocolate, Festivals & Events, France, French Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Seafood, Toulouse, Montpellier, Carcassonne, and Occitania, Travel

We started our last day in Toulouse by taking a short walk in the area.

We had really enjoyed Toulouse, there's a down to earth, relaxed vibe to the place. We spent the morning wandering about.

Nearing 11, we walked on over to the huge March Victor Hugo, which I covered in an earlier post.

We ended up getting some stuffs for a nice self catering dinner for our last evening in the city.

We then headed upstairs where the restaurants are located. Man, the passageway is pretty cramped.

We settled on a seafood place named Restaurant Attila. I really wanted to have some Coques (Cockles) and Langoustines.

Of course there's a plat du jour and other lunch specials as well.

We were guided to our table where we placed our order. The seafood in the marche looked wonderful, so we were quite excited about this meal.

First up was the Salade de Coques Persillade (10€ – $11/US).

The cockles were prepped well, no gritty bits. I was surprised at how tender these were, with a nice hint of savory-sweetness. Strangely, I expected more of a briny flavor, but these had a nice butteriness to them. The greens and such was fine, but those cockles were definitely the star.

The Langoustine with Aioli (13€) was a disappointment.

The langoustine were over cooked and really dry and even though it was supposedly cooked with a court bullion the flavor was lacking.

Last up were the Huitres ( 9 for 15€ – $16.50/US). These were from Marennes, an area famous for their oysters. These really delivered.

Pleasantly briny with a wonderful clean finish! Definitely a winnah!

Restaurant Attila (in Marche Victor Hugo)
5 Place Victor Hugo
31000 Toulouse, France

After lunch, we headed downstairs.

And just wandered around. I ended up buying more Tarbais beans in the shop/deli above….yep, 35€ a kilo and I bought another half kilo.

After which we headed back to the chocolate shop that the Missus had enjoyed earlier named Criollo Chocolatier.

Man, the place was humming!

The pieces here are sold by weight and the Missus bought a good sized box of it.

Of there's any reason for us to return to Toulouse, it's so the Missus can restock on chocolate from here.

Criollo Chocolatier Toulouse Victor Hugo
23 Place Victor Hugo
31000 Toulouse, France

We then headed back to the hotel and started doing some packing.

After which, we decided to go on another walk. I picked out the Canal de Brienne area. The canal which connects to the Garonne is a short 1.6 kilometers in length, but tree lined and quite peaceful. You totally forget you're in the middle of a large city.

Apparently, that building above was an old tobacco factory, which now houses a building the university.

It was a lovely walk and fun to see a different part of Toulouse.

We walked back to our room and just relaxed and then had dinner. Later that evening, we heard singing and chanting. Looking out the window we noticed a endless line of folks, waving the Moroccan flag. Apparently, Morocco had just beaten Belgium in a World Cup match. We decided to head on down to the square. It was a fun parade, one of joy and celebration, peaceful without any antics….a refreshing scene to be sure!

A couple of groups had even set-up around the perimeter of the Christmas Market and were singing and dancing.

We decided to head into the Christmas Market.

To get some Vin Chaud of course!

Egad! I've posted on Vin Chaud before, we have a kind hate-love-hate relationship with this warm mulled wine drink. We really don't care for the taste….but we love that it really puts you in the holiday spirit.

And perhaps we're developing a (bad) taste for this????

Warm mulled wine in our bellies, we slept soundly, got up early and finished packing. We then took the metro to Toulouse Matabiau. We were a bit early and crossed the street for some coffee.

Before catching our train to our final stop on this month long journey.

We had enjoyed our time in "La Vie en Rose", the Pink City – Toulouse. But next we were spending most of two weeks in….well you know where, right?

Thanks for stopping by!

Six for Saturday Silliness

July 22, 2023 mmm-yoso Bakery, Farmer's Markets/Night Market, Markets & Grocers

Recently, when I was having coffee with our good friend "Alle" and went over my typical Saturday morning errands she was incredulous and couldn't quite believe I could make 5-6 stops and finish in 3 hours and change. So today, I decided to pay a bit more attention to things and decided to do this silly Saturday post.

My Saturday usually starts with a cold brew from Bay Park Coffee. I usually get there around 720 – 730, get my cold brew and head on down to the Little Italy Mercato. As I mentioned in an earlier post I park on Ivy, I'm usually there around 745 or so and take a nice stroll to the market. I always enjoy the art and slices of life I see along the way.

Six For Little Italy 01

Though there have been adjustments and different vendors I'll check out; the first place I stop is across Columbia Street at the Indian Summer stand, which I also mentioned in that earlier post.

Six For Little Italy 03

The proprietor, Andrew knows all his regular customers and is a really friendly guy. Andrew has 20 dozen eggs for sale each Saturday. It's kept behind the counter. It's the Missus's favorite eggs at this time, so I usually get 1 or 2 dozen each week. I'll also get various produce items as well.

I'll then cross Columbia and hit up the produce stands there.

Six For Little Italy 04

Being careful not to disturb the "Shiba gang".

Six For Little Italy 05

The Missus is currently on a blueberry kick ("it's brain food!"); so I'll pick up a three pack from here.

Six For Little Italy 06

I then cross over India to do more shopping. Right now, the Missus's favorite avocados come from this stand.

Six For Little Italy 07

The folks here are so nice. I'll tell them I need three avocados, one for tomorrow, then another two days after, and then another for one to two days after that. They'll pick out a set of fruit to match my requirements. Such great service!

Little Italy Mercato
Saturday 8am – 2pm

I'll then head back to the car either taking India Street…..

Six For Little Italy 08

Or Kettner. Anyone want to title the photo below????

Six For Little Italy 09

This morning it was 820 when I headed off to my next stop. There's not much traffic or crowds at this time of the morning on Saturday.

My next stop is just 10 minutes away as I head up India Street, then take a right up Washington to…..

Six For Lazy 01

For certain produce items (they often have decent white asparagus when in season) and specialty grocery like the stuff below that the Missus is currently obsessed with.

Six For Lazy 02

Lazy Acres
422 W Washington St.
San Diego, CA 92103

Well, remember those avocados? The Missus is still wanting avocado toast a couple of times during the week, so I have to make a stop at Con Pane for some sourdough. This morning, my drive down Washington to Pacific Highway, then Barnett took a mere 12 minutes. Yes, Con Pane is super busy on weekend mornings, but since I'm not getting sandwiches, etc, I can take the "Bread line".

Sox For Con Pane 01

Sox For Con Pane 02

Even if there are one or two people in front of me, I usually get out and to my car (I usually just park by Slater's 50/50) in 20 minutes.

Con Pane Rustic Breads & Café
2750 Dewey Rd.
San Diego, CA 92106

My next drive is the longest. I usually drop by Nijiya every Saturday morning. There's usually something we need from there; whether it's tofu or sencha for the Missus, or like right now, She is requesting Katsu Don or Kelaguen on a weekly basis and prefers the chicken from Nijiya. I make Nijiya my fourth stop since it opens at 9am. This morning, the drive took 17 minutes and I arrived at 910 avoiding the initial mass of humanity at the doors waiting for the market to open.

Six For Nijiya

Nijiya wasn't very busy on this morning, so I got out of the place in 15 minutes!

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

Now on occasion I'll stop by the 99 Ranch Market on Balboa…which would make it a "seven for Saturday". But there was no need on this day so it was off to my next stop; down Balboa and onto Morena.

Six For FS

This morning it took 14 minutes to get to the Fruit Stand. I can't believe I last posted on the place 17 years ago! Anyway, more produce, especially when I'm grilling veggies for the Missus.

The Fruit Stand
4330 Morena Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

The last stop, for odds and ends, is only a few blocks from home; Sprout's. Even with the hell that is the road and pipe work happening on Clairemont Drive (we avoid like the plague during weekdays) it was but a 10 minute drive.

Six For Sprouts

On this day, it was scallions, sweet onions, alkaline water (for the Missus), and some various snacks. I take advantage of the self check-out here which is usually much faster than waiting for the cashier.

Sprout's
3015 Clairemont Dr
San Diego, CA 92117

I walked into the house with our bags of groceries at 1020! Just in time to start working on lunch! Sigh……

Thanks for indulging me and I hope you have a fantastic weekend!

Monday Meanderings – Ten Seconds Yunnan Rice Noodles Opens, Pho Duyen Mai Under New Ownership (?), and What the Heck Happened to Nijiya’s Chicken Karaage

July 17, 2023 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Vietnamese Restaurants

A couple of things for a warm Monday.

Ten Seconds Yunnan Rice Noodles Opens:

I was driving on Engineer Road when I came across new signage over the shop that used to house Harmony Pot Sticker which closed during Covid and became some kind take out place named Burger Box that served chicken sandwiches, but kept the Harmony sign.

I drove on into the parking lot to take this photo.

Seems like they just opened a couple of weeks ago. It's been a while since we've had a Yunnan Restaurant in the area, so will be interesting to check out.

Ten Seconds Yunnan Rice Noodle
7905 Engineer Rd.
San Diego, CA 92111

Pho Duyen Mai Under New Ownership?:

My good friend Candice mentioned that the folks from Cross Street Chicken have taken over Pho Duyen Mai! Talk about catching me by surprise! Even though I'd already had lunch, I decided to drive on by…..and things look the same to me.

Duyen Mai Rev 01

I'll drop by for some pho soon.

Pho Duyen Mai
5375 Kearny Villa Rd.
San Diego, CA 92123

What the Heck Happened to Nijiya's Chicken Karaage?:

I shop at Nijiya a couple of times a week and will grab a bento or some chicken karaage to have for dinner with some curry/onigiri/etc. The karaage, while not particularly crisp, had decent flavor, and was fine when heated in the toaster oven/air fryer.

So, I was intrigued when I saw this sign.

So, I decided to grab some to try. I thought the color was really pale.

It lacked flavor was not juicy in the least bit and super chewy/hard. I tried it again on another visit and the darn thing wouldn't brown at all, the coating was quite gummy.

Sigh, another bites the dust. I'll have to stick with the shio koji fried chicken I guess. I spoke to an acquaintance who works at Nijiya part time and she agreed with me saying the karaage was so tough she could barely swallow it.

Sad.

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

Sunday Stuffs – White Rice Replacing Fusion Eats, Zen Curry Temporarily Closed? And Aldi Coming to Clairemont

July 2, 2023 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Filipino Restaurants, Japanese Restaurants, Markets & Grocers

Just a couple of items for a leisurely Sunday.

White Rice Replacing Fusion Eats:

A couple of weeks back, I noticed that Fusion Eats appeared closed, so I drove on in.

The note on the door said "we are closed
but to check for updates. Which almost hints that this might be a temporary closure?

But things became clearer when I read this post on Eater San Diego. Apparently, this space will be a future site of a location of White Rice. They'll probably do well here. And I'm hoping that it might be better than what I had at the Normal Heights location.

5299 Linda Vista Road
San Diego, CA 92110

Is Zen Curry Temporarily Closed?:

Speaking of temporarily closed, I recently revisited PT Eatery. After finishing my meal, I took a walk to check out the location of YukDaeJung which is now open.

What caught my attention was that Zen Curry appeared closed.

And here again was the note posted on the door stating "we are closed". I checked Google which indicated that the place is "Temporarily Closed" as well as that "four-lettered" site which also noted that the place is scheduled to reopen on September 1st. I also did a check on the Zen Curry website, which said the reopening date is TBD.

Zen Curry Closed 00

Interesting times……

7309 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111

Aldi Coming to Clairemont:

I had to go to the bank and was heading back home, taking the left onto Balboa west when I noticed that the former location of Rite Aid on the corner of Balboa and Genesee which closed during Covid and never reopened had a sign posted. So after making my left turn onto Balboa I headed into the parking lot.

Looks like there'll be a location of Aldi here?

This is going to be an interesting addition. I've been to the Mira Mesa location 2-3 times and thought the prices were good, with a small, tight selection, and super rude employees. So, we'll see…..

5270 Balboa Ave.
San Diego, CA 92117

Hope everyone has a fun and safe 4th of July!