Markets & Grocers – Page 9

Monday Meanderings – Sushi Hachi by Kimura Opening Dec 6th, Harland Brewing Coming to Morena, and Stehly Farms Morena is Closed

November 30, 2020 mmm-yoso Beer, Japanese Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Vietnamese Restaurants

Funny, when it rains it pours; over the last week here are "stuffs" I saw while running errands and such.

Sushi Hachi by Kimura Opening Dec 6th:

While checking out Izakaya Sakura on Black Friday (they were closed), I noticed that Swab, ummmm Shabu World was being replaced by something called Sushi Hachi by Kimura.

I stopped and walked over. The sign said "Opening Soon" and taking a look at the menu gave me the impression that this is kind of fusiony sushi; with everything from Aburi Sushi, to various rolls, to nigiri….stuff like yuzu ceviche, truffle salmon carpaccio, tuna guacamole rolls, crispy rice……kinda interesting in a way.

And so, like I always say; "Google is my friend". I went ahead and did a quick Google search yesterday and found that Sushi Hachi is opening on December 6th. There's also a bio on Shuji Kimura, who owned and operated the SushiStop chain in LA. I'm guessing he probably sold the chain….you should look at SushiStop's menu….it looks reaaally familiar. Anyway, it seems that this is a family project that he's opening with his wife and three children.

3904 Convoy St #117
San Diego, CA 92111

Harland Brewing Coming to Morena:

I was actually told this by some friends and so I stopped by to take a look.

And yes, that's what the ABC notice says. This is in the fairly large spot that Benchmark Brewing was in for a hot second.

4112 Napier St
San Diego, CA 92110

Stehly Farms Morena is Closed:

On a recent visit to Zgara Greek Grill, I peered over and saw the "Available for Leas" sign in the window of the space Stehly Farms Market used to occupy.

Bummer….I wasn't a regular, but I'd drop by every now and then when I wanted or needed some good quality produce. Sad to see them go.

1231 Morena Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92110

I'm hoping everyone is safe. Things are getting a bit hairy out there, please take care, be considerate, it's times like these where our caring, compassion, and humanity should come thru. I pretty much keep the Missus and my work and non-trip/food related items separate from this blog. And I'm thinking you might wonder why I try to "gently" remind folks to be safe and take reasonable care.

Well, to not give away too much; both the Missus and I have skin in the game. I've been in healthcare since 1984 and the Missus is on the frontlines of this. I keep that photo of the Missus on my phone, as one of my Zoom backgrounds, as a screen saver, it is never far from my mind and my heart.

The last thing I would want is for this insidious virus to harm her or you.

So please, stay safe!

Grocery Market Steam Tray meals: Carnival, Sam Woo BBQ and Valley Foods

November 13, 2020 Cathy Markets & Grocers, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping to read mmm-yoso!!!, a long running San Diego food blog. Cathy is writing today while Kirk catches up with things.

At midnight, San Diego County is going back into the most strict lockdown phase (the purple tier, again). (This time for at least three weeks). Restaurants cannot be 'eat in'. (Only outdoor dining will be allowed).

The Mister and I have learned a lot during 2020. We have been cooking and baking more at home (another post) and initially would grab and go takeout from places that sort of specialize in take out items (Taco Shops; we have been to a lot of taco shops). I made a New Year Resolution more than 15 years ago that I would not use "drive through" windows anywhere and have stuck to that resolution to this day. This resolution, which was meant to force me to park and walk inside businesses, has limited some access to food.

Anyhow, we also discovered a lot of restaurant food does not travel well and just doesn't taste the same at our table on our plates. What we did realize is that grocery store Steam Tray food items DO travel well and make a good meal when we don't feel like cooking.

I wrote a post in 2012 about eating in at Carnival Market an we have had many meals to go from here over the years. The eat in area has been closed to the public since March. There is a good choice of meals and snacks in the steam tray area: fried and roasted chicken, many taco meats, various stews and fried fish. In particular, the fried whole fish plate (tilapia, rice, beans, tortillas ($7)) is a regular choice. There are a few daily choices of stews, sold by the pound (for an additional $2, you get tortillas, rice, beans, cilantro and onion). The nice workers fill the container with meat, weigh and price it, then fill the rest with the juice. This is beef birria (mutton is sometimes available).

Carnival Supermarket 3560 Ashford Street San Diego 92111 (858) 277-1505 (Currently opens at 8 a.m. daily)

I have written about eating in at Sam Woo, but not about the hundreds of quick meals we purchase at the Steam Tray area when first walking in. Apparently I don't take many photos, either. Choices of one, two and three items with rice or noodle usually has us ordering one all vegetable (eggplant) and a meat/vegetable choice. Less than $7 and more than enough food to share.
Except that we pretty much also ask for 1/2 pound of the BBQ pork or duck, because it is irresistible.

Sam Woo BBQ To Go 7330 Clairemont Mesa Blvd Ste 103 San Diego, CA 92111 (across the hall form 99Ranch Market) (currently opens at 9 a.m. daily)

In East County, Valley Foods Mediterranean Market has been around for more than ten years. The steam trays and grab and go areas have a great selection of choices. Some things have changed.

Now, if you would like a masgouf prepared fish, walk over to the fish counter and pick one out. (currently, preparation including the fish is $3.99/pound) and the fish will be carried over to the steam try counter and you'll be asked if you want 'everything' (you do). This fish was over three pounds ($14.33)(that's a regular size fork) and was two meals plus snacks for The Mister and myself. There are roasted tomatoes and onion in the pan. (Fun story about masgouf (the downfall of Saddam Hussein)).
The fish is coated with oil and za'atar, a spice blend with thyme, oregano, savory and sumac as well as sesame seeds. In the refrigerated area, we usually buy some baba ganoosh or hummus, the home made (cream top) yogurt and tabbouleh. There is an area next to the cash register with 'pizza', but really these are flatbreads, one topped with cheese, the other with za'atar ($1.50 each) Next to the seafood counter, you'll see an open door (into the baking area) with signage above the door. Breads made in stone ovens ($1.50 white, $1.75 wheat and $2 sesame topped). I usually ask for the sesame topped bread and it's made fresh and handed to me in a paper bag, very hot.

One day I was alone shopping and decided on something light. Beef or chicken kabob ($1.50 each). These are beef. It is all I ordered. I paid $3 plus tax. Look at all the condiments! Roasted tomato and onion, raw onion, pickles, pickled cabbage. What a substantial meal.

Valley Foods 1275 East Main Street El Cajon 92021 (619) 749-8355 Website

There are many choices for prepared foods in this time of COVID-19.

Sunday Stuffs – Ghost Pepper Wings from Popeyes, the “Weekender” from Bird Rock Coffee, Harvest Market (Balboa) is Closed, and Stuffs from D’Artagnan

October 4, 2020 mmm-yoso Caffeine Fix, Chains, Chicken Wings, Markets & Grocers

Here are a couple more odds and ends for yet another day where it seems like the wheels on the year 2020 are coming off…….

Ghost Pepper Wings from Popeyes:

I had a few folks ask me about the ghost pepper wings from Popeyes, I guess since even though we haven't grown anything in a couple of years, I'm kinda fond of making stuffs out of ghost peppers. So, Bob and "ST", here goes.

Frankly, even though Popeyes was once upon a time a "guilty pleasure"; it seemed like the quality (and the size) of the chicken started diminishing over the years. Finally, I just tired of it all and I hadn't been to a location of Popeyes in at least 10 years! So, when folks started asking me what I thought about the "ghost pepper wings"…..well, I wasn't sure. So, on a day where I had some time; I decided to try them out…..just to kinda see. I was surprised at the price; though they really push combos; you can get 6 pieces of wings only (they did include a biscuit) for $4.99. Just make sure to bust out that magnifying glass…..as you can see on the right, the drumette was basically the size of a soy sauce packet.

The batter on the wings were really crunchy…in fact it was mostly batter, very little meat, and quite dry……I know I always say that those jumbo sized wings really mess up skin to meat ratio; but microscopic wings that are mostly batter screw up the ratio as well.

As for the spice? Well, this ain't no Quaker Steak and Lube Triple Atomic Wings that's for sure. In fact, this barely registered in the heat department for me…..it was mostly salty, with a hint of spice, lacking in the fruity-fieriness that is the hallmark of good Ghost Peppers. Pass……

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen
Locations throughout San Diego

The "Weekend" from Bird Rock Coffee:

I had started ordering several cups of cold brew from Bird Rock on Morena, with no ice, a few times a week.

When the really friendly guy working there; the one whose been there for quite a while asked me what was up; I told him that we usually can't finish a whole coldbrew in one sitting so by having it with no ice; we'd just store it in the fridge. This is when he recommended getting something they call the "Weekender"; think of it as a growler of sorts. They cost $20 for 64 ounces so you basically get 5 1/3 portions for the price of less than 4. It's a good deal for us. We've been going thru about 1 every other week; though I'll still drop by in between those visits to get the Missus Her pour over fix. Though in this hot weather; we've been mostly sticking with coldbrew. I am a bit worried about all this plastic; so we're trying to find ways to reuse these when possible.

And I recommended Zgara to the guy…I believe his wife's family is from Greece as payback.

Bird Rock Coffee Roasters
1270 Morena Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92110

Harvest Market on Balboa is Closed:

I had some merguez in my latest order from D'Artagnan and the Missus was eager to have me sauté them with lemon and wanted some pickled veggies, garlic paste, and flatbread from Harvest Market. So we jumped in the car and took the quick drive over and were rather shocked to find them closed:

That "closed due to Coronavirus" sign was really worrisome.

I asked around a bit and one of sources who works with the local government told me that he understands that Harvest Market has probably closed permanently due to lack of business, not an infection. This is quite tragic and I hope they decide to reopen.

Harvest International Market – Balboa
4220 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92117

And Speaking of D'Artagnan:

I recently realized that I'd placed my third rather large order from D'Artagnan. It seems that several items have become household staples. I recall mentioning the duck prosciutto in my Ume Dressing post….but we've been enjoying the charcuterie/pates/etc during the recent heatwaves that have swept through San Diego over the last couple of months.

There's always one king of promotion; though I always look for the free shipping deals. Things are packed well and everything arrives chilled.

So far, our staples are the Duck Prosciutto, Duck Rillettes (the Missus loves making a hash with duck fat potatoes/eggs/rillette) which freeze well.

We've enjoyed the Wild Boar Saucisson Sec and will probably order the duck version next time as well.

The Torchon of Foie Gras and the Mousses of Foie Gras are favorites and I enjoy the Pâté de Campagne.

Not a big fan of the Medallions of Foie Gras and Truffle; the texture is very crumbly and the overall flavor is a bit too much; even for us.

We also didn't care much for some of the pates as well.

And of course, we do need a "bit of cheese" to balance things out, right?

Which we get from Venissimo after all; we need to support local as well, right?

It's easy enough to Google D'Artagnan. I don't do sponsors, freebies, and such and really don't want to be bothered with non-edible Spam, so I won't do a link. I'm sure you can find them easily. When ordering; you may want to set a farther out delivery date to save on shipping; if you're not getting it free.

Anyway, I just kinda always wanted to start a post with Chicken Wings and end with Foie Gras….so, at least that wish has come true!

Hope everyone has a safe and productive week!

Munich – The Asamkirche, St Michael’s Church, and a Caffiene Break at Dallmayr Delikatessenhaus

September 19, 2020 mmm-yoso Caffeine Fix, Germany, Markets & Grocers, Munich, Travel

**** Not much food in this one as I'm trying to go through my backlog of travel posts.

After visiting the Viktualienmarkt and finishing up my "sir…please no not say Spam….please…… we continued meandering along.

This very modern looking structure is the Ohel Jakob Synagogue. I read that this area, around Sankt-Jakobs-Platz was where the original Synagogue stood; which was destroyed by Hitler in 1938.

On this day; it was a nice peaceful place; close to busy streets and businesses.

There are things that aren't in the guidebooks that you come across when you do the "Flânerie" thing; like these interesting colored tiles.

Sometimes they remain a mystery until I'm able to do a bit of research after getting back home. But this one had a sign in English.

This is the "Monument to the Gays and Lesbians Persecuted under the Nazi Regime". There wasn't much I could find in English; but you might find this article of interest.

A few blocks down Sendlinger Strasse; a busy shopping street was our next stop; the Asam Church (Asamkirche). Also known as Church of St. Johann Nepomuk; this 30 foot wide church was created in the Baroque style by two brothers, sculptor Egid Quirin Asam and painter Cosmas Damian Asam as a private church….so basically, they could really go for it. And I've read that the church could act as a showroom of sorts for the brothers.

So, basically every inch of this chapel is decorated.

In fact, if you do travel to Munich; get Rick Steves guide to Munich and Salzburg, the part on the Asam Church s highly entertaining and a hoot. Mentioning that this private pale of worship served as a "promotional brochure to woo clients, and is packed with every architectural trick in the books."

From the ceiling art….which is created in such a way to make it seem like a domed ceiling to the golden gilded grim reaper snipping off the thread of life…..there's quite a bit packed into one fairly tight Barogue space.

I had read that it was never the intention of the brothers to make the church public; but pressure from local citizens forced the family to allow for public access.

Whatever the intentions and backstory, the Asam Church was a fun short visit for us.

Like I mentioned earlier in the post; Sendlinger Strasse, the street the church is located on is quite a popular shopping area. The Missus enjoyed window shopping as we headed down the street. As always, half the fun is people watching.

I wish things were like Paris and there was a outdoor café handy; it would have been fun having a coffee and just sitting down to watch folks (and their pets) walk by.

We turned a corner and headed up Eisenmannstrasse and found ourselves in front of the impressive St. Michael's Church; with its distinctive façade featuring statues of the House of Wittelsbach; which ruled Bavaria from 1198 until 1918! The church is also considered to be the largest Renaissance church north of the Alps. The church itself was created by the Jesuits as part of the "Counter-Reformation" to counter the Protestant Reformation in 1583.

The Altar stands three stories high.

The crypt down the stairs contains the tombs of the Wittelbach. For us; the item that really stood out was the huge Monument to Eugène de Beauharnais who is also interred in the crypt of the church.

After visiting St Michael's we decided to find a café and grab a caffeine fix. I had a place in mind and along the way was the impressive Frauenkirche, which is the location of the Archdiocese of Munich.

It quite amazing that this Gothic inspired church was built in only 22 years – from 1466 – 1488.

Much of the church was destroyed during World War II, the towers survived and the church was rebuilt around that.

What really got our attention was the monument of Ludwig IV as you enter the church.

There's also the Der Teufelstritt (The Devil's Footprint); my photo unfortunately didn't come out…..hmmm……

There's also this relic of Pius X in the cathedral.

As for our caffeine fix; I decided on a place I thought the Missus, who really enjoyed the cafe's in Vienna, might like. Established in 1700, Dallmayr Delicatessen seemed like a place we might like. The "Stammhaus"; the original store is huge, has three entrances, consists of 19 departments, and we were greeted by a fountain…nothing strange about that, right? Except this one had live cray fish in it…..

Though we were tempted by the many offerings…….Dallmayr was given the title of "Royal Bavarian Court Supplier" in 1900 and it's easy to see why.

We headed upstairs to the Café-Bistro Dallmayr.

While the possibility of Lobster Thermidor (a "light lunch"?) seemed interesting; I was still full of Spam Leberkäse, we decided to just get some coffee. The Missus got the French Press which came with the old fashion hours glass timer; very quaint.

I just needed a picker-upper and got a double espresso.

Which was just what I needed.

After finishing up; we spent a bit of time downstairs and the Missus got some gifts for friends back home.

And then we headed out; there were still a couple of other places the Missus wanted to see.

Dallmayr Delikatessenhaus
Dienerstrasse 14-15
München, Germany

Thankful for a nice little break and bolstered by our coffees we headed back out.

As we walked through Marienplatz for the umpteenth time, I was happy to have had a double espresso.

We still had a few sights the Missus had on Her "list"

Well, we're almost at 950 words now…….so, I'll continue on in a future post.

Thanks as always for stopping by!

New to the Rotation (You can probably guess) – The Market At HFS and Zgara Grill

September 10, 2020 mmm-yoso Greek Food, Markets & Grocers, Poke, Seafood

Yes, you can probably guess which places are now on our "rotation". And, I'm pretty sure after this pandemic is over these two places will still be frequently visited by us that I didn't even write "Pandemic Rotation" in the title.

I'm sure you already read my initial posts on HFS and Zgara as those two posts probably had the most comments I've seen in a while.

Anyway, here goes:

Hawaiian Fresh Seafood Fish Market:

**** HFS has moved their retail location and is now HFS at Centerpark Labs

Geeez, the Missus has me going at least twice a week, sometimes three times, you can tell She's been missing "home". Here are a couple of things I've noticed.

1 – There's more variety on the weekends.

On Saturday, they have two lines for poke. And, there's often something different on offer; like on this particular weekend.

Yes, it's the "Pretty Much Just Ahi"…….just seasoned with salt, sesame seeds, green onions. The quality of this fish was quite good.

The Missus added a bit of shoyu and wasabi to Hers……I didn't need anything.

On one weekend there was bluefin shoyu poke…..that was ono!

The item I've seen every weekend was the Hawaiian Ahi. It has a bit of limu in it, not much, but enough for you to get a taste.

2 – Of course weekends are also kinda busy.

I usually get to HFS right before they open and have noticed over the last couple of weekends, there's a line to get in before they open. It's getting longer every week.

I guess word is getting out.

3 – Don't forget to get Da' Card.

HFS has a card that will earn you a stamp for every $10 purchase.

After 10 stamps; you get a free medium poke bowl.

Sad thing is; that you gotta be ova' the increment of $10…….if you spend $29.99, you only get two stamps. Oh well.

Still, that's my third full card ready to go.

4 – Speaking of Medium Poke Bowls…..

If you're not going to eat the bowl right away – get them to split it for you. They'll separate the rice from the fish.

There's no way I can finish all that rice. In fact, the Missus and I will split the rice, so this works out perfect……only thing is, She is making me order brown rice now!

Also, this is a nice way to try smaller portions of other "stuffs" like the tako or albacore….the sesame albacore isn't bad and once they had kimchi tako that was pretty good as well.

So there you go…..I know I missed something, but heck, that just means I can do another post, right?

Hawaiian Fresh Seafood Fish Market
6491 Weathers Place
San Diego, CA 92121
(858) 282-0591
Covid-19 Hours:
Daily 10am – 4pm

Zgara Greek Grill:

Right now, since they've reopened on Morena, Zgara has been a twice weekly stop for me. I know I'll eventually try some of the other stuffs on the menu….but the pork gyros was already my favorite from their days in PB. And upon walking into the shop, I'm fixated on that beautiful rotating pile of pork.

So, I'm sticking with that for now…..

I'll let you folks tell me what else is good on the menu…..

Not much else to say. And while I've heard that "ChrisW" said I had a moment of "uncontrollable incontinence" (my translation) when confronted with my pork gyro; to be perfectly clear, I didn't. Though it did get mighty close there. I'm not quite that old yet.

Still, his might be well worth peeing in my pants for…..

I spoke to the owner on my last visit since I've seen him there every day. He told me that finding someone who can make his food the "right way" is difficult to find; so he's working everyday for now. A definite win for us, but I hope he doesn't burn out.

I had a "FOY" who asks to remain anonymous send me this screen shot a few weeks back (thanks!) – from back in 2015! I had forgotten all about it. It still holds true today:

Hmmmm…….I think I know what's for dinner.

Zgara Greek Grill
1229 Morena Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92110
Hours:
Sun – Thurs 11am – 9pm
Fri – Sat 11am – 10pm

So, there you go….I think you'll be free of more posts from HFS and Zgara for a while……I've just kinda stopped taking photos since I've been going to both places so often.

Hope everyone is keeping safe and in good health!

The Market At HFS (Hawaiian Fresh Seafood) – Finally, Some Decent Poke!

August 5, 2020 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers, Poke, Seafood

**** HFS has moved their retail location and is now HFS at Centerpark Labs

I'm not quite sure how I heard about Hawaiian Fresh Seafood…..having combed thru my emails, I'm thinking it was via the "coconut wireless". Anyway, I decided to head on over to a business park in Sorrento Valley, off of Mira Mesa Boulevard, to this Seafood Wholesaler's retail market; a la Catalina Offshore.

This is one of those places that you probably wouldn't stumble across. There is a small outdoor dining area and on the side of the building you'll find the retail entrance.

And from here you just follow the signs to the retail area.

I recall being told that during these times; and I'm referring to Covid-19, the Seafood Market operation will sometimes run out of product. So, I made it a point to get there just right after they open at 10am. And wouldn't you know it; there was already four people ahead of me at different stages of being served.

I'm not sure what the Hawaii connection is with this company; I read that they have their own fishing fleet. And guess what? The really nice young man taking care of me is from Ewa Beach! As I spoke, he immediately asked me where I was from…… He is currently going to college here in San Diego.

I took a look at what was offered….it's kinda obvious that I wasn't going to be getting any salmon…..I was, after all, missing "home" and was to get something with Ahi.

So, I got the two scoops poke for $12.99. It's so simple; just like our favorite places back home, this ain't no "chi-poke" shop. It's just poke and rice. I got the Shoyu Ahi and the California Ahi.

First thing I noticed was the quality of the fish; no "sugi" (connective tissue), the fish had the perfect, slight buttery-meatiness to it. The Shoyu Ahi had been nicely seasoned, not overdone, but well coated, not overly salty; the texture as quite good. There was a bit too much mayo on the California Ahi for me; and just a bit too much "stuff". But man, the texture of the fish is what got me. Let's not get too overblown with this….this isn't as good as our favorites back home; but it's good enough to be at what I call "good supermarket" level for the islands.

To put it frankly; this makes the stuff at the place that claims to be "1-1/2" to be closer to "1/3"…….you know the word "one" and the word that sounds very much like "third".

I decided to return the next day and hit the place up on my way back home to check on Frankie to grab some poke for the Missus. She's been kind of bummed that we can't travel and especially aren't really able to go back home to visit Her parents. Spending our entire time (14 days) in quarantine would just not do it for us.

This time I even took notice of the fresh fish available……that premium grade ahi looked pretty good.

I ended up getting four 1/2 pound portions for us to sample.

Clockwise from the top – Kilauea Volcano Ahi, Spicy Ahi, Spicy Cilantro, and Shoyu Ahi.

Of course, the hands down favorite was the Shoyu Ahi. Even though it was "less dressed" than before, we just loved the meaty-tender Ahi, no off flavors…….I looked on that "four lettered" site and someone complained that the Poke only had soy sauce flavor to it….well, duh…..

The "Volcano" was quite spicy, fish was good, in fact, it was good quality across the board.

Fish nicely coated, not overly salty.

Both Spicy Ahi Poke had a bit too much mayo for my taste. I'm not the biggest fan of this style, but the Missus enjoys it, and of course has "trained me well" in making the stuff.

In the end; it's all about the fish for me and this place has delivered on both my visits. And I've been told that they sometimes have Ahi Limu, which I'm hoping is true. For now, I'll be happy with getting the Shoyu Ahi Poke…..which, for me, an ex-pat Kama'aina who isn't able to have a fruitful visit "back home" right now, means the world.

Hawaiian Fresh Seafood Fish Market
6491 Weathers Place
San Diego, CA 92121
(858) 282-0591
Covid-19 Hours:
Daily 10am – 4pm

Munich – A Morning Walk, Weisswurst at the Viktualienmarkt, and “No Please Do Not Call it…..”

August 1, 2020 mmm-yoso German Restaurants and Food, Germany, Markets & Grocers, Munich, Sandwiches, Travel

Our Monday in Munich was going to be our "walking day", as the Missus had a broad outline worked out. We headed out from our apartment and a few blocks away got to the Missus's starting point, a large square officially known as Karlsplatz, but which most folks in Munich call "Stachus".

Right past the square as you head toward the city center, you pass through Karlstor. While the city walls of Munich were torn down near the end of the 18th Century; three of the gates remain.

This gate is one of the entrances to Munich's "Pedestrian Zone". It is obviously one of the main shopping streets as well.

We were surprised at all the "little surprises" we found on our way to our breakfast stop. It was fun and there was a lot to catch our attention and I'm sure we missed quite a bit as well.

I thought the fountain to the right was quite interesting. It's named Brunnenburbel – "Fountain Boy". It was quite interesting; apparently the fountain depicts a Satyr spitting water on a boy. The story goes that the boy was trying to stop the Styr from peeing, so the Satyr grabbed the boy and started spitting on him. I mentioned this to someone and was told; "it is very German….you see, in Belgium, they celebrate a boy peeing (Mannekin Pis)…here, even the little boys know it's wrong, and try to stop it, even at a cost". I dunno know about that, but it's very quaint, no?

During our walk down Neuhauser Strasse we saw a few things that reminded us of places we had been to before.

The first was at this place.

This is the German Hunting and Fishing Museum. And no it wasn't the giant Wels catfish outside; but rather this fellow, do you recognize him from a previous post?

Yes, it's a copy of Il Porcellino…..you recall that in Florence, I managed to "feed Mr Piggy"…..so, according to legend, I'm supposed to return to Florence one day!

And just a bit further down we came across this fellow!

Shades of Salzburg. We had just come from Salzburg, where you couldn't help but run into Stephan Balkenhol's "Sphaera". And here, leading to a shopping lane named Kaufingertor Passage was this sculpture. I had a bit of a time trying to find out the name of this one. After a bit of work; I found that the name of this piece was simply “Man with outstretched arms and white shirt”. Go figure.

And of course all roads….or make that pedestrian streets leads to Marienplatz.

Even on a Monday at right before 9 am, the place was fairly busy.

On our way back, later in the day, we'd actually get a chance to see the Glockespiel on the New Town Hall go off. It's quite entertaining.

It might be obvious to you; but Marienplaz literally means "Mary's Square". The column that stands near the middle of the square is named Mariensäule "Mary's Column", a Marian column that dates back to 1638 and was created to celebrate Bavaria's victory over Swedish Troops during the Thirty Years War. At the top of the column a golden statue of the Virgin Mary stands on a gold crescent moon, befitting her title of "Queen of Heaven".

In case you were wondering what happened to the Old Town Hall; well, it's right there at the end of the square.

In retrospect, the Missus and I were quite surprised at all the church's in Munich, we ended up visiting quite a few. Our last stop before "breakfast" was St Peter's Church.

St Peter's Church is said to be the oldest Catholic Church in Munich. It is also noted that as far back as the 8th Century monks lived around a little church on this hill. This church dates back to the 12th Century.

I found of this interesting and I really enjoyed the ceiling Frescoes.

But there was one main reason I wanted to visit. In one of the side Altars of the church you'll find a coffin of glass. The skeleton in that coffin is covered with a bejeweled body stocking….gold and jewels abound. The skeleton's eyes are glass.

This is the skeleton of Saint Munditia who is the Patron Saint of….wait for it…..Spinsters! Her remains have been interred in the church since 1675.

Well, after that visit…..it was time to grab a rather late breakfast.

We had enjoyed our short visit to the Viktualienmarkt on the day we arrived in Munich, so I really wanted to check the place out again and I also wanted the Missus to try some Weisswurst and it had to be eaten at the right time…..according to tradition Weisswurst should never be eaten after the bell chimes for noon. Traditionally, Weisswurst were made without preservatives fresh each morning, so they needed to be consumed before midday.

The Viktualienmarkt Beer Garden doesn't open until 10am, which is why we spent the morning wandering around a bit. After arriving we went and checked out some shops and produce stands.

Thing were fairly laid back and quite relaxed when we arrived.

And after exploring for a bit; we headed off to the Beer Garden.

And ordered the Missus Her Weisswurst. No beer for us; 10am is too early for "beer o'clock"….at least for us….even in Munich.

I instructed the Missus to peel off the casing before eating. I'd read that Weisswurst is white because no nitrites. which preserve color are used in making this pork, veal, and fatback, sausage. The Missus loved it! This was fairly mild in flavor, not salty, you could make out a bit of porkiness, some almost citrus tones….it was quite good. The Missus is now sold on Weisswurst…….She even prefers it without mustard. She also enjoyed the Sauekraut as well. This as enough for both the Missus and I for a pseudo brunch.

As we were leaving the Viktualienmarkt area I passed the little shop above. I saw the sign…..displayed to the right and something caught my eye. Leberkässemmel….for 2 Euroes! Leberkäse is a Bavarian and Austrian specialty that folks compare to bologna. This was a nice slice of meat product tucked into a roll (semmel), with mustard to cut the porkiness and salt. I really enjoyed this.

You know, the flavor is very familiar. As we were walking up the street, I told the Missus, "you know this really tastes like…." when a tall gentleman turned around and in a very kindly voice said, "sir…please no not say Spam….please……" Okay, then……..let's just say it was delicious, how's that? (pssst, it does kinda taste like you know what…….)

We were having a lot of fun in Munich and our day wasn't even half done!

Thanks for stopping by!

Munich – A Quick Visit to the Viktualienmarkt and Dinner at Werneckhof by Geisel

June 24, 2020 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Fine Dining, German Restaurants and Food, Germany, Markets & Grocers, Memorable Meals, Munich, Travel

When planning our trip last year that started in Budapest and ended in the Missus's favorite city….yep, Paris, I needed to find stops in between. While the Missus does humor my desire to travel by train; She requested that no trip be longer than three hours or so. So, when planning our exit from Salzburg, I had to keep that parameter in mind. After providing a few options; the Missus agreed on Munich. It seemed an interesting city, we'd never been to Germany….and frankly, I'd always wanted to check out an honest to goodness Beer Garden.

Once, I started to do a bit of research, I got a bit excited when I read about Werneckhof by Geisel, lead by a German-Japanese Chef; Tohru Nakamura. I managed to snag reservations quite easily, considering the place has 2 Michelin Stars.

We arrived at the huge sprawling Munich Central Train Station after a uneventful two hour ride from Salzburg. I had made arrangements to stay at an Airbnb on Schillerstrasse a quick stroll from the train station. The rather "International" and slightly seed feel to the neighborhood bothered the Missus at first. But, in the end, She took to the area.

Of course, after settling in, the Missus wanted to head out right away….some things never change. I had wanted to check out the Viktualienmarkt, Munich's popular and very well known open air market. So, we headed on over. The Market has a long history, dating back to the 15th century….though it became a market by official decree in 1807.

Considering that the market is centrally located in Munich; it's amazing to consider that it covers an area of five-and-a-half acres!

Wanting just to quickly check things out; we started at the Maypole, which along with a bit of history, also lists out, like a typical traditional one, the various specialties of the region.

Among the many traditions that surround the Maypole is the mischievous one where rival villages try to steal their neighbor's Maypole. Here's a funny story of a group from the tiny village of Neufinsing (population 4300) who managed to pull off a heist of the Munich Maypole! When the terms of ransom was settled; the thieves managed to get two meals and beer out of it! You gotta love it!

We found folks in Munich and Stuttgart to be very well mannered and yet friendly in a reserved kind of way.

And also very social.

We'd return to the Viktualienmarkt and actually have a meal and spend a bit more time shopping later on during our stay.

We decided to take a quick walk to the Marienplatz ("Mary's Square"), considered to be the hustling-bustling heart of Munich. The massive New Town Hall ("Neues Rathaus") with its famous Glockenspiel takes up one entire side of the square.

We'd return here several times during our stay as well.

For now; it was time to head back to the apartment to take a short rest before heading out to dinner. Dinner was in the North Eastern part of Munich. We ended up taking the U-Banh from the Goetheplatz station and got out at Giselastrasse. From there, Google Maps was my friend and we found Werneckhof by Geisel.

The exterior is very low keyed; we were greeted immediately after entering the restaurant, shown our table, and then taken to meet the chef. We were the first customers this evening; so it was nice chatting with Chef Nakamura; whose father is Japanese and Mother German. The Chef was also interested in why we chose to dine at Werneckhof by Geisel. We mentioned our affinity for Franco-Japanese cuisine, we loved how well the flavors melded together, the precise cooking and presentation, how some places edged more on European and others more Asian. We then rattled off some of the places we'd been to; Sola, Takao Takano, Alliance, and the Chef smiled and mentioned cooking with these Chefs during events and having actually worked in the same kitchen as well.

Dinner started with nice aperitifs, then the appetizer course. We were thrilled that the appetizers revolved around white asparagus which was in season. Each using white asparagus in different preparations.

The pickled asparagus was a sight to behold, wonderfully presented, the tofu and sorrel vinaigrette amazingly smooth. The raw asparagus was amazingly sweet and was balanced out with rocket and camelina. The grilled version was probably the most mundane of the trio; though you really couldn't complain about the quality of the product. The preparations was a nice way to enjoy and appreciate how delicious white asparagus is.

The Missus and I each took one of the tasting menus so, even though there was some overlap we'd be able to get a nice, full range of dishes.

Up next for me was the "Hamachi". Basically a Yellowtail Tatare and some sliced like sashimi.

This was a wonderful range of textures; the firm, yet buttery Hamachi, the thick, rich parsley sauce, and in an interesting touch, the marinade in buttermilk, which added a pleasant milky-acidity to the dish.

First up for the Missus was the Langoustine in Shiitake Aspic, with Oyster and Anchovies.

I wasn't sure how all these really strong flavors would work together; but there was a good amount of balance in the earthy versus the oceany-savory…..and that langoustine basically melted in your mouth!

We both had the Bavarian Salmon Trout (Steelhead) as our next dish.

The sesame and kombu beurre blanc was quite interesting adding a mixture of nutty-slightly briny flavors to the very tender fish. Yuzu added a nice acidity that helped to cut the richness. In a fairly humorous moment, the Maître'd Markus, a very mellow and friendly young man, ambled on over and started explaining what Yuzu and Kombu was……I started laughing and told him "I'm Japanese" and he cracked up saying that most of the customers, especially the German customers have no idea what these ingredients are and for many, the flavors are still mysterious and exotic. I really enjoyed chatting with Markus and his twin brother, who is the Sommelier, Tobias.

Next dish up, the Gilthead Seabream, another overlap in our tasting menu.

The rice was a bit underdone; but the pressed octopus and especially the fish based sauce was an amazing umami bomb. The fish was perfectly tender; I'm thinking it might have been sous vide.

At this point, we were asked to stretch out legs and led downstairs.

And we were taken to….."Shibuya"!

In the restaurant's wine cellar, a little bar was set-up along with the fixins for some Kushi Shabu. And some great entertainment from the "Mad Professor"…..

We got sake or shochu, and a couple of skewers……

We were regaled with stories of the chef and other staff, various jokes, and of course everything ended with the perfect photo-op as well!

We returned to our table for the "main courses". By now the dining room was starting to fill up.

Next up for me was a super tender, rich, and delicious Luma (a company from Switzerland which specializes in Aged Pork) Pork Belly topped with wonderfully earthy morel mushrooms.

The Missus had nice, though rather forgettable (compared to the pork belly) BBQ Eel.

And the meal's crescendo for me was the Ozaki Wagyu……whoa man.

And that truffle sauce….with a nice savory-spicy touch of Gochujang…….

The Missus's Koji Brined Grilled Saddle of Venison was also a big winner.

The lovely, flavor of the pasture, perfectly cooked, fork tender, the jus amazing….a touch of wasabi…good lord; an amazing dish!

And as a palate cleanser…the Missus absolutely loved Erna….the name of the Kombucha's Scoby…..

Dessert here were no joke……the Missus was in heaven.

Shiso, Medlar, Elderflower, and Yogurt.

Mara de Bois Strawberries, Tahitian Vanilla, Tonka Bean, and Sansho.

Hojicha, Raspberry and Lemon Balm.

I thought the snacks that were brought out with the check were presented wonderfully, on a map of Munich where these confections were created.

And I really enjoyed the fortune cookies.

We really enjoyed our meal at Werneckhof by Geisel. And much like our meal at Takao Takano a mere six months before; it was definitely one of the best meals we've had. We loved the effcient yet relaxed service and vibe; not stuffy in the least, a nice playfulness, but with seriously executed food. Markus and Tobias were amazing…….I still remember their names. And that's a photo of Chef Nakamura stirring the pot as a child to the right……he's been cooking for a long time!

I seriously think we'll try to return.

Werneckhof by Geisel
Werneckstrasse 11
80802 München, Germany

We caught a taxi back to the apartment….there were some road closures, so we had the very friendly cabbie drop us off a couple of blocks from our residence. The short walk back actually did us good. We'd get a great night's sleep and wake ready for another busy day!

Thanks for stopping by!

Grocery Shopping in the Time of Covid – 19…..Mostly a Bunch of Photos

March 22, 2020 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers

***** Some really great comments on this post. Check them out!

Unless you've just returned from several months on another planet; you know about our current Covid-19 outbreak. So, I'm just going to mostly go with photos….with just a smidge of text.

The first time I really ran into things was when I needed to make food for Frankie….I needed chicken thighs; I usually get them from Costco…but heck, there's no way I was going to make it in there. So, I tried to find some….going to everywhere from Sprouts….to Smart and Final….to Zion Market…..etc, etc, etc……

I finally found some at Sprouts on Genesee and managed to make him some food….I'm going to have to make more this weekend; but things have gotten a bit under control…..though I think rice (and toilet paper) seem to be in demand.

And soon enough, there were limits placed……

Along with modified hours.

And now, with social distancing in place……there are limits on amount of folks allowed in at once. I first ran into this at Seisels.

Here's the line today at Nijiya around 1030. They are opening at 10am and will close at 6pm.

It was very orderly and wonderful young lady working would ask if you want a basket or wagon and would spray sanitizer on it before turning it over to you.

And overall, I have noticed that people have been kind, thoughtful, and patient……other than that guy at Costco Gas who yelled at me, "you people are why we have Coronavirus". There's always one, isn't there?

And heck, if you're wondering if you have enough TP; you might want to use this tool (???). According to this I should have enough for 48 days at least.

I hope you are all in good health. Hang in there!

Happy New Year!

January 1, 2020 mmm-yoso European Restaurants, French Restaurants, Markets & Grocers

Happy 2020 to you all!

Not much to see here that's different from previous years. Like the past fourteen New Years Eves, I started my day by checking out the Osechi at Nijiya, Mitsuwa, and Marukai.

These days it seems that most folks preorder their Osechi. Still, traditions die hard……

And in them of traditions; like we've done the last 2 NYEs, we had an early dinner at Et Voilà!

Didn't take many photos as we just kind of enjoyed the evening…..

We haven't been to ET in a while and I just noticed the "Break Me. Don't Cut Me!" Sticker on the baguette……

An enjoyable meal overall.

Et Voilà!
3015 Adams Ave
San Diego, CA 92116

As for today…well, I made the Missus Red Cooked Wagyu Shortribs, while I did my usual, traditional soba.

And so we turn the page on another year……

And we'd like to send out our best wishes for a wonderful and delici-yoso 2020!

Happy New Year!