Ramen – Page 8 – mmm-yoso

Nozaru Ramen Bar

June 25, 2018 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

A few months ago; none other than Taka-san from Taisho asked me what I thought about Nozaru. Nozaru? Apparently one of his regulars and even the local Japanese newspaper had mentioned the place. Because of the crazy influx of the "ramen is the new cronut" thing, I just put it on the back burner until we got back from Italy. But after returning from that trip, I finally managed to make it to Nozaru…..which is squeezed between the Ould Sod and the Rabbit Hole on Adams Avenue.

The location is very "San Diego hipster"…..which is not a bad thing….wide open, casual….you know, right?

The ordering is the same….you can do take-out from the counter, or just occupy a seat and the really nice young man will (eventually) arrive with a menu and you can order something. There are basically four different ramen available; chicken based, miso based, spicy, and tonkotsu.

I decided to start with the Chicken Karaage.

This arrived nice and hot. Though it was on the greasy side and the batter was not crisp or light. It lacked a nice soy sauce flavor and was all white meat……to me, it was basically chicken fingers, bland and definitely not karaage. What bothered me the most; is that at first blush it seemed dumbed down.

My "Tonkotsu Heights" ramen arrived soon after.

First the good. Even though the boiled egg was cold, it was nicely cooked and decently flavored. The Chasu was tender, porky, and had a decent light sweet-soy flavor. The noodles were standard issue JFC and was a bit over-cooked for my taste. The bok choy…..in ramen….was cumbersome. The broth, while being decently hot, rather than having a nice smooth, collagen tongue feel, was on the greasy side. In terms of taste it was too salty with bitter tones. It was not the typical tonkosu that I enjoy.

It would be very easy for me to leave Nozaru with the many "one and done" visits I have…….though I usually don't do those posts….places like Trust, Juniper and Ivy, and Pardon My French….whose photos just sit in a folder, waiting for the day I might revisit. And yet, I decided to return for a second visit.

Though once seated, I had a real problem wondering what to order.

In the end, I went with the version of Abura Soba; basically ramen without broth ("oil noodles"), the "Adams Belly".

As a whole, this was much better than what I'd had before. The noodles weren't over-cooked, the poached egg really helped to coat the noodles. However, in terms of temperature, the pork and egg were ice cold, which lessened my enjoyment. The bacon bits were a nice addition, but were minced too fine….try picking all of that up with chopsticks.

For some reason, the flavor of the menma seemed to resonate through the entire dish. Perhaps it was me.

Still, I enjoyed this much more than the ramen.

I liked the nice young man working here. It is hipsterish ramen. Not much else to say about it.

Nozaru Ramen Bar
3375 Adams Ave
San Diego, CA 92116
Hours:
Mon – Thurs 5pm – 930pm
Friday      5pm – midnight
Satuday     12pm – midnight
Sunday      12pm – 930pm

Kyoto – Shirakawa-Minami Dori and Lunch at Ichiran Ramen

June 19, 2018 mmm-yoso Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Kyoto, Ramen

Do an online search on "most beautiful street in Kyoto" and Shirakawa-Minami Dori will appear. And while we've been down this street several times before, the Missus was excited to see it during Cherry Blossom season. I gotta say; even on an overcast day, it was indeed quite striking.

In fact, the drizzle may have kept folks away and even added some "atmosphere" to our visit.

Those willow trees sure add character to the photos as well.

It is, without a doubt, one of the more beautiful streets that I've had a pleasure to see, that's for sure.

Our Shinkansen was leaving for Tokyo at around 1 pm, so we'd have to head out before noon. So I thought we'd go and grab some morning ramen before freshening up and heading to Kyoto Station. The place I had in mind, Ichiran, is highly regarded with over 60 locations through-out Japan, a location in New York with crazy wait times….shades of Ippudo….at least that was my hope. The location in Kyoto is a 24 hour operation, which suited us just fine.

The drill here was initially typical….the good old ticket machine.

For us, it was tonkotsu of course. The tables are more like cubicles, with your own personal water dispenser, a divider, if you choose to need it, and a sheet of paper where you can further define your preference…be it richness (medium), flavor (medium), garlic (a little), green onions (of course), chasu (are you kiddin' me?), red sauce (1/2 portion), and noodle texture (extra firm).

The Missus and I basically got the same thing; except She got the macha dessert. And of course we "needed" to have an egg added.

Soon enough our ramen arrived and I quickly noticed that something was amiss. The bowls felt almost cold to the touch.

And that was a bad start to perhaps the worst ramen we've had in Japan.

First off, the hottest thing in the bowl were the noodles; which were slightly over-cooked, in other words, not "extra-firm". The broth was just past lukewarm and started to separate as it hit the table. It was very bitter, salty, and rather than being rich, because of the temp, quite greasy.

Neither the chili paste, nor the garlic could help this.

The boiled egg was beautifully cooked, but ice cold, as was the chasu, which was too lean and on the tough side……which would have been okay, but cold pork in a lukewarm broth? That's not good eats.

And while the Missus loved Her dessert, it didn't make up for the lousy ramen.

There was a Japanese couple sitting next to me….they kept saying things to each other during the meal. I think they were rather unhappy as well. Look what they left behind. The broth and noodles…..

I'd read so much about how great the ramen is at Ichiran. And maybe it is fantastic. But when you have poor quality control……….

Ichiran Kyoto
598 Uraderacho Higashiiru Takoyakushidori Nakagyo-ku
Kyoto, Japan

Oh well, nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

We got back to the apartment, packed, and made our way to Kyoto Station. We shared a bento on our way back to Tokyo.

Not too much mind you….we had reservations at one of our favorite restaurants for dinner!

Kyoto – The Keage Incline, the Philosopher’s Path, and Kogashi (“burned”) Ramen at Gogyo

April 29, 2018 mmm-yoso Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Kyoto, Ramen, Travel

Based on what we saw during the previous afternoon and evening, the Missus decided that we should head back to the Philosopher's Walk, something we did on a previous visit. This time, we decided to do it from the South side.

So we headed off. While there was the possibility of rain in the forecast, it was a very nice morning.

We walked along Lake Biwa Canal, intending to cross over at the intersection near Lake Biwa Museum.

That's where we came across this interesting statue. I'm not sure what it is….all I was able to come up with is something along he lines of "statue of Huge Shine".

The other neat thing we saw were people walking below street level, along the pretty cherry blossoms.

This is the Keage incline. According to what I read, this was once a rail line which was used to carry goods to both channels. These days it's lined with cherry blossom trees. Which make for a nice photo-op. Especially for the folks taking wedding pictures….in the bottom right of the photo below.

From there, it was an easy walk to Nanzenji temple complex. You can't miss the large Sanmon; the main gate.

We didn't spend a whole lot of time here……I'm sure we'll return in the future…..

We did take a few minutes to take a peek at what I believe is Chou Shouin Temple.

A few minutes later we passed Eikando Temple…..

It was early and the temple wasn't yet open. Plus, the Missus was determined to get to the Philosopher's Path.

And a turn or two later….we were there.

There are quite a few….well interesting, but somewhat eccentric folks in Japan…..

Like this Cat Lady giving this feline a "massage"….you could the purring yards away.

Notice that colored cloth to the right of the woman?

Well, it was this.

Just when I think I've seen it all……

Of course the Sakura were beautiful.

The Missus even bought a cup from this lovely ceramic shop.

Everytime She uses it; She's reminded of the Sakura and Kyoto.

Man, check out all the waiting taxis at the North end of the Philosopher's Path.

"We" had decided that I needed more exercise. So we walked all the way back to the Nishiki Market area.

For lunch I had a ramen place on my radar, Gogyo Ramen, which specialized in "kogashi"……translated to "burnt" ramen. In this case, lard is heated, then ignited, giving the broth a deep black hue. And while it seemed like a gimmick, the parent company was Ippudo, which might be my favorite ramen chain in Japan. And this shop was just two blocks from the Ippudo shop in Kyoto.

We got there about 15 minutes before opening and there was already a line.

Which meant that once the doors opened, the place was instantly full.

Gogyo's signature "burnt" shoyu broth starts with a standard broth, then a few ladles of lard is put into a wok and is heated to 300 degrees Celsius….it basically ignites. This is tipped into the bowl and you get the deep, dark, black, soup.

As you can see, we ordered an extra ajitama for our bowl. The egg was very nicely done, the yolk the perfect golden orb, but ice cold. The pork was dry and also cold. The noodles were over-cooked and lacked a nice al dente pull. The broth was really thick and obviously due to the scortched lard pretty oily….but it was super hot, which kept it from getting too greasy. There's a mild bitter-smokiness and bitterness, to the broth and it wasn't overly salty. We enjoyed the broth, but everything else was average to below average in execution.

The Missus got the Kyoto Pork Bowl combination, which She enjoyed.

It looked pretty bland, but I had a taste and the pork was fairly moist, the soy-mirin-sake flavoring was nicely balanced.

Though, to be honest, I was focused on the ramen. And, while it was fun trying this, I don't think we'll be back.

Service was excellent. The space is quite large for a typical ramen shop in Japan.

Gogyo
452 Jumonji-cho
Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan

Even though this was our third time in Kyoto; things seemed to be different. Folks were walking around with smiles on their faces. There seemed to be levity in the air.

And walking back to the apartment, I found myself smiling at certain things I saw…..

Perhaps the Sakura does have a certain magic to it?

Ramen Revisits – Tajima Mercury, Ramen Yamadaya (Clairemont), and Ototo

April 26, 2018 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

Before leaving the Kearny Mesa area, I did ramen rounds at some of the places that I don't visit very often or had only visited once or twice over the years. Starting with…..

Tajima Mercury:

Remember when they called this place Tajima Sushi & Japanese Tapas Restaurant (we called it Tajima 2)?

I'd actually never had the ramen at this location, usually choosing Tajima's original Convoy location. On this day; I arrived right as they opened and there was already a line!

One interesting observation while I sat and waited to order. The only folks of Asian descent were working……….

I went with the Tajima Ramen ($11) with the thicker noodles.

The broth had a tinny-salty-bitterness that I recalled from past visits. The noodles were over-cooked, the fried garlic just seemed to add to the bitterness. The pork was a pile of crumbly-salty-chewy meat. In fact, one of the customers at the table next to me actually asked the Server if they had changed the way the chashu was made. The ajitama was a nice and supple.

Too bad, because a couple of years ago I actually had a fairly decent bowl at their Hillcrest location.

I still miss the original "Tajima" back in the late 90's.

Tajima Mercury
4411 Mercury St.
San Diego, CA 92111

Ramen Yamadaya:

**** Ramen Yamadaya has closed

Man, had it been nearly two years since I last visited? Though it did seem that over time, Yamadaya seemed to be heading on a slow downhill slide. Still, it had been a while.

It was strangely not busy during lunch when I visited. Strange, because Yamadaya used to be pretty busy on previous lunchtime visits.

I ordered my usual; the Tonkotsu Kotteri, with the noodles "extra firm".

Man, this broth was terrible. Fatty yes, but barely over lukewarm, it was like licking lard….and heck, this from a guy who had seabura (pork backfat) ramen in Japan. There was a greasiness and weird blandness to the broth that even the sweet and slightly pungent black garlic oil couldn't solve. I mentioned this to the young lady serving me…..something I would rarely do and got a blank stare, then an "ok, I'll let the kitchen know…." And then not another response for the entire meal. Like previous visits, the chashu here was dry, tough, and cold. The noodles were fine as was the egg…….though it was ice cold.

I had ordered some chicken karaage……is it just that I missed things or is the Tori Nanban no longer on the menu?

Anyway, if there was anything worse than the ramen, it was the karaage.

Good lord; no color, no crispness, gummy, with no flavor. What's up with the temp of the oil?

Man, this was pretty bad……really sad because the place had to much potential when they first opened up here in 2012.

Ramen Yamadaya
4706 Clairement Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

Ototo:

After my terrible ramen at Yamadaya, I thought I should give Otot…um, Ototo another shot even though I thought the ramen here was typical of a "roll and teriyaki" joint….in other words, third tier. Still, it had been about two-and-a-half years since my visit.

I went with the White Tonkotsu Ramen along with some Chicken Karaage.

I went with the shoyu tonkotsu this time around, rather than the shio version I had on my previous visit. While lacking in richness and having a mild bitterness, the broth was fine…..a least it was hot. The noodles were the standard issue, mass produced stuff that's everywhere and it was a bit on the mushy side. The egg….well, it wasn't ice cold, which helped things. The chashu was rubbery.

And guess what? While the chicken karaage wasn't amazing….it was moist and had a "by-the-book" karaage flavor – soy sauce, a touch of ginger, a bit too salty.

It could have used a bit more crispness and a more complex flavor, but this was decent. And it actually looked like chicken karaage.

One more thing. The young lady who waited on me was amazing. There was a family with a young son who came in a few minutes after me. Apparently they were regulars. She was so friendly and engaging, taking time to chat and play with the young boy, while still remaining on top of things. She had that balance of efficiency, friendliness, and professionalism. So heck, I might come back one of these days. Maybe…..

Ototo Sushi Co
5651 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92111

Revisits – Santouka and Grandma’s Tofu & BBQ

December 19, 2017 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Korean Restaurants, Ramen

I've been a bit under the weather. This past weekend was especially tiring. I guess getting in from Copenhagen after 8 in the evening and heading right back to work the next morning at 6 might do that to you. Then there's the fact that a bunch of folks at work are sick as well, it inevitable I guess.

Anyway, here's what I had to put me back on the road to recovery.

Santouka Ramen:

With the cooler weather, there's no way the Missus would turn down Santouka. she really enjoys the Shio Toroniku Ramen. To the point that we had to make a pilgrimage to the original location of Santouka in Asahikawa. We had the usual; a large shio toroniku to share and a bowl of natto gohan, also to share.

While the broth still falls a bit short of the versions in Japan; this still hits the spot. Not too greasy, a wonderful tongue a belly coating richness. Just enough saltiness. The thickness of the bowl keeps the broth hot; something you definitely need in Asahikawa where the coldest temperature in the Japan history was recorded(-41°). The pork was nicely flavored good porkiness and soy, but was on the tougher side this time around. The noodles were just short of excellent, a bit too soft.

But it did hit the spot. Menya Ultra might be getting all the publicity these days, declared Restaurant of the Year for 2017, but Santouka is comfort food for the Missus and I.

Santouka Ramen
4240 Kearny Mesa Rd(In the Mitsuwa Marketplace)
San Diego, CA 92111

Grandma's Tofu & BBQ:

I was feeling a bit congested and the Missus suggested Grandma's Tofu & BBQ. It had been a while. We went with the Heukyumso Jungol, Korean Black Goat Stew. We hadn't had that in a couple of years.

This was much better than what we had on our last visit here. The broth was spicier, which really helped to clear me out. The goat meat was nice and gamey and quite tender to boot. Love the flavor of sesame leaf; it adds a nice fibrous texture and anise flavor to things. A lot heartier than on previous visits as well.

Too bad the panchan was second rate. As you can tell; it was fairly dried out, the baechu kimchi, which we consider a staple was quite fishy, too salty, without a nice fermented flavor.

We stopped by Nijiya nad Zion on the way home. Firm tofu from Nijiya. and while I'm not such a fan of Zion anymore, they had the good packaged "old style fermented kimchi" in stock. Not cheap, but it kind of reminds us of the versions we had Seoul, along with sesame leaf. It was even more spicy and much richer the next day.

Grandma's Tofu & BBQ
4425 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111

Putting me on the road to (hopefully) recovery.

Hope everyone is keeping warm and in good health this holiday season!

Cold Tan Tan Men at Menya Ultra and Shann Xi Magic Kitchen (99 Ranch Market Food Court)

August 9, 2017 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

Cold Tan Tan Men at Menya Ultra:

Some of the folks at work thought we'd hit up Menya Ultra before things get really crazy. And yes, because it was a foursome, I actually waited in line for thirty minutes. I'd been told that the Zaru Tan Tan Men was really good; so I decided to order that with an ajitama.

The egg was very good, nicely flavored, and in this case, having it on the cold side was a plus this time. The noodles were very nice and katame (firm)….on two of my last visits I overheard folks complaining the noodles were "undercooked"…….god help them if they go to Rokurinsha, Ippudo, or just about any street corner ramen shop worth a damn in Japan. As for the rest? Well, I find this version rather bland with not enough savory umph to be satisfying to me. Even with the onions, the seasoned ground meat…..well, I'll just stick with the Ajitama Tonkotsu. Though I'm not sure when I'll be willing to brave the crowds again.

Menya Ultra Ramen
8199 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

Shann Xi Magic Kitchen in the 99 Ranch Market Food Court:

**** This location of Shann Xi Magic Kitchen has closed.

I needed something from 99 Ranch Market and it was around 11am this past weekend. I decided to check out this location of Shanxi Magic Kitchen to see how they compared to the location on Convoy.

It's obvious that the two kids working here really don't want anything to do with their customers….they'd rather work on their laptop or socialize. I was treated like a mere nuisance.

Of course I ordered the Yang Rou Pao Mo ($8.99), which is served here without the pickled garlic or chili paste….perhaps you need to ask for them? But you shouldn't have to……it's standard for the dish.

I've mentioned that I've given up on finding the Yang Rou Pao Mo that I really enjoyed in Xi'an. So how's this facsimile?

The lamb in this was very tasty, quite muttony. The meat nice and tender. The flavor of the broth was heavy in white pepper, but decent, you could still taste "the lamb". It was a bit thin for my liking….I enjoy a thick and hearty Yang Rou Pao Mo, and while this was scalding hot, it lacked the richness and tongue (and belly) coating viscousity. Not much bean thread in this, though I saw some lily buds and a few pieces of tofu which looked just like the waxy, pasty, counterfeit leavened bread. Overall, not bad, but I'll be going to the location on Convoy if I ever want this again.

Overall, the (lack of) service and broth was subpar.

Shann Xi Magic Kitchen
5950 Balboa Ave (In the 99 Ranch Market Food Court)
San Diego, CA 92111

Midweek Meanderings – The Wait at Menya Ultra is About to Get Longer, Thai House Under New Ownership, and Is H Mart Coming to Balboa?

July 26, 2017 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers, Ramen, Thai Restaurants

I haven't done one of these in a while; so here goes.

The Wait at Menya Ultra is About to Get Longer:

So, for those that don't follow Eater San Diego (you probably should). Some "personality" was in town filming a new show. Among he places he hit? Menya Ultra. So, it's probably going to be on the new show….especially when you have that person Tweet that it "might be the best ramen in America". In spite of the pet peeve mine in the Tweet….calling it "tonkatsu" ramen instead of "tonkotsu"….I'll let that go as a 140 characters or less fail. The bottom line is; you'll probably have to wait a lot longer for this in the near future.

Our current strategy is to drive by and if there aren't too many people in line; stop. Otherwise always have a plan B.

Menya Ultra Ramen
8199 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

Thai House Under New Ownership:

**** Thai House has closed

I've got some great readers. Most of whom don't comment on the blog. No less than three people sent me emails telling me that Thai House was under new ownership.

And while I haven't had the chance to drop by for a meal recently; I did a quick turnaround in the parking lot. And yes, it seems there's an ownership change….just a few months after my last post on the place. I've been told that the offerings have taken a change for the good.

Thai House
4225 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Is H Mart Coming to Balboa Ave?:

So, "FOY" Sandy in a comment in this post, mentioned that H Mart was coming to Balboa Avenue in the old Sports Authority location. SJP and one other person also mentioned this to me. So I drove over and took a look. No sign of anything yet.

This sounds much like the info I got about Zion Market's new location back in 2012, so I thought I'd include it in this post. Speaking of Zion Market; I've got kinda tired of quality being lowered over time, customer service being zip, surly customers (remember the "Please Do Not Throw Fruits & Vegetables" sign), that this might be a welcomed addition. Plus, I've heard a bunch of stories about how Zion went out of their way to put Hana Mart out of business.

So, we'll see if karma strikes….

7725 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92111

Minato 3 Ramen & Sushi

July 25, 2017 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

**** Minato 3 Ramen & Sushi has closed

A few months back I'd head that a new Japanese Restaurant had opened up in the old Com Tam 75 space. While I wasn't particularly motivated to try the place out; I needed to head over to Northgate Market for a few things and really didn't feel like eating at Pho 87 again. So I decided to head on over to check the place out.

The interior was basically the same as the old restaurant; save a few changes….same odd, wheeled chairs; the counter area converted into a sushi bar that was too high to actually serve folks…..the televisions played Korean Boy and Girls Band videos constantly.

I glanced over at what the other two tables where eating…..rolls; I knew I wouldn't be going for the sushi….so I looked over the "Ramen" part of the menu. I decided to just try one of their basic ramen. Not that it matters, but when the employees spoke, it was in Korean; thus the videos

I went with the Tonkotsu Ramen ($8.99).

So that's what arrived; a super thin, bland, lukewarm "broth", that had a rather odd fragrance that I can't quite place. Eventually, the beni shōga (pickled ginger) bled all over the soup. The noodles were typical mass produced, "JFC" stuff and quickly got mushy. The boiled egg was fine, but not seasoned, and ice cold. The chashu was actually pretty decent; slightly porky, tender, and had been heated before serving. Of course there was all the corn and other stuff in the broth.

Maybe it's because the last couple bowls of ramen I'd had before coming here were at Menya Ultra, Ichiran (mediocre, but ten times better than this) in Kyoto, Gogyo Ramen (Kyoto), and Kizo (Tokyo), that this seemed below mediocre. But I'm fairly certain that if I even went to Ajisen tomorrow, it would be several levels better than this. Bummer.

Well, you know me, right. A couple of weeks later I decided to head on over to Minato; just to…..well see if my meal had just been an off day. There was no way I'd be having ramen; but since it seemed everyone really enjoyed the "sushi" here; I'd at least try the fish. So I ordered what was called "Carpaccio Salad" ($7.95) on the menu. Which was basically four slices of sashimi drenched in ponzu and sesame oil with some Kaiware (radish sprouts) and two slices of avocado as the "salad".

The salmon was the best piece here; the shiromi (white fish) was still partially frozen and stiff as a board and even drenched in the sauce; the maguro, which actually looked good, tasted a bit off.

I'd also ordered the Katsudon ($10.99), which I kinda expected to look like this (my home version), if not better.

This is what I got.

Check out that albumen. They didn't even bother to cook the eggs at all. It seems they just decided to crack a raw egg over the tonkatsu. Hey, I love tamago meshi, but this ain't that. This definitely needed more onions and cabbage really doesn't belong. The pork was tough and rubbery; the sauce tasted like the bottled stuff you add water to.

Good lord, I hate to be harsh, but this was pretty bad. Makes Katsuni at Okan Diner seem like it deserves a Michelin star.

Usually, I'd give a place another shot….three strikes and all that. But I just can't bring myself to return. The folks working here are sort of friendly. That is, the Server, who was actually chewing on food once when he served me, is really nice. The sushi guys are kind of detached. I'm hoping you enjoy the food here more than I did if you check them out.

Minato 3 Ramen & Sushi
5420 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

COMC – Menya Ultra Ramen, Tribute Pizza, China Max, and ‘Dem Bones (again) at Pho Duyen Mai

May 18, 2017 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Gastropub, Japanese Restaurants, Pho, Ramen

It's time to C(lear) O(ut) the M(emory) C(ard). Here are a bunch of photos…and not many words.

Menya Ultra Ramen:

Perfect noodles, excellent ajitama……broth still not quite as good as when they first opened.

Still the best ramen in San Diego in my opinion.

Menya Ultra Ramen
8199 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

Tribute Pizza:

Happy Hour on Tuesday to Friday from 4-6pm.

Sea Salt Foccacia with 'Nduja (of course). The Missus really enjoyed the wood fired veggies on the charcuterie board; which comes with its own "Foccacia of the Day". This time it was an "Everything Bagel" version. Our favorite so far was the Cheddar with Chives…..

Tribute Pizza
3077 N Park Way
San Diego, CA 92104

China Max:

In search of more quiet time. I did miss the Missus though.

She usually has most of the seafood. All I really wanted were the noodles.

China Max
4698 Convoy Street #C101
San Diego, CA 92111

Pho Duyen Mai:

**** Pho Duyen Mai is under new ownership

Yes it's "Them Bones" again. I actually got busy too quickly and forgot to take a photo until I'd scraped all the meat off the beef ribs.

Though the actual star of the show was this little guy. Who waited patiently, leash in mouth while his mommy finished lunch. What an awesome pooch! Amazing! I couldn't help but tell his owner how impressed I was with his focus.

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

Hope you're having a great week!

Noodling Around – Revisits to Menya Ultra and Pho T Cali

March 25, 2017 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Pho, Ramen, Vietnamese Restaurants

Just noodling around on this Saturday:

Menya Ultra Ramen:

I actually went back a couple of days after my first visit. There was no line, all the customers were Japanese and I got the Chashu Ramen.

The chashu while well flavored and moist, was just too much of a good thing and I left quite full. Still, the noodles were again perfect, just the right amount of pull with a bit of pull, nice and slippery, and a good vehicle for the collagen in the broth, which was, like my previous visit, a solid tonkotsu.

About two weeks later, I found out my haircut guy was working relatively close by and having read about the crowds in the comments on my post….I was curious. I got there at 1045…and no kidding; there were over 30 people waiting in line.

I'm usually not one to wait in line; but I was curious if this new popularity would change anything about the ramen at Ultra. So I put my name on the list….and waited about 30 minutes to get in.

I went with the Ajitama Ramen with an extra egg.

While the noodles were still perfect for my taste and the boiled egg was much better…..lukewarm instead of cold and not as "cooked". There were several things I noticed. The broth had less of a fragrance and indeed, while being fairly mild and nuanced before, was much less rich….more fatty, but lacking in the real noodle coating capacity. It was still good….just not quite as good as my previous two visits.

I'll wait a few months before going back. It'll be interesting to see how things progress. I think it's still the best straight up tonkotsu in San Diego.

Menya Ultra Ramen
8199 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

Pho T Cali:

**** Pho T Cali is now PT Eatery

In my Pho Duyen Mai "dem bones" post; I mentioned being told that the prices at Pho T Cali had gone up quite a bit. While Pho T Cali has never been a favorite of mine, I recall the prices being fairly reasonable. I think it was still under seven bucks when I declared it "aw pho".

Pho T Cali is basically within walking distance from my office…..but of course my previous experiences kind of keep me away….but I just had to see……had it really hit the "ten dollar pho" category?

Upon arriving and having the menu handed to me….I saw…yes indeed, the dac biet was now $9.95.

So for ten bucks I got this.

The broth had almost no color and had a strong onion taste. It looked like dishwater. While the texture of the tripe was good, it had a strange aftertaste; the tendon was decent though. The portion of noodles was quite large and adequately prepared.

The serving of sprouts and such was paltry to say the least.

I think this is why I saw folks (I was the only Asian in the place) dumping in loads of Hoisin and Sriracha into their pho.

On a rather amusing note; a few days later I received an email from "AlanH" regarding Pho T Cali….I'm hoping you won't mind me using a few excerpts Alan? Some of the, ahem, "highlites" of his email were….

"A -small- Pho "Chin" is now $8.95 (I almost walked out at that point, but was too hungry for Pho)"

"They have totally dumbed and stripped down the menu, which should have been my first warning sign…They have gone to the all photo model with a bit of basic text with prices. "

"The "herbal accessory plate" was its usual mediocre affair, but the basil was even more paltry and under-developed than usual (if the basil was human it would have needed a wheelchair)."

"As they do not serve / have Ngo Gai, I asked for a small portion / bowl of cilantro…THEY WERE OUT OF F'ING CILANTRO!!!!!" " Is there a cilantro shortage I was not aware of?"

"I just paid $11.00 (with tip) for a mediocre -at best- bowl of Pho. Is this Manhattan? No, this is not Manhattan……Manhattan would have had cilantro….."

All I can say Alan is…."I feel (or ate…or something like that) your pain".

Pho T Cali
7351 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

This has me wondering….in a very twisted way; if I were to think the Pho at Pho Mignon is still worse than this.