Seafood – Page 15

Another one off the bucket list – Swordfish “Bone Marrow” at Wrench and Rodent and “Breast Beer” too!

September 15, 2014 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Beer, Seafood, Sushi and Sashimi

It's actually more like spinal fluid/disc material…but who's keeping score, right? I had been curious about it for a while and I gotta say, I really love the texture and the mild briney.ocean flavor of Swordfish Bone Marrow….think of the mildest oyster in flavor, clean and crisp, combined with the texture of Liangfen 凉粉 – starch jelly noodles. Man, this stuff was really good!

I have to thank Tommy of Catalina Offshore for having Candice and I as his guests, along with Maria and Jonathan for being such great company!

Tommy had been trying to get Candice and I over to Wrench and Rodent for a while for a blow-out Omakase. Admittedly, I was a bit hesitant since, like Candice warned Tommy, I'm a bit of a "traditionalist" when it comes to sushi and sashimi. But you can't forget that I'm from the home of Pacific Rim Cuisine, Hawaii….which is why I hate slapped together con "fusion" dishes….. After reading Faye's post, I thought at the least, this would be an interesting meal.

I gotta say, some of the stuff Davin Waite puts out was so very creative, risky, but still trying to capture the essense of the product. I really enjoyed this meal, even though it was enough to feed an army, or at the least, one hungry Tommy.

My preferred way of having the bone marrow was plain, in the shot glass; there was something so pure and refreshing about it.

I have to say, some of the dishes were just wonderful; the bluefin collar was just out of his world….moist, fatty, like eating "buttah"…..it was well seasoned without killing the product.

I thought this pseudo gunkan maki of toro was a wonderful combination of textures. The cucumber crisp and refreshing, the masago added crunch and the flavor of the ocean, the gari, which I usually have between bites to refresh and clear my palate actually did well here.

Of the nigiri; it was the anchovy with a dengaku style miso paste was my favorite.

The Hamachi Kama was just wonderful as well.

Don't let all this fusiony stuff fool you; Davin makes a decent nigiri……

I quickly found out that Davin's sauces tend to run on the fruity/sweet side; which goes well with a pristine scallop; though I could have just eaten this plain….

I did think there was a bit too much mirin action in his nikiri for the maguro.

His pesto type concoction works relatively well with salmon.

There's no denying there's a good amount of creativity going on here. Davin takes risks and has some chops as well.

When it works, like this wonderful Opah, or was it Monchong cheek, BLT dish, it's quite delicious.

When it doesn't, you can't blame him for trying……

You'll notice, not a single Gringo roll….and only one item I say that belonged on another table.

No mayo, surimi….. though I did see a good amount of tempura/mayo/cream cheese rolls going out.

Over the years I've had a bit of sushi; from the purely traditional, to the modern-traditional, and even the sushi-kaiseki stylings of Urasawa. I gotta say, this one was an original. As is the location; inside of Bull Taco in Oceanside. I actually plan on returning in the near future….who knows what Davin will have up his sleeve.

I really need to thank Tommy for arranging this; and for being a fantastic host…..and keeping us entertained as well. You can tell that Davin loves food and creating, it was a blast talking about different ingredients, products, and techniques.

And I got to cross an item off my bucket list as well.

Wrench & Rodent Seabasstropub
1815 S Coast Hwy (inside of Bull Taco)
Oceanside, CA 92054

W&R isn't the only little treasure hidden in Bull Taco. Brewmaster Havin Harris has opened a little microbrewery named Beer Brewing Company in the back of W&R.

I had a taster of the beers available and my favorite….well, I'm not so comfortable writing this; was the, ahem…"breast beer". Apparently, Havin did a ton of research and developed a beer that is supposed to aid in lactogenesis. As strange as it may seem, this was the breast, um, best beer I tasted and Candice agreed. As to it's effects on lactation…well, you're asking the wrong person!

Overall, it was an amazing night of new experiences; from swordfish bone marrow to breast beer!

I couldn't have asked for more!

Negro Durazo- more visits

September 14, 2014 Cathy Mexican Restaurants, Seafood, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! a food blog with random food based posts from the City, County, various States and the world. Kirk is working-in the City, Ed(from Yuma) is relaxing-in another State and Cathy is writing-in the County.

I've written about Negro Durazo three other times already. It's relatively close to home, serves great seafood and during the recent heat wave, the almost windowless interior is wonderfully cool and comfortable. We don't come here in the evenings; there are some pay per view events, live music and sometimes a cover charge; it can be very loud.The decor has a nautical theme, there is a modern juke box, some remnants of the recent World Cup contests, a few televisions and the skylights are enough to illuminate the room in the late morning.The overly condimented tables are further enhanced with cut limes, fresh made salsa and warm chips when you begin perusing the extensive menu. Our recent "M.O." (Method of Ordering) has been to order one item from the "hot kitchen" and one item from the "cold kitchen", in addition, we have our own self made rule that one item must be 'new' to us.The camarones culichi ($15) (sauteed shrimp covered with a sauce made of chicken broth, poblano peppers, garlic, onion and cream then topped with a soft (Manchegoo/Chihuahua/Monterey Jack-like) cheese and baked in the small casserole serving plate). Culichi sauced anything is a favorite of ours.Above, Ceviche Mixto appetizer plate: shrimp, octopus and fish ceviche, made to order. Meant as a shareable appetizer, this is a flavorful, filling meal. The combination of the lime juice, tomato, cucumber, cilantro and mild onion doesn't overpower each of the seafood items.

A few weeks after that visit, we returned…and ordered similar items.

Above, a filete relleno de mariscos($16.50). Fish filet (a firm white fish; not tilapia) stuffed with a seafood mixture of shrimp, octopus and marlin (a smoked fish) and topped with culichi sauce.

Jaiba (crab) ceviche appetizer plate ($12). Again, a large, shareable serving, marinated in fresh lime juice and mixed with cucumber, tomato, cilantro and mild onion. Tasty and filling. Refreshing. I'm going to have to have a separate post about breakfasts. No culichi nor lime marinade on that menu.Our most recent visit, the central dining room was very loud, with the weekend Band setting up, so we sat in the bar area. (Only one television here and we could have a conversation). This time the 'hot' dish we chose was a whole fried tilapia ($11). Even though I sort of wanted the Zarandeado preparation, this was quite a large tilapia and perfectly prepared, tasting good warm or cool. (I like the Zarandeado Sauce warm). The "Ceviche Tropical"($15) was the 'something new' menu choice. Served in a hollowed pineapple, with chunks of pineapple, coconut and mango, along with a freshly (lime 'cooked') shrimp, axe scallops, clams, snail and octopus. This slightly spicy ceviche really hit the spot.

Hope you're keeping cool!

Mariscos Negro Durazo 6954 Federal Blvd Lemon Grove CA 91945 (619)337-7704 Website

Mon-Th 9am-10 pm, Fri 9 am-midnight, Sat 8-midnight, Sun 8-11:30

Point Loma Seafoods- revisit

August 21, 2014 Cathy Seafood, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping by to read this food blog. Kirk and Ed(from Yuma) are researching various food at various places to be able to share with you. Cathy is sharing.

Early one morning, The Mister and I decided to head toward the coast and play 'tourist', stopping at Liberty Station, the former Naval Training Center, on Point Loma. It was still overcast and cool.People were out and about early and we had a nice walk while observing the sights.

We drove over to Point Loma Seafoods and there was no line for parking, so I drove to the back of the lot (so there would be no pressure to back out quickly when leaving; if you've ever been here, you know what I mean…it is brutal) and walked along the water to the entrance.

We saw a very happy sea lion near the rocky edge. …who apparently caught (or was fed) some fish.

Yes, this is a regular lunchtime spot for the two of us.

The Board out front this day had one item we were very interested in sharing.

The fresh clams…a childhood favorite of The Mister.

As mentioned, we were here very early.
Our order… My usual, Fish Plate ($12.04) Alaskan cod (three large meaty pieces), crispy fries and coleslaw, served with the wonderful tartar sauce made here.

The fresh wild Ipswitch clams plate ($18.62). When ordered, the counter guy walked over to the seafood display case and grabbed a whole container and took it over to the kitchen to be prepared. So, an additional $4 for breading, frying, fries and slaw…not bad. The fat juicy tasty belly clams are a delicacy to us and made an excellent lunch.

Point Loma Seafoods 2805 Emerson (at Scott) San Diego 92016 (619)223-1109 Summer hours: M- Thurs, 9-7:30, Fri-Sat 9-8, Sun 10-8. Website Link to Menu

Pescado Zarandeado

August 19, 2014 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes, Seafood

I'll readily admit it; I've been in a bit of a rut with regards to cooking lately. The combination of dietary limitations, hours of work, and plain having to come up with something new had made me a bit weary. It was much easier just cranking out stuff I've made over the last nine years or so than making the effort to make something new.

Then into my life walked….or should I say swam some White Sea Bass……whole fish; something I'm really not too thrilled about working with. This is also fairly lean, something I was also not to thrilled with….."the other white meat". The Missus simply said, "why don't you make it like what we had at Godoy."

I dug thru my cabinets and came up with this:

I went through my cookbooks and found a simple recipe from Rick Bayless's Fiesta at Rick's for Pescado Zarandeado. Instead of using the Guajillo Chilies, I went with the achiote seasoning and (of course) made some adjustments……

A bit more garlic, a red habanero from the yard, no salt, everything tasted salty enough…and slightly bitter so I added a touch of agave syrup.

I butterflied the fish, something I hadn't done in forever. I then severed the backbone and removed it from the fish, making for easier pickins'.

A well oiled grill basket is a must.

Achiote Paste:

1.75 Ounces(half a block) Achiote Seasoning

1 – 8 ounce can of tomato sauce

2 Tb grated or finely minced garlic

3 Tb soy sauce (of course I used Aloha Shoyu)

3 Tb Worcestershire Sauce

1 Tb Agave Syrup

1/4 tsp Chipotle Powder Fresh ground pepper to taste

1 Red Habanero Chile (optional)

– Combine all ingredients in a blender, puree to a smooth paste.

Use for a fish weighing about 3 pounds or so. I'm sure you can also use with filets, perhaps half the weight of the whole fish.

When charcoal is hot brush fish with sauce – this will probably be more than enough sauce. I understand that you shouldn't "marinate" the fish as it will change the texture.

When you're ready to go, place a grill basket over charcoal grates. When hot, brush with an oil with a high smoke point. Place fish in basket, close basket and grill, turning every 3-4 minutes until cooked, about 15 minutes or so.

When done carefully open the basket and transfer to a platter.

If you noticed the somewhat conspicuous presence of soy sauce and went, "what the heck?" Well, you aren't alone. According to Rick Bayless, many Chinese settled on the West Coast of Mexico after helping to build the railroad in the late 19th century and their presence can still be found….

I served this with a nice, spicy pico de gallo, lime, and thinly sliced red onion.

The Missus really enjoyed the flavors.

Though to be perfectly honest, She enjoyed the grilled chicken I made the next day with the leftover sauce. It was wonderful with a nice refreshing salad.

I really needed something different to get my juices flowing again. To make me open all those books, to look at an ingredient and really want to do something a bit different…… this was the dish that did it for me.

Yellowtail: Wild versus Mild

August 17, 2014 mmm-yoso Cooking, Seafood

On one of my trips to Catalina Offshore, I noticed two different trays of what was called "Yellowtail", which really didn't resemble Japanese Amberjack or Greater Amberjack (Kanpachi) which I'm familiar with. In fact, the two fish, which I was told are of the same species, did not even look related at all. One tray was the "wild", which was/is running at the time, the other was farmed in from Baja.

I mentioned this to Tommy, which also made it clear what kind of Amberjack this was when he told me the Japanese name….Hiramasa. Since there was a large price difference between the two, I asked him what the real difference was? His response? "You should get some of each and compare…." Which is what I did.

They were nice enough to wrap each piece separately for me…….even telling me which was farmed and which wild.

So, tell me….do these look like the same species?

The farmed sample, on the top, felt like it had more fat, the wild version seemed a bit more firm, but the only way was to actually cook the two the exact same way.

So, simply seasoned, salt, pepper, oregano, smoked paprika, granulated garlic……

Then sauteed in the same pan…..

The difference was quite striking, as you could predict, the farmed fish, being much more fatty, was more delicate, it started flaking off. The flavor was really mild, though it was quite moist….this means, as a cook, you have bit more leeway. This was more of a fish for folks who don't like the flavor of fish….if you know what I mean. In other words, it will take on the flavor of how you season. It's not very flavorful.

As I figured, the wild version was much more dense. You need to be on top of it because it will dry out. The flavor is a much more pronounced "white fish". With mild brine tones, you know you're eating fish.

What is interesting right now is; wild Yellowtail Amberjack goes for half the price of the farmed version! Of course, the season only lasts about three months. As it stands, if I'm cooking, I'll probably go with the wild…….though I'd probably enjoy a good, moist, fresh, sahimi grade Hiramasa at the sushi bar.

This was actually a nice little "project", Tommy comes through with the best suggestions as usual.

Symi, Greece: Gialos Harbor, Taverna Trata, Pedi Beach

July 25, 2014 mmm-yoso Greece, Greek Food, Seafood, Symi, Travel

On most trips, I plan one "interesting" thing to do….I won't say it's off the beaten path (I'm still a tourist), or adventurous (look, this is me, right?) to do. Just something a bit, well, "interesting"….like spending the night in a tent (a "Four Star" tent mind you)in the Sahara, or hiking the Great Wall from one province to another, perhaps it's hiking the supposedly longest gorge in Europe, I'd even say some of the meals we've had filled the bill, whether at a restaurant or something lovingly made by the relative of a friend.

For our trip to Istanbul and Rhodes, I really wasn't sure what to do. So I started reading through things and the words, "the most beautiful harbor in the Greek Islands" popped out at me. The harbor is named Gialos and the Island Symi. Once the home to master ship builders…..the "Argo" the ship used by Jason and the Argonauts was supposedly built on Symi.

Now we could have easily just done a day trip….but I decided why not stay on this island with a population of 2500….and not even in the main city, but on the other side of the island….in a little fishing village named Pedi Beach? Which is how we took the ferry and arrived on the island of Symi with a boat load of day-trippers.

When they say that Gialos Harbor is the most beautiful in the Greek Islands, they aren't kidding….

The vivid colored buildings lining the mountains contrasts with the blue waters in the harbor to create a dramatic and romantic backdrop. The clock tower, named Roloi guards the harbor.

After disembarking the boat, we wandered a bit looking for the "bus" to take us to Pedi beach, eventually finding it near the South side of the harbor. We were off to Pedi Beach…..

The bus actually drives on the side of the harbor, right along the deep blue Mediterranean,which is a bit disconcerting as it looks like you'll be treading water at any moment. It then maneuvered it's way up then down the winding roads of mountain, some that seemed scarcely wide enough to hold the bus. At the end of the line you end up at Pedi Beach and if you're staying there, the Pedi Beach Hotel.

The Missus took a look around; all the occupants seemed to be older couples, many of which were tanning on the lounges in front of the hotel or couples with kids……asking me, "so, this is where we're staying huh?"

And the actual "beach" seemed to be a tiny spit of something…which wasn't quite sand about 10 yards long in front of the hotel. "So, this is the beach, huh?"

And yet; there was something quite idyllic about this place….. in spite of all the people there was a kind of quiet.

I'd gotten us a superior room, which had a wonderful view of the harbor. You had no choice but to decompress looking out from the deck.

We'd definitely get in a quiet night here, but that would have to wait, as we unloaded and the Missus decided we'd head back to Gialos for lunch.

We caught the bus back and had them drop us at the top of mountain. We'd walk down taking in the view of Gialos Harbor all the way.

I'd say this might be the most beautiful harbor in the Greek Isles, what do you think?

We wandered about peeking into the tavernas that dotted the harbor. Most were rather uninspiring….mostly expensive tourist fare.

For some reason, it was this little taverna a bit away from the water's edge near all the jewelry shops, that caught our attention. Named Taverna Trata (Trawler), maybe it was the little rough around the edges look of the place, perhaps it was the two tables of what looked like locals eating here. But something drew us to the place.

It did have the look of many of the other tourist type tavernas, with plates of prepped ready-to-go-in-a-minute seafood dishes.

But the place was just a bit more quiet and relaxed, so we decided to have lunch here….

This is Greece, right? So of course we started things off with some of the house wine…it was pretty warm so we went with the house white, dutifully delivered in the standard tin cup.

We started off with the house version of Eggplant Salad. Not bad, lots of garlic flavor, better than we expected. This seemed to revive us in a way.

The Missus is a big fan of Horta, the boiled wild greens.

This was nice, not over done and mushy, still a bit firm, lightly seasoned, quite good with a squeeze of lemon.

At this point we decided to veer away from the standards. The next thing I saw on the menu was sea urchin….you know how I love my uni (that still kinda sounds wrong all these years later). I was curious to see how this was served.

I was interested in how Mediterranean Urchin would taste. These were small, a very bright, almost orange color. Doused in olive oil, the flavor was more briney than I was used too….not quite as sweet as well. The texture was much more mushy….

Then came something both the Missus and I had heard about, Symi Shrimp.

These tiny shrimp are a local delicacy in Symi and now I know why. The shells are thin, but firm and really crisps up nicely. The shrimp have an amazing, almost condensed shrimp flavor and sweetness. Seasoned simply with salt and pepper, man, these were so good, you just pop them in your mouth and crunch away to your hearts content.

The Eggplant Imam, stuffed eggplant had nice seasoning.

The tanginess from the tomato paste, nice black pepper, onions adding a bit of crunch and sweet-pungency. Though the skin was really tough, the flavors were nice.

And for dessert???? Are you kidding me? Another plate of Symi Shrimp of course!

The tall, husky, fellow running the front of the house was a man of few words, but very nice…..he laughed when we ordered more Symi Shrimp, "very good….very good, huh?"

Very good indeed!

Taverna Trata
Near the bottom of the Kali Strata steps
Gialos, Greece

Mission completed, we headed back to Pedi Beach. It was time for a nap!

Mariscos Monday: Oscar’s Mexican Seafood – Hillcrest

July 21, 2014 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Seafood, Taco Shops

It seems like more than a bit over two years ago that the Missus and I had a meal at Oscar's Mexican Seafood. While the meal was decent, we didn't find it especially great, at least in comparison with other Mariscos restaurants and trucks we eat at. I think the major draw was the location; there was nothing quite like it in the area. Since then, Oscar's has expanded. To PB and Hillcrest. I'd always been meaning to return and revisit, but having a location in Hillcrest is pretty easy since I'm in the area quite often for work.

One really great thing is that they open at 8am. I often have meetings at odd hours and the early opening was a big plus for getting me here….also, the parking here can be a nightmare during prime time.

Like the decor, though the regular seating is nd of uncomfortable. The menu is very gringo friendly…everything fully explained.

I decided on the Smoked Fish Taco (Taco de Marlyn – $4.25) and the Fresh Fish of the Day ($4.50) which was Yellowtail….actually I ordered a Battered Fish Taco ($1.99), but they just rang up the grilled fish….which I probably should have ordered anyway.

There was much to like about the Smoked Fish Taco, loved the way the queso was melted onto the tortilla (very routine mass-produced) to prevent breakage and add a mild milky edge. The fish was a bit too mild in terms of smokey flavor and even salt….I consider this "bacon of the sea". On the good side; it was less fishy than some versions I've had recently. I do think the portion was pretty small…..

I also thought these tacos were a bit under-dressed, though I do understand wanting to make the rather mild yellowtail the star of the show. The fish was a bit overcooked for me…..yellowtail can dry out pretty quickly. I also thought it needed to be seasoned a bit more. This was on the bland side and really needed more….also, there wasn't enough onion or anything else to give it some textural contrast.

A quick word about the salsas…the Chipotle is nice and mild….I thought that white salsa was crema…but whoa, I believe it's habanero based, which I really thought added a nice kick.

In total, not bad, perhaps priced on the high side….but of course, there's the location.

I had an odd hour meeting and another scheduled over lunch so I headed back to Oscar's before traveling back to the office. This time I did order the Battered Fish Taco ($1.99).

The batter was light, but could have been a bit more crisp it got soggy fairly quickly. The fish was moist, though the whole thing lacked flavor. Still, definitely worth a buck ninety-nine.

Curious about both the shrimp and non-seafood items, I ordered the Surf and Turf Taco ($4.50). This was a nice two-fisted taco.

The shrimp was well seasoned, cooked to the edge of being overcooked, but didn't go over that line. The skirt steak was too tough and chewy, which I don't mind if there some nice assertive flavors to obscure the texture, but that wasn't the case here. Overall, a decent taco.

I'll probably return to Oscar's because of the location and hours. I think I'll go with some shrimp tacos and maybe the Cucarachas which we enjoyed last time, but is now like $11.

Oscar’s Mexican Seafood
646 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92103
Hours:
Sun – Thurs 8am – 9pm
Fri – Sat 8am – 10pm

AJ’s Fish Merchant (San Carlos area of San Diego)

July 15, 2014 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Seafood, What Cathy Eats!

AJ's has closed. Some of their food items will still be around: the Santee, El Cajon and Allied Gardens Farmer Markets and perhaps other venues. Look for "AJ's Haute Cuisine".

Thanks for stopping by mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Kirk got really busy and so did Ed(from Yuma), so Cathy is writing today's post.

Late last year, one of our favorite seafood restaurants, the Fish Bucket Grill, closed abruptly due to the death of its owner. We had liked the Fish Bucket Grill because it was just as good as The Fish Merchant, their 30 year family owned restaurant, which had been located in the area and had been closed for about two years.

In the middle of May, we heard this location was re-opening and were very happy to once again have access to seafood near home.

We didn't know how good it would be, so stopped by one early evening to try a few items.

It turns out the menus change almost daily, due to availability of fresh items. This section from the website mentions that the seafood is sourced from Catalina Offshore and the produce from Specialty; both open to the public selling quality items.

The interior is about the same. There are 13 tables and no bar area. We saw several people bringing in their own wine to accompany their meals.

We were asked if we'd like some complimentary bread after we placed our order and these two pieces were brought out: cheese topped white and a very nice squaw type served with unsalted butter. Both fresh, with crispy crusts and chewy interiors.

We were curious about the "California Clam Chowder" and ordered a cup to share ($4). The flavor was uniquely familiar.

If you read the link from the website provided above, you would notice Chef Bennett was trained at North Carolina's Johnson and Wales culinary college. This clam chowder tastes like a version of She-Crab Soup, a common, favorite soup we enjoyed during the years The Mister and I lived in Tidewater Virginia. Such good memories…not as much cream as regular chowder, a mirepoix along with potatoes, plenty of clam, a touch of sherry (or maybe white wine; you can taste it)…unexpected perfection.

Above, the small Captain's salad ($10), which is large enough to share. Fresh mixed greens topped with shrimp, crab, lobster, artichoke hearts, organic egg, tomato and a house made mustard-poppy seed dressing. Really good.

Above, the crab cakes appetizer ($12)- perfectly lightly crispy fried. As you can see, very little filler…it's just crab and enough complimentary spices with a panko-like breading. Served with a small side of mixed greens on top of a house made remoulade sauce, this is a meal in itself.

AJ's Fish Merchant 7407 Jackson Drive San Diego 92119 (619)462-FISH Website Mon-Thurs: 11-9, Fri, Sat: 11-10; Sun 4-9

Revisits: Single dishes from Sushi Yaro, SuperNatural Sandwiches, and 777 Noodle House

July 10, 2014 mmm-yoso Sandwiches, Seafood, Vietnamese Restaurants

Some quick one dish revisits…..

Hwe Dup Bop from Sushi Yaro:

**** Sushi Yaro has closed

It's been a while since I've been here. One of my favorite non-menu items which I enjoy for lunch is the Hwe Dup Bop. Think of it as a sashimi salad rice bowl if you've never had it before.

Topped with spicy-sweet cho-jang and sesame oil, this is a filling, refreshing, and rather healthy meal.

It's always nice to see Sam as well.

Sushi Yaro
7905 Engineer Road
San Diego, CA 92111

Lobster Roll from SuperNatural Sandwiches:

**** SuperNatural Sandwiches is under new ownership

**** SuperNatural Sandwiches has closed

One of my first stop when I got back to work. I decided to go with the lobster roll, which ain't cheap at $15 and isn't quite your traditional Lobster Roll. This one is aggressively seasoned, but there were two whole claws in my roll.

This won't replace my favorites, but it was pretty good.

SuperNatural Sandwiches
7094 Miramar Rd
San Diego, CA 92121

Hieu Tieu Nam Vang from 777 Noodle House:

Hieu Tieu Nam Vang Kho (dry), still under six bucks.

Half the fun is gnawing on that pork leg bone. It's still my favorite here.

777 Noodle House
4686 University Avenue
San Diego, CA 92105

Porto: Matosinhos and Tito 2

June 27, 2014 mmm-yoso Porto, Portugal, Portuguese Food, Seafood, Travel

Ah yes, Sunday in Porto. Joao had told us when he gave us a short orientation to the apartment; many local restaurants are closed, of course tourist restaurants are open, but you don't want to eat in those, right?

Getting out early on Sunday, it was pretty obvious that things were going to be very quiet…..

The only place that seemed alive and kickin' at this hour was the corner coffee shop and bakery…….you still needed your morning "cafe express" even on Sunday! Strangely, after having their morning caffeine boost and pastry, there's no dallying around, folks just seemed to walk out of the shop and disappear, like a scene from Dr Who…….

We headed up the street…..empty except for just a few folks….stragglers it seemed…waiting to fall victim to the Sunday Zombie Apocalypse…

We headed off to the Minipreco Supermarket next to the Mercado do Bolhao…..which we knew was open, to grab a few items for dinner. Our cab was set to pick us up at 5am in the morning for our flight to Rome, so we decided to just have something light for dinner.

After a nice walk back to the apartment, dropping things off, we headed back up…..

Joao told us that on special Sundays, he takes his family to Matosinhos, a town located to the west of Porto….this is where the docks are….and where we were told, the fish come in and where locals go to eat it. So we headed off on the Metro, getting off at the Matosihnos Sul stop and finding ourselves in Matosihnos…..

We headed down a bit, turning on Rua Herois de Franca and after a couple of blocks things started perking up a bit. We hit a restaurant row. Each restaurant had what looked like makeshift dining areas set-up in front, which seemed to be built on wooden pallets.

You could tell that there was a bit of partying going on here on Saturday night….

There were restaurants all lined up in a row, simple looking tascas next to some pretty nice white tablecloth looking places. Most of them had a grill being primed in from of the shop…..

But which one to choose? Well Joao had told us to "walk past all the restaurants on the street, don't worry, do not get discouraged…..do not stop until you come to Tito 2." And so we did that, even passing Tito 1 on the way.

So this was the place, huh? It looked just like every other place on the street….but heck, Joao hadn't let us down yet!

We looked over and a very nice young man smiled, greeted and seated us, then proceeded to call another studious looking young man…who spoke perfect English….

You know, the pallet seating looked pretty nice, don't you think?

While we waited for our menus to arrive, I peeked around the corner where the grill action was just starting up.

The menu arrived….it was sardine season, so that was a no-brainer….I then saw something that was on my food "bucket list"….something that I just had to try…..I just knew this was going to be a great meal.

Meanwhile, the Missus had snuck off to use the restroom, coming back to tell me to check out the interior of the brick and mortar restaurant….which looked pretty nice.

Just next to the doorway were the "fresh catches"…fish you could select for your meal if you so desired.

Soon our appetizer arrived, something that I'd been waiting to eat for several years….I never thought I'd be getting it in Portugal……

These were percebes, goose barnacles, you know, the stuff you scrape off the hull of boats. Yes, they may be pests to some; but to the Spanish and the Portuguese these are delicacies…rather expensive delicacies. Our Server kindly suggested .2 kilos as being enough.

So the deal is you twist off the head of this, squirting water on yourself is mandatory……you then eat the flesh.

The flavor is intensely briney, like taking in a chewy piece of the ocean…I really liked the texture. It was a bit too briney for the Missus, but I loved the intense flavor.

The Missus wanted to give Sopa de Peixe, fish soup another try……this was really thick and a bit too fishy for our taste…like fishy glue. Not our thing.

The sardines on the other hand were fantastic.

So simply done, no messing around with a fresh product….rubbed in salt, a bit of acid, so nice. The finish was that rich oil that coats your tongue, but also very clean, without that lingering and somewhat off-putting bitter fishiness that often accompanies sardines. This was one of our favorite dishes during our trip.

The potatoes were very nice….so much flavor, so simply done; olive oil, salt, garlic, parsley….

The salad broke things up nicely….also simple.

I also ordered the Lulas Grelhadas – grilled squid with lemon and olive oil.

Perhaps not the best I've had, but nicely prepared.

What was really strange was that two parties came in after us; both spoke Portuguese…both looked at what we were eating and ended up ordering exactly the same thing (we'd already finished the percebes…), which I thought was kind of strange.

The price was amazing, all this, plus a carafe of wine and water for 36 Euros!

The service was very nice, the food very good…..if we're ever in Porto again, we're headed back to Tito 2.

Tito 2
Rua Herois de Franca 321
Matosinhos, Portugal

We stopped for some espresso before going to the metro stop. At the stop a metro police officer headed up to us. In some countries this is not a good sign…not here. He stopped to ask if we needed some help, but we already had our tickets. He smiled and look at us and asked, "how is you time here? Are you enjoying it….having any problems?" What could we say? We loved our time here….

Dinner for us was a simple deal……the Missus new "specialty", some head cheese, bread….a decent drinkable wine (and a beer to follow for me).

We had a nice night's sleep. We woke at 4am, got our act together, and our ride to airport was prompt. The way to the airport was interesting as we got to see what a sprawling city Porto was…….a city we were going to miss.

Thanks for reading!