Sisig – Page 2 – mmm-yoso

Max’s Restaurant

February 24, 2022 mmm-yoso Chains, Filipino Restaurants, Sisig

Max's on Mira Mesa opened at the end of June of 2020. We have a rather long history with Max's, starting during our time living in LA in the late 90's…by the time we moved to San Diego, Max's in National City had become Villa Manila, which eventually became a favorite of ours for Crispy Pata and Kamayan Night. Though to be honest, we haven't been back to VM since way before the pandemic hit. Enough of that; this is about Max's. A few months after opening, I decided to see if the fried chicken at this location (because, having been to couple of locations YMMV) was any good. Since this was in September of 2020, I decided to do takeout. I went and did an online order….just a half chicken and fries.

So, I arrived and walked up to the counter; it was 1130 and no one was in sight. I waited about 10 minutes until a gentleman showed up. I mentioned my order and was told it was almost ready……and then cooled my heels for another 20 minutes! Now, I had placed my order at 11am, arrived at the designated time, and still waited another half hour for my order. Good thing I didn't have any meetings until 1pm; otherwise……

Anyway, I opened up the cardbox containers upon arriving back in the office. The fried chicken, which I believe is brined and thus is quite juicy was as good as I remembered, thin skinned, crisp, if a bit on the salty side.

Quite nice.

I used the Jufran, the banana ketchup on the really dry and limp fries……I'll bet this was just sitting on the side during the extra time I waited for my chicken.

This was not good eats.

After this visit; I decided that I'd wait awhile before returning…..thinking that dining in might be the way to go. Not realizing of course, how long I'd be waiting during the pandemic.

And then, there was a time, when we thought we good see the light at the end of the Covid tunnel, when we thought that perhaps the worst was behind us……Calvin, "M", and I decided to actually go out and grab some lunch. Of course we wouldn't be taking any crazy chances…."M" wasn't too familiar with Filipino food…other than the usual lumpia, adobo, and the like….we headed over to Max's, arriving right at 11am. And it would be fairly quiet until right before we left.

There was only one hard working young lady on duty…I felt for her as takeout and other customers gave her a tough time. Based on my previous visit, I set some expectations, which unfortunately was pretty much in line with how long things took after we ordered.

We did of course have the fried chicken….sorry no photo, which M really enjoyed. But then, there some other dishes, like the Chicharon Bulaklak.

This is basically the fat that wraps around the intestine. It had a chewy-crispness and was fairly mild in flavor….just the slightest offal-ness. M, not quite used to the earthiness was not quite into this dish.

Calvin loves pancit palabok and enjoyed this version, I thought the noodles were a bit overcooked and it lacked the deep shrimpy-fish savory tones that I enjoy.

It just seemed under-sauced, but heck Calvin never found a version of this he didn't like….so I was happy he enjoyed it.

Just to have our carbs covered; I ordered the Garlic Fried Rice.

Which nicely filled the carb gap.

I also ordered the Classic Sisig. Unlike many of the versions in San Diego which uses leftover lechon kawale, this one used pork cheek.

I haven't had this style of sisig in years. Good swiney gaminess; though I wished they used some other parts of the pig head for some textural variety. Not bad, but in need of more spice, sour tones, and pungency from onions. This came across as pretty greasy and of course "M" was not a big fan of this.

Just to cover myself I ordered the Beef Kaldereta as well.

Man, the beef was so tough, the kaldereta while beefy lacked the tangy-sweetness, with a hint of spice that I enjoy. I also like a hint of liveriness usually provided by lechon sauce (Mang Tomas) which seemed like was missing here.

And so, one would think that I'd end things here, but there was one item that I still wanted to try.

Little did I know that it would take almost half a year for this final visit.

With things slowly improving, the skeleton crew decided to do a takeout order from Max's and I had the honor of ordering.

The drill was basically the same. I ordered at 11, was given the designated time of 1135 for pick-up. The same really sweet, but over worked young lady was the only person working the front of house and there was an additional 20 minute wait for my order.

I got it back to the office and arranged the items in the middle of the walk way between cubicles, set out paper plates, napkins, and utensils and the guys took turns getting their plates.

Of course there was a whole fried chicken. Which when hot was every bit as good as what I'd had before; though it got soft and greasy fairly quickly.

The garlic rice didn't have as much flavor as on my previous visit; but with all this fried food, we needed some carbs.

Actually, with all this fried food and pork what I really needed was to be hosed down afterward, but would have to wait until I got home!

I ordered the lechon kawali sisig which was on the dry and tough side.

And like the other pork version needed more spice and sour tones.

And of course; what I really wanted to try….the Crispy Pata.

Which looked hard and dry; but wasn't too bad. It's was not nearly as good as my favorite version, but the skin was crisp, there were nice, gelatinous, gooey bits under that skin and the meat was tender. It was milder in flavor than other versions, but was still decently porky. In fact, this was the first tp be wiped out! Good job guys!

Speaking of wiped out; I think I've had my share of fried foods for a while….at least that's what my Cardiologist told me (jjk)!

To me this last meal, even though we ate in our cubicles, there was no one else in the office so we could joke around and chat quite loudly, gave us a taste of how things used to be…… the camaraderie of sharing a meal; good or bad, the bonding of breaking bread (or scarfing down fried pork), something that has been sorely missing in our lives for the last two years!

Cheers!

Max's Restaurant
8285 Mira Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92126
Current Hours:
Wed – Mon 11am – 9pm
Closed on Tuesdays

You can read Cathy's post on Max's here and Soo's post on Max's here.

Turo Turo Tuesday – Revisits to Nanay’s Best BBQ, R & B Filipino Cuisine, and Manila Fast Food and Desserts Revisited

November 2, 2021 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants, Sisig

Back in the office; I decided to do the "rounds" and check out some of the turo-turo ("point-point") places around Mira Mesa. Sadly, there was one place that became a "casualty of Covid" – Mama Cinia closed earlier in the year.

So, packing a good appetite I headed on out.

Nanay's Best BBQ:

I'll be honest and say that Nanay's has been my least favorite of these places (except for Grill City….where I had a "reaction" to the food) even back when it was Tem's. I looked over the offerings and ordered back in June of last year; the Chicken BBQ and Sisig-ish Spicy Pork, with "half rice".

So, if this is what they consider "half rice"….yeeesh. This was indeed a carb-meatfest. But, to be perfectly honest, this was probably the best plate I've had from Nanay's.

Other than the rice which was on the dry side as usual.

The pork was moist, though it's still on the overly mild side with regards to spice and sour tones.

The "BBQ" Chicken was a pleasant surprise. I did mention in my June 2020 post that I thought the chicken was getting better here and this was undoubtedly the best I've had either Nanay's or Tem's.

Fairly tender and moist, nice balance of sweet to salty; it went real well with the rice.

So, it seems that Nanay's keeps getting better!

Nanay's Best BBQ
6715 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92121

R & B Filipino Cuisine:

R&B had long been a favorite of mine since I first visited in 2008. In fact, when I received that racist email about these type of places back in May of 2020, R&B was the first place I visited to make a point.

I usually get the sisig, which while being flawed still has my favorite overall flavor profile of the turo-turo joints in the area. Along with that; I'll get what looks like just came out of the kitchen…in this case, the beef kaldereta was just brought out while I was waiting in the two person line.

The woman always asks me if I'm "on a diet" when I order half rice here; it cracks me up.

The rice was fine; somewhat moist.

The beef in the kaldereta was on the tough side. Also, all the pieces of meat and veggies were really large which made for a ponderous eating experience . The flavor was decent, definitely not bland, though a bit on the greasy side.

The sisig was on the dry side and cut too large as well. But it still had the amount of sour-salty tones with adequate spice. While not on the same level as what Conching or Ed's Bistro used to serve, this is my favorite in the MM area.

And look at the spiffy new menu at R&B:

And our own Cathy has recently been here as well.

R & B Filipino Cuisine
11257 Camino Ruiz
San Diego, CA 92126

Manila Fast Food and Desserts:

Man, have I really been going here since 2006 (albiet under different ownership)? Even though it was just past 10am; the place was pretty busy.

I saw the pan of kare kare come out as I was waiting, so I got that along with…duh, sisig of course. The folks here added sinigang, I would usually have to ask for it. Along with the perfect amount of rice I requested.

Of the three places, the rice here was the best; soft and fluffy.

I terms of texture; this sisig was moist, but waxy and could have used more crispy bits. It was nice and full of porkiness, but could have used more sour and spicy tones…it definitely needded more onions and chilies….but of course, lots of folks want all that meat.

Much like the kaldereta at R&B, the pieces of meat and vegetables were cut very large in the kare kare. Though I have to say; the everything was so tender; I especially loved the buttery texture of the tripe. I wish the kare kare had more flavor, I ended up using all the bagoong alamang.

Actually, the item I enjoyed the most was free….it was the sinigang which was bracingly sour…..it perked me up…..made me feel alive!

And these days….well, if there's anything I want to feel; it's alive!

Manila Fast Food and Desserts
8979 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

You know, I was looking at my initial Covid-19 turo-turo posts and remembered that it was a racist, xenophobic email that set it off.

Which just leads me to what I wrote at the end of this post on Mama Cinia:

"Food should bring us together; my grandparents working on the plantation enjoyed an interesting variety of dishes…..because, even though the plantation management tried to keep all the nationalities apart to control them, they all had lunch together in the fields. A shared experience, one where in spite of the jokes we make about natto, balut, and harm ha, respect for each other is gained, smiles and food are shared, a wonderful cultural exchange. As travel has taught me….we are more alike than we are different."

"We are more alike than we are different" – which I believe with all my heart.

Take care and have a great week!

Trining’s Bakery & Cafe (Formerly Gemmae – Same Staff and Management)

June 21, 2021 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants, Sisig

A few weeks back I did a takeout revisit of Golden Island. I had heard that the kitchen staff had changed (which was true – post coming up) and saw that Gemmae's was now Trining's Bakery & Cafe. So, a few days later I decided to drop by to grab some lunch.

It was just before 11 and there was a steady flow of customers…..most of whom seemed like regulars.

The woman working the front was quite friendly and when I asked about the name change, she smiled and said "don't worry, it's all the same people!"

The drill for lunch is; you look at the white magnet board; whatever is ready is moved from the board on the right, to the board on the left. I had been wanting to try the sisig, but it wasn't available, so I made due with the Kare Kare and Beef Nilagang.

I was kind of afraid of the "three scoops of rice", but it was a manageable amount. The rice was also decently cooked and fairly moist.

Sadly the beef in the nilagang was super tough and chewy and the soup was really salty….I really couldn't finish it.

There was one wonderful piece of buttery tripe in the kare kare, which was not bad if a bit on the greasy side. Maybe it was because the nilagang was so salty, but it seemed a bit on the bland side as well. I actually used up almost all the bagoong alamang. Well, at least this was edible.

While this was a less than stellar meal; I decided to return a week later; this time closer to noon. And this time there were more items "available" on the board.

And this time; I did manage to get the sisig, along with beef kaldereta.

The kaldereta was pretty good, nice tanginess, mild beefiness, the meat fairly tender. It is by far the best item I've had here.

Because, well, I really didn't care for he sisig. The diced lechon kawale was super hard….not crisp, not crunchy…hard. I did appreciate the sliced red chilies, but this really didn't have enough spice or sour tones for my taste.

I guess I'll have to stick with my regular stops for Filipino food in the area. Though I do recall having a decent "silog" here years ago when it was still Gemmae's. Perhaps that's the way to go? It would probably have to be on a weekend or day off though, since I'd probably head right back to bed after having all that rice early in the day. So maybe…..

Trining's Bakery & Cafe
10606 Camino Ruiz
San Diego, CA 92126
Hours:
Tues – Sat 5am – 7pm
Sunday 5am – 6pm
Closed on Mondays

Turo-Turo Tuesday, the Covid-19 Edition Part 3 – Mama Cinia Rice & Noodles

June 2, 2020 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants, Sisig

**** Mama Cinia Rice & Noodles has closed

Sorry for the gap between posts…….I just didn't feel like posting after the events of the last couple of days.

But here's one that I need to finish; the last of the trilogy of turo-turo take-out from Mira Mesa – Mama Cinia.

Like other places, they've blocked off the small area where tables were. The folks here are really nice and friendly, marks on the floor for social distancing, though not quite as good as Manila Fast Food and Desserts. Still, things worked out fine. I decided on the Sisig (of course) and the Pinakbet looked pretty good…..and just "half rice".

The sisig was pretty good, meaty, with nice crunchy bits. In terms of texture, this was the best of the three I sampled. I still think it needs more "umph", needs to be more spicy and more vinegar, though on this visit, it was definitely better than Manila Fast Food. The pinakbet wasn't bad either, though the eggplant was a bit over-cooked and while the bittermelon had that wonderful tannic-bitterness, I think it could have used a bit more bagoong.

Still, not bad at all.

Mama Cinia Rice & Noodles
9178 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

All three places had processes in place, which while perhaps not perfect, did the job. So, Spam comment dude, you got it all wrong man. Enough with all this stuff already.

Food should bring us together; my grandparents working on the plantation enjoyed an interesting variety of dishes…..because, even though the plantation management tried to keep all the nationalities apart to control them, they all had lunch together in the fields. A shared experience, one where in spite of the jokes we make about natto, balut, and harm ha, respect for each other is gained, smiles and food are shared, a wonderful cultural exchange. As travel has taught me….we are more alike than we are different.

Turo-Turo Tuesday, the Covid-19 Edition Part 2 – Manila Fast Food and Desserts

May 19, 2020 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants, Sisig

To continue with my "turo turo Covid-19" explorations; having not been to Manila Fast Food and Desserts in a while and having meetings starting at 11am, I headed on over knowing that MFF usually opens around 830-930. I got there at 10 and they were doing some pretty good business. Of the three Mira Mesa Turo-Turo places I visited, MFF had the best system, at least on my visit.

The employees made sure everyone was spaced out nicely, took orders in an orderly fashion; were masked and gloved up, took cash in a basket and returned it to you in a basket. I saw the woman working behind the counter change her gloves once…….even though she did not come into contact with customers at all.

I got the two item combo, Sisig (of course) and Beef Kaldereta, with a half portion of Pancit.

The Kaldereta was the better of the two items; the beef was surprisingly tender….it's a cheaper cut, but had a nice beefiness, the sauce was seasoned well, not overly salty, and had a nice acidic tanginess.

The Sisig had some nice crisp bits in it, but was on the waxy side and lacked spice and was kind of mild in the vinegar department.

The pancit was plain and while it had a nice texture; good al dente pull to it and not mushy, was on the bland side, but heck, as a rice replacement it did ok.

Overall, the most efficient Covid-19 process of the three turo-turo shops I visited in the Mira Mesa area. You can read about Soo's visit here.

Manila Fast Food and Desserts
8979 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

Turo-Turo Tuesday, the Covid-19 Edition Part 1 – R & B Filipino Cuisine

May 12, 2020 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants, Sisig

One good thing about not being the most "popular kid" in the San Diego Food Blogging Class is the lack of Spam emails….at least these days. Though once in a while I'll get a couple….they're mostly rather harmless and annoying, but occasionally there would be one like I caught about 3-4 weeks ago. It really ticked (off course I was more than "ticked" but you get the point) me off because it was somewhat racist in content, actually describing Filipino "turo-turo" joints as the breeding ground for Coronavirus, and finished off with a "slogan", you can guess what it was. For some reason, it really bugged me, because as a whole I haven't run into any real xenophobic/obnoxious/racist folks during this pandemic….except for the one guy at Costco who yelled at me "your kind are causing Coronavirus"….while (of course) driving away….there's always once, right? So, instead of letting it stew, I decided to do what would probably bug this individual the most. I'd go and check out those turo-turo places and let's see how they're doing. And to stretch things out; I'll probably do this in two or three parts.

First up, R & B Filipino Cuisine, which in my opinion has the most consistently decent Sisig in the Mira Mesa area…..feel free to disagree; because it gives me an excuse to keep eating sisig.

Instructions where clearly marked as I arrived.

They were doing some decent business when I arrived.

You need to find your box……..it's ok to think (and dream) outside the box….but if you want your food….stay inside the box.

So, you can see that things are pretty well organized. The only issue I saw was that even though there's space for one at the register and one at the steam table….folks are used to walking back and forth….so the customer at the register wanted to look at something on the right, while the person now at the steam table wanted to check out how the sisig was doing on the left and they kept passing each other. Well, at least they had face coverings on.

I decided on the sisig and a nice hot tray of Bicol Express came out while I was in line so I got that.

The sisig, while not perfect, is my favorite in the MM area. The Lechon Kawale is not overly waxy and has a decent texture and there's more spice and a nice amount of vinegar.

I wasn't as fond of the Bicol Express as it had a strong "livery" flavor, lacked spice and not enough bagoong. It was also, as you can see, really greasy.

Overall, I was just happy to have sisig. And as you can see; there are procedures in place to handle spacing and other issues.

Heck, I just might need another sisig fix soon….so, if you see a middle aged Asian guy sporting a "Covid-19-in-need-of-a-visit to-the barber mullet" that might be me! On second thought, that might not be a rare sighting these days!

R & B Filipino Cuisine
11257 Camino Ruiz
San Diego, CA 92126

Lisa’s Filipino Cuisine

February 24, 2020 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants, Sisig

One of the guys in the office was getting married and folks wanted to do a pot luck….so, I was asked if I could get some of "those chicken wings….you know THOSE chicken wings!" So, I headed down during lunch to put in an order…..I know it's kind of a haul, but I needed to get out of the office for a bit anyway.

After placing my order for pick-up; I was a bit hungry and decided to check out the turo-turo shop in the same mall; Lisa's.

Looking back at old posts; I swear that I've posted on this place before; but the only thing I could find was this "coming soon" post. I know I visited once when they had first opened; but I guess I never did return afterward.

The restaurant is split into two sections; a dining area on one side…..

Which transitions to the BBQ station, then the hot table….

The place was fairly busy as I got to the line where a little old Filipino Grandma walked up and pushed a couple people aside to get into the front…..she must have been pretty hungry! Seems like everyone knew her, so I guess that's the norm here.

The woman working was all business and very efficient. I saw a couple folks getting pretty much the same thing; so I followed their lead and got the Pork Barbecue and the Sisig.

The one thing the woman did that I really liked was she made sure that I got some sinigang. Most places don't even bother if you either aren't Filipino or don't actually ask. The soup had a good amount of the wonderful sourness going on which I appreciated. There was a nice super soft piece of pork and a surprisingly spicy chili. I though the broth was a bit greasy; but heck, for free…..

I did enjoy the barbecue pork which was toothsome, but not tough; the sauce used wasn't too sweet, nor salty, and the savory tones really made it pretty good.

The sisig was not bad either; a bit of spice, not overly waxy, could have used more sour tones, but this wasn't greasy, though I would have appreciated the lechon kawale a bit more crunchy. But, like the pork, this wasn't bad at all.

A couple of weekends later, I had to run some errands down in National City and it was fairly early at around 8 or so. I had earlier noted that Lisa's opens at 7am. I'd be up to Kearny Mesa after this stop to pick up a couple of things, so I decided to drop by and grab something to go.

The woman working on this day was very nice. I really didn't care for the selection on this morning and just went with the Chicken Adobo and the Bistek.

Man, that bag seemed quite hefty. I knew I'd be getting to Nijiya before they opened, so I sat at a table and decided to have breakfast.

Sadly, my favorite item was the garlic rice….while it had some bitter burnt garlic in it. most of it was edible.

The chicken adobo was nice and tender; but it was also greasy and way too salty, in need of more vinegar tones. I just didn't care for the greasiness.

If anything, the bistek was even worse. I'm used to fairly chewy bistek, so that didn't bother me. It was the bloody-metallic taste and the sodium level that did. I'm used to a touch of sour-citrus in bistek, which was lacking here; or perhaps the salty-metallic flavors just cancelled it out.

As with most of these places; the portion size was generous. I'm not sure which of my visits was more indicative of Lisa's. I'll probably stick to lunch when I revisit though. After my arteries recover.

Lisa's Filipino Cuisine
1210 E Plaza Blvd.
National City, CA 91950
Hours:
Daily 7am – 8pm

In looking up the address for Lisa's; I noticed that the Otay Lakes location; which CC has posted on in the past seems to have changed name and owners.

Revisits – Smack’N Guamanian Grill and Gaya Gaya

November 14, 2019 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants, Guamanian/Chamorro, Sisig

Some revisits to a couple of places that opened on Miramar Road this year.

Smack’N Guamanian Grill:

**** Smack’N Guamanian Grill has closed

I was feeling a bit hungry and it had been over four months since Smack’N Guamanian Grill opened in the former location of Bann. So I decided to head on over and see how the Kelaguen was these days.

I arrived right when they opened and things weren’t overly busy.

Ordering was easy. I just went with the two items I enjoyed the most over my previous visits; the Kelaguen (aka the “Fan Fav” – $10.95) and a side order of the Bunuelos Uhang, (Shrimp Patties on the menu $3).

The Finadene here is now self-serve and has a hilarious sign on it – “NOT ICE TEA”. I asked the young man manning the counter and he confirmed that folks had gone there with cups, thinking it was iced tea and actually tried to drink the stuff! Hilarious!

Having packed like four containers of finedene I made my way back to the office. This kelaguen and subsequent side dishes were consistent with my previous visits, the chicken medium chopped, citrus forward, really lacking in spiciness or hints of coconut. The cabbage is basically coleslaw mix with some finedene….hardly any flavor, as I added two containers to give this at least some flavor. The rice was more chewy than on my previous visits.

What wasn’t in line with what I’d had before were the Shrimp and Corn “patties”…..which were actually balls and were totally incinerated.

Everything on the outside was hard and bitter, this was just totally gross. Why would anyone serve this?

For your reference from a previous visit.

It just kind of ruined my meal….just a total lack of quality control.

Smack’N Guamanian Grill
9506 Miramar Rd
San Diego, CA 92126

Gaya Gaya:

***** Gaya Gaya has closed

Man, Gaya Gaya has been open six months already! Soo’s post reminded me that I should head back and see how things are doing.

I dropped by for lunch and the place was totally empty during my entire visit….it’s a large space, which really makes things seem even more deserted.

The young lady who was my Server was such a joy…so cheerful and funny.

I was tempted to order what I enjoyed the most during my previous visits (other than perhaps the balut), the Adobo Rice Bowl, but decided to go “riceless”. I was tempted by something called the “balut surprise” but I’ll save that for the next time.

I started with the Pig Ear Sisig ($12.50), which was a mixed blessing.

The pig ears were nicely fried; crunchy, chewy and the sunnyside up egg, while a tad overcooked for my liking was fine. This dish really lacked the spicy, acidic-sour tones I enjoy in sisig. Pickled onions, jalapenos were used, which were ok bites, but just didn’t stand up well to the porkiness of the pig ears, which didn’t seem sauced……this just seemed like a hipster version of the dish for folks afraid of the strong flavors of sisig. Too bad; when I saw Pig Ear Sisig on the menu; I thought about the last time I’d had a more traditional version of the dish.

The Pinakbet ($9) on the other hand was better than what I’d previously had at Gaya Gaya.

The last time I had the pinakbet here; ampalaya (bittermelon) was MIA. This time, while a bit on the sparse side; there was enough to add a nice tannic-bitterness to the dish. Which balanced out the light sweetness of the perfectly cooked (not mushy) pumpkin. The eggplant was buttery-tender without being mushy and there was enough bagoong to give this dish a nice savory-salty “oomph”. The green beans were a bit too large and a tad undercooked and tough for my taste, but that’s splitting hairs. I enjoyed this dish.

Like I mentioned earlier; my Server was a joy. This wasn’t a cheap meal by any means…over $20 for what is considered two apps. Is it “elevated-modern” Filipino cuisine? I’m not sure yet.

Sitting in this ghost town for lunch made me wonder how much business Gaya Gaya was doing. I’m hoping weekends, dinner, and Happy Hour is taking up the slack as the place is now closed on both Mondays and Tuesdays.

Gaya Gaya
7580 Miramar Rd
San Diego, CA 92126

Turo Turo Tuesday – Revisits Edition; Nanay’s Best BBQ and Pinoy Fiesta

August 13, 2019 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants, Sisig

A couple of revisits of Turo Turo places here in San Diego.

Nanay's Best BBQ:

Stuck in meetings, folks graciously picked up some lunch for me…….

Not so good…it was from Nanay's. Now, I totally get that the guys really like huge portions…..but I think they can do better.

The Menudo was so bland; lots of meat, but there were a couple of pieces that was almost inedible connective tissue. Not enough tomato, or much any flavor as a whole.

The "Spicy Pork"; their version of sisig was the remainder of BBQ Pork in a kind of stir fry. The pork was tough; not spicy enough, lacking in sour tones…..

Nice try guys….but totally quantity over skill and quality. Lots of leftovers for others though…..

Nanay's Best BBQ
6715 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92121

Pinoy Fiesta:

I went and ordered some Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings for a potluck recently. So, being in National City, I decided to grab some lunch. Of course, Tita's is the obvious choice. But it had been a while since I'd visited Pinoy Fiesta, so I decided to see what was going on there.

The really friendly woman working had just filled the tray of Chicken BBQ, so I got that, along with (of course) some sisig.

I should just give up on the sisig here; it was cold, waxy, sour, but not spicy, and just mushy overall. Ok, it's finally sunk in.

The chicken bbq was interesting as it was very tender. Didn't care much for the sauce though as it was overly sweet and acidic. Too bad as that chicken was so soft and tender.

I did really enjoy the woman working who was so sweet and warm……though I think it'll be a while before I return.

Pinoy Fiesta
550 E 8th St
National City, CA 91950

Revisits – Chicago Fire Grill and R & B Filipino Cuisine

February 26, 2019 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants, Hot Dogs, Sisig

A couple of revisits for a quiet Tuesday

Chicago Fire Grill:

I'll often just drop by to hear what the owner has got on his mind….he's a hoot! And doesn't hold back.

And of course; for a totally decent Chicago Dog.

This place has gotten better over time. The roll, while not being the classic "S Rosen Mary Ann Poppy Seed Bun" was less crumbly and not as dry as usual. It was "dragged through the garden" in the typical Vienna Beef style; with all the typical players in place….fluorescent green relish? Check. Sport Peppers? Check. Celery Salt? A nice amount. Tomatoes? A bit riper than usual. The typical Vienna Beef dog had a decent snap as well.

The natural fries; while not my favorite; is done in thypical Chicago style.

And for dessert; well, I get to listen to the owner……this time he was grumbling about all those online food ordering and delivery platforms: "Geez, what the hell is going on with those Uber eats and stuff? Don't people get out from behind a desk and actually go get lunch these days? That's why they are so f*&%#@g f@+. They need to get out from that desk." I quickly and gently reminded him that he isn't the skinniest guy in the world. He stared at me; squinted and said; "hey, I like you….." I told him, "yeah…for now…until I order some ketchup on my dog." He cracked up. Priceless.

Chicago Fire Grill
8935 Towne Centre Dr.
San Diego, CA 92122

R & B Filipino Cuisine:

Speaking of getting fat eating behind my desk……

Well, it had been awhile since I've had anything from a turo-turo place and even longer since I'd had anything from R & B. Plus; I ended up giving away half of my plate anyway.

The beef mechado was greasy; though the slices (cut too large) of beef were tender. The carrots weren't cooked, but at least the stew had a nice bit of tangy-acidity.

I got half rice – half pancit. The pancit was very mild and on the bland side; though at least it wasn't mushy and over-cooked.

Timing does matter with these type of places and we lucked out as a new tray of sisig came out of the kitchen when we were in line. Like I mentioned in my previous post; I think the sisig here has gotten better over time. It's still not top notch; but the chopped lechon kawale wasn't to waxy and had both crisp pieces and some with a nice chew. Good vinegar, pungent onions, and a decent spice. The person I gave half my plate to came by later and asked me what this was….I guess he'd never had sisig before. He loved it….I told him he "needed to get out more."

R & B Filipino Cuisine
11257 Camino Ruiz
San Diego, CA 92126