Back in February of this year I noticed that Boss Bird Kitchen had completed moving from Miramar to La Mesa and there was a new sign up at that location. Whew, if you're keeping score that would make business number four in that location since 2018. And two of those defunct businesses were Filipino in concept, Sarap and Gaya Gaya. So now, I guess we were back to square one?
I waited a couple of months before visiting, until April, when Calvin was in the office and I had him come along to try out Kusina.
Man, the place looked pretty empty, which was great for Calvin and I, who both tested negative before meeting up, but perhaps not for Kusina.
The menu was full of the "usual suspects", though they were out of several items on this day.
We placed our order and in a few minutes our food started arriving.
Of course no meal in this genre is complete without rice and we went with the Garlic Rice.
Which was decently done; if a bit on the mild side in regards to garlic/pungent flavors.
I believe I've mentioned that Calvin can't pass up trying Pancit Palabok whenever it's on the menu. His Missus doesn't eat (a lot of things) palabok so he takes this opportunity to treat himself….as he should.
This isn't my favorite version of the dish; the pancit malabon was way overcooked and mushy; there wasn't enough of the deep, savory "seafoody" deliciousness of a good palabok. The breadcrumbs added a textural contrast, but really was not much of a help overall.
Of course we got the Sisig. Which looked quite nice, arriving in a sizzling plate with that lovely egg…..
This dish looked much better than it was….much of the pork was on the burnt and tough side; the sauce lacked spice, the dish was super salty.
The best item was the Bicol Express.
While I could have used a bit more bagoong and the pork was perhaps a bit on the "waxy" side; at least this had some zip to it, which made it go well with rice.
Overall, I wasn't too impressed with this meal.
Kusina calls itself "A Taste of the Pacific" and has some non-Filipino dishes on the menu. A week after my first visit, I decided to do some takeout and placed an online order….for….well… a Loco Moco. Which was ready for pick-up at the assigned time. It was a short, about 10 minute drive back to the office where I unpacked things.
This was interesting; the gravy was mushroom based and not terrible. The egg was over-cooked; I don't think the short drive back to the office was an issue though.
The rice was perfect.
The burger was a bit chewy and mealy, but was nice and beefy in flavor; perhaps it was just too lean for my taste.
Not terrible, but definitely not a loco moco I'd be craving.
And so the photos just kinda sat. I did want to do one more visit before posting. During that period, Soo did a post on Kusina which you can read here.
Finally, after two months, Calvin was coming into the office and wanted to meet for lunch. I called Kusina to make sure they had Crispy Pata, they did, which set us off for another visit.
There were more tables set on this visit, though only one other fellow came in to eat during our meal….and he was from our office!
On each of my visits the folks working the front of house were different and this visit was no exception.
We placed our order and like on our initial visit, the first dish out was the rice….this time Bagoong Rice.
This was unevenly stir fried and there were clumps of uncoated/unseasoned rice. The dish definitely needed more bagoong….at least for me.
Of course we got the Crispy Pata.
The skin wasn't too bad, a bit beyond the crispness I enjoy, but not bad. The flesh was really tough and chewy….I'm thinking that this was made way ahead of time and then dumped into the deep fryer. It was also pretty darn salty so the sawsawan wasn't needed.
Last up was the Kare Kare. Look at how large everything is….what's up with not cutting ingredients these days? Talk about unwieldy and messy…..
We didn't care for the greasy mouthfeel and in spite of being really salty, that's all there was in terms of flavor. The Oxtail was cooked perfectly though and was delish. 
Sadly, this place seemed like a step down from Sarap and Gaya Gaya. Though the fellow from the office told Calvin and myswelf that he comes here every week for the Adobo, so maybe????
Perhaps Kusina will have the staying power the last 4 tenants didn't have?
We'll see.
Kusina
7580 Miramar Rd.
San Diego, CA 92126
Hours
Tues – Sun 11am – 3pm, 5pm – 8pm
Closed on Mondays
While this was a super easy hike for the Missus, She enjoyed the solitude. We didn't run into another hiker on the trail until we were almost on our way out. Plus, those formations were quite interesting.
This version came with a fabulous Chicken Liver Mousse. The Dutchess's "baking chops" really delivered here as well as the puri was light, yeasty, full of flavor with a nice hint of salty-sweetness.
The puff pastry was very light with a wonderful texture. The rice in the dish was tender and the complex seasoning, while again on the saltier side, did well with a touch of raita, which added a nice, refreshing component to everything. Wish there was a bit more lamb in the dish; what we tasted was wonderfully gamey.
We'd gladly eat here again. While sitting and watching the "regulars" get their orders we noticed that the house made sourdough bread and lamb kafta were popular and looked quite good.
said that She had "changed Her mind……maybe a road trip might be nice". Man, that didn't last long did it? The only condition; "please no National Park food…."
Since it was too early to check in at our accommodations we decided to do a bit of shopping. The Ojai Arcade 
How I managed to carry this from the car to my desk without sustaining a hernia I'll never know. I forgot to ask for "half rice" so I got a ton of nicely cooked, moist rice. What's the deal with the giant chunks of protein in turo turo dishes these days? There were like two half thighs, bone and all in the overwhelmed styrofoam container. The chicken was on the tough side and there was a shortage of veggies (i.e. carrots, bell peppers) except for one orphaned potato; that I usually expect in this dish. I guess of you want to max out your protein intake… As you can see, it was quite greasy, and super salty.
In 2016, Mahalo began as a shave ice food truck. It expanded into an Arizona franchise in 2020, along with catering events. The Zion Market storefront is the first brick and mortar location for this (now two location) locally owned business "inspired by the beauty of the Hawaiian people". 
The menu is simple; Five items.
The choice of flavors can be not as simple, depending on your cravings.
For this shave ice plate ($6), I chose li hing mui guava (li hing is the flavor of dried, salty plums) and tigers blood (strawberry, watermelon and coconut) flavors; not very photogenic but very tasty. Adding ice cream ($1) rounded out the plate.
This is the view from the doorway. 
The rye bread ($4) here is an especially good version, filled with seeds and surrounded by cornmeal. I appreciate that it is already sliced. 
Just realized I neglected the Italian bread (also $3 or $4) it can be plain or topped with sesame seeds and is a quality White bread. The above Italian rolls also available ($4/dozen). A good size for small sandwiches or burgers. 
The Theme of "Turning the Corner” celebrating the unlimited potential that each new year brings, was announced by the 
The 
The Spotter for the 
The 
No idea who has sponsored this float, but can see the the Spotter will be standing at the front and can also see the driver now while this float is in its rebar/pencil rod stage. 
This is the City of Alhambra float entry. Spotter is seated at the front and the driver is on the left side-near the red fuel tank. 
Well. Turns out at 8:05 a.m., there's not much of a line. I ordered pastries, breakfast and beverages all at one counter. 
The meat pie ($1.15) is filled with the same picadillo that is in the famous potato balls, but is baked in flaky pastry. A nice snack while we waited.
Also ordered: cheese roll ($0.99), apple strudel ($1.45) and a refugiado (guava cream cheese pastry) ($1.09). We took the sweets home.
Soon, the beverages were delivered to the table. Portos cortadito ($2.89) (espresso with sweetened condensed milk) and a summertime item- iced strawberry matcha latte (large) ($4.89). Both beverages are quality and flavorful. 
Soon, the ropa vieja sandwich ($7.50) was brought out. Served on fresh soft Cuban bread, the 'Cuban birria' (Cuban-style stewed beef with bell pepper, onion, olive, tomato sauce, and Spanish seasonings) was excellent and quite large. The plantain chips (mariquitas) are seasoned with garlic salt and are a perfect side to the sandwich, breakfast time or not. 
The ham and cheese (cheddar-jack blend) omelette ($5.50) is served on a fresh buttery croissant with a mayo-mustard spread and is also quite large. 