mmm-yoso – Page 116 – As in, yoso-silly, yoso-hungry, yoso-full, or best of all; mmm-delici-yoso!!!!! A San Diego based food and travel blog. An Ex-Pat Kama'aina and Friends explore food, restaurants, and travel from San Diego and points beyond.

Gate of Damascus (El Cajon)

February 2, 2022 Cathy Middle Eastern Restaurants/Cuisine, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog, is being written by Cathy today. Kirk and His Missus are on a little vacation.

We were sad when Speedy Falafel closed in the midst of the pandemic. There had been a few signs on the building indicating a new restaurant was soon to be opened in early 2021, but that never happened. In September, Gate of Damascus opened. We stopped by in early January.

It was pretty busy with people at the entrance waiting for their "To Go" orders.

The interior looks about the same and you can have a seat at one of the many tables and a menu will be brought out. (Hot tea is self serve along the back wall). Breakfast is served until at least noon.
Foul with olive oil ($9.99) is always a favorite. Warm mashed fava beans cupping a wonderful amount of chickpeas, tomatoes and olive oil was certainly a filling savory breakfast. (There is also a tahini Foul served with yogurt, which will be ordered next time).
We ordered a Manikesh (cheese pie) ($3.99) because we saw it on other tables. Fresh, tasty, a bit salty (in a good way). Perfect crunch. Two fresh made pitas were also brought out. Because we ordered this:
The small appetizer plate ($11.99) Tabboule, Baba Ghannouj, Hummus and Motabbal (another eggplant based appetizer). ( Motabbal is made with eggplant, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and tahini (ground sesame sauce). Baba Ghanouj is made with eggplant, onion, tomato, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, and no tahini!). We took home plenty of leftovers. This is also a meal. {Other appetizers to choose from include Mohammarah (red pepper hummus), Yalanjee (stuffed grape leaves), fried or grille Kebbeh (ground meat, onions, spices and bulgur wheat), Arabic salad, Fattoush, Tzazaiki and coleslaw}. Very refreshing, fresh, bright flavors.
Also we decided to try a single skewer of beef kabob ($2.50) which is also a great choice and filled with subtle spices mixed in the ground beef.

We will be back to try more of the menu, because everything is great!

Gate of Damascus 1142 East Main Street El Cajon, CA 92021 (619) 312-0427 Open Monday 9 a.m.-10 p.m., Tues-Sun 8a.m.-midnight

Speedy Falafel had a choice of desserts sold by the pound in this display case. Now there are choices of boxed desserts.

Siam Nara (Mira Mesa)

February 1, 2022 Cathy Thai Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

This food blog, mmm-yoso!!!, is being written by Cathy today; Kirk is enjoying some free time with His Missus.

In late December, The Mister and I were in Mira Mesa and looking for a nice lunch. We decided to stop in at Seafood City and explored the parking lot. Thai sounded good. Siam Nara opened in 2010. Kirk wrote a post in 2011. Walking inside, the decor is amazing, glittery and appearing 'loud', yet the interior is quite quiet. Even the tableware is beautiful. Executive chef Suree has created a delightful menu with Northern Thai specialties. She has recently joined Supannee in the kitchen at her Point Loma restaurant in addition to two other restaurants she owns.
We started our meal with an E-san sausage appetizer ($9.99). The mild, northeastern style sausage is made with fermented pork, rice, garlic, lemongrass, kaffir leaves and a small amount of chillies then grilled, served with cabbage, raw onion and peanuts, along with a slice of lime. The sour/slight vinegar flavor of the fermentation is pleasant along with the multiple other flavors.
The Boat Noodles (with pork) ($13.99) and its general description sounded like a good choice. It was. A deep flavored broth (I tasted lemongrass and cinnamon, garlic, maybe white pepper mixed in with the pork flavor and pork blood) and fresh ingredients of all textures (bean sprouts, fried garlic, basil, cilantro and crunchy fried pork rind (with (not mushy) noodles) made us realize how this dish is a Thai staple meal; common ingredients, always available.
We also decided to try a fried rice dish- Kao Pad Boran with chicken ($13.99) sounded good. Jasmine rice, stir fried with chicken, egg, garlic, Chinese broccoli and cherry tomatoes. Again, great flavors and something 'new' to us.

We really enjoyed it here and will return. Siam Nara is another survivor of our pandemic times.

Mary has been here So has Kirbie Also, cc.

Siam Nara 8993 Mira Mesa Blvd San Diego 92126 (858) 566-1300 Open daily 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Website

Blossom de Cafe (Poway)

January 31, 2022 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix, Desserts, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

Blossom de Cafe has closed. It will be missed.

mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog, is being written by Cathy today. Kirk is busy.

The Mister and I were driving on Poway Road, looking for a breakfast spot. Across the street from the North Park Produce location, we saw this signage and stopped. Formerly a Bank, the large interior with what looks like former offices with doors and windows removed has open rooms and areas which could be set up for a small, private party as well as a playroom for children. The interior space is efficiently used and (since the building had been a bank) there is a drive through window.

After we were home, I did some research. Blossom de Cafe is locally owned, family run and opened in February 2020. This is another survivor of Covid.

There are menus outside, inside and behind the counter. We were here at breakfast time. The mention of "Croffle" had us curious. We ordered two.
An almond croffle ($5.80) A croissant toasted in a waffle maker topped with sliced almonds! Why hadn't I thought of this?!! Simple, delightful and a refreshing change. The maple croffle ($4.80). Simply toasted with maple syrup. A great breakfast idea.
We also ordered a bacon omelet sandwich (8.99). A better quality, thick white bread filled with a cheesy omelet/scramble and plenty of bacon made this an easily shareable sandwich.
There are coffees, teas, boba drinks, lattes, a great selection of beverages along with (Bingsu) desserts. Bowls and other lunch choices are also available-we will be trying out more of the menu. Soon.

Blossom de Cafe 12305 Poway Road Poway, CA 92064 (858) 842-2211 Open M,W,Th 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Fri and Sat 7-7 Tuesday 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Website

Golden Egg Omelet House (Escondido) (again)(no omelet)

January 30, 2022 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, an old fashioned food blog. Kirk is not writing today because He and His Missus are enjoying some free time, while Cathy has some free time to write.

It has been more than six years since the last post about this mainstay (more than 35 years) restaurant in Escondido. Golden Egg survived the the shutdowns and is still going strong. The whiteboard of specials is still at the front door.

The menus of omelets (and other breakfast choices), lunch choices and baked potato casserole choices remain the same (other than, of course, prices).
It was lunch time and I was pretty sure what I would order- avocado stuffed with tuna salad ($13.69). (The menu choices are a tomato or an avocado stuffed with tuna or shrimp salad). This very large meal is a mini smorgasbord! Large scoops of a tasty (mostly) tuna salad inside avocado halves atop mixed greens with artichoke hearts, tomato, pickles, cucumber and cheese. A large slice of grilled bread and salad dressing are served on the side. Yes, there were leftovers- enough for another meal.

The Reuben ($13.79) is served on a great seeded rye (grilled) and is quite overfilled with a quality corned beef, plenty of sauerkraut and Swiss. It comes with side choices of fries or salad or soup. The soups are made here. The choice for that day was a creamy broccoli chicken. It was decadent-the old fashioned flavor of Vegeta, a condiment (primarily salt with dehydrated vegetables (carrot, parsley, onions, celery and parsnip)) I grew up enjoying in my Polish home.

Golden Omelet is crowded early on weekends, which is good to see. Always quality, fresh made food and friendly service.

Golden Egg Omelet House 316 West Mission Ave, Suite 102, Escondido, CA 92025 (760) 489-6420 Website Open daily: 7-2:30

Teeny tiny oyster crackers!

Niban (indoor eating!)

January 28, 2022 Cathy Japanese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, an old fashioned food blog. Kirk is too busy to write a post today, so this one is being written by the -slightly less busy- Cathy.

My most recent post about Niban is from 2019, when I linked to all of my previous posts, going back to 2006. It's time for an update. While standing in line to order, the "Daily Lunch Specials" sign remains. Of course, the prices have changed.
The Bento lunch($8.75). Inari along with six pieces of California roll, rice and three pieces of fried seafood (fish, squid and shrimp) as well as the seafood side salad. This with a cup of hot tea ($1) is always satisfying.
The regular menu has remained almost the same (sunomono salad has been removed).
The sushi bar is still there, but nobody can be seated. Darn Covid!

We always get some sort of appetizer to share. The tempura vegetables ($6.50) are perfectly fried. The potato croquette ($2) is made with bits of carrot and the panko crust surrounding the mashed potato has such great texture as well as flavor contrast. I could make a meal of three croquettes and a side salad. (and I have)
The chicken katsu salad ($7.50) makes a nice meal. The chicken piece is quite large and moist, again with a perfectly crisp crust. The ginger based salad dressing is refreshing.
On the "Combination" portion of the menu, there are several choices. This is the chicken teriyaki with fried shrimp($11.50). Mushrooms and zucchini are mixed in with the chicken and sauce (which is not thick and not too sweet). The pork teriyaki with fried (or steamed) gyoza ($10.50) is also a good meal. The gyoza are filled with pork and vegetables and, again, perfectly fried.
Vegetarian Delight ($10.50) is a very satisfying Bento and could even be considered an 'appetizer platter'. Eight pieces of Garden Roll, eight pieces of vegetable tempura, edamame, a salad and some marinated bean sprouts.
Katsu curry udon (with pork) ($10) was a craving one chilly day. Quite perfect- curry flavored udon soup with a good size piece of fried pork on top. The udon was something I hadn't realized I had missed.

Another survivor of the pandemic!

Niban 7081 Clairmont Mesa Blvd San Diego 92111 (858)268-0465 Open Mon-Sat 11-2:30, 5-9:00 (until 9:30 on Fri and Sat) Sun 4:30-9:00

After Waiting Almost Two Years….is it still “Happy Hour” at Et Voila?

January 24, 2022 mmm-yoso Cocktails, French Restaurants

Last week, we finally did it, after waiting almost two years, we decided to return to Et Voila for Happy Hour. The place had been a Happy Hour favorite of our for years; and while they they did takeout for a period, it was never the same. We picked a day early in the week and arrived right at 430 to minimize contact. The place was empty and the Owner, Ludo was so happy to see us. Since this was Happy Hour, we sat in the bar area; which they've opened up and put screens up, and also dividers between pairs of seats. Just two other couples arrived during our time at Et Voila, one pair for HH and the other dining in.

The Missus started with a glass of wine and I got the Huckleberry Bourbon ($12 at Happy Hour)

A bit weaker than I recalled, but still fine.

We ordered our usual for Happy Hour……….

The Beignet de Champignons ($10 during HH) were perfect; hot, nicely fried, perfectly salted.

Crisp on the outside, creamy – earthy finish.

The Missus got Her Raviolis aux Champignons ($13 during HH).

We've had occasion when this dish is a bit too sweet for us…and my goodness, they are really loving the foam these days. But this was well done, a hint of truffle, saltiness from Parmesan cheese, earthiness of the mushrooms.

And we also got the Terrine de Porc et Pistaches ($11 during HH).

Rustic porkiness; a hint of sweetness, this really made me miss Paris and our favorite charcuterie restaurant.

So, did Et Voila deliver? Yes, they sure did. It had been so long….there were moments when the Missus and I took bites of food, looked at each other and laughed out loud. This felt….just so normal and right. Something that had been missing from our lives for a while now. I'm not sure when we'll be doing this again, but I wasn't having those thoughts on this evening….I was just enjoying the moment.

Et Voilà!
3015 Adams Ave
San Diego, CA 92116
Current Hours:
Tues – Thurs 430pm – 9pm
Fri – Sat 430pm – 930pm
Sunday 430pm – 8pm
Closed on Mondays
Happy Hour – Served at the Bar Only
Tues – Thurs 430pm – 730pm
Fri – Sat 430pm – 6pm

We hope all of you are doing well!

From Israel to Jordan (Before Covid) – Masada, the Dead Sea, and the InterContinental Aqaba

January 22, 2022 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Buffets, Israel/Palestine, Jordan, Middle Eastern Restaurants/Cuisine, Travel

**** Not much food in this one as I try to get our pre-Covid trip posts done.

We decided to use guides during our trip to Israel-Palestine-Jordan because things were a bit spread out and transportation a bit more complicated than we wanted to deal with. We also wanted to learn about the sites we visited and also just enjoy the ride. We contracted the company, Desert Eco Tours to help with coordinating our tours thru Israel and Jordan. They were wonderful to deal with and we got a private tour of Masada and the Dead Sea and some really fun group tours to Petra and Wadi Rum.

On this day, our guide, David was perfectly on time and we headed off. First visiting areas near Ein Gedi so we could get a bit more familiar with the area.

From our viewpoint we had wonderful views and could see folks headed toward the oasis and waterfall.

From here it was off to Masada, a place I was a bit fascinated in since I had to read a book for a book report waaaay back in Intermediate School (that would be "Middle School" for most folks). There are three different "paths" you can use to walk/hike up to the fortress, but we took the Cable Car to the Visitors Center and then out into the plateau and amazing views of the ruins.

There was one very interesting thing about David……he does his tours barefoot! He told us that it "keeps him in touch with the earth and history"….

Also, when we arrived he broke out a conch shell and just like Hawaii, proceeded to blow into it!

I came to learn that the "Conch Shell Trumpet" played a large part in many cultures!

And I was captivated by the crows who seemed to "guard" the area…..which belonged to them.

A lot of what is known about Masada was written and compiled by Josephus Flavius, who wrote that the first fortification of Masada began in the 1st century BC; though that has never been confirmed. Between 37BC and 31BC Herod the Great built two palaces. It provided a protected and fortified winter haven, which included cisterns, storerooms, and a casemate wall. If you're like me; the first time you really read about Masada was about the siege where a group of Jews, less than a thousand who then held off the Romans for 2 years before the walls were breached. According to the story, upon having the fortress breached, the Jews dispatched each other rather than surrender to the Romans.

You can still see the remains of the Roman base camps from the mountain.

We wandered the ruins from the Columbarium Tower Ruins.

To the Western Palace, to the Hanging Palace which had three terraces.

You could actually see folks hiking up the mountain. I'm quite glad that we chose the cable car!

The terraces were my favorite part of the ruins.

This complex, called the "Hanging Palace" was Herod's private residence. The views were quite dramatic…..

At least that's what this little fella' kept telling me…..

It was quite an amazing place to visit.

We had a quick bite to eat in the restaurant before heading to our next stop.

Where I got to swim….well, actually float in the Dead Sea. Because of the high salt concentration; over 30%, the water feels very "thick" and floating is easy….I did a back float and because of the density of the water, I had to work to stand back up. An interesting experience.

From here David drove us to the Eilat Border Crossing; where we crossed on over to Jordan.

A representative from the tour company greeted us as we crossed the border and then got us a taxi to our accommodations for the evening; the Intercontinental Hotel Aqaba.

A beachside resort…..the rooms were quite comfortable.

Dinner was a pretty standard buffet.

And we took a nice walk around the pool area after dinner.

We slept well and had a light breakfast.

Before checking out and meeting our driver. Next stop?

Petra!

Thanks for stopping by!

Revisits – Chicago Fire Grill and Gyrogrill

January 20, 2022 mmm-yoso Greek Food, Hot Dogs

A couple of quick revisits…..

Chicago Fire Grill:

It had been a while since I last visited Chicago Fire Grill and I was wondering how the owner, George was doing. So, I decided to head on over.

Things weren’t quite ready for “prime time” when I arrived and George was by himself.

I’m guessing those pandemic staffing issues have hit home here as well. On this day, I had time to wait……..George had to get everything started; but eventually I got my order….George wanted to give it to me…but heck no…….the Chicago Dog is a bargain these days at 8 bucks. Plus, I want to make sure he stays in business.

Things weren’t much different from my previous visits. Except that the fries were nice and crisp, which I really enjoyed.

While the price for this has gone up $2 over the last year….in terms of these days….well, what can you still get for $8 nowadays? I hope George hangs in there.

Chicago Fire Grill
8935 Towne Centre Dr.
San Diego, CA 92122
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 11am – 9pm
Sat – Sun 12pm – 9pm

GyroGrill:

**** GryoGrill has closed

I had meetings scheduled thru the normal lunch hour; I was hungry and decided to head on over to GyroGrill which opens at 10am.

When I arrived a quick glance at the sign gave me pause:

The Gyro meal is now $12.99; back when they opened in October of 2020, it was $7.99, which honestly was a bargain. On my last visit, in October of 2021, it was $10.99, which I thought was reasonable. But now, three months later it was $12.99….wow, guess it’s just a sign of the times.

I had though about heading back to the car and going somewhere else….but I needed to get back to the office, so I stuck it out. The fellow working was….and has always been very nice.

If anything, like I’ve mentioned before, I do like the hand cut potatoes which are fried to order and are so crisp and crunchy.

As for the pork gyros….while I don’t expect this to be on the level of Zgara, on this morning it was very disappointing. Even after being heated on the flat top, it was barely lukewarm, lacking moisture, bland, gummy in texture. I seemed to have been sitting in the hotel pan too long….but the place had just opened a few minutes before I arrived.

I do love those potatoes; so perhaps I need to change things up a bit here….though I’m not sure what prices will be like when I return.

Gyrogrill
6780 Miramar Rd.
San Diego, CA 92121
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 10am – 630pm
Sat 10am – 530pm
Closed Sunday

Midweek Meanderings – Yum Yum Africa Coming to Old Town and Bristol Farms (UTC) Closing at the End of the Month

January 19, 2022 mmm-yoso African Cuisine/Restaurants, Markets & Grocers

Yum Yum Africa Coming to Old Town:

I saw this on a recent visit to Taqueria Tuetano (post upcoming) right across the street from was this banner:

In the former location of El Charro Grill…….it seems like Old Town is going thru many changes; hope this will be a good one!

2543 Congress St.
San Diego, CA 92110

Bristol Farms Closing at the End of the Month:

I pretty much saw this coming with the mall being renovated. Even though I've basically done two posts on Bristol Farms (Cathy has done quite a few) it's a regular shopping stop on the way home form the office.

So, after not dropping by in a couple of weeks; I visited last week on the way home from work…..

I went in to take a peek and man the place was pretty empty and quite depressing.

I spoke to a couple of the folks that I knew from all my visits over the years and was told that they were closing at the end of the month. I asked about all the employees (I've known quite a few that have left over the last few months) and was told that many are being transferred to Lazy Acres locations in Encinitas and Hillcrest. I'll probably still see some of them as Lazy Acres is a regular stop on the way home from the Little Italy Mercato.

Even the return of Bristol Farms after renovations of the mall is not certain. I was told that Bristol Farms had successfully made preliminary negotiations with the mall's owners; but that went down the tubes when the mall was sold to new ownership.

Sad to see Bristol Farms go….yes, the prices were on the high side; but it was always a good stop for certain items.

Still, if you want to make a last stop at Bristol Farms, all remaining inventory will be sold at 50% off starting tomorrow, January 20th.

I'm hoping they do return….

Bristol Farms
8510 Genessee Ave
San Diego, CA 92122
Limited Hours:
Daily 10am – 7pm

Yang Rou Pao Mo to go from Shann Xi Magic Kitchen

January 17, 2022 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants

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

My apologies for the lack of posts. The last two weeks have been super busy for me. After finishing up work, I'd just be so fried that the last thing I really wanted to do was sit down at the PC (again, after having it in front of me the whole day). I finally actually had some time to rest this weekend….so hopefully, things will start getting better in the upcoming weeks.

Though getting this text yesterday morning did put me in that "good lord, what next" kinda mood.

Anyway, I was doing some shopping at 99 Ranch Market; the Missus was working and I decided to get something for dinner at the food court to take home with me for dinner. After taking a quick look; I decided to trying some Yang Rou Pao Mo from Shann Xi Magic Kitchen. After all, I hadn't visited since before the pandemic. Plus, after a couple of days of unseasonal warm weather – we hadn't had temps in the 70's since November, things had cooled off and we even got some drizzles….so it was good weather for some soup.

As always, the young ladies working seem to not really want to be here, but I guess I expected that. The menu now seems skewed to Sichuan dishes rather than Shanxi (Jin) dishes…hmmm….. Still I went and ordered the Yang Rou Pao Mo ($12.99) and went shopping. When I returned, I waited and asked a couple of times; before finding out that my order had been lying on the counter for a while…..

I unpacked the container upon arriving home; the soup was still nice and hot. And so I poured everything into a bowl.

And to be honest, this was better than what what I'd had before. I'm not going to beat that "too bad the pao mo here in San Diego is nothing like how it's supposed to be" dead horse anymore. If I ignore that; then I can easily say the lamb was super tender and gamey; there was nice amount of frozen tofu and bamboo shoots and best of all; the broth wasn't overly salty and had just the right amount of white pepper and muttony flavors. This might be the best version I've had in San Diego…perhaps I need to try the version from Green China Grill again?

What was interesting is that; even with the crazy price increases; the Yang Rou Pao Mo was just a dollar more than what I last paid for it in 2019……though now they charge you 50 cents for takeout containers.

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

Thanks for visiting; I've missed you all and it felt great doing a post again! Have a great week!