mmm-yoso – Page 137 – 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.

Golden Bagel Cafe (El Cajon)

November 11, 2020 Cathy Bakery, Breakfast/Brunch, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

After 23 years, Golden Bagel Cafe has closed, a great loss. It will be missed. Cheers Deli remains open (but does not have bagels).

mmm-yoso!!! is being written by Cathy today; Kirk is still on a vacation with His Missus.

The Mister and I have tried to avoid patronizing chain businesses during this time of COVID-19 and lockdown. The Golden Bagel, located at the intersection of Navajo and Fletcher Parkway, in El Cajon (right on the border of La Mesa) is locally owned and prides itself on fresh made, preservative free items. It is a sister store of Cheers Deli which has been in business for 20+ years and is located about a mile west. (I know, I have to do a post)
Stepping inside, the selection of bagels (25 flavors) is good in the early morning. There are a variety of beverages available (although many opt for the Starbucks next door). There is plenty of out front seating. Here's a quick sampling of some of our breakfasts here.
Pumpernickel bagel with cream cheese ($2.99) You can taste the rye flour in this bagel and it is so very fresh and bright. On the right here is a bialy- a baked bread (the bagels here are water boiled) topped with poppy seeds and onion. A lighter, softer (yet chewy) bread, I like the differences between a bialy and a bagel. Toasted and buttered is a wonderful treat. The cheese topped bagel is also a favorite (with butter, $1.99).
Ham and cheddar with avocado and tomato on an everything, open face. ($8.99 plus $1 for the avocado=$9.99; we went for it). There is a choice of cheeses, the avocado made this kind of perfect. Open face, warm and melted- shareable! (The open face sandwiches cost more than a regular bagel sandwich. You can see each half is substantial).

The open face smoked salmon ($11.99) (of course on pumpernickel) . Pacific Northwest Smoked salmon (lox), cream cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, red onion, dill and capers (and a slice of a really good pickle). Quality as well as quantity; more than enough to share.

There are wraps, focaccia, pizza melts, salads…a nice menu. Always nice people work here. We had always passed by and are so glad we have finally stopped (and stopped in again and again!)

Golden Bagel Cafe 2744 Fletcher Parkway El Cajon 92020 Open Mon-Sat 6 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun 7 a.m.-3 p.m. (619) 464-2243 Website

Arely (one more time, eating outdoors)

November 9, 2020 Cathy Bakery, Breakfast/Brunch, French Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog. Usually Kirk writes here, but he is taking a short vacation with His Missus. Cathy is writing today.

In this time of COVID-19, everything has changed. Although I haven't written about Arely since 2017, The Mister and I have dropped in pretty regularly.
There is seating out front as well as indoors. When you order and pay, the table where you will be seated is noted and food will be brought to you.The strawberry cream cheese stuffed French Toast (a white board special, $8.95) is wonderful. The cream cheese melted inside the middle of the thick sliced egg and cinnamon battered bread; the fresh strawberries on top added enough sweetness (it did not need the accompanying 'breakfast syrup').
The Arely Scramble ($12.95) is served on top of a toasted English muffin. The eggs are scrambled with a lot of bacon. There is sliced avocado and the freshly made hollandaise, which was almost-but not quite- breaking (either the egg yolks were too hot or there was too much butter, darn it!). The bites of this were kind of perfect.

We usually always order the French onion soup when here for lunch. It is flavorful and the broth is not salty. The melted cheese and crunch of French bread/'crouton' make it perfect, even though eating out of a reusable bowl is different. A slice of quiche is accompanied by a small salad and some slices of baguette. This is ham and cheese and there are many chunks of ham, a great custard (with a slight nutmeg flavor) and plenty of cheese.
The chicken Florentine (mushroom-spinach) crepe ($10.25) was covered in a delightful cream sauce which went well with the
accompanying side of home potatoes. Bell pepper and onion and crispy browned potato chunks made for a good leftover portion. We can't resist ordering some sort of sweet from the bakery counter. The fresh made (still warm) almond croissant is always a good choice.

Still going strong after all these years and during COVID-19 times. A great neighborhood bakery cafe.

Arely French Bakery 4961 Clairmont Drive San Diego 92117 (619) 270-1910 Currently Open Monday 7 a.m.-4 p.m., Tues-Sat 7 a.m.-8 p.m., Sun 7:30 a.m.-7 p.m.

Tofu House (Mira Mesa)

November 5, 2020 Cathy Korean Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog, is being written by Cathy today. Kirk and His Missus are really enjoying a well deserved vacation.

I hadn't realized how long ago Ed(from Yuma) and I had met for lunch at Tofu House. I will miss his wit, wisdom and sense of adventure. When restaurants were allowed to reopen and we started being less afraid of COVID-19, The Mister and I decided we wanted to get food we could not replicate at home: Korean, in particular. Cravings, you know.

As usual, we drive without a plan and look for open restaurants. We also now look for tents outside of businesses and noticed the other location of Tofu House was open. As part of our "COVID-19 Caution", we think getting somewhere right when it opens means the tables are freshly sanitized.
When we left, it was getting busy.

There are giant menus on the exterior of the building,

As well as a QR code on each table, so you can read the menu on your phone. Once you order, your condiments and utensils are brought out.
An appetizer (or possibly complete small meal), the crispy fried dumplings ($8) are good to share. The Korean 'pot stickers'/mandu have a thicker skin and are primarily meat filled. These are very good. Crispy fried tofu with mushrooms and seasonal vegetables ($12) is a very satisfying meal. The fresh fried tofu as well as the stir fried melange of vegetables have a variety of textures and bright flavors. After eating about half, I added some kimchee/spicy condiments to the plate. It was a whole new set of flavors.
The Hot Stone crispy rice Meat Party ($12) was the choice of The Mister on one visit. Marinated rib eye, beef short ribs and chicken served on top of the rice, sizzling in the stone pot (creating such a lovely crust of rice to enjoy at the end of the meal), this was a fragrant, nicely spiced good sized serving of all the ingredients. I could still taste/discern the various flavors of meats and enjoyed each of them.
The Boiled Tofu Seafood Special Combo ($11) is my personal favorite item to order. Shrimp, clam, scallop, fish ball, calamari, beef and pork as well as the soft soon tofu all served as a bubbling, flavorful stew.
The bulgogi with glass noodle (no tofu) ($12) is another good selection on a cool day. Another stew, the marinated rib eye, shiitake and white mushrooms along with seasonal vegetables is another flavorful choice.

The stews come with either white or multigrain rice (which is sort of purple in color and has a wonderful nutty flavor).

Tofu House 9089 Mira Mesa Boulevard San Diego CA 92126 (858)860-5296 Open noon-8 daily website

PLEASE NOTE: This location is currently (November 2020) only doing Take-Out. The 4646 Convoy Street location has Outdoor Seating

Takeout From La Miche Kabobgee

November 4, 2020 mmm-yoso Lebanese Restaurants

**** Sadly, La Miche has closed

So, what to do with that leftover Garlic Sauce from Garlic & Tahini? Well, on the Friday I had off, I decided to order some takeout from La Miche. The Missus had been wanting La Miche for a while; but ever since the owner had some health issues La Miche has been operating under limited hours. And the items we enjoy from La Miche are the Mezes are only offered during dinner. Currently from 3pm to 730 on Friday and 4pm to 730pm on Saturdays. Which really limits things for us….especially with the pandemic going on. What I decided to do on this day was to place an order at 11am to be picked up at 330pm on that Friday.

I got there right at 330 and my order was ready and waiting. I as happy to see the owner and his wife; who are in good health. I made my way home; placing the items that needed to be chilled in the fridge. When dinner came along; I heated up the soujouk and then the pita in my handy-dandy tortilla warmer and we were ready to go.

To go along with our leftover garlic sauce……I've posted on these dishes a number of times….

The Soujouk…….slightly spicy, toothsome sausage, with a nice and tangy tomato sauce. I only got a small taste of this one.

Loved the spices, the acidity…..deeply savory and complex.

My favorite; the Muhamarah. Red Pepper – Pomegranate – Walnut, thickened with bread. Such wonderful sweet-tangy-slightly spicy-nutty-mildly sour tones, just perfect with a warm pita.

And of course, the Shaankleesh. The flavor of a mildly "ripe cheese", with onion, tomato, and zaatar added for complexity.

The Missus remarked how much She's missed these dishes; it would have been complete with the Makanek, which sadly wasn't on the menu. I'm going to have to figure out how to get dishes from here more often….I got two shots a week; either Friday or Saturday. I'm hoping for the day that the owner feels recovered enough to open for regular dinner again. Until then; we'll make due.

La Miche Kabobgee
9350 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92123
(858) 565-1165
Current Hours:
Mon – Thurs 11am – 3pm
Friday 11am – 730pm
Saturday 4pm – 730pm
Closed on Sunday

Most Mezes only served from 3pm on Friday and on Saturday

Tealightful Cafe -delightful Vietnamese beverages and snacks (Clairmont Mesa)

November 3, 2020 Cathy Desserts, Vietnamese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping to read mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Kirk and His Missus are taking some time off and Cathy is writing this post.

There is so much to tell you about my version of 2020, but for right now a recently opened snack/meal/beverage place deserves a share.

Back in 2007, the discovery of shops serving boba drinks and snacks was fascinating for The Mister and myself. We found some tea centric businesses which had meal/snacks available, like Tea Station and Tapioca Express as well as (now defunct) Tea Garden and E & Drink. Over time we have stopped in a few other places, trying interesting beverages and snacks.

In the same parking lot as Little Sheep, we noticed the new signage and outdoor tented seating. {During this pandemic, The Mister and I will eat "in" if we get to a place right when it opens, because the seating has just been set up and cleaned.}

The spacing to get to the order area is clear. There is a paper menu taped to the front window as well as next to and behind the register. Here is a link to the website menu; it has changed over the past few weeks.

Being creatures of habit, the Chicken Pop Pop ($6) was an automatic order. A good size portion of moist chicken, perfectly fried with a light, crispy crust (with a bit of spice) and fried basil accompanied by a spicy mayo sauce and garlic chunks with chiles.The papaya salad with beef jerky ($6.50) was delightfully refreshing! Fresh green papaya, shredded basil, a moist beef jerky and fried garlic. The dressing, garlic hot sauce and crisp peanuts were just right when mixed in.
The 'vermicelli noodle bowl with pork' ($8), a great version of Vietnamese "bun" was fresh made (still warm noodles, good marinade on the sliced char cooked pork) and had excellent flavors before and after the condiments were added.
We tried ordering the char grilled squid ($10) but it wasn't available the first two times we were here. Finally it was available and worth the wait. Rings, tentacles and a spicy, citrusy dipping sauce made this a perfect little meal. Seeing nem neuong on the menu ($6, three pieces), we had to try, but didn't expect Brodard quality. I must say the thick pork roll slices, freshness, warm sauce and crisp egg roll wrapper inside makes the version here a close second.
A short interlude to mention beverages. Only one size. The price varies from $4-$5.50. Every one we have tried is good. The elderberry milk tea ($4) with house made elderberry syrup is refreshing and not too sweet. The colorful strawberry matcha latte doesn't look as pretty when shaken, but the flavors are wonderful.

There is a fried banana on the menu ($2.50). It's a whole manzano banana, so you'll either get two or three pieces.

Dipped in a sesame seeded batter and fried to a proper crispness, the batter is thicker than on the chicken and the result is a delightful crispy banana filled snack.

We were going to order a regular (hot coffee) to go with the banana on one visit but the lure of cream cheese topped Vietnamese coffee (no condensed milk/sweetener)($4.50) was an indulgent end to the meal that day.

Everything on this post will be ordered again, the freshness and quality is noteworthy.

Tealightful Cafe 4726 Clairmont Mesa Blvd San Diego, CA 92117 (858)352-6584 Open Daily 11 a.m. Currently, closes at 9 p.m. on Thurs, Fri, Sat. Otherwise closes at 8 p.m. Website

Garlic & Tahini Egyptian Kitchen (Mira Mesa)

November 2, 2020 mmm-yoso Middle Eastern Restaurants/Cuisine

**** As far as I can tell, this location of Garlic & Tahini Egyptian Kitchen has closed permanently

I will often tell folks at work who ask me "how did you figure that out", the simple phrase "Google is your friend". And I truly believe that in certain cases. Take for example, Garlic & Tahini. I really don't think I would have found the place if I hadn't Googled "garlic sauce + Mira Mesa". Harvest Market has closed and the Missus was craving the garlic paste. An interesting place appeared on my search; Garlic and Tahini Egyptian Kitchen. I noticed two locations; one in La Jolla, which seemed to be a restaurant and the other on Mesa Rim Road, which seemed to be another area chocked full of business parks; like Hawaiian Fresh Seafood. I noticed a website; which led me to an online order form. I decided to go for it and placed an order; basically it's a "make-your-meal" type ordering…..you know, pitas, bowls, or salads, pick your protein. I also ordered a container of garlic sauce to take home.

My GPS led me to Flanders Drive; the street right past Huennekens (why do I always call it Heinekens?)…the way to HFSF. Down Flanders, right on Mesa Rim Road and eventually a sign……

In a business park.

Whereupon I saw another set of signs and parked in one of the stalls.

Then walked to the doorway to the right of the signs.

Then thru the doorway……

And right into a commercial kitchen. Yes, I know that the concept of Ghost Kitchens are a hot topic right now….. There were quite a few packages lined up on one of the tables.

I called out a rather hesitant "hello" and a really friendly gentleman came on over and I mentioned having placed an order online. He thanked me and said my order would be ready in a minute and he'd be happy to bring it out to my vehicle. So, I went ahead and waited in my car and soon enough he brought out a package with my stuffs.

Back at the office, I unpacked my order. I had gotten a Beef Shawarma Pita, a side of Falafel (five pieces) and an 8 ounce container of Garlic Sauce.

The first thing I noticed when I bit into my pita was the bread itself; which was more fluffy than standard issue pita. It also had a hint of sweetness; which actually wasn't a bad thing at all.

The beef had been chopped and was a bit on the chewier side. I enjoyed the diced tomatoes and onions….and even the parsley; though the Tahini was really mild in flavor and am used to to a more assertive sesame seed flavor.

The exterior of the Falafel were really crisp; though the interior was more gritty than I prefer. I enjoy a bit of light – creaminess in my falafel and I prefer Mister Falafel to the version here. Maybe if we hadn't gone to Israel/Palestine/Jordan late last year, I'd have enjoyed it more. I also preferred using the garlic sauce I purchased to the tahini that was included with the falafel.

Speaking of the Garlic Sauce……this version is truly a sauce and not a paste. As it was fairly thin; not a bad thing at all in this case.

While not as strong in terms of garlic flavor; I did like the texture as it was nice drizzling on salads, veggies, and frittatas – here's a Soppressata – Chard – Potato Frittata I recently made.

I'll definitely purchase more of this.

A week later, I decided on trying a couple of other items I'd seen on the menu and was interested in. So, I placed another online orders and went to pick it up.

Same drill; I ducked in, said hello, and waited for my order outside.

This time I tried the Mesa'aa (Eggplant) and Fool (Fava Bean) Pitas, along with a side of Baba Ghanouj.

I really enjoyed the Mesaa'a; it had a mild spice, was well seasoned, and had a wonderful texture and acidity/tanginess. A definite keeper.

The mashed fava beans was milder in flavor, you could still make out a mild nuttiness, and the tomatoes and pickles really helped it out.

I was told to be careful of the "spicy" finish of the Baba Ghanouj, but I found it quite mild and lacking in the smokiness I expect in the dish.

In the end; I was happy to have found a couple of items I enjoyed from Garlic & Tahini, it's gratifying to support our local businesses during this time, especially in the case of such nice folks like this. I'll definitely be getting more Garlic Sauce, Mesaa'a, and Fool.

Garlic & Tahini Egyptian Kitchen
9932 Mesa Rim Road
San Diego, CA 92121
Hours – takeout only:
Mon – Wed 11am – 3pm
THurs 11am – 8pm
Fri – Sat 11am – 9pm
Sunday 11am – 8pm

Road Trip (before Covid-19) – FLG Terroir and Annex Cocktail Lounge (Flagstaff)

November 1, 2020 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Cocktails, Flagstaff/ Sedona/Winslow/Northern AZ, Gastropub, Road Trip, Travel, Wine Bars/Wineries

After our wonderful tour of the Grand Canyon, we took a short rest, then decided to head out for an early evening. I had a place in mind, but as we wandered down North San Francisco Street (can't get the flaneur out of us, I guess); the Missus went into a shop called The Artists Gallery to do some shopping……..it seems that all of the folks who sell their art and crafts here were also at the Art in the Park the previous day. As we were leaving, I took a look upward and saw the "FLG Terroir" sign in the window above.

This was one of the places I had on "my list"; so we headed upstairs. Man, this place was quite large and the selection of wine was quite good.

The Missus enjoyed Her two glasses of wine and I reacquainted myself with an "old friend" from Belgium.

The seats with a view were taken; so we just sat at one of the tables. I went over to the counter and also ordered us some food.

Which arrived piping hot. First to arrive was the "Poutine" ($5) (after our time in Montreal, I needed to add the quotation marks).

This version had thick mushroom gravy, which wasn't too bad, the fries were crisp; but the cheese curds were mushy. Decent seasoning though a bit on the salty side. To us, this was the better of the two dishes.

Next up was the Shrimp and Grits ($10).

This version was made with red curry and coconut grits. Can't say I'm fond of this combination of flavors as it really overpowered the grits. The shrimp were fine, if a bit on the muddy side and the carrots and zucchini nicely prepared.

Overall, I thought the prices were quite reasonable. The food is a bit "fusiony", but the Missus enjoyed the wine selection, the service was very friendly…..one of the bar staff was even from San Diego!

We'd be happy to return when we're back in Flagstaff.

FLG Terroir: Wine Bar & Bistro
17 N San Francisco St.
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Currently only open for takeout

After heading back down to San Francisco Street, we headed south, crossing over Route 66 and arrived at our next destination. Alice, in her fine blog "Alice's Restaurants" lists Tinderbox Kitchen as one of her favorites. While we weren't quite in the mood for a full meal; the folks from Tinderbox Kitchen own three properties lined up right next to each other. One of them, called "the Annex", a cocktail lounge serving some basic eats seemed like just the thing to end our evening.

It was a beautiful evening so we headed to the area called "the yard", which was quite interesting….especially the wall in the back of the property. I later read that this was once a Basque Handball Court.

We decided on something simple to munch on; the Annex Nachos with Chorizo ($12), which turned out to be quite good.

The chorizo had a nice, mild smoky-spice. The chips were crisp, the avocado heavy, thick guacamole very nice.

I had the Hip Stag – a Pineapple Infused Mezcal based cocktail. Loved the notes the cilantro-lime bitter added. This was slightly smoky and not overly sweet.

Meanwhile, the Missus was captivated by the smoked cocktail menu and started off with the "Coffee and Cigarettes" which featured Pipe Tobacco Smoke and Espresso Beans. I didn't think She'd like it; but the Missus really enjoyed this…..so much….that I didn't even get a taste!

She definitely wanted another drink after this one and settled on the Irish Whiskey (and Pipe Tobacco Smoked) "Red Badge of Courage".

Which She enjoyed even more.

And then it happened. A group of younger folks were having a competitive round of Jumbo Jenga. One of the young men was really "chirping" quite a bit….and he was backing things up by beating all his friends. He saw us watching and started trying to convince us to play……there's no way I'd play. But the Missus; bolstered by a couple cocktails decided to have a go before we left.

I was amazed to watch Her beat this guy in three moves! The young man was stunned and asked the Missus how often She played. Her response? "I've never played this before….but it's all math….geometry. Maybe you should spend more time in class and less time out drinking?" Oooooh snap!

As you can tell, we enjoyed the cocktails, the vibe, and the service was wonderful. The Missus really does want to return here.

Annex Cocktail Lounge
50 S San Francisco St.
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Current Hours:
Thursday 3pm – 9pm
Friday 3pm – 10pm
Saturday 9am – 10pm

We stopped at a couple of shops on the way back to our hotel. We talked about how much we enjoyed the friendly folks in Flagstaff.

And look forward to returning again someday. The Missus will want Her smoked cocktail fix!

Thanks for stopping by!

Road Trip (before Covid-19) – Grand Canyon Desert View Tour

October 30, 2020 mmm-yoso Flagstaff/ Sedona/Winslow/Northern AZ, Road Trip, Travel

***** Not much food in this one, mostly just photos – just clearing out the memory card

When planning our road trip to visit Antelope Canyon and Flagstaff, I decided to do a small group day tour of the Grand Canyon from Flagstaff. Why a tour you might ask? Well, the main reason being that it was Labor Day weekend and I didn't want to deal with traffic, parking, etc, etc….. I thought doing a small group tour might work out well and it did. Plus, I figure we'll be back someday….I can take my time and meander around then.

I'm going to try to keep the verbiage down. There are many resources out there for visiting the Grand Canyon.

This tour took the less crowded East Entrance (currently closed due to Covid-19) from Navajo Country into the park. Our guide/driver was a hoot….warm, funny, knowledgeable, just a great guy.

We met at our assigned time in Flagstaff, loaded up the van and were off…..the group was on the older side; so folks were really mellow, even the three biker guys who had ridden in from California. We drove in through the East entrance not running into a single other vehicle until we came to Desert View known for the historic Desert View Watchtower.

Talk about wonderful scenery!

We enjoyed wandering around….I could probably spend an entire day here…..

And of course we spent some time in the watchtower, which only dates back to 1932 and was designed by Mary Colter; Chief Architect for the Fred Harvey Company and one of the few women architects of her time.

The tower was designed to resemble Pueblan Watchtowers, though it is much taller than any known traditional structure. The interior is also quite stunning.

Among the various landmark signs is this one.

Which recalls a terrible tragedy, the deadliest plane crash/collision of its time. Because of this and other tragedies and near misses that followed the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 was passed which became the FAA.

We had a few more short stops……

Before heading to the Tusayan Ruins. Our guide got us to the site just as a Ranger was ready to start his tour.

I could probably do a whole post just on this site; but I think you'll enjoy the National Park Services document much more.

After a quick stop at the Museum/Gift Shop, it was time for lunch under a nice patch of trees. Just simple sandwiches and chips….which did us just fine.

After lunch our next stop might have been my favorite; Grandview Point. The views from the point are amazing.

The Grandview Trail also starts here.

I was just happy with the views.

And our guide made sure to take photos of everyone (who wanted) on the rock outcropping.

There's also quite a bit of history here…..

Would you believe that a hotel once stood on this ledge?

Yep, the Grand View Hotel once stood there! Man, I wouldn't want to be walking around outside the place after having a few whiskies…..

Beautiful, ain't it???

We made a couple more stops before ending things at Grand Canyon Village.

As you can tell; some rain had rolled in right before we stopped here.

So, while folks went to take a "bio-break", got some coffee, or did some shopping, the Missus and I explored this structure.

It's another structure designed by Mary Colton; the Hopi House. Designed to resemble a Hopi Pueblo.

There's an actual Hopi door from Oraibi which leads to an altar room. If you'd like to read more about this amazing architect you can do so here.

From here we headed back to Flagstaff. We'd really enjoyed this small group tour. It gave us a nice taste of the Grand Canyon; I'm sure we'll be back. It was well worth the time and money.

We got back to our room, had a short nap, and got ready for dinner.

Yes, this is still a food blog, so I'll get to that in my next post. Thanks so much for indulging me!

Circling Back to Fredcel Lumpias & Catering

October 28, 2020 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants

I took last Friday off. I needed to take my car in for service and decided to just take the day off. Amazingly; they finished up my car in half the usual time! I'm guessing they've really dialed back on the amount of appointments. The Missus had been craving the Salvadoran Tamales from El Salvador Pupuseria y Restaurante. So, since things wrapped up early, I decided to expand my Covid-19 "footprint" and head up to grab the Missus some tamales. I was a bit hungry and it had been quite a while sine I'd been to Fredcel so I decided to check them out.

Fredcel had just opened when I arrived. They've blocked off most of the area inside the restaurant and the "steam table" is not accessible by customers. Instead, they post what items are available on a menu sign.

I decided to get the menudo and Bicol Express, along with a few pieces lumpia (of course).

The Styrofoam box felt pretty darn hefty and when I opened it at home, I was surprised at the amount of pancit it held.

The pancit was very plain and bland…..I know why they give you that packet of soy sauce….though the portion size edged on ridiculous.

Opening up the menudo and Bicol Express and looking at the dishes really didn't whet my appetite.

The Bicol Express was more like a greasy curry. It lacked the deep savory-pungent tones of bagoong, wasn't very spicy, and seemed to use a ton of curry powder instead of coconut milk. As I mentioned earlier; it was also quite greasy instead of creamy and didn't have much pork in it.

The menudo was also sorely lacking in protein, was quite tangy, and needed more salt.

To me, both dishes were more like soups, quite thin and watery.

What saved the day was the lumpia; I got six for $3.

This was every bit as good as what I'd had here before. Still crisp and crunchy after the trip home….which is why it holds up well for catering. Not oily, the filling was moist, with a nice porkiness. That neon red sauce is way too sweet for me though.

I must be getting old; after eating the six lumpia, I needed a nap.

So, I guess I'm sticking with the lumpia from Fredcel. There were four people behind me in line as I left, so it seems that the business is doing ok.

Fredcel Lumpias & Catering
3876 38th Street
San Diego, CA 92105
Current Hours:
Tues – Fri 11am – 5pm
Saturday 11am – 4pm
Sunday 11am – 330pm
Closed on Monday

Dim Sum To Go From Jasmine

October 26, 2020 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Dim Sum

My first visit to Golden Island had me wondering how takeout was going at Jasmine. I had checked out their website and found they were doing online takeout orders. So, I decided to order some dim sum…which was 20 cents cheaper then Golden Island……at $5.99. Interesting to note, Jasmine Express opens at 1030 as does online ordering. And then it's at least 50 minutes before your order is ready.

Upon arriving, I noticed that the signs lead you to Jasmine Express for pick-up.

And you have to wait in line with everyone else….all of the folks in front of me were placing orders. They placed their order and waited across from the restaurant to be called. So, while I expected my order to be ready at 1130…..which it was (see the photo below, it's on the shelf); I still had to wait another 25 minutes in line. Add in the rather perfunctory service….. Wouldn't it make more sense to have a separate line for online pick-up?

Anyway, check out the outdoor dining at Kula above….creative uses for those concrete dividers.

Eventually I made my way to the front of the line, mentioned my name, and was handed my bag….I mean…really, my food was laying on a shelf for 25 minutes, when I could have walked up and been out of there in less than five.

I then drove back to the office and checked things out; I went with the Pork and Shrimp Siu Mai, Har Gow, and the Steamed Shrimp Fun Gor (fun guo aka Chiu Chow Dumplings). All $5.99. Man, if I hadn't been to Golden Island before this; I'd have had a bit of sticker shock as this was twenty bucks of dim sum.

The siu mai was decent. The pork had been evenly minced, thus achieving a better texture and was also more tender and moist, Good porkiness; the wrapper was still pliable and not hard. Pretty good overall.

The Har Gow was the best of the bunch; no torn wrappers here. The shrimp were plump and tender, with a nice mild sweet-brininess. This was quite good.

The Chiu Chow Dumplings was the worst item; the wrapper too thick, the filling under seasoned.

I actually like a bit more pungency and peanuts in this style of dumpling.

Overall, while the pick up process was really weak, this was much better than Golden Island.

A couple of weeks back; I decided to try the whole drill again…..with the same results. Enter order and pay at 1030; told to pick-up at 1130, arrived, this time at 1115, and still waited almost 30 minutes to pick up my order which had been lying on the shelf since I arrived.

This time I got the Shrimp Siu Mai, the Har Gow again, and the Steamed Scallop and Shrimp Dumplings.

This time one of the wrappers on the Har Gow was ripped….bummer.

Still, these were as good as what I'd had on my previous visit.

The shrimp and pork siu mai was also quite good; moist, fairly tender, nice balance of porkiness and shrimp flavor.

No hard pieces, no grittiness, no muddy flavors. The wrapper was even more tender than with the pork siu mai on my previous visit.

The Steamed Scallop and Shrimp Dumpling was ok.

While the wrapper was a bit on thick side and the dumpling could have used more scallop…..I missed a nice tender-sweet-oceany scallop flavor, the shrimp in this was again quite delicious and prepared well.

So, while the dim sum at Jasmine was, in my opinion, superior to Golden Island, GI definitely had the better service and process. So, I'm not quite sure….maybe it's best for me to wait until this is all over and I can have a proper dim sum meal.

Jasmine
4609 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111
Current Dine In Hours
Mon – Thurs 10am – 3pm
Fri – Sun 10am – 3pm, 5pm – 8pm
Jasmine Express
Daily 1030 – 830pm