mmm-yoso – Page 146 – 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.

Revisits – Village Kitchen and Yummy House

February 7, 2020 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants

Just a couple of revisits for today.

Village Kitchen:

The Missus wanted some Chinese food for dinner and decided that it was time to revisit Village Kitchen for a couple of dishes we enjoyed on previous visits. So, we had pretty much those three dishes in mind during our visit. But the Stinky Tofu Stew wasn't on the menu and we got the Stinky Tofu with Intestine. This was the best dish of the night.

While not being even close to stinky enough for the Missus; it had a decent pungency and the intestines were prepped well, still a bit funky, but with a pleasant chew. For me the chou dofu stinkiness was balanced out by the offal earthiness….or so I told myself. This was actually quite good.

Next up; a dish we really enjoyed previously; the Pork with Dried Cucumber Skin.

On our previous visit, they had made this with La Rou; but it was just tough and dry pork this time around. Other than the chilies, this was pretty bland. For some reason, the usual briney-salty-cleansing flavor I usually associate with dried cucumber skin was not there….it was just too hard as well. There was also a certain greasiness to the dish and it really wasn't pleasant to eat.

And of course, we had to order what we consider to be the signature dish of VK. The Eggplant and Green Chili with Preserved Egg.

This dish was a mere shadow of its former self……hardly any pidan, very little chili….the eggplant was mushy, but lacked smokiness…..no seasoning….greasy….'nuff said.

Along with the lousy service, this was not a very good visit. The place seems popular with younger folks….looking more for quantity over quality it seems. So, four years down the line, has VK settled into that pattern of malaise…. The Missus told me; "well, that's enough for now…….I'm done with this place for a while".

Village Kitchen
4720 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

Yummy House:

With the recent chilly weather….I had the Cold Weather – Possible Frost on the Road Warning Light go on in my car…..I didn't know what it was and had to actually read the manual to find out! I had been wondering how Yummy House was doing. I drove by to check if they were even still open and yes they were. I took a step into the place during lunch and it was deserted.

The same gentleman as on my last visit waited on me….quite nice, but really didn't speak much English. No matter; I knew what I wanted to order.

Starting with the Suan Cai Yang Rou ($12.98).

Not a particularly large portion. The suan cai; fermented cabbage, was very mild so the dish lacked that nice fermented sour flavor. A typical hot pot cut of lamb was used; also really mild in flavor and not particularly gamey. The stir fry job was pretty good however; and the dish was molten hot. I took most of it home and redid the stir fry adding our home made, fermented suan cai, both the thinly sliced cabbage and juice. The Missus scarfed it all up.

I also got the Beef Tendon Pot ($15.98); my favorite dish on previous visits to Yummy House.

This was pretty good; there were some really buttery, soft pieces of tendon. A bit too much tomato and acidity this time around. Still, it was hearty, not overly salty….there's a hint of anise flavor….I think it could use more, but overall a nice dish on a chilly day.

Seeing no other customers during my visit; I'm wondering how this place survives. Maybe they sell a ton of duck during the evening? I should drop by and try a couple of other dishes on the menu……

Yummy House
4633 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111

Mexico City – Dinner at Temporal

February 6, 2020 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, Mexico City, Travel

After a fun, but quite busy day enjoying Mexico City; I thought we'd have a nice dinner fairly close to where we were staying. I'd heard good things about Temporal and the modern, seasonal cuisine that was being served and thought it would be a nice dinner for our last night in CDMX. I made dinner reservations for the fairly early (in Mexico City) time of 7pm. The bar was doing some good business but we were seated in the restaurant upstairs which was quiet.

As we found the norm in CDMX; service was excellent, gracious, efficient, warm……

And of course we started with a Cocktail. I had what is named Suerte de Dragon….the "Lucky Dragon"!

Man, this combo of Mezcal, Celery Salt, Lime, Beer, and some really sneaky chili was so good! Not overly sweet, refreshing, smoky-savory, all the things I like in a cocktail. I had two! The Missus really enjoyed Her Old Fashion with Cardamom.

The bread served was wonderful; especially with the salsa verde which had perfect acidity.

The Marinated Octopus Tacos (160 $MX about $8.50/US) were solid.

We didn't care much for the tortillas which were strangely brittle; the rub used on the adequately tender octopus was excellent, nice smoky-lightly spiced-good acidity. What's up with the avocados in Mexico? They always seem to be perfectly creamy, mildly sweet….. The scallion-onion relish really went well adding a bit of mildly sweet pungency and along with the avocado added some really great textural contrast.

The Gulf Crab Sopes (140 $MX – about $7.50/US) were the highlight of the meal.

The crab cakes were moist, tender, full of sweet-savory-briney crab. The sopes added a nice nutty-maiz to the dish. The "raw green salsa" was a perfect foil as was the creamy-milky goat cheese. Just a wonderful dish from start to finish.

The Roasted Cauliflower (130 $ MX – about $7/US) was interesting.

It had a definite salty-savoriness to it. I later found out it was from the Anchovy Cream.

The Cilantro Soup (140 $MX – about $7.50/US) was very smooth and creamy.

Mildly pungent, sweet garlic tones, and perhaps a bit too much citrus in this for our taste.

The Missus and I shared one main; the Braised Shoulder of Lamb (290 $MX – approx. $15.50/US).

Super tender, deliciously gamey; that "flavor of the pasture" coming thru; nicely seasoned, the jus had a bit of a "kick" to it. The cauliflower puree was nice and creamy.

We had fun watching the street below us during our meal. The weather here in CDMX during our stay (early July) was sunny and warm during the day; with folks going about their business.

Then just like on our first night, the skies would open up, we'd be treated with thunder, lightning, with rain coming down in buckets.

Which lasted about 20 minutes….then all was clear.

We really enjoyed our meal at Temporal; like I mentioned earlier, the service was excellent, the prices reasonable, and the food quite good.

Restaurante Temporal
Saltillo 1, Hipódromo, Cuauhtémoc
06140 CDMX, Mexico

The Croissant Files – Herb & Eatery and Le Parfait de Paris (Liberty Station)

February 5, 2020 mmm-yoso Bakery, Croissants

I should probably call this episode of the Croissant Files, the "Bruddah James" episode, since he is the one who asked/recommended the two places in this post.

Herb & Eatery:

**** Herb & Eatery has closed

Well, James was really eager for me to visit, he even reminded me in my last Croissant Files post. And of course "CC" really enjoyed the croissants here as well. I arrived on a weekend morning, just past 8am and opening time for the opening of the "market/restaurant concept" that is Herb & Eatery.

I really liked the young lady working the counter; so friendly and personable…..when I ordered my "Butter" (aux buerre) Croissant, she smiled and cheerfully told me; "these are still warm, you're going to like them!"

And so, I took my mineral water (I'd get some coffee from Bird Rock and deliver the Missus's croissant after) and my croissant and had a seat.

The pastry was indeed still warm but a bit over-done and crumbly….not flakey, crumbly. Still, there was a decent butter and salt balance, but it could have used a tad more sweetness and a touch of yeastiness. The interior was fragrant, a bit too wet for my liking, but had a decent chew. but this wasn't bad at all.

Not what I'd consider the best; and I won't post that photo of the croissant from Maison Isabelle in Paris again…..but this wasn't too bad.

Herb & Eatery
2210 Kettner Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92101
Hours:
Daily 8am – 8pm

Le Parfait de Paris (Liberty Station):

So, Le Parfait de Paris is another recommendation from James, but his description – "They're gorgeous but a little bland" wasn't exactly the seal of approval. I dropped by the Liberty Station location to try the croissant.

The young lady working was very sweet…..and of course I got the croissant, which I took outside and enjoyed how quiet Liberty Station was at 8am on a Sunday.

The actual croissant looked quite generic in a way…..sort of what you'd think a croissant would be; if you've never seen one that had that wonderful glistening sheen.

So this, while not being priced at four bucks (it was $3.25) like H&E's croissant (which would be highway robbery in Paris), looked decent, but was very dry…..and was quite dry, and totally lacking in butter flavor….plus, not enough sweet, a bit too much salt. The exterior texture was nice and flaky; but like I said, it was much too dry.

Too bad.

Le Parfait Paris (Liberty Public Market)
2820 Historic Decatur Road
San Diego, CA 92106
Hours:
Sun – Thurs 8am – 9pm
Fri – Sat 8am – 10pm

And so, we have the "Bruddah James" edition of the Croissant Files.

Thanks for stopping by!

Circling Back to Sushi Tadokoro

February 3, 2020 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi

On a recent weekend, while grabbing an Americano, I heard someone call out my name, "Kirk-san, Kirk-san, how are you?" My goodness, it was Take-san from Sushi Tadokoro! We stopped and chatted…and I realized, it had been a while since we'd visited. Like over four years! Oh my…..how time flies and all that. I needed to correct that situation ASAP. So we headed back down to Tadokoro.

Sitting in front of Take-san was a treat. It was the usual for us; make sure the Missus gets Her Ankimo, and nigiri (and sake) until we say "no mas".

Things started out with three wonderful dishes.

From right to left; a perfectly fried, meaty Shishamo (smelt) wrapped in shiso which added that nice herbaceous almost mint life flavor, the crisp tempura batter adding texture, the wonderful reduction contributing a nice acidity and a mild spice to really balance things out. In the middle was what I thought perhaps might be goma tofu; but I was told it was "Yuba"…..it was so smooth and creamy, amazingly beany.

And of course, the Missus's favorite, the savory-oceany Ankimo, still as good as ever.

Take-san served us items with his tare or seasoned in a way that we didn't need that bottle of soy or wasabi.

A good example was the amazingly tender Hirame (halibut), treated with a nice balanced tare.

Really enhancing the mild sweetness of the shiromi (whitefish).

The Aji (Spanish Mackerel) was amazing in texture, tender and meaty, unlike the usual chewy Aji.

This was prepped perfectly, the mild savory tones enhanced by a touch of ginger and scallion. Still, that texture was quite surprising. Take-san told me this Aji was line caught "Ougon Aji", which makes a lot of difference.

The tare really brought out the richness of the Iwashi (sardine) and the acidity really balanced out the oily-richness of the fish.

So meaty and savory…..

The Missus is not a fan of Saba….but in this case, Take-san told me he doesn't over-cure his Mackerel and there seems to be a nice balance achieved.

Meaty-moist, slightly rich, not overly salty, not overly fishy-oily. That thin slice of seaweed really did wonders for flavor….Take-san told me that there are only two women he knows of that still make this.

The Maguro-zuke is a standard for us here. Though this time he added yuzi kosho, for a nice, mild, spicy-citrus hit.

Next up was a surprise.

At first glance, I didn't know what it was. Take-san told me he had a surplus of Kinmedai (Golden Eye Snapper), so he simmered it with bones and all in a typical soy based sauce until the fat-bone-connective tissue gave off all the flavor and gelatin. This was so savory….it had the Missus wishing for rice!

We love Hokkaido Uni, to us, even though it's smaller, the uni in Hokkaido is sweeter and wonderfully briny.

This was no exception.

By this time, the Missus and I had thrown in the towel….we were perfectly satisfied. But Take-san asked if he could make one more item for us. He brought out a package of nori and made us an Ikura Hand Roll……the amazing thing about this wasn't the ikura, nor the perfectly seasoned rice, but the nori. It was crisp, like it had been toasted, there was a smokiness to it.

During his last trip back to Japan, he decided to taste as many different nori from the Sea of Ariake, an area known for having the best seaweed in Japan. This is the one he brought back with him. It was a wonderful end to a fabulous meal.

It had me wondering…since it had been several years since we last visited. While Tadokoro still deals with tons of sushi rolls and such; it seems that Take-san has stepped up his game. Or is it just me?

As we walked out of Tadokoro the Missus told me; "this has me really missing Japan." I guess I know where we're going later on this year!

Sushi Tadokoro
2244 San Diego Ave
San Diego, CA 92110

Like I said before:

Go early for best selection and a more relaxed pace and atmosphere. Even better, make reservations and go early.

Mexico City – Centro Histórico and Cafe de Tacuba

February 2, 2020 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, Mexico City, Travel

After taking in the wonderful view from Don Porfirio Caffe from the 8th Floor of Sears, we headed to where Avenida Juárez becomes pedestrian only Avenida Francisco I. Madero. There's quite a bit to see here; along with crowds to match. We stopped by the Convent of San Francisco to take a peek…..

This church with a very ornate façade, resides down a sunken courtyard and is all that remains of what was once a large complex that covered 8 acres in the area. This was part of what was the headquarters of the "12 Apostles of Mexico" who were tasked with converting the residents of New Spain to Christianity. The complex was built on the site of Moctezuma II’s Zoo. Yes, he had zoo!

The altars are quite ornate and quite stunning.

On the way to the Zócalo, the Missus wanted to stop at Dulcería de Celaya a famous sweet shop which was established in 1874. Man, this place was quite popular. The Missus bought a box of various confections to bring back to the US. In what was a fairly humorous moment, the box was opened at the airport in Mexico City by one of the security personnel and each piece was brought out and the guy actually sniffed it! He kept saying "no bueno….no bueno!!" Until one of the senior officers came by and told him to put it all back in the box!

After we arrived home, the Missus tasted the sweets and really didn't care for them…..so I kidded Her by saying "no bueno….no bueno!"

Dulcería de Celaya
Avenida Cinco de Mayo 39
06000 Ciudad de México
Mexico City

A few blocks down was the Zócalo (Plaza de la Constitución), the city's main square. In fact, this area has been the heart of the city since the time of the Aztecs.

The impressive Cathedral lines the north side of the square.

We had fully intended on exploring the area around the square and Centro Historical.

But came across an very popular and colorful exhibition….which seemed more like a festival dedicated to Frida Kahlo.

This celebration was called The Colors of Frida and it was indeed quite colorful. It was held to celebrate the famous artist's 112th birthday. And we lucked out to have been able to see this.

The most powerful scene is that of Frida dressed in colorful attire lying in bed. Having contracted polio at the age of six, she spent 9 months in bed. In 1925 she was in a terrible accident; she was "impailed by a steel handrail through the hip" and also fracture three vertebrae. It was during this time that Frida stared painting. she would have health problems for the rest of her life. In 1953 Frida had her first solo exhibition in Mexico City, but was in bad health. She famously attended the ceremony lying in a bed set-up for her in the gallery.

There were of course, the Conchero Dancers performing.

And those having Limpias (spiritual cleansing) performed on them.

It's also a great place to people, and pooch watch as well.

Nearby is the Museo de Templo Mayor, which was the temple of the people who inhabited Tenochtitlan. The ruins were quite stunning; though we were in need of a break by this time….we'll visit the next time we're in the area.

Plus, it was starting to get even more crowded.

We did decide to duck into the Cathedral Metropolitana for a quick look.

The Missus and I found the Pendulum inside the Cathedral quite fascinating.

Apparently it is in place to check on seismic movement.

The Missus and I needed a break and something light and small to eat. I'd read about a restaurant that had quite a history named Café de Tacuba.

Opened in 1912; this wonderful slice of history not only feeds the body; but the charming layout and décor feeds the soul as well.

Not feeling especially hungry; the Missus and I got our caffeine fix and ordered the Nopales….something which the Missus could not get enough of it seems….

The chips were crisp, the nopales decent, but nothing special, the avocado….like all we had in CDMX was creamy and wonderful. The staff was professional and accommodating. And the décor was wonderful. This was a nice little break for us.

Café de Tacuba
Calle de Tacuba 28
06010 Ciudad de México
Mexico City

We walked up Calle de Tacuba past the Museo Nacional de Arte (the National Art Museum).

That statue in front of the structure is of Charles IV of Spain by Manuel Tolsá; a Spanish born Sculptor and Architect.

Who is much revered for the prodigious amount of work he contributed to New Spain. In fact, the square the statue is on is named after him.

This eye catching garden is named the Garden of the Triple Alliance.

So, we could have kept on going….there is so much to see here if you desire.

For us; well, we'd done quite a bit of walking already on this day. We decided to Uber it back to our B&B and rest up for dinner……

Which turned out to be pretty good….that's coming up!

Thanks for stopping by!

Bonchon Revisited

January 30, 2020 mmm-yoso Chicken Wings, Korean Restaurants

Man, has it already been over a year since I did my post on Bonchon? Time sure does fly. I'm always curious how a place is doing after all the hype has worn down……plus, I was wanting some wings; so I decided to head on back to Bonchon.

And while the parking lot was a total mess…..folks often take up two parking stalls here; Bonchon itself was quite empty at 1130am; on a Wednesday.

They now have lunch specials……

I went with the Half & Half; Soy Garlic and Spicy, with the Pickled Radish as my side ($10.95)….I chuckled at the calorie count….which version of this meal would have just 640 calories???

The wings stayed nice and crisp through my entire meal; though the drumettes seemed a bit more ponderous than before. The chicken was nicely twice fried, crisp, moist, no off colors….decent QC there. Not as evenly coated as when the place was in soft/grand opening mode. I always think the Soy Garlic is going to be much too sweet, but these weren't bad. The Spicy isn't very spicy to me….more savory-beany. And as always, I enjoy gnawing on the wing tips….though I know folks complain about that.

The pickled radish was a bit too sweet, not pickled enough, and kind of mushy in texture.

Overall though, Bonchon is pretty much holding the course and I prefer it to other options in the greater San Diego area. Heck, even though these weren't perfect; I enjoyed them more than some of the "KFC" we had in Seoul. And while I think most folks want to see the "latest, hippest, and most shiniest", I think it's good to do revisit posts. It's always good to see how a place is doing.

Bonchon
4690 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Lunch Revisits – Wa Dining Okan

January 29, 2020 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants

A while back I noticed that Okan Diner stopped serving lunch and went more the route of Yakitori and such. Based on my visits, no big loss. At the same time I noticed that the lunch menu at Wa Dining Okan added dishes that Okan Diner used to serve….which kinda got me worried. After returning from our trip to Israel-Jordan-France, I had a rather hectic day and thought it was time for a lunch revisit since it had been a while.

I got in right at 1130 when the place opened. I also noticed that folks were waiting for Okan to open. A good sign I guess. Since the menu had changed a bit, I decided to try one of the "Okan Diner" dishes; the Katsuni, which was actually cheaper ($11) than what the price used to be at Okan Diner. It was also quite a bit more food.

The side dishes were really bland; the sweet potatoes ice cold and dry….and of course, I find seaweed salad a sad sign; basically the easy way out…premade stuff.

The rice was perfect; fluffy, hot, and the portion quite large.

That tonkatsu was terrible; the panko was burnt in several places, the pork dry and tough. The egg was overly sweet with too much liquid.

The miso soup was quite good; perhaps a bit too much seaweed, but not bad overall.

But miso soup and rice does not make this a good meal. It was strangely mediocre. What was going on here? After returning from San Francisco, on the way back to the office between meetings I stopped by and order my "usual" lunch here; the Tori Nanban ($11).

The miso soup was again quite tasty and not watered down. The sides….well, at least the tamago was decent. The rice wasn't hot enough on this visit, but that's splitting hairs I guess.

The usual, almost lacquer batter on the chicken was too soft and almost mushy. The tartar sauce this time around lacked balance and the mayo to vinegar ratio was off….too much mayo. Like the tonkatsu on the previous visit; there seems to be a real temperature issue with what's being fried here.

Kinda sad especially since I've been a customer since they opened over eleven years ago. These two meals had me wondering how Okan was doing for dinner these days. The Missus really hasn't been keen on having dinner at Okan over the last couple of years. Another interesting tidbit; while there were many Asian customers on my two lunch visits; none of them (except me) seemed to be Japanese….lots of Mandarin speakers though. Looks like I've crossed Okan off my lunch list for a while.

Wa Dining Okan
3860 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Tumeric Thai Kitchen

January 27, 2020 mmm-yoso Thai Restaurants

A few months back I was at my favorite watering hole chatting about…..well, food of course, when I was told of a place that made "good papaya salad and pad see ew". I thought I'd definitely know or know of the place being referenced, but was quite surprised when the name "Tumeric Thai" was mentioned. And even a bit more surprised when I was told the restaurant was located on Mount Soledad! Of course I immediately did a search when I got home….and was fascinated enough to head on over the first chance I got.

I drove out and up Mount Soledad….from where PB becomes La Jolla. And right before the gated community of Windemere La Jolla is a small strip mall.

And there you'll find a discreet sign that says Tumeric Thai Kitchen. I walked down the hallway and noticed a restaurant dining room to my right and a nice, bright al fresco area, where a group of Thai folks were having a good old time.

I was told to sit wherever I wanted to….I didn't want to take up too much space so I chose the corner two-top….which remained my table on all three visits.

When it came time to order; I decided on just getting the Pad See Ew with Beef ($13). I'll often order Pad See Ew when trying to see how a kitchen stir-fries. There are few ingredients, you have to know how to use them judiciously; it's easy to over-cook and you still want that "breath of the wok" to add the smokiness and caramelization.

This was an interesting mixed bag. The stir fry was done well; the noodles still firm, with some "wok hay" going on. I didn't care for the fact that the noodles all seemed to chopped/torn into little pieces. Good soy and sugar balance….strangely, this was spicy……I ordered Pad See Ew not Pad Kee Mao.

The gailan was nicely cooked, not too raw, not soft and mushy.

The slices of beef were rather large and ponderous and were pretty tough.

The service was friendly and the of course it warranted another visit. This time I ordered the "good" papaya salad (spicy) and the Thai Beef Jerky ($8), which was my favorite of the two dishes.

Decent toothsomeness, perhaps a bit on the salty side, but that's kind of to be expected. Not a fan of that sauce; too much lime, not spicy enough. Still, not bad…I've had worse.

The Papaya Salad ($9) was definitely "Ameri-Thai".

While nice and crisp, this lacked spice, was too sour, lacking in savory tones, and was just kinda wimpy as a whole. The tomatoes lacked ripeness, the green beans too hard and raw. Just kind of weak overall.

But you know me…..I decided to visit one more time. so I headed back to Tumeric Thai.

And being quite hungry, ordered two items……

Starting with the Chicken Wings ($7), which were some fairly hefty wings.

Served hot and moist; though for some reason, kind of mild in flavor….there's some garlic and what I believe is lemongrass. Initially fairly crisp, the wings got soft fairly quickly and are a bit on the greasy side….so if you get these, eat them right away. Not a fan of the afore mentioned chili lime sauce; nor the overly sweet chili sauce.

I also ordered the Crying Tiger ($15) medium……what arrived was a bit beyond that.

Not sure if it was done intentionally, but all none of pieces were sliced all the way through….so you'd pick up a piece and end up with two other pieces attached. The meat lacked a good char and there was a bit of meat scum as well. It was also really salty; lacking in any sweetness…..the meat also had a slight metallic taste that I'm not fond of. I'd have appreciated a really nice jaew to help cut through the saltiness, but it was that chili-lime sauce that I'm not a fan of. I'm used to having this dish being a bit on the chewy side so that didn't bother me at all.

That sticky rice was done perfectly….too bad the Crying Tiger wasn't to my taste.

So, what to say about Tumeric Thai? It's not overly Americanized, though it seems that your mileage may vary. It's not a bad option if you're visiting the Mount Soledad Veteran's Memorial. I was told that this is the only real restaurant on Mount Soledad. Prices are reasonable, the folks working were quite nice.

Turmeric Thai Kitchen
6435 Caminito Blythefield
La Jolla, CA 92037
Hours:
Tues – Fri 11am – 2pm, 4pm – 9pm
Sat 12pm – 9pm
Sun 4pm – 9pm
Closed on Monday

Noodling Around City Heights – 777 Noodle House

January 26, 2020 mmm-yoso Vietnamese Restaurants

It was 730am….Sunday. I was getting hungry and wanted some noodles…..it seemed the perfect time to head to my next stop on my "Noodling Around City Heights" tour. Since the next stop on University would be 777 Noodle House. Man, hard to believe the place has been open nearly 10 years now. I arrived a tad after 8am and was surprised to see several tables already occupied.

And the one woman who works here always remembers me; even though I don't drop by quite as often these days. She smiled and told me "Happy New Year" as I sat and was handed the menu. And while I do on occasion order different items…..well, this is a "Noodling Around" post; so I stuck with my usual, the Hu Tieu Nam Vang ("Phnom Penh Noodles") Kho ("Dry"). I know; I did a comparison post just a few months back. Still, I was quite interested in how the Hu Tieu Nam Vang was going to be; while it was pretty good on my last two visits, I'd had a not so great version there several visits back.

Glad to say that this was closer to the last two positive visits.

While the noodles were a tad over-cooked this time around; it had more sauce on it than usual; which was a good thing. The blanched bean sprouts are always appreciated. The broth with the hunk of pork in it wasn't too salty and the pork was adequately tender. Loved the minced, fried garlic which wasn't overly bitter. This bowl still has the cheapest, most rustic ingredients…….though it's nice to finish by pouring what's left of the broth into the bowl and scarfing it up. Plus, this is still $7.50……pretty much a bargain these days.

777 Noodle House
4686 University Avenue
San Diego, CA 92105

San Francisco – China Live Revisited and the Chinese New Year Flower Market Fair

January 25, 2020 mmm-yoso Chinese BBQ, Chinese Restaurants, Festivals & Events, San Francisco and Silicon Valley, Travel

The Missus and I decided to take a short trip during the long weekend. The Missus had really enjoyed our last trip to San Francisco; so we decided to head back for two nights.

Our flight over was quite pleasant; except for the arrogant and condescending young man who marched back and forth at the TSA security check-point telling people, "you can get it right…any idiot can do it…..it's not hard!" I understand that perhaps working for the TSA is not a pleasant job; but there's no need to be insulting….it's always the one that brings down the other ninety-nine. As my experience with the TSA has been that folks are at least somewhat professional. Or perhaps by "any idiot can do it" he meant himself? I heard the guy behind me mumble to his companion, "he's definitely a candidate for a colonoscopy without anesthesia".

We arrived fairly early; our room at the Marriott wasn't ready yet which wasn't a problem. We needed a place for a rather "early-ish" lunch….the Missus had really enjoyed the duck from China Live….yes, it was pricey, but we were on vacation, right?

Since Chinatown was basically right up the street, and China Live opens at 1030 we headed up Stockton. We quickly found that there were booths lining the usually busy sidewalks making things even more crowded with folks shopping and browsing.

We eventually got up to Broadway and China Live had just opened.

And in spite of the crowds and lines outside (the line at Good Mongkok went down and around the block!!!!), the place was empty.

We were tempted, and should have just had tea and the duck and called it a nice snack and head off….but we felt kinda guilty for just ordering the duck (albiet it being $27 – it had gone up a buck since September). We also didn't really enjoy anything else on our last visit. We just went ahead and ordered the Suckling Pig.

The Suckling Pig looked pretty nice…..

And it was decent; not the best I've had, but the meat was moist, the skin was a bit too thick and hard instead of crisp. It also lacked a good porkiness. So, not too bad, until you factor in the price….$34! That's over four bucks a wafer thin slice! I wouldn't complain if this was excellent; but it was not.

We did enjoy the duck ($27)

Which, like the last time didn't look particularly inspiring, but had a nice, thin, crisp skin….the subcutaneous fat perfectly rendered. Nice mild gaminess…moist meat. Like the last time; the "sesame buns" were dry and were just used for scallion-cucumber-hoisin sandwiches for us.

Looking at dishes on other tables….well, the rice and noodle dishes looked pretty mediocre. The total damage with tea was over seventy bucks……as we left the Missus told me, "I think we're done here…." I concurred….we'll try to find the best roast duck next time and just eat it in Portsmouth Square or something.

China Live
644 Broadway
San Francisco, CA 94133

We headed down Broadway and took a turn at Grant and oh my……the horde….the mass….the huge crowd.

But the Missus, who is usually not fond of crowds (neither am I), just smiled and headed off.

Grant was closed off….there were booths lining the street. I came to find out this was the Chinese New Year Flower Market Fair, which happens on the weekend before the Lunar New Year and everyone and their brother seemed to be checking it out.

To be perfectly honest; even I enjoyed myself.

The Missus found herself checking out many of the booths. "You know there's a problem with this, right?" She said. Not quite following Her logic I asked "Why?" She cracked up and said "No samples!"

Regardless, the Missus really had a fun time, She told me a few times, "this really reminds me of growing up in China!"

People watching was fun….checking out the folks in costume. I sent the photo to the right to my coworker "YZ" who is from Shanghai and she quickly pointed out to me that the fella' wasn't totally in character; "if he was really dedicated….he wouldn't be wearing Nike's!" You gotta love it!

Did I mention the crowds?

It was fun watching the kids having a good time with all the various characters. Call me out of touch but I wonder what the character "Fragrance" represents? And fragrance of what? Remember, this is Chinatown! The fragrance of roast duck…pork….fish, herbs, steamed buns, and other more "earthy" smells permeate the air. And that character looks like an egg?

I'd go crazy facing crowds like this everyday. But for one fine sunny morning in San Francisco, it was just perfect!

Happy Lunar New Year!