mmm-yoso – Page 165 – 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.

La Catrina Tapas & Cantina

July 24, 2019 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Seafood, Taco Shops

**** La Catrina has closed

La Catrina has been somewhat of an enigma for us. I first noticed this shop on the corner of University and Herman, in the former location of Tostada's while walking around the area when the Missus was getting Her hair done one day.

A few days later we dropped by for dinner and really enjoyed the tacos……

And the Missus loved the salsas as well; especially the version with chili de arbol and nuts. It was spicy and complex, really heightening the experience.

So, I was thinking we'd do a couple of more visits, then I'd do a post…..except, the menu kept changing, the Rib Eye and Bone Marrow tacos we'd enjoyed changed…..

Then the rock shrimp tacos; which were delicious on a previous visit, were suddenly not fried on one visit…..

On the next visit the shrimp were nicely battered and fried, but now came with fries…..

And then, to top things off, we went twice during hours posted on the place's website; only to find them closed. Sigh…..

So, after three actual visits and two aborted visits, I basically called it quits.

Until we recently got back from Mexico City. The Missus really wanted some tacos….actually She missed the great salsas we had. So, after checking out the hours on La Catrina's website, we returned. And so far so good.

There was one dish we've had at La Catrina on every visit. It's the Carnitas and Octopus Cazuela; a shareable portion of porky, rich carnitas, and nicely prepped octopus.

The flour tortillas served is a bit inconsistent at times; but when you get it slightly charred it just brings the flavors up to another level. I never thought the combination of carnitas and pulpo would work, it does in this case as the octopus adds a very nie texture. And yes, the Missus loves the salsas….

When things are right; there's a wonderful combination of textures, along with the richness of the pork, the acidity and slight pungency of the onions and pico de gallo, all brought together by the charred flour tortilla and picante salsas. And while it's not always been perfect, it's never been bad.

What we also did on our two recent visits is get whatever Happy Hour or special is going on.

There's usually the Rock Shrimp Tacos.

Which were 2 for $7 during our most recent visits. And the last time we had them; the layer of queso on the tortilla had been wonderfully griddled, forming the perfect, crisp, nutty-milky shield for the tortilla. The shrimp were crunchy, moist, and quite well, but not overly seasoned.

This last time the Fish Tacos were 3 for $8.

The Missus loved these. The fish was perfectly fried, crunchy exterior, the flesh moist, with a mild sweetness. It went well with the smooth and creamy guacamole and of course the salsas.

On our previous visit the Rib Eye Tacos were 2 for $7. While the portion of meat was quite generous, we didn't for these very much.

The meat was tender, but hadn't been seared properly and lacked color and the flavor a nice caramelization brings to meat. It was moist, but also seemed on the greasy side and hadn't been seasoned enough for our taste. The queso had not been griddled enough so it was soft and didn't protect the tortilla from all that juice and grease; causing the taco to lose its integrity and fall to pieces. Maybe you'll have better luck with this one.

Something we tried twice but didn't have much luck with at La Catrina is the Ceviche.

Both times we tried this; the fish had been chopped into fairly small pieces and had been overly "cooked" in the lime juice making it mushy. Also, we found the ceviche to be way to sour and salty both times. We haven't tried it on recent visits, so maybe……or maybe not.

We really enjoyed our last two visits to La Catrina; it seems we've found what works for us and what we enjoy. The staff here has always been friendly, welcoming, and quite nice. I'm hoping that all the inconsistencies we ran into are over. I'm also hoping the place survives. Perhaps it's because we eat at a rather early hour; but we've rarely seen more than one or two other tables filled during our visit. There's so much potential here.

La Catrina Tapas & Cantina
3139 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92104
Hours (as of this past week):
Tues – Thurs 4pm – 10pm
Fri – Sat Noon – 1am
Sunday Noon – 9pm
Closed on Monday

Reims – The Significance of 10 Rue President Franklin Roosevelt, Cimetière du Nord, and Dinner at Anna-S – La Table Amoureuse

July 23, 2019 mmm-yoso Champagne Region, France, France, French Restaurants, Travel

After having a nice drive around Champagne, we returned to Reims and dropped the rental car off at Gare de Reims. We took a roundabout way back to the hotel, mainly because there was once place I wanted see. Around the back of the train station is a street named Rue President Franklin Roosevelt. There is a red brick building that still functions as a schoolhouse to this day. You'll see the flags of the UK, US, France, and the Soviet Union flying out front.

Walk up to the doorway and you'll see this sign…..

The top sign basically says: “It is here that on 7 May 1945, was signed the act that ended the Second World War in Europe.” Yes, this is the spot where Germany surrendered. You can read Ralph Morse's first hand account here. This street was renamed for Franklin Roosevelt as was the school it houses which still operates.

Nearby is the War Memorial of Reims (Monument aux Morts de Reims).

And right across the way is the Cimetière du Nord, which had a quite haunting look to us as we walked through it.

From here we walked past some of the more important locales in the city like Place Royale…..

There was quite a bit of road and other work going on so I didn't take many photos.

And the sun seemed to set quite rapidly……

We returned to the hotel, freshened up, changed, and headed off to dinner. I'd made reservations at a contemporary bistro named Anna-S – La Table Amoureuse, which seemed quite low-keyed, had an interesting menu, and seemed just right for this evening.

Of course things started off some Champagne.

We weren't very hungry, so we decided to share an appetizer, the Missus ordered another appetizer as Her main and I got one of the entrees, to share with Her of course.

The service was wonderful and accommodating.

We started with, well, the Foie Gras of course, two ways, the terrine was wonderful, rich and creamy, the fig compote and the brioche proved to be a wonderful foil for the richness.

The Missus ordered the Noix de Petoncles dans son Mini Potirron.

Basically, sautéed scallops served in a pumpkin. The scallops were very sweet and tender, I was a bit leery about the fennel sauce, but the strong anise flavor had been decently tempered and the acidity lifted the dish as did the rather sweet flesh of the pumpkin.

I ordered the Magret de Canard, the Duck Breast.

I was concerned when this arrived as the duck seemed to be cooked a bit past where I prefer, but it was very tender, slightly gamey, the jus had a nice balance of richness, sweetness, and acidity. We both really loved the potato galette.

The dessert was a game-changer for the Missus. It was a cheese course. Over time we've really forgotten what we chose; but we won't forget this specific cheese course.

First off, all the cheese on the cart, which was sliced tableside were at the perfect serving temperature….the flavors were amazing. Second, the Missus had always avoided having the sweet compote with the cheese; but since this was served at room temperature, all the wonderful complex flavors came through and the compote just helped to elevate things. So thank you AnnaS, for setting the Missus off on the interesting "cheese ride" we're on.

The service was fantastic, professional, polished, but not stuffy. This was a very nice meal and we'd gladly eat here again!

Anna-S – La Table Amoureuse
6 Rue Gambetta
51100 Reims, France

Like the previous evening, we took a pleasant little stroll after dinner, in the peace and quiet of Reims.

Thanks for stopping by!

Little Sakana (Mira Mesa)(lunch)

July 22, 2019 Cathy Japanese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a blog about food. Cathy is writing today while Kirk is at work on some important projects.

We've been in this Mira Mesa neighborhood a lot lately, either meeting someone at the Starbucks or dropping into Hong Kong BBQ or R&B Filipino Cuisine. I had noticed Little Sakana while meeting clients at the 'new' Crab Hut (post to come) and finally had a few chances to drop in for lunch.
We have tried to arrive near opening (11:30) to avoid crowds.
One visit, we shared a cucumber salad appetizer ($6). Lightly dressed with rice vinegar and sesame oil and interspersed with krab, this is quite large and refreshing.
The seven piece Assorted Tempura ($8) was a great way to 'test' the frying technique here. Two shrimp and five different vegetable pieces (onion, squash, carrot, sweet potato and broccoli) were each crispy, not oily and went perfectly with the tempura dipping sauce. The 12 piece fried calamari appetizer ($7) was filling and also properly fried. The breading was crunchy, squid pieces fat and juicy and the Sriracha based dipping sauce was not overpowering.
The Shrimp Yakisoba lunch ($12) came with a choice of soup or salad and three beef potstickers. Plump shrimp, plenty of fresh vegetables (red and green bell pepper, onion, broccoli and cabbage) and not much in the way of yakisoba noodles (which were so very good). The Chicken Katsu Curry such special ($13) was also very fresh. This time, with miso soup and the same pot stickers (nice thin dumpling skin and quite a lot of filling). The katsu fry was, again, proper-light, crispy, non-oily, leaving the chicken moist. The curry sauce with the beef, potatoes, carrots and onions had a bit of sweetness and rich flavor that I crave on chilly days.
The Assorted Sashimi Salad ($15) could easily be shared. This photo doesn't do it justice. The lettuces are mixed and lightly coated with the sesame based dressing. The fish includes raw tuna, seared tuna, hamachi, salmon and shrimp. The salad is topped with a seaweed salad. The large quantity of fish is interspersed throughout the lettuce. Will order again.

All in all, a very nice, large restaurant serving really good lunch specials and appetizers. There are all sorts of weekday specials noted at the front door and apparently the sushi rolls and alcoholic beverages are a draw for most people (I really don't research places until writing a post; we drop in). There is also an 'All You Can Eat' option for both lunch and dinner. A more or less 'traditional' menu which we will try again.

Little Sakana 8270 Mira Mesa Blvd, Ste E. San Diego 92126 (858) 860-5000 Open Sun-Th 11:30-10, Fri 11:30-11. Sat 11:30-10:30 Website

Sunday Sandwiches – Waters Fine Foods

July 21, 2019 mmm-yoso Sandwiches

**** Waters Fine Foods has closed

The weekend after we got back from CDMX, I had to drop off lunch for the Missus. After picking up my dry cleaning, I was driving home on Morena Boulevard and for some reason Waters Fine Foods came to mind. Sheesh, the last time we'd had anything from Waters was back in the early 2000's at the original location on West Morena which I believe is now their catering location. The Missus and I really didn't care for the sandwiches we had on that visit and we kind of just filed it away.

Waters moved their café to the strip all next to JV's Mexican Food. So, now a good 16-17 years after that visit….well, it was time to check out Waters again.

The interior is set-up sort of like a café-deli-coffee shop…..it's a bit confusing as you order not at the register, but at the counter, pay, and either have a seat or cool your heels.

Though the employees are quite pleasant.

I ordered the Smoked turkey Panini ($10) which seemed a bit "light" as I carried it home. So when I opened it….

Having just returned from Mexico City, mind automatically did the mental calculation…..man, this was 200 $MXN. Still, like I've said about Banh Mi; it's all about proportion. So, there's was barely a sliver of smoked turkey; which would not have been bad if I could actually taste the turkey, which by the way, wasn't evenly spread through the sandwich. There was just way too much pesto in comparison to the meat, few strings of roasted red pepper, and cheese. I enjoy pesto and this version was quite "pine nut" forward if you know what I mean. But that was all there was, pesto and arugula, usually two of my favorite things just overwhelmed everything. Including the nicely crusty bread.

Again, I don't mind having a "Manini panini" mind you; but in a case of a sandwich like that balance and proportion is quite important.

So, this past weekend I decided to head on back. Folks that know me understand that when it comes to places in San Diego, I usually don't let things go after a single visit, and if I do, it's because we thought the meal wasn't very good and the additional investment really wasn't worth it (i.e. Trust, Pardon My French, Juniper & Ivy, etc…). Or the meal was so terrible that I'm not willing to go myself and I can't talk the Missus into returning (Officine Buona Forchetta comes to mind). Or perhaps I've dropped the ball and my last visit was way too long ago and I'll have to start the "meter" running all over again to do a post (Hachi Ramen), or worse of all, I suffer some particular "ailment"…..

But Waters is a café and in my 'hood, so no excuses, right?

Same really nice group of folks working.

This time I went with the Roast Beef ($9.25). And while not being particularly hefty, I enjoyed this sandwich much more.

I used the dinner fork to provide a bit of "scale" for the sandwich. While the baguette was a bit on the "dry" side; the roast beef was moist, tender, and best of all, I could taste it as the horseradish sauce and aioli were used with a nice restrained hand and complemented the meat. Nice crunch from the lettuce, I wish there were more crunchy onions as it would have added even more crispness and a sweet-pungency to this. The tomato added a slight acidity, but would have been had it been more ripe.

Not bad at all.

I'm glad I returned for that second visit. And while I saw some folks eating a pretty good looking salad; I'm not sure I'll return to Waters….at least for a while. It's not quite my style.

Oh and to that couple who were discussing and dissing all the customers in the place; from the colors and skirts the women were wearing to the tattoos on one of the customers…..try not to talk so loud as I and the guy sitting at the end of the table could hear everything you said. From the guy who you (the woman) said there were "too many of their kind in the neighborhood these days."

Waters Fine Foods
1122 Morena Blvd
San Diego, CA 92110
Hours:
Mon – Fri 11am – 7pm
Sat 11am – 4pm

Champagne – Driving to Bouzy and Epernay, Lunch at Café le Progrès

July 20, 2019 mmm-yoso Bakery, Champagne Region, France, Croissants, France, French Restaurants, Travel

While the Missus was enjoying our stay in Reims, She was already itching to do some additional exploring the following morning. Even though we had a private tour of the area the next day (so I could actually sample some champagne), She convinced me to rent a car to do some impromptu exploring.

But first, we decided to walk around a bit, and grab some breakfast. I also wanted to find the location of the restaurant we had reservations for that evening. So we headed down Rue Chanzy and almost right next to AnnaS our dinner destination was a bakery named Le Four à Bois. And the Missus was really excited to see that in addition to our typical Croissant au Buerre, they sold gougeres!

So we got a croissant and a half dozen gougeres. The gougeres were too bready and dense, not light and airy like we enjoy them. The flavor was decent though.

The croissant was a bit too chewy, didn't have enough butteriness, and wasn't flakey enough for our taste.

Le Four à Bois
100 Rue Chanzy
51100 Reims, France

From here we walked across town to the train station and found that Enterprise Rent-A-Car had a nice compact available, which we rented for the day.

And so we headed off through the beautiful countryside.

We stopped at few towns on the way and eventually stopped and walked around the most appropriately named Bouzy. Where we stopped and stretched our legs a bit.

There were a few Champagne houses along the way, but I think many of them are by appointment only. And since I was driving anyway, we thought we'd just wander around a bit.

From Bouzy it was Bisseuil, Ay, and another wonderfully named town, Dizy, before we made our way to the city that is home to what is considered to be the "real" capital of Champange, Epernay. We decided to park at the southern side of town and walk in.

Basically across the street we passed a really nice looking church…

Turns out that this is the chapel of the Auban-Moet Hospital…….if you recognize the name; it's "that" Moet. Apparently, one of the conditions of financing the hospital was that a Catholic chapel would have to be built. Another being that the care was to be provided by Nuns.

We enjoyed the walk into town….the houses were wonderful; each different and original.

As we got to the first major roundabout before getting to the heart of the city we came across this very distinctive structure.

This is the Chateau de la Lune ("House of the Moon"), built in the Art Nouveau style, designed by Architect Henri Clouet.

Near the center of town is the Portail Saint-Martin which dates back to 1540 and is all that remains of the Abbey of Saint Martin.

We did a bit of window shopping, but since we'd be coming back the next day, decided to not visit Avenue de Champagne, where all the Champagne Houses are located.

After doing a bit of shopping we decided to stop for lunch. We just wanted something easy and not fancy and this place seemed to fit the bill.

We enjoyed the al fresco sitting arrangement; Le Progres is what I'd basically describe as a "diner". We just wanted something simple and got the charcuterie and an order of frites.

The baguette was pretty good, crusty and yeasty. The Pate de Campagne was pretty good; the rest rather routine, but really, not bad for the price.

The Missus enjoyed the frites which were nicely fried, crisp on the outside, moist and light inside.

And pretty much what we wanted….

Café le Progrès
5 Place de la République
51200 Épernay, France

What was kind of interesting about this place was that it is located on Place de la Republique, which is the roundabout that I would consider to be the center of the city is.

After resting for a bit, we headed back to the car. We took a different route back. This one along Avenue Paul Chandon. Which we really enjoyed.

The street ended at Église Saint-Pierre-Saint-Paul…..

A soon enough we were back at the car. It was time to head back to Reims……

We'd had a fun, yet relaxing time exploring Champagne on our own.

Thanks for stopping by!

Poke Etc Revisited

July 19, 2019 mmm-yoso Hawaiian Food, Local Kine Stuffs in San Diego, Plate Lunch, Poke

OK, so no more poke at Zarlitos, huh? I was in National City; so I decided to revisit Poke Etc to see what was up. There's been some adjustment to the menu; but I decided to grab some lunch. I also got Calvin the Haupia mix his Missus likes so much.

I got the Lau Lau Combo.

Which was ok for "mainland Lau Lau"….that would be; too lean, no salted butterfish. But man, I do miss the smokey flavor of luau leaf and I guess I got my fix in this case. It's actually better than some of the other versions I've had on the mainland over the years.

The rice was same as before; on the dry side.

I ordered the Basic Spicy Ahi; but what I got was weird, not spicy, way too much sesame oil, the fish was fairly low quality, kind of mushy.

The following weekend I needed to go into work….so, of course I headed into the opposite direction….you can call it procrastination, denial, passive-aggressive, or what have you. I needed to grab something to eat, so I decided to give Poke Etc another shot. This time I got the Poke Salad, with Ahi Limu.

The quality of the fish was much better than on previous visits. Maybe because it was something like 945 in the morning? The poke wasn't combined with the shoyu real well and the limu was mushy and all stuck together. The "salad" was a typical mixed greens, which is what I kind of expected. At least the fish was better this time around.

Not sure if I'll be back again soon though. I still need to get to It's Raw in OB. My sources tell me it's more "real", not the typical "chi-poke" kind of place….

Poke Etc
916 E 8th St
National City, CA 91950

Hope you have a great weekend!

Mexico City – Museo Nacional de Antropología and Lunch at El Hidalguense

July 17, 2019 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, Mexico City, Travel

After making our way thru La Condesa we crossed super busy Avenida Chapultepec into the land of skyscrapers. I've heard Polanco described as the "Beverly Hills" of Mexico City. This is supposedly where the wealthy live and play. It's also where Pujol is located….hopefully we'll be able to get reservations next time.

We'd only be visiting the district. There were only two items on the Missus's itinerary for this short trip. ne of them was checking out the Museo Nacional de Antropología (National Museum of Anthropology) located in the huge Bosque de Chapultepec, which is the second largest park in Latin America.

There's much to see in the area; from the somewhat maligned Estela de Luz, also known as the "Monument to Corruption" because of alleged corruption which inflated the cost to three times what was estimated.

Instead of heading up Paseo de la Reforma, we instead headed into the park, which is a wonderful green space.

Where the Missus could practice taking photos with Her brand new camera.

We headed up to Monumento a los Niños Héroes.

Where the Missus took a good amount of time with Her camera. Then turning right and walking down Calzada Mahamta Gandhi; yep, Mahatma Gandhi, in CDMX. Apparently Gandhi is very popular in Mexico; in fact one of the largest bookstore chains in Mexico is……you got it Gandhi.

And we got to see more squirrels doing their "tightrope act" along the way.

We got back onto Paseo de la Reforma and soon enough found ourselves at the Monolith of Tlaloc, which marks the street to the entrance of the museum.

This sculpture was found Coatlinchan which has quite a story behind it.

We got past security, bought our tickets….man, at 75 $MXN (under $4/US) this is a major bargain. We got a map at the information booth and the really nice women there marked off the "must see" places for us. The museum has 23 halls and is spread over 20 acres!

Once thru the entrance into the wide open courtyard area, you see a huge towering fountain, named "El Paragas" ("The Umbrella").

I don't want to create another monster 1500 word post; so I'll keep my verbiage to a minimum from here on. Let me just say that we loved the museum; there was so much to see. We found the history of pre-Colombian and modern day Mexico to be so interesting. It's one of our favorite museums and we'll definitely be back. The galleries are set-up wonderfully, things are spaced out well.

And it was interesting to see items from places we had been to before.

There are dramatic entrances to galleries.

This is "El Creador".

The Corazon de Tula.

Rings and a ball used for the Aztec ball game Ullamaliztli.

Kinda scary statue of the Goddess Cōātlīcue.

Xōchipilli, the "Prince of Flowers", god of art, beauty, dance, and flowers. According to Atlas Obscura, the base of the statue has symbols of hallucinogenic plants carved into it.

The Disk of Mictlāntēcutli, the god of the dead. This disk was found at the foot of the Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan.

And of course the Aztec Sun Stone.

Whew; at the end we needed a break.

Like I said earlier; there's so much to see. We only visited the ground floor. We'll definitely return.

Museo Nacional de Antropologia
Avenida Paseo de la Reforma y Calzada Gandhi s/n
Chapultepec, Mexico City 11560, Mexico

Of course by the time we finished things up, we were starting to get hungry. The Missus was still up for a walk and I'd heard so much about Mercado Roma; so we walked the over two miles back across La Condesa to Roma. The Missus though; wasn't impressed with the hipsterish set-up and available food. So, I decided to check out another place I had on my "list". Just a ten minute walk away was a place that is only open from Friday to Sunday. The place serves Barbacoa; the Missus (who loves Aqui es Texcoco) was instantly sold.

We were warmly welcomed when we arrived and in spite of the place being pretty busy, they found a table for us. The host/server, Juan was so amazingly warm and friendly.

We looked over the menu and decided on two items. After ordering, Juan noticed the Missus trying out Her camera. He asked Her if She'd like to "see the Barbacoa"….of course the answer was "yes". He quickly called over one of the "chefs" and the Missus got Her photo! Check out the barbacoa and the big smile on the chef's face! You gotta love CDMX!

The folks here are so nice…..

And the Missus loved the salsas.

The Blue Corn Tortillas were excellent, warm, full of corn flavor, pliable, but sturdy enough to handle "the goods"…..

First up was the Plato Hidalguense (140 $MX – about $7.25/US).

I'd been wanting to have nopales and thought this would work out well. The Missus and I loved the papalo, something we don't see much of here in San Diego. The powerful peppery-citrusy-tannic flavor might not be for everyone, but it's definitely for us. The Missus absolutely adored the avocado, which looked quite firm and under-ripe; it was however, just perfect, super buttery, and really good.

And of course, the nopales.

Easily the best I've ever had. Look how bright and vibrant these cactus pads are! There was just a nice mild crunch to these; the clean green bean-asparagus like flavor came through so cleanly; and as a bonus the slices of tomatoes were perfectly ripe. Talk about delici-yoso!!!

I'd ordered the Mixiote (155 $MX – about $8/US)….though had I seen the barbacoa before ordering; I'd probably gone for that.

The meat was fairly tender, the seasoning was on the mild side, and the meat itself was mildly gamey. A nice dish. Which led us to believe that Aqui es Texcoco does a pretty darn good job with their mixiote.

It was quite a spread!

With a couple of Ciel this cost us less than twenty bucks without tip! And I did learn the phrase "agrega veinte por ciento por favor"…….which I used liberally during this trip.

Juan was an amazing host; the service excellent and welcoming, the food was delicious, the vibe relaxed and laid back. We can't wait to return.

El Hidalguense
Campeche 155
Roma Sur, 06760 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
Hours:
Fri – Sun 7am – 6pm

We decided to take a Uber back to our hotel – Uber is so inexpensive in CDMX, we just used UberX. Our trip cost us 39.90 $MX (with 10% tip) – think two bucks…….sheesh

We decided to take a short break, then head on back out to explore Roma.

Stay tuned!

Smack’N Guamanian Grill

July 16, 2019 mmm-yoso Guamanian/Chamorro

**** Smack’N Guamanian Grill has closed

After a short for Smack ‘N to open and a couple misfires on when they were actually opening; I finally made it.

It’s a nice; tidy shop.

And the folks are very friendly.

I got a smile seeing cans of Your Lemon Powder, an ingredient I use to balance out flavors in my Kelaguen on the counter.

And the nice, what I assume are photos of the owner’s family. Really enjoyed that personal touch.

And, of course I ordered what I typically do when first visiting Guamanian restaurants. As I noted way back 2007; one of my coworkers, and sort of a drinking buddy was from Guam. We had a cookout at our friend’s house and his Mom was in town. She made Kelaguen and the rest is history……

Here it’s on many of the plates, but if you want it to be all Kelguen, you’ll find it on “Fan Fav” ($10.95). The Kelaguen is chopped to a medium texture; is quite lemon-forward if you will; not from the Yours Powder, but quite a bit of lemon juice. It was a bit short in the coconut and chili pepper department. In fact, it wasn’t spicy at all. I asked about Boonie Peppers and was given a blank look….so am not sure if they have that. It was moist, fairly tender, and perfectly edible. The finadene is less sour than other versions I’ve had; a bit more on the salty side, and also not very spicy.

The rice was perfect; just moist enough, and great when you hit it with some finadene.

The cabbage salad was basically coleslaw mix with findene on it.

This was not bad; the portion size; especially all the rice was quite generous.

So, Calvin and Daniel decided they wanted to try this stuff. So, I went back like a day later.

And got two plates.

Starting with what you could consider to be the “mix plate”; “Yona Rules”. Yes, $21.95 might seem a tad expensive; until you open it and see this.

The kelaguen was still decent, seems like they’ve got their consistency down. I especially enjoyed the Bunuelos Uhang; the shrimp and corn fritters; which was still hot and crispy when I got to the office. Nice sweetness from the corn; yes, it could use more shrimp, but this was seasoned nicely and was a winnah! The lumpia was crisp, though kind of greasy. The chicken and ribs were very much like what I’ve gotten at other Guamanian places; on the try side. The ribs were especially tough and lacked flavor. The chicken, while on the dry side, was decently seasoned, and with a dose of finadene was fine.

I also got BBQ Beef – “chebot”, they have two sizes of their basic plates at Smack’N; chebot means “fat”, while dikike means….well, you can figure it out “small”. Of course with three of us sharing I got the “chebot” ($15.95). It was a lot of beef.

The beef, while of the dry side was fairly tender. It did need a bunch of finadene to help it out as it was on the bland side.

Honestly; while the beef and the chicken weren’t great, it’s still better than what I’ve had at L&L. Those ribs….well, it would take me some convincing.

The folks here are quite friendly, the portions quite generous. On both visits, the really nice young man, I believe his name is Christian came out to chat with customers. I could see three older women and a man cooking in the kitchen. It’s nice to have a decent change of pace in the area. I’ll come back for the kelaguen (and the Bunuelos Uhang), I’ve got to try the empanadas; though it will take some convincing for me to try those ribs again.

Smack’N Guamanian Grill
9506 Miramar Rd
San Diego, CA 92126
Hours:
Tues – Thurs 11am – 8pm
Fri – Sat 11am – 10pm

Revisits – HiroNori Craft Ramen and Sushi Yaro

July 15, 2019 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Ramen, Sushi and Sashimi

A couple of revisits for a busy Monday

HiroNori Craft Ramen:

I had meetings in the Hillcrest area; which conveniently finished at 1130. Sometimes things just work our right. I had wanted to revisit HiroNori since my first couple of visits in March. I was seated at the counter by one of the cheerful staff and of course I ordered the Shoyu Ramen, which I really enjoyed during a previous visit. I guess I really liked the flavor of barrel aged shoyu used for the tare.

So, how would it fare four months later?

The noodles were every bit as good a on my previous visits, with a meaty chew, the chashu tender and "porky", the ajitama was warm and seasoned well. The menma; bamboo shoots were too cold though. The broth was interesting; still good, the tongue feel was excellent for shoyu ramen; still it didn't have that level of complexity; the lightly sweet-umami I enjoyed previously. It was also a bit too salty this time around.

Don't get me wrong; this is still my second favorite ramen in San Diego. But, having had this before, I expect some consistency and this wasn't quite as good as what I'd had previously.

HiroNori Craft Ramen
3803 5th Ave
San Diego, CA 92103
Open Daily 1130am – 9pm

Sushi Yaro:

**** Sushi Yaro has closed

Well, I hadn't been to Sushi Yaro since our office moved to the UTC area. First off, Sammy stopped doing lunch service, second, well life had just been too busy.

So, a few weeks back, wondering how the place was doing, I decided to head on over.

And ordered my typical sashimi; which delivered. I especially loved the engawa.

I know, you go into Yaro and see all the really "interesting" rolls…..which is not my thing. But they always have some good fish on hand for old fogies like me.

This hit the spot!

And, as a super bonus, my good friends Candice and Quanito dropped by for some beer as well! Just like old times. I've missed you my friends!

Sushi Yaro
7905 Engineer Road
San Diego, CA 92111

Sunday Sandwiches – Breakfasts from The WestBean Coffee Roasters (Morena)

July 14, 2019 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix, Sandwiches

**** WestBean Coffee Roasters is now Talitha Coffee Roasters

I’m quite a creature of habit; I get into work at around the same time each day, I do things on specific days, like for instance, just about every Sunday, I head off to Costco to fill up my tank. The Missus finds it quite interesting that I’ve got all these habits and rituals; but it doesn’t affect me when we travel.

Anyway, a couple of weeks back, I passed the rather newish location of West Bean Coffee Roasters. The sign mentioned “breakfast” and I recalled CC’s post on the Banker Hill location from a couple of years ago. So, I decided to drop by for a cup of coffee and after reading the menu a breakfast sandwich.

The spot used to be Red Card Café which closed at the end of October back in 2017.

The seating area is spacious and the outdoor seating from the days of RCC is still in place.

I decided on the Breakfast Sandwich #2 on the menu and feeling a bit hungry added on the sausage patty. I did ask to see if they’d make the eggs easy over; but I guess it’s just too much to ask a Barista to make runny eggs.

This was serviceable sandwich; I enjoyed the brioche roll as it wasn’t too sweet and almost fluffy. The sausage patty was standard issue; for some reason the cheddar cheese seemed really mild. I really would have enjoyed a nice, runny egg on this.

Not terrible; somewhat corporate in appearance; but I’d rather spend my money here than at one of the chains in the area.

So, today was of course Sunday. And I headed off to fill up my tank.

On the way down South on Morena, headed to start all of my Sunday shopping, I felt in need of some caffeine and perhaps some breakfast. So, I stopped by West Bean again.

I went with the cold brew; which seemed a bit light and non-descript. I certainly prefer the cold brew from Birdrock.

This time I went with “Breakfast Sandwich #1”. Without adding any other protein to the sandwich.

I actually enjoyed this.

The Chipotle mayo added a nice bit of “zip”, the peppery and slightly bitter arugula did well with the mayo, the mild sweetness of the roll, and the acidity of the tomato. And yes; I’d prefer a runny egg…..but I didn’t dwell on that too much.

Pretty good sandwich. Very nice folks. And while this won’t become a “ritual”; I’ll probably stop by again since I drive past the place every week.

The WestBean Coffee Roasters
4140 Morena Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117
Hours:
Daily 7am – 2pm
Breakfast served 7am – 1pm