mmm-yoso – Page 203 – 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.

Chopstix Too, one more time

April 9, 2018 Cathy Japanese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Here you are, reading mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog with a recounting of meals enjoyed. Today, Cathy is posting because Kirk is still on vacation.

Kirk posted about the original Chopstix, on Convoy Street in 2005, He blogged about Chopstix Too when it first opened, in 2006. In the interim, He and I have each posted about one or the other over the years. The restaurants serve fairly standard Japanese fare at good prices without pretense.

This location, in the same parking lot as Mitsuwa Marketplace is yet "another" place to get ramen with one stop parking.
The chalkboard by the soda machine shows daily specials.
The cucumber salad ($4) is a choice on most visits, because I like cucumber. The bowl is deceptive; there is a lot of the vinegared and salted vegetable.
The agedashi tofu ($3) is lightly breaded with potato starch, crispy fried and served with a light soy/mirin/dashi sauce. This simple treat is a nice addendum to any meal.
If you read any of my prior Chopstix posts (go to that search box at the top left), you know that The Mister ends up ordering mabo ramen ($7.95) following his 'pretending' of reading the menu. He enjoys the slightly sweet spiciness the sauce, filled with ground pork and tofu. The barely cooked egg is always shared.
The chicken katsu and tempura plate ($8.45) also comes with a bowl of miso soup and is properly fried: crunchy and not greasy. The refreshing salad arrives 'naked' and there is a container of salad dressing on the condiment tray on the table.

A plate of eight shrimp shu mai ($5, on the chalkboard) was tasty, but not very shrimpy. Still, it was shared and rounded out the meal.

Chopstix Too 4380 Kearny Mesa Road San Diego 92111 (858) 565-1288 open Sun-Thurs 11 a.m. until 9 p.m., until 9:30 p.m. on Fri-Sat website

Sizzling Pot King

April 8, 2018 Cathy Chinese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog and Kirk (and His Missus) are on vacation. Cathy is stepping in with another short post.

Spring has sprung in San Diego and the mild, chilly mornings with the resultant pollen count in the air have The Mister and I figuring we either have severe allergies or another bout of the flu about to occur. In any case, the craving for a hearty and slightly spicy meal was predominant the other day.

Kirk has posted about Sizzling Pot King twice mentioning the 'comfort food' aspect of the menu here, which made me curious.

We ordered the medium size dry pot with lamb ($20.99) and were impressed with the amount of food, while enjoying the aromatics released with the sizzle as the pot was placed over a sterno warmed stand. In addition to a good portion of lamb, the sizzling pot contained potato, cauliflower, celery and mung beans. We did ask for a spice level of 'mild' and it was just right; we were able to taste the mild gaminess of the lamb and the potato and cauliflower had absorbed just enough spice to even out each bite. Of course, I do love celery with just about everything and interspersed bites of meat with the crispy mung beans and celery slices.

Of course, I hadn't remembered Kirk's initial post, mentioning that the wonton in spicy sauce ($5.99) weren't that good…but his post was from 2016… The sauce had a pleasant, mild/medium spicy 'kick' and was just enough for the two of us to be able to enjoy without needing to ask for water or some other cooling beverage. I did dip some of the lamb in the leftover sauce and liked the way the flavors melded.

The filling was a good ratio to the noodle wrapper and did have a distinctive (in a good way) pork flavor.

Understanding the comfort food aspect of Kirk (and His Missus') taste buds is expanding my comfort.

Sizzling Pot King 8058 Clairemont Mesa Blvd San Diego, CA 92111 Website Open 11:00 a.m.-10:30 p.m. daily

There were enough leftovers for a great meal the next day- the sauce had been absorbed into the vegetables and the ingredients stir fried into a nice, crispy melange, which went well over rice.

Where in the world are we – seconda parte

April 6, 2018 mmm-yoso Emilia-Romagna, Italy, Italian Restaurants, Italy, Travel

Just another quick post from abroad.

We’re in the land of castles,

And where there’s a bridge that the devil might have built.

Regardless, there is great beauty here.

And the food has been oh so delici-yoso.

Tomorrow we’re off to a city famous for their Byzantine mosaics. I’m fairly tired right now.

So it’s time for a rest.

Thanks for stopping by!

Greek Chicken- a return visit (El Cajon)

April 4, 2018 Cathy Greek Food, What Cathy Eats!

Here you are, reading mmm-yoyo, wondering what Kirk is eating. Well, today it's Cathy writing this meal post. You just have to wait for Kirk.

It's been almost four years since my most recent Greek Chicken post, even though it is a regular stop for a quick bite. This 30+ year family owned mainstay in East County now has three locations and is consistently good, fresh and a great choice when meeting out of town friends.

The Graves Avenue location (same block as the DMV) used to be a Fosters Freeze, so has a quite large inside eating area, (as well as the soft serve machine). It seems to always be busy; I haven't been there at a 'quiet time'-so no interior photos.
The side salad, which came with our friends quarter chicken meal is quite good on its own- not much lettuce and instead, bell pepper, tomatoes, cucumber, onions and Feta topped with a light, herbed dressing makes this a great small meal on its own.
This is the medium chicken salad ($10.25). It's that Greek salad topped with sliced rotisserie chicken-plenty of it. This is enough to share as a meal.
The gyros pita ($6.45) is also quite large and stuffed into a fluffy pita. It also can fill a craving and be a quite large meal in itself.
Of course, the onion rings ($1.75 as a second side) here (and every Greek restaurant I've ever been to) are large, hand breaded slices of mild onion and are fried to a perfect crunch-consistently great.

A San Diego East County institution for a reason. Who else has been here? Soo and Maggie (for birthday meals).

Greek Chicken 1468 Graves Avenue El Cajon 92021 (619) 401-0700 Website 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m., daily

The combo meal ($9.95) consisted of the salad, a quarter chicken, garlic bread and a beverage. Another great deal.

Where in the world are we – prima parte

March 31, 2018 mmm-yoso Florence and Tuscany, Italy, Italian Restaurants, Italy, Travel

Yes, it’s that time again. We’re off on another, all too short trip.

Guessing this one is easy.

From the amazing art.

To the great architecture…..

Land views are lovely.

We’ve stuck to mostly local, traditional dishes and the food has been surprisingly good and hearty.

Every meal seemed to be better.

People here have been amazingly nice. Though the crowds can be maddening.

Anyway, I don’t want to hog up your time.

We hope everyone has a Happy Easter!

Nutmeg Bakery (return visit; brunch)

March 30, 2018 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Bakery, Breakfast/Brunch, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the food blog you are reading. Kirk is taking some time off and Cathy is writing a few posts, like this one today.

I wrote about Nutmeg Bakery and Cafe in September, mentioning that I wanted to try the weekend brunch…and finally I did.

Located just East of the 15 at the Poway Road exit then left at the first signal light, this five and a half year old Sabre Springs mainstay has been embraced by the locals. The bakery is excellent, making the baked goods (some gluten free as well as vegan) from scratch. The meals also are made using organic as well as locally sourced foods.

The restaurant style is order and pay first, find a seat and your food is brought out to you. We got here just before 8 a.m. and there was a good line of people waiting for the door to open; by the time we left, around 9, there was a line out the door.The weekend brunch menu changes weekly and has a few 'standard' items. I saw there was a 'special' menu for St. Patrick's Day and suspect there may be a 'special' menu for Easter; if so, I will post it at the bottom of this post. Prices here are reasonable for the quality.

The steak and egg quesadilla ($12) made with grilled skirt steak, grilled onions, corn, cilantro mixed with (local, free range) scrambled eggs folded into a spinach tortilla with a three cheese blend. It was served with a wonderfully medium spicy home made salsa.
The spicy fries ($1.50) were a nice addition and plentiful (I brought the leftovers home).
The Nutmeg Scramble ($13) was excellent- local scrambled eggs with sundried tomatoes and organic spinach, hours made pork sausage and goat cheese, served over herbed potatoes (you see why we had to take potatoes home…so much…) and served with a from scratch buttermilk biscuit (and butter and locally made jam) as well as fresh fruit. This was a really great and special breakfast.
My friend, Ms. C, ordered a small latte which was so pretty. I had a cup of drip coffee- Mostra is served here. It was great.
She also ordered a slice of slice of this cake (I think it was German Chocolate cake, but am not sure; I'm not a 'chocolate' person), to go. She said it was wonderful!

I'll be going back again- soon. Nutmeg is a great place.

Who else has been here? cc, of course.

Nutmeg Bakery and Cafe 12640 Sabre Springs Parkway , Ste 107 San Diego, CA 92128 (858)486-8863 Open Mon-Fri 7:30-3, Sat-Sun 8-2 Website

K Sandwiches (reopened) a quick look

March 29, 2018 Cathy Banh Mi, Vietnamese Restaurants

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog. Kirk has been blogging most of the year and is taking a break. Cathy is writing this post.

August 4, 2015; K Sandwiches burned. It was a sad day for many, even us here at mmm-yoso; Kirk wrote about this Vietnamese Snack and beverage corner first in July 2005 and again in November 2005. I first wrote about it October 2008 and again in 2012. There have been numerous mentions within our blog posts concerning sandwiches.

After the great fire, it took more than two years for K to re-open…January 5 of this year.

Since this was a former bank, the primary walls remained and so did the footprint; the remodel was not a complete rebuild. Now there's bit more modern feel.
The wall to the right when you walk in is Instagrammable.
The menu boards are clear and with only a few photos. Of course, prices have increased.
The grab and go area at the front has some interesting items.
Like my favorite brand of Chinese sweet sausage in links and in bulk.

As well as fancy refrigerated desserts including artistic jellied items.
The bakery area in the back carries the same items, especially my favorite item to grab when in a hurry-ham and cheese baked in bread (now it is $2.75, the price of some banh mi sold at K Sandwiches years ago)
Pate chaud and other baked items are on the counter being kept warm.
The center island is filled with various snacks and day old bread ends; easy to grab.
Opposite the counter warmer is another warmer with more fresh items and also another refrigerated area.
But, for my first visit back, the order was the same: a Number 9 (grilled pork banh mi)($4.25) and a cup of black coffee ($2.75)
The cilantro still has stems, the pickled carrots and daikon are just lightly pickled, the grilled pork is properly cooked and seasoned, house mayonnaise is just enough and the bread is so very fresh. I had been looking for these flavors for so long and only K Sandwiches seems to do it the way I like it. My comfort food is back.

K Sandwiches 7604 Linda Vista Road (at Mesa College Drive) San Diego 92111 (858) 384-7373 Open Mon-Sat 6 a.m.-9 p.m., Sunday 8-8 Website

A return to Charley’s Famous Hamburgers- for a kabob (Lemon Grove)

March 27, 2018 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping to look at this food blog, mmm-yoso!!!. Cathy is writing today; Kirk is taking a break.

I wrote about Charley's in 2006 and again in 2013. This 45 year old (yes, since 1973) mainstay in Lemon Grove has been consistent and pretty much unchanged (other than for inflation and, as you can see, new signage) in all this time.

People seem to use the drive thru as much as the walk up window to order at the small kitchen area.
There are six 'specialty shakes' on the menu( caramel, apple turnover, banana, cookies and cream, peanut butter and black raspberry), as well as five 'traditional' shakes (chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, cherry and root beer) . Even though the apple turnover shake is made with two fried pies, and I enjoy the ice cream with pieces of crust, I seem to revert to my (comfort food) banana shake ($3.25) lately when ordering here.
Well, that and a double kabob sandwich. While the burgers are very good here, the unique kabob meat, served on pita is a particular craving for me.
Two pieces of the lightly seasoned ground beef with shredded lettuce, tomato. onion AND chopped green peppers with sliced radishes served on pita bread with mayonnaise. The flavor and crunch of the green bell peppers as well as the crisp, refreshing radish makes this a refreshing and very tasty sandwich.

Charley's Famous Burgers (kabobs and shakes) 8213 Broadway, Lemon Grove 91945 (619)460-2690 Open 8 a.m.-9:30 p.m.

Fruity Loco (Spring Valley)

March 26, 2018 Cathy Fruiterias, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the name of this food blog. Kirk has been writing posts most of the year, while Cathy has been busy with work and occasionally a meal. Here's a short post about a new place she found.

While driving to meet a client in Spring Valley on a late Friday afternoon, I noticed this signage, across from the Starbucks, about a block away from Butler's Coffee House. Since I had about an hour to kill, I decided to give it a try.

Neat and clean with about seven tables, the menu is on the wall and grab and go products are easily seen. The menu is pretty standard, with fruit salads, vegetable salads, tortas and sandwiches, smoothies, juices, raspados, ice creams and a few other items. When I first walked in only one other person was there, but by the time I left, it was very busy. I noticed most people ordering smoothies and beverages…but I hadn't had lunch yet…
Since it was a Friday (when I don't eat meat), I thought a Panela cheese torta ($5.99)would be good…the man behind the counter suggested a Queso Fresco torta instead. I do like various Mexican cheeses and Fresco is lighter/airier and more like a Farmers Cheese (which I use to make Mom's cheesecake), so I said I'd try it. Same price.

Served on a fresh, very good quality toasted bollillo, with lettuce, tomato, onion, cucumber and a thousand island style dressing, the sandwich was simply perfect. It also was quite large and I ended up taking half home for a late night meal.
Since I was hungry when first ordering, I also asked for a small pico de gallo ($4.99). Fresh coconut, mango, pineapple, watermelon, jicama and cucumber topped with lime juice, chamoy and chili powder.

The savory sauce and spicy chili perfectly rounded out the sweet fruit flavors.

All in all, hearty, tasty and plenty for two meals for less than $12. I'll be back.

Fruity Loco 9766 Campo Road Spring Valley CA 91977 (619)825-7800 open daily 7 a.m.-10 p.m.

Saturday Stuffs – Rice Noodle King Opens, Boiling Passion Moves a Few Doors Down, and Other “Stuffs”

March 24, 2018 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Exploring San Diego

Just a couple of things for a sleepy Saturday

Rice Noodle King Opens:

Replacing Dumpling Hut.

My sources tell me that it's the same owners as Sizzling Pot King a few doors down.

8046 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

The Stories of Boiling Passion's Demise Are Greatly Exaggerated:

Speaking of a "few doors down". I was surprised to see this sign when I recently went to grab lunch at Izakaya Sakura.

Which wasn't in place when I noticed that Boiling Passion was becoming Focus BBQ. Looking like the place is reopening a few doors down from the previous location.

So I guess Boiling Passion is back.

3904 Convoy St Suite 114
San Diego, CA 92111

Just to finish things up. On one of my visits to Con Pane to pick up some bread, I decided to drop by the New Americans Museum.