mmm-yoso – Page 215 – 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.

Minato 3 Ramen & Sushi

July 25, 2017 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

**** Minato 3 Ramen & Sushi has closed

A few months back I'd head that a new Japanese Restaurant had opened up in the old Com Tam 75 space. While I wasn't particularly motivated to try the place out; I needed to head over to Northgate Market for a few things and really didn't feel like eating at Pho 87 again. So I decided to head on over to check the place out.

The interior was basically the same as the old restaurant; save a few changes….same odd, wheeled chairs; the counter area converted into a sushi bar that was too high to actually serve folks…..the televisions played Korean Boy and Girls Band videos constantly.

I glanced over at what the other two tables where eating…..rolls; I knew I wouldn't be going for the sushi….so I looked over the "Ramen" part of the menu. I decided to just try one of their basic ramen. Not that it matters, but when the employees spoke, it was in Korean; thus the videos

I went with the Tonkotsu Ramen ($8.99).

So that's what arrived; a super thin, bland, lukewarm "broth", that had a rather odd fragrance that I can't quite place. Eventually, the beni shōga (pickled ginger) bled all over the soup. The noodles were typical mass produced, "JFC" stuff and quickly got mushy. The boiled egg was fine, but not seasoned, and ice cold. The chashu was actually pretty decent; slightly porky, tender, and had been heated before serving. Of course there was all the corn and other stuff in the broth.

Maybe it's because the last couple bowls of ramen I'd had before coming here were at Menya Ultra, Ichiran (mediocre, but ten times better than this) in Kyoto, Gogyo Ramen (Kyoto), and Kizo (Tokyo), that this seemed below mediocre. But I'm fairly certain that if I even went to Ajisen tomorrow, it would be several levels better than this. Bummer.

Well, you know me, right. A couple of weeks later I decided to head on over to Minato; just to…..well see if my meal had just been an off day. There was no way I'd be having ramen; but since it seemed everyone really enjoyed the "sushi" here; I'd at least try the fish. So I ordered what was called "Carpaccio Salad" ($7.95) on the menu. Which was basically four slices of sashimi drenched in ponzu and sesame oil with some Kaiware (radish sprouts) and two slices of avocado as the "salad".

The salmon was the best piece here; the shiromi (white fish) was still partially frozen and stiff as a board and even drenched in the sauce; the maguro, which actually looked good, tasted a bit off.

I'd also ordered the Katsudon ($10.99), which I kinda expected to look like this (my home version), if not better.

This is what I got.

Check out that albumen. They didn't even bother to cook the eggs at all. It seems they just decided to crack a raw egg over the tonkatsu. Hey, I love tamago meshi, but this ain't that. This definitely needed more onions and cabbage really doesn't belong. The pork was tough and rubbery; the sauce tasted like the bottled stuff you add water to.

Good lord, I hate to be harsh, but this was pretty bad. Makes Katsuni at Okan Diner seem like it deserves a Michelin star.

Usually, I'd give a place another shot….three strikes and all that. But I just can't bring myself to return. The folks working here are sort of friendly. That is, the Server, who was actually chewing on food once when he served me, is really nice. The sushi guys are kind of detached. I'm hoping you enjoy the food here more than I did if you check them out.

Minato 3 Ramen & Sushi
5420 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

Clearing Out the Memory Card – Village Kitchen Revisited

July 24, 2017 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants

While it seems that the "other Village" is getting a lot of play these days……when a couple of folks from work asked to have lunch with me. Well, I picked Village Kitchen. It had been a while since I'd visited and I was interested in how things were coming along. I'd also heard that the owner wasn't around much these days….he was busy opening restaurant elsewhere.

The meal was a line-up of dishes I'd enjoyed in the past and a couple of new one's. Here's a short and sweet rundown.

Pork Intestine with Chilies.

The intestines were nicely cleaned, but were on the mushy side. Not very spicy; I actually enjoyed the previous version with slightly bitter greens more.

I wanted to check out the La Rou here and though they were out of several versions; we ended up with the Smoked Pork and Dried Radish.

Not a great version as far as I was concerned. The pork was way too salty and had kind of an artificial flavor to it. The radish hadn't been prepped perfectly and was too hard. Beauty Hunan definitely makes better La Rou.

The best dish at VK is still the Eggplant and Green Chili with Preserved Egg; though it's much more eggplant, that has been made a lot creamier.

Less peppers and Pidan this time around. "RR" asked me what this was and seemed kind of afraid to eat it….I told him it was "Chinese Babaganouj"….. Smokey, creamy, a slight bit of spice….Calvin agreed that this is still the best thing on the menu as did the Missus, who enjoyed the leftovers.

I still enjoy the Sour and Spicy Chicken Gizzards; something that I was given by accident. It's still pretty good.

This was the spiciest dish of the day. Nice crunchy gizzards, decent saltiness. Though VK bills itself as a Hunan Restaurant, the dishes aren't very spicy like our favorites in the SGV. Though I probably can't tolerate that level of spice anymore. "RR" didn't know what gizzards were….I Googled it for him….he wouldn't touch this.

"RR's" favorite dish of the day? The Hunan Style Lotus Roots; another favorite of the Missus.

Nice and crisp.

I really enjoyed the Baby Radish Leaves.

Slightly bitter, making this quite savory. Not as spicy as I recalled.

All in all; a decent lunch. GK did real well for a kid from Minnesota and of course Calvin enjoys eating this stuff. "RR" is from Italy and talks a good game; but he could only handle the Eggplant and the Lotus Root. I'm not sure he'll ever go out to lunch with me again….oh well.

Even without the owner present; VK is still doing pretty well. It may not be on the top of the Chinese Food heap here; but it's much better than most. I need to return more often.

Village Kitchen
4720 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

The Lanai Leucadia

July 23, 2017 mmm-yoso Loco Mocos, Plate Lunch

***** The Lanai has closed

One evening after a long day at work, I dropped by one of the local watering holes for a beverage. One of the folks there started up a conversation; mid-thirties surfer dude, very friendly. As is typical in the category of what "locals" back home call the "wea' you wen grad" moment….that is I was asked where I'm from and mentioned "Honolulu". In a sort of a conspiratorial whisper he asked me if I knew what a "Loco Moco" was. A funny moment in deed. Do I know what a Loco Moco is?

Anyway, the fella' mentioned his favorite spot was a place in Encinitas called "The Lanai". Which I filed away for "one of these days when I have time." Well, one of the good things about having to work weekends is that you can take as long for lunch as you wish. So on a bright and sunny Sunday, I headed up to Leucadia and hit up the Lanai.

Interesting locale…..the Surfer Dude told me that this used to be some Organic Taco shop or something? Anyway, it's quite hipster-hippy-ish looking; basically a food trailer parked in a "lanai looking" lot with picnic/patio type seating, next to a Nursery.

It's the typical "food truck" type of thing; order and pay at the window. Though they do bring your food out to you.

The menu ranges from Sandwiches, Poke Bowls (of course), Salads, Rice Bowls (the cheapest item on the menu at $9.25 and up), and Plate Lunches….with four different items available. The Loco Moco was $10.25.

Whoa, sunny side up eggs on this one, instead of easy over. Really good eggs. The hamburger patty was very lean and really tough and chewy, decent beefiness though. The rice was nicely done; edging on dry, but ok. I didn't care for the gravy. It had that made from base flavor to it….like the institutional stuff I used to work with from companies like "Knorr". Still, it was not bad if a bit on the pricey side. And no Tabasco….it's Sriracha all the way here.

So of course, there was the following Sunday.

You know, I kinda like this set-up….though I wouldn't want to be here when it rains (but heck, it's SoCal) or when it's really hot.

I went for the Mixed Plate ($14.00) which after tax was over fifteen bucks, yikes! I got the Kalua Pork (thankfully they spelled it correctly) and the Chicken Katsu.

First off the rice was a tragedy; mostly hard bits. The Kalua Pork was pretty darn good if on the dry side….it looks like they dump it on the griddle to heat up. Nice salt, mild smoke, other than being dry, it was nice. The Chicken Katsu was not to my liking; it looked like it had been pounded flat, with more, really hard instead of crisp breading than chicken and not much in terms of flavor. The katsu sauce tasted odd; like there was something fermented in it?

The Mac Salad was ok, if a bit odd in flavor….I think some of the kimchi juice had mixed with the salad. Simple stuff; macaroni, peas, mayo…..it was decently chilled.

The bok choy kimchi was okay; I enjoy my stuff a bit more fermented and didn't expect that here.

Food was kind of a mixed bag overall. Also on the pricy side. Nice folks working. I also kind of enjoyed the vibe, but am not sure how things would be if they were busy. Drinks are limited to coconut water, bottled water, some teas, kombucha (of course), and the ubiquitous Hawaiian Sun (which, strangely, I actually worked for a zillion years ago). Though if you want a plate lunch; I'm not sure what else is around here since Kealani's closed.

The Lanai Leucadia
1114 N. Coast Hwy 101
Encinitas, CA 92024
Hours:
Tues – Sat 11am – 9pm
Sun – Mon 11am – 3pm

Nagoya – Nadai Kishimen Sumiyoshi

July 22, 2017 mmm-yoso Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Nagoya, Travel

I slowly awoke on our last morning in Nagoya. Unfolding myself from the futon….man; it had been awhile since I've slept on the floor and my body really wasn't used to it. Plus, we'd put in some mileage over the last two days. Still, falling into an exhausted sleep really helped since our apartment was pretty small and the train tracks were literally outside our window.

We got our things together, cleaned up the apartment, showered, closed up, and basically crossed the street to the JR Nagoya Station where we checked out some of the shops featuring local snacks….the ever present Nagoya Teba, in gift boxes for your enjoyment!

Anyway, we headed up to our tracks. We were about an hour early, our Shinkansen wasn't scheduled to leave until around 0845. There was a reason for this. If you recall, the Missus really enjoyed the Kishimen at Kaburaya and I promised Her we'd get another bowl of this Nagoya specialty. But where? Well, on our return trip from Tsumago, I pointed out this little booth between tracks 10 and 11.

This is one of the shops of Nadai Kishimen Sumiyoshi, there's another between tracks 3 and 4 as well. I'd read a bit about this tiny, stand up noodle shop; where you eat standing up, before catching your train. I told the Missus that folks had even recommended making a stop here just to grab a bowl on the train tracks before transferring to the next passing train. The Missus was fascinated with these type of shops, so She was totally game!

Of course ordering was by ticket machine and the Missus being to read Kanji helped a bit. We put our money into the machine and got our tickets. The shop opens at 0730; it was almost 8 and the only other customer in there was finishing up already. We surrendered our tickets and the woman went to work. It was a tidy little shop; a one woman show here….she was super organized and even communicated via sign language to let us know that there already was an egg in what the Missus ordered and did we really want another? The answer of course was yes.

The Missus had ordered the "Shop Special", only for this shop; the Shrimp Tempura Version, 500¥, think a bit over $4.50, with an additional 79¥ for an extra egg.

I got the "Seasonal Special", a vegetable tempura version for 500¥.

Boy, the soup, which tasted like a sweeter, stronger, dashi forward Kitsune Udon broth really had that "aaah" appeal. Very comforting; it was the beginning of April, but there was still a chill in the air. In fact, I'd read and Kat had mentioned to me that it had snowed in several parts of Japan just he previous week. The Missus of course loved mixing in that raw egg…or in Her case, the raw eggs. It's really the noodles that appealed to the Missus, flat and slightly wide, these noodles had a really nice "stretch" to them; what my Taiwanese coworkers would call "QQ"…..enjoyably chewy and toothsome, but not hard. No spoons here….you drink from the bowl! Man, this was good!

Nadai Kishimen Sumiyoshi (名代きしめん) – Between Tracks 10 and 11 JR Nagoya Station
1-1-4 Meieki
Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan

As our train arrived, I went to the ever present vending machines….one could write several blog posts about these; and bought some hot coffee and tea and we boarded.

And we were off. Our reserved seats were right behind the Engineer and I really enjoyed watching him. Taking note of he various hand signals and how he sped up or slowed down.

As we got closer to our destination; there it was….snow!

The Missus and I looked at each other and smiled….whatever was waiting, we'd make the best of it.

And as we had learned during "Typhoon Day" several years back, from Kat and others. When there's a possibility of unknown weather ahead, an important step is to………have snacks!

So, at least we were prepared for that!

Thanks for reading!

Nagoya – Hinotez 2

July 21, 2017 mmm-yoso Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Nagoya, Travel

We had intentions of revisiting the original Yakyuudori againon our last evening in Nagoya. Taka-san even told them to expect us. Yakyuudori doesn't take reservations, so our initial plan was to be there right when they opened. However, we'd had a pretty full day already and had passed out after lunch at Yabaton. When we awoke, it was getting late….but since Taka-san had told them to expect us; we had to show up. And we did. Yakyuudori however, was absolutely packed….folks were eating on the benches against the wall! The really nice guy from last time came out from behind the grill and told us; "you go to Hinotetsu 2"….so we decided to go down the street and find the place. But, in typical Japanese manner, he came out from behind the grill and insisted on walking us there!

We felt really bad in having him walk us to the place…..but he insisted and was so nice. He made sure to introduce us to the chef.

We quickly noticed something about the style of grilling at this location. There was minimum use of tare.

As was evident by the Kimo; chicken liver.

Though the Missus said She really liked this version as it had really absorbed the bincho flavor.

The butashiso was very good; the pork was tender and moist and the flavor of the shiso came through nicely.

A very nice version.

Last time around, I didn't know that Yakyuudori and Hinotez serves up basashi, raw horse, one of my favorite things. This time I made sure to order it.

While a bit leaner than my favorite version; the flavor was clean and the ginger and ponzu really made this refreshing.

We tend to use Tsukune; chicken meatballs, as our measure of a yakitori shop. This version didn't do it for us.

This was really tough and hard, totally different from what we enjoy in a good tsukune. It really had the texture of an over worked sausage; even the beautiful egg yolk, nor the tare, of which it was drenched in couldn't help.

The teba; chicken wings were prepared in a different manner than the classic Yakyudori/Taisho splayed version, but the skin was very crisp and it was seasoned well.

We finished off with some kawa; the chicken skin.

This did real well with the straight up bincho grilling. It was nice and crisp and salted quite well. Though we did miss the crisp edges and the buttery interior of our favorite versions.

Overall, a mixed bag, but not bad. If anything, we appreciated Taisho even more after this visit. We'll make sure to get to Yakyuudori on time when we're back in Nagoya.

Hinotez 2
105 Fujimigaoka
Nagoya, Aichi, Japan

Beaune – A Walk Along the Ramparts and Dinner at La Ciboulette

July 20, 2017 mmm-yoso Burgundy, France, French Restaurants, Travel

Beaune seemed very different in the evening after the tourists are gone or are done in after a busy day of wine tasting.

After taking our own short nap, we awoke, refreshed and ready to do more exploring of the village before dinner.

We started at the what we considered the heart of the old town; Place Carnot. Things were much more relaxed and peaceful at this hour; even on a Friday evening.

Perhaps folks were just resting up for a busy night ahead.

We decided to head out and do part of the city wall; the "Remparts" (ramparts), the city walls of the old town. Beaune is a medieval walled city and much of it still stands. We decided to take a stroll on the ramparts during the "Golden Hour", which just made everything come alive.

Things were fairly quiet….so you could just imagine how things might have been back in the 14th and 15th Century.

I was fascinated by this tower.

So I did a bit of research and found that this is the Madeleine Tower, once used to store the ingredients' for gunpowder.

We stepped down at Rue d'Alsace, where the Missus decided we should just take a walk down the street right outside the walls, Rue du Faubourg.

Here there was much more hustle and bustle. You get a better feel for what life in today's Beaune is like.

This was at the end of October last year; so the sun started setting quite quickly. It was time head to dinner.

We had learned our lesson the previous night. You needed reservations; so we headed out last evening and tried to make them for the places on my list. We got two, which we were happy with.

I had really enjoyed my first taste of traditional Burgundian food at Chez Leon in Dijon and really wanted to have another dinner with those type of dishes. I had La Ciboulette on my list and we managed to get reservations for dinner.

The restaurant is located within the city walls, but on the North side of town. The place was quite bust when we arrived. We really enjoyed the service here; it was warm, unassuming, and very friendly. They even accommodated our request for five "entrees" (appetizer/salad/soups), instead of the usual three course meal.

But first, some wine for the Missus…..

Now my French is horrendous; I believe I've detailed my strategy of trying to get train tickets in French and "crashing and burning" spectacularly….to the point the agent would undoubtedly say; "monsieur, monsieur, I speak a little English……". Luckily, I do know basic French food items, cooking techniques, so this was slightly helpful.

We started with the Veloute de Potimarron – potiron = pumpkin, marron = chestnut. So this was some type of Pumpkin/Squash soup. Turns out this was made from Red Kuri (Hokkaido) Squash and was quite delightful.

Very clean flavor; mild sweetness, but very refreshing.

You know if there's foie gras on the menu, right?

A workable version; good flavor, rich, mild offal flavor with a not too sweet fruit compote.

The Missus absolutely loved the Escargot here.

The snails were so plump, tender, and juicy. The light parsley based sauce really allowed us to taste the earthy, almost mild shellfish flavor of the snails. These were Her favorite version of escargot of the trip, but I still preferred the version at Chez Leon.

We got the Salade d'aiguillettes de canard.

If I recall; aiguillette would mean a specific way of cutting skinned and defatted duck breasts into strips. The duck was on the chewy side; but the flavor from what tasted like a Balsamic glaze was delicious and went well with the mildly gamey duck. Of course; the Missus wanted some salad, and we got it here.

And of course; the classic Oeufs en Meurette – eggs poached in red wine.

In spite of the not quite tasty looking presentation, this was really delicious. Those slices of "lardon" were super tasty; the eggs perfectly poached, so runny, making this into a velvety, rich, tangy, slurry of goodness.

They even dropped off a good sized ramekin of potato gratin.

After lunch and this meal; we sadly, had no room for dessert.

As you can tell, we really enjoyed our dinner here. We loved the atmosphere; the service was lovely. We're definitely coming back here if/when we get back to Beaune.

La Ciboulette
69 rue de Lorraine
Beaune, France

We decided to stroll slowly back to our apartment taking in the sights and sounds….

This is the Porte St Nicholas, the North Gate to the walled city.

This current gate replaced the old gate in 1770 which used to have a drawbridge and fortifications to defend the city.

We were starting to understand that there was quite a bit to see; like the "Beffroi", the Romanesque Clock Tower which I read was built in the 1400's.

There would be much we didn't see or visit; like what is considered the most important sight; the Hotel Dieu des Hospices de Beaune.

We've found out over the years that in order to really enjoy ourselves; we should always think like we'll return someday.

We made our way back slowly. The once bustling shopping streets were now quiet. There was a different, relaxed feeling in the air.

Arriving back at our accommodations, we found that we weren't tired in the least. So it was time to take advantage of one of the nice features of our apartment, the wine "cellar". I've mentioned how much we loved this accommodation before.

But I'll say it again….we loved this place. And what could be better after a full day, than to relax with a bottle of wine. The appliance had a sheet on the top, describing each wine and the price. Things worked by the "honor system". You just got the bottle you wanted and left the money in the drawer.

The prices were really inexpensive and seemed cheaper than the wine shops and markets.

We each had a glass. The Missus relaxing, I wrote a blog post.

We stored the rest of the wine for tomorrow.

I was sure that it was going to be another full one. And I'd need a nightcap for sure!

Thanks for reading!

Breakfast Revisits – Zarlitos Family Restaurant, Elijah’s Restaurant & Delicatessen, and Poke Etc

July 19, 2017 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Filipino Restaurants, Local Kine Stuffs in San Diego, Poke, Sisig

A couple of breakfast revisits.

Zarlitos Family Restaurant:

It's already been established that Zarlitos is the Missus's favorite breakfast stop. Basically, it's poke for breakfast. And the Missus can sometimes put away a pound of this stuff.

I however, had to still work and find the perfect breakfast counter-point. It became a real "Goldilocks" type of moment. No, not that Goldilocks; this Goldilocks!

The first time…well, I just had to try the sisig. But man, this was way to sour for breakfast.

As a whole not too bad in terms of sisig; but I wanted a bit more spice. The pork was crisp and not overly chewy, but it was just missing something….and perhaps was not the best choice for breakfast.

On another note; a friend sent me a bunch of postings last month….apparently Anthony Bourdain anointed Sisig as the next big thing. I dunno, I think my first post on sisig was way back in April, 2006. Hey, even an old fuddy-duddy unhip food blogger enjoys a moment where one of his favorites dishes; one with its own category list hits the spotlight. As for the next big thing? Hmm…….

Next visit; I went the ex-pat local boy route…..the Spamsilog.

Man, talk about too much of a good thing……I expected like maybe two slices, max. But this was three fairly substantial slices. Way too much saltiness. Even though the Spam looked undercooked; it was strangely crisp. I think it was dumped in the fryer. In spite of this not working out, I did find part of the equation. First off, I'm not a big fan of the standard garlic rice here…and they do give a lot of rice. I got steamed rice and found that the Missus sharing a good amount of it….and one of my eggs to boot.

So we were at two out of three here…….almost there.

And then I ordered the Chicksilog; the fried chicken quarter, rice, and eggs.

The chicken is simply fried; but the fat has been rendered out from under that crisp skin. It's obviously been double-fried. That skin was nice, light and crisp, with a enjoyable level of greasiness that just goes well with some vinegar…..yes, vinegar is a must as it really cuts the fattiness.

That's two easy-over eggs hiding below the fried chicken. I share one egg and about a third of the rice with the Missus, along with a bit of the chicken….of course She loves that skin dipped in vinegar. I place the egg on top of the rice; break the yolk, and add shoyu.

As Goldilocks said; "this one is just right"…….

Zarlitos Family Restaurant
505 East 8th St.
National City, CA 91950

Elijah’s Restaurant & Delicatessen:

I'd managed to bring back a pound of Schwartz's smoked meat from Montreal and the Missus wanted me to track down some Rye Bread. For some reason; I recalled that Elijah's sold their own rye bread. "AlanH" had also recommended the goulash soup, which was a Wednesday special at Elijah's, so I got there right before 11am on a Wednesday to check it out.

This being a breakfast posts; you can kinda figure out how I fared. The really nice gentleman informed me that they weren't serving the goulash soup at this time.

So I took a look at the menu.

Breakfast I believe is served all day….for some reason the Reuben Omelette ($10.95) jumped out at me. So I ordered it. Man, talk about a load of food.

And to be perfectly honest; I kinda enjoyed it…….slight sour and crunch from the sauerkraut; sliced corned beef added meatiness and saltiness, the Swiss cheese a blanket of milky comfort, and for some reason Russian Dressing…..now, when I used to work in a restaurant during my younger days; we added a dollop of mayonnaise to our scrambled eggs for extra richness…here it's the ketchup in the dressing, along with the mild acidity from the cheese that really helped things along.

The potatoes were nicely fried and seasoned….the Missus really likes the potatoes here, so I saved most of it for Her. Along with half the omelette which I had later on for dinner.

So I struck out on the goulash soup, but didn't do badly at all.

Elijah’s Restaurant & Delicatessen
7061 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

Poke Etc:

I know poke at Zarlitos and Longanisa at Poke Etc? What can I say? I'd actually been wanting to try the Ilocano Longanisa, something that I haven't had since my days "back home". Like I mentioned in my Poke Etc post last year. My Filipino friends back home were Ilocano and that was the type of longanisa I was used to. Man, when I had my first Longsilog here on the mainland!

Anyway; the Ilocano Longanisa here comes with eggs and rice, with an amazing price of $4.95! So finally, a year later, I made my way back and ordered it.

For some reason I expected easy over eggs; but man, that's a lot of eggs and longanisa for five bucks. The eggs weren't seasoned and were on the gummy side. The rice was better than on my previous visits. Maybe because it was 10 in the morning. Something was not right with the longanisa; I'm used to garlic hints with a sour, vinegar bite….but these tasted, well, almost rancid, bitterness. It also smelled kind of strange…..sort of cheesy…which I love in cheese….but not quite here. I'd actually taken this home before eating or I'd ask the really nice woman about it. So basically decided to cut my losses.

I'll probably go back to the poke here during future visits.

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

First and Last Meals in Portland – the Mekong Bistro; Dar Salam

July 18, 2017 ed fromyuma Cambodian Restaurants and Cuisine, Iraqi Food and Restaurants, Portland, Oregon, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

Kirk and Cathy get a day off today as Ed wants to talk about his and Tina’s first and last meals in Portland.

On our trip, we flew into Portland and out of Portland, but the lion’s share of our visit was spent on the road going to Central Oregon, Southern Oregon, and the Oregon coast. After we flew in and before we flew out, we had the same problem, we wanted to eat somewhere close to our motel and to PDX.

Mekong Bistro:

The area along 82^nd Ave. in East Portland is a treasure trove of small restaurants of various ethnicities. Intrigued by the thought of Cambodian food, we found the Mekong just off 82^nd:

The restaurant was a large space with an inviting bar, though not very busy on this Monday night:

The menu was huge, a whole page of happy hour specials, and several pages of Cambodian, Lao, Thai, and Vietnamese choices. Of course, we wanted to focus on the Cambodian, but first, to take the edge off our appetites, we ordered chicken wings off the happy hour specials:

A real winner. Fresh from the fryer, crust perfectly crunchy, meat tender, moist, and flavorful. Though almost too hot to handle, we couldn’t stop ourselves from munching away. The dipping sauce was meh, mostly sweet, but nothing could detract from the wings themselves.

Our first bowl of Cambodian soup was sour pork and watercress:

Okay, that’s a pretty lousy picture; this’ll give you a better idea of what was in the soup:

The rich broth had a complex sour profile and the pork and watercress were well cooked, but not overcooked.

The sweet and sour fish soup had different flavors:

This photo shows many of the ingredients:

Bean sprouts, greens, squash, pineapple, and perfectly cooked excellent quality fish. The fish had no off or muddy flavors, tasted very fresh, and had been lightly grilled or fried so that the pieces of the filet stayed together. Really excellent.

The soups had come with a small bowl of ordinary rice, and the bill – gotta love no sales tax in Oregon – was quite reasonable:

Our friendly waitress, who was Lao, explained that the bistro is owned by a Cambodian/Lao couple, which helps explain the wide range of menu items. I would happily go back and wish I had an opportunity to work through more of the menu.

Mekong Bistro, 8200 NE Siskiyou, Portland, OR 97220; (503) 265-8972.

Dar Salam

Looking for our last Portland meal, Tina found Dar Salam, pointed out it had good ratings and that we hadn’t had Middle Eastern food anywhere on the trip. Sounded good to me and the restaurant looked inviting that morning in a modest neighborhood on NE Alberta:

We were early, no doubt the first customers of the day, and were both impressed by the pictures and memorabilia of Iraq that covered two walls of the restaurant:

Looking at the photos closest to us, you can see a wide range of vistas and individuals in Iraq. So many of the images seem to have a personal meaning and there was a poignancy just looking at the decor. It reminded me that exile from one’s friends, family, and native land is often very sad. Americans picture Iraq the way we see it on TV, full of violence, dust, rubble, and chaos. It wasn’t always like that:

Tina and I each ordered a soup. Her chickpea and onion soup (leblebi) was wonderful and healthy, flavors brightened by lemon juice:

I had the adis, an extremely smooth soup based on red lentils spiced with garlic and zatar:

Both soups were outstanding.

A large warm pita bread arrived next:

The joys of fresh Middle Eastern flatbreads. I pity those poor people (like us in Yuma) buying their pita bread in Kroger’s or Albertson’s. The bread came with a small bowl of all of olive oil and zatar:

Truth be told, neither Tina nor I used much of the flavored oil because the mezza plate showed up:

We loved it. The tzatziki was fresh and tangy. The hummus smooth and perfectly flavored. The baba ghanouj was perfect, extremely smoky and extremely flavorful. Good enough for a close-up:

The falafel was crunchy, rustic, and flavorful:

Overall the meal was as good as I could imagine. A perfect expression of Iraqi cuisine. Everything is prepared from scratch by the owner and his mother, truly prepared with love. I wish I could return and explore the whole menu.

And the bill was downright cheap:

Dar Salam, 2921 NE Alberta St., Portland, OR 97211, (503) 206 – 6148.

The Fancy Fish (Mira Mesa)

July 17, 2017 Cathy Seafood, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, a blog with postings about places in San Diego and beyond, focused on food. Kirk, Ed(from Yuma) and Cathy usually write here. Today, Cathy is at the helm.

It was late March, or maybe April and I was on Mira Mesa Boulevard at the corner with HMart, Daiso, In-n-Out, The Kebab Shop, Go Go Sushi and Ramen and many other places and noticed new signage. Finally, The Mister and I had a chance to stop here; glad we did. Walk in, order, pay. Find a seat and your food will be delivered. Platters, salads, bao and tapas. Everything customizable and made to order. Could be plain, could be fancy.

Customizable: 1. Choose the VIP (very important protein): tilapia, white fish, tofu, swordfish, shrimp, jumbo shrimp, salmon, mani mani, chicken, catfish, albacore or ahi., pick the preparation, pick a sauceWe have tried a variety of offerings already.

2. Choose a style of preparation:Fried, pan cooked, grilled or steamed.

3. Choose a sauce: Cajun dry rub, honey dijon, cilantro lime, lemongrass satay, curry, creamy sriracha, teriyaki, sweet and sour, garlic butter, toasted sesame, hoisin. Each of these sauces are made in house and each that we've tried has been delicious.

4. 5. 6. Choose a salad mix, salad dressings and sides.

Really, many decisions to be made…this is why it's a long post. We needed to figure out what we liked and wanted more of for future visits. We have tried all the preparation styles, which is the focus of this post.
There are a variety of seating areas, some with a great view of the open kitchen. Let's start with fried. The first time here, trying the whitefish platter ($9)with a salad and slaw as the sides- a large piece of fish, perfectly fried. Salad dressing made here, a good ranch. Here's a closeup of the lemongrass satay sauce. There's a touch of heat in it, and it is good. The Seafood Sampler ($9) is interesting in that each seafood is prepared with a different batter for frying. Calamari , Shrimp (wrapped in rice paper), fish bites, shrimp chips and fries. I do so appreciate a good fry. The Bao; "Asian tacos' on the menu. This one is soft shell crab ($6) (it is $4 on Tuesdays). Cute how the Fancy Fish branding is on each fresh made, steamy bun. Shrimp (crispy or grilled ($5.50, $3 on Tuesday) great, large, different than the shrimp on the Sampler. Grilled chicken and grilled fish (an a 'light meal' visit ($5/$5.50). Again, really nice and a different preparation. The bao are filling!

The seared ahi tuna salad ($12) with cilantro lime dressing. Wonderful, fresh, good ratio of tuna to salad. Will order again.
Grilled tilapia ($10) this was meaty steak and really good. Shrimp chips and salad as sides made this a 'healthier' choice.

That first photo of this trio is of the steamer. The whitefish steamed with lemongrass satay was recommended by the owner…we had to. We did ask for the sauce on the side, but usually the fish is steamed with the sauce. Choosing the grilled zucchini and cole slaw made this another nice meal. Both of us really liked this preparation of the fish.

All in all, a great way to get exactly what you want. Great service, nice people and great food.

The Fancy Fish 9430 Mira Mesa Blvd #5B San Diego 92126 (858) 586-6228 Website Open Sun-Thurs 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri-Sat 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

Sunday Sandwiches – Carve Modern Deli & Beer

July 16, 2017 mmm-yoso Sandwiches

**** Carve has closed

A few month back, I recall hearing about a place named "Carve". When I asked the person where this was, he said, "Aero Drive". Aero Drive? My old office used to be fairly close by and I don't remember anything named Carve; Aero Deli, yes…. B&B Catering….yes….

A few days later, I had a meeting at that old location, and lo' and behold….Carve.

The shop is located in the new, rather Mission Valley looking Corsair Apartment complex on Aero Drive. Man, the place just seemed to have popped up overnight. And while there doesn't seem to be much parking….there's a ton of retail spaces in the garage as well.

The shop is wide open; high ceilings, the de rigueur wooden paneling. The menu features, seven burgers/sandwiches, four salads, three "make-a-plate" items, "shared plates" (think appetizers), and craft beer. If you think hipster….well, you might be close. The cheapest sandwich on the menu is $10.95, which easily puts it in the same category as BFD, Ike' Place, and SuperNatural Sandwiches.

In terms of sandwiches; if you're not looking for a burger; it's two pastrami, three turkey, and one "catch of the day".

So, I went with Carve 'Strami ($11.95), you get either chips for free, or you can sub out slaw (+$1) or fries (+$2). I just went with the chips.

I really liked the home made chips; just enough salt, crisp, with good potato flavor. As for the sandwich, the bun was nice; perhaps a bit too "buttery" for me, but very soft. There was a good amount of tender smoked brisket pastrami; very smokey, a bit too salty, and too lean. Perhaps ordering this was pretty bad timing because I'd just got back from Montreal and had the smoked meat at Schwartz's….you know; this one.

The bacon was too hard; but fine. I'd have preferred more Dijon Mustard and pickles to cut the richness and do without the Mornay sauce which brought nothing to this sandwich.

Still, not bad, so I went back a few days later. This time I ordered the Turkey Jam ($10.95) with Fries ($2).

I really liked the flavor of the fries, which we nicely seasoned, but they didn't even hold up for the 10 minute drive back to the office.

As for the sandwich? The ciabatta was decently toasted and wasn't too chewy or hard as this type of roll tends to be in San Diego. The turkey was on the dry side and pretty bland; which would usually open the door for the fig jam. which was really mild and needed more "umph". The brie was also quite mild, but did add a small amount of acidity. I thought that there's wasn't enough greens on this sandwich and wish the horseradish sauce was more pungent.

The folks I ate with all said that they thought the sandwiches were on the skimpy side; but I thought these were more than enough for me. They also thought the prices were on the high side, which, based on places I put into the same sandwich category (see the beginning) I sort of agree with. Still, it's nice to see places like this popping up and I'm sure the folks who live around here must enjoy having places like this in their 'hood.

I did try the salads; but that's another post, stay tuned for that.

Also, "greens and plates" are only served from 11am – 3pm; shared plates from 3pm – 7pm, and sandwiches from 11am to 7pm, there are breakfast options from 8am – 11am. Whew.

Carve Modern Deli & Beer (In the Broadstone Corsair)
8583 Aero Dr
San Diego, CA 92123
Hours:
Mon – Fri 8am – 7pm
Sat 11am – 3pm
Closed Sunday