mmm-yoso – Page 225 – 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.

Nagoya – Morning Service, Yanagibashi Market, and Shikemichi Historic District

May 22, 2017 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Japan, Markets & Grocers, Nagoya, Travel

After hiking part of the Nakasendo Trail from Magome to Tsumago the day before; I was kinda bushed. The Missus though; was ready to go. She decided that we needed to check out Nagoya Castle. And we'd be walking there. As we crossed thru Nagoya Station, we noticed that even at around 730 on a Saturday morning, folks were milling around the "Golden Clock" right across from Takashimaya. This is the most popular meeting spot in Nagoya Station.

As we crossed the street and headed down Sakura-Dori; I spied this place on the lower level of one of the buildings.

The sign said "Morning Set – 390"; that's 390 Yes; about $3.50 for coffee and a small breakfast; something known as "Morning Service" and was created in Nagoya. We had first enjoyed at Komeda Coffee in Kamakura. Heck, we even splurged and got some "green juice" with our meal.

Which was just 100 Yen more. It was a satisfying start to the day.

Pronto Caffe & Bar
4-6-17 Meieki
Nakamura-ku, Nagoya

On one of the corners, the Missus pointed out a bit of hustle and bustle down a side street. It looked to be a market. I then remembered that Taka-san from Taisho had written down Yanagibashi Market as being a place we should check out in Nagoya.

It was indeed Yanagibashi Market; though things looked fairly calm when we arrived. Except for the 24 hour ramen stand…….

Since we weren't in any rush we spent some time wandering around the market.

I love checking out markets when we travel…….

The Missus ended up spending a couple of hundred bucks on tea during this trip. When the really nice guy running this tea shop waved us in….he knew what he was doing as he plied us with samples.

And the Missus ended up buying a couple of bags of tea from him.

Yanagibashi Central Market
4-11-3 Meieki
Nakamura-ku, Nagoya

For some reason, we took a left before the river. I was told to cross the Gojo Bridge on my way to Nagoya Castle, so we went down a street before the river.

A few blocks in we came across this shrine.

This is the Fuji Sengen Shrine.

We had noticed that the structures and the character of the street had completely changed.

According to the sign, this is Shikemichi Historic District.

When Nagoya Castle was being rebuilt in 1610; Tokugawa Ieyasu commanded that all the inhabitants of the previous seat of the Owari Clan, the city of Kiyosu move to Nagoya. So from I read all Sixty Thousand plus people moved to Nagoya. Moving houses, shrines, temples….everything.

This district is where the merchants used to live.

Several of the large buildings look interesting.

As do the windows. The street is also wider than in most historic districts.

In 1700, there was a huge fire which they called Genroku-no-Taika destroyed over 1600 structures and 15 temples and shrines. When planning the rebuilding of the city; Tokugawa Yoshimichi decided to widen the streets to a width of Four Ken, which depending on which source of conversion you use is about 23 feet wide as a firebreak.

So; "michi" means street; "shi" is four…..you get Shikemichi.

There are some nice little shops and cafes on the street; though most were still closed when we walked through

I'm not sure why we took the turns that we did. But I'm glad we did as we ran into things like this interesting looking shrine sitting on the roof of this building. According to the sign; these Shinto Rooftop Shrines are called "Yanegami" whose purpose is to ward off disease and disasters.

I hadn't really read much about historical Nagoya and folks I asked about the city really didn't tell me much in terms of history. So running into places like Shikemichi just adds that much more to things.

Soon enough we came to an intersection with modern buildings all around. To the left was the place we were looking for; the Gojo Bridge whose history dates back to 1610. The current structure was built in 1938.

We headed across the bridge; then left in the direction of Nagoya Castle. But who knows what would happen when we took a left after crossing the bridge? After all; we took a random left turn and ended up in Shikemichi!

Thanks for reading!

Lunch at Okan Diner

May 21, 2017 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants

I recently noticed that Okan Diner was open for lunch. Since my first visits in March, I'd pretty much left the place alone. What I had was decent to pretty good; but I thought the prices were a bit on the high side. Now that the place was open for lunch, I was interested in checking out if anything had changed.

You see; I really don't think a $17 Kamameshi for lunch would be sustainable.

I was happy to find a lunch menu; the prices weren't too bad; though, based on the udon I'd had during a previous visit; those prices still seemed a bit high.

Still, it was nice to see a simple set of lunch specials. Picking one out was easy; the Katsu-Ni ($11.50).

Think of it as being Katsudon; without everything poured over rice……….though I wished that they perhaps did donburi instead of these types of preparation….it would be in character of a "diner" in my mind.

Overall, I thought the focus of the meal was well prepared. The sauce had a nice balance of salty to sweet. The onions were tender; though I enjoy having some scallions as well. The tonkatsu was tender and still crisp, a very important thing when it comes to these type of dishes. The egg was a bit overcooked and not "fluffy" enough for my taste, but that's splitting hairs. I did see the dish sit on the counter for a while, so perhaps that had something to do with things. The rice was perfect for this dish; though again, I prefer it saturated with sauce…..but no complaints here. The miso soup was decent, not too watery, not too salty. The side dishes….well, I expect more than mass produced seaweed salad and bland moyashi. This after all; carries the Okan banner and even at lunch the sides are at the least interesting.

So therein lies the problem for me. This place is even more expensive than having my favorite lunch at Okan. And it's not nearly as completely good….notice I said completely. It is still good, but hasn't quite hit the mark yet. Perhaps they are still finding their footing?

I hope so.

Okan Diner
5430 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117
Open Daily
1130am – 2pm
5pm – 1030pm

Burgundy – From Dijon to Beaune, with Visits to Les Halles, Gallet Traiteur, and Fromager Alain Hess

May 20, 2017 mmm-yoso Burgundy, Cheese, France, French Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Travel

Our train for Beaune would not be leaving until noon, so we decided to wander around Les Halles, Dijon's market hall. On this morning; things were very quiet.

We picked up a slice of Jambon En Croute and a really good baguette at one of the bakeries north of the market.

While walking near Chez Leon we came across this little shop. The friendly young ladies were basically "waving us in".

A Traiteur is basically a take-out/catering company. We kind of got the feeling that this shop was celebrating its grand opening. Quite a few people entered after we walked in.

We were tempted by the Foie Gras items; but went with a few "salads".

Gallet Traiteur
10, rue des Godrans
21000 Dijon, France

The train ride from Dijon to Beaune takes less than 20 minutes. We managed to polish off half the baguette and some of the Jambon en Croute while waiting for the train.

We arrived at the quaint train station in Beaune; went and made arrangements for a rental car to picked up later in the day, and walked down the street and to our apartment inside the city walls of the "old town". I was instantly smitten by the town. It helps that we loved our accommodations. The unit's owner was a lovely, cheerful, and friendly woman. And the place had everything we could have needed or wanted….even an "honor system" wine cellar.

It was a bit too cold to eat outside; but man, we would have loved eating outside if the weather was warmer.

The location was fantastic as while it wasn't in the middle of everything, it was a mere block away or so. The place was peaceful and quiet, yet close to things. The perfect combination.

Speaking of close to things; once we dropped off our bags, the Missus was ready to go. The old town is fairly compact, the main business here is wine, in fact Beaune is considered Burgundy's "Capital of Wine" as many of the wine producers actually store their wine in Beaune. The big event in this town is the is the annual Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction, which takes place in November.

We walked almost diagonally across the old town.

Passing thru the ramparts on other side and across the "ring road" and over a stream.

To a beautiful park that looked like something out of a painting.

This is Parc de la Bouzaise.

That seems to be a favorite of both our two legged and four legged friends.

It seemed like the duck knew that this was their property as they displayed little fear of humans and dogs.

Near the edge of the park you see a fence.

Walk through the opening in the fencing and you'll be rewarded with this beautiful sight.

Yes, this is wine country indeed…the Cote de Beaune. Walk to your left a bit and you are ground zero of Beaune Les Teurons.

The map shows how the land is divided up; many of the "clos" (plots) have belonged to the same family since medieval times.

You can walk along the vineyards and feel like you are viewing a real life Impressionist painting.

As we walked up the hill above Beaune, folks in the vehicles actually smiled and waved to us…..as if to say "welcome"…..

Walking back into town, we stopped near the central square.

When we were in Dijon; I noticed a truck delivering cheese to several businesses….with the name Alain Hess printed on the side. After a quick "Google check"; Fromagerie Hess became a "must stop" on my list. Right off the main square (Place Carnot) is the shop.

It is a very busy shop….with cheese, charcuterie, and other products on the ground floor.

And wine and cheese tastings in the basement.

We bought cheese, foie gras, and a nice bottle of wine for a late lunch.

Fromagerie Hess
7 Place Carnot
21200 Beaune, France

Back at the apartment, we had a late lunch.

Which featured the bounty of what we had collected during the day. The champignons from Gallet Traiteur was quite good, though the puy lentils were much too salty and hard. The foie gras terrine from Alain Hess was amazing; great smooth liver flavors, yet rich, it was very good. And a nice crisp, but not too buttery white.

This was a nice meal.

Which kind of displayed how good the food can be, even when self-catering in France.

COMC – Menya Ultra Ramen, Tribute Pizza, China Max, and ‘Dem Bones (again) at Pho Duyen Mai

May 18, 2017 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Gastropub, Japanese Restaurants, Pho, Ramen

It's time to C(lear) O(ut) the M(emory) C(ard). Here are a bunch of photos…and not many words.

Menya Ultra Ramen:

Perfect noodles, excellent ajitama……broth still not quite as good as when they first opened.

Still the best ramen in San Diego in my opinion.

Menya Ultra Ramen
8199 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

Tribute Pizza:

Happy Hour on Tuesday to Friday from 4-6pm.

Sea Salt Foccacia with 'Nduja (of course). The Missus really enjoyed the wood fired veggies on the charcuterie board; which comes with its own "Foccacia of the Day". This time it was an "Everything Bagel" version. Our favorite so far was the Cheddar with Chives…..

Tribute Pizza
3077 N Park Way
San Diego, CA 92104

China Max:

In search of more quiet time. I did miss the Missus though.

She usually has most of the seafood. All I really wanted were the noodles.

China Max
4698 Convoy Street #C101
San Diego, CA 92111

Pho Duyen Mai:

**** Pho Duyen Mai is under new ownership

Yes it's "Them Bones" again. I actually got busy too quickly and forgot to take a photo until I'd scraped all the meat off the beef ribs.

Though the actual star of the show was this little guy. Who waited patiently, leash in mouth while his mommy finished lunch. What an awesome pooch! Amazing! I couldn't help but tell his owner how impressed I was with his focus.

Pho Duyen Mai
5375 Kearny Villa Rd
San Diego, CA 92123

Hope you're having a great week!

Revisits to Places I’ve Never Done Posts On – Thai House

May 17, 2017 mmm-yoso Thai Restaurants

**** Thai House has closed

Here's another in the series of revisits to places I've never done posts on. There was life "BB" (Before Blogging) and there were places that were perhaps on our rotation during those days, but were removed from the list before we started things back in May of 2005. Thai House was one of these. Back when I was doing consulting work here in San Diego in the late 90's, I'd drop by Thai House every so often. Yes, the food was "Ameri-Thai", but it was prepared decently, and the flavors were ok. But somewhere around 2002-2003 we had a string of really terrible meals here and just never looked back. And yet, as I was walking to my car after having lunch at Szechuan Chef a few weeks ago. I saw Thai House; perhaps looking a bit worse for wear and thought that perhaps it was time for a meal there.

Man, it's been around fifteen years since I last set foot in this place. And from the Pepto-Bismol pink, to the outdated banquet chairs……Thai House is kind of showing its age.

Still, the Servers here are very friendly, and they seemed to know most of the customers coming in to eat…regulars I guess…..and not a single Asian among them. I felt kind of out of place.

Still, I went forward, full speed ahead. I recalled that Thai House used to prepare their own duck, so I went with the (not so) "Crazy Duck", basically a duck larb (heat level 8) and the dish that will often give me a clue as to the stir-frying skills of the cook, Pad See Ew.

The Duck Larb was barely ok; too much lime, not enough spice (more like a 3-4), and the flavor of the duck was quite mild and the texture pretty hard, not chewy, hard.

The Pad See Ew was not cooked well.

As you can tell; no "wok hay", the noodles were mushy, telling me that it was cooked at too low a temperature for too long a time. It was too salty, with not enough sweetness to balance things out. The chicken was dry and all of this together made the dish seem greasy, when it really wasn't.

So, the photos just kinda sat for a while….I was on the fence about doing this post. So I decided to give Thai House another try….something simple from the typical "pick the protein, pick the prep" items on the menu. I was leery about ordering chicken here again and really didn't want to try my luck at having something with beef. Again, knowing they roasted the duck inhouse made me go ahead with the Duck with Hot Basil.

This was also pretty mediocre; though not as bad as what I last had at AppeThai.

Again, this was more like a saute than a stir-fry; so I guess that's the M.O. here. I appreciated the asparagus, but the sauce was again very salty, and it was super watery….the ingredients should be glazed; not overly sauced. The duck was fairly decent; though on the chewy side. Not enough basil and definitely not an "8" on the heat scale.

I guess in the end; this "style" of Thai food is not my thing. At least for me; Thai House hasn't aged well. Though perhaps for some, at least the "regulars" who seem to come here all the time (the Servers know what folks are going to order), there is comfort in what Thai House serves. And the Servers have a nice rapport with these folks.

But heck; like Karihan and the Godfather it was interesting to revisit after all these years. Though I think it'll be quite a while before I'm back here.

Thai House
4225 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

SGV: Sea Harbour Dim Sum; Norton Simon Art; Nha Trang Soups

May 16, 2017 ed fromyuma Bun Bo Hue, Chinese Restaurants, Dim Sum, Los Angeles County, Vietnamese Restaurants, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

Kirk and Cathy both work too hard, so today they're letting Ed (from Yuma) post here.

I recently wrote about seafood dinners Tina and I had on our first and last evenings in the San Gabriel Valley. This post is about the day in between.

That Saturday began just after 10 AM at Sea Harbour where we were seated immediately and asked what kind of tea we wanted. We hadn't thought about that so we went along with Jasmine which showed up quickly on our table:

It was pleasant, but our minds were on dim sum. We ordered items we had not had before, so no pork ribs, chicken feet, or shu mai. Instead, look at this pork and shrimp dumpling with truffle sauce:

Truffle flavors dominated. The shrimp and pork provided more texture than flavor – and that was fine with us.

The ox tendon and tripe in brown sauce was full of tender chewy tripe and tendon seasoned with five spice:

A lot of tendon and tripe. We both enjoyed our first few pieces, but this was one of those dishes where we could have used more pairs of chopsticks at the table. Too much of a good thing.

Tina had suggested baked mixed mushroom custard tart:

This was very tasty, full of mushroom flavors. The textures were perfect. The pastry was light and flaky, and the filling had little bits of crunch amid easy chewing slices of button mushrooms:

We also ordered the shrimp, dried scallop, and Chinese celery dumpling:

Kirk really enjoyed this dumpling on one of his visits to Sea Harbour, so we wanted to try it. He's right, the wrapper is faultless and the filling flavors spot on, the celery balancing the seafood:

On the other hand, I was surprised that Kirk never mentioned the steamed preserved salted egg yolk bun, which arrived looking pretty ordinary:

But inside was sweet gooey egg yolk:

The overall effect was like a warm rich sweet egg custard. The only problem I had was egg yolk squirting out of the bun when I bit into it. That could make for messy eating.

We thoroughly enjoyed the meal. Sea Harbour lived up to its reputation, and the price seemed reasonable:

Sea Harbour Restaurant, 3939 Rosemead Blvd., Rosemead, CA 91770, (626) 288-3939

After dim sum, we headed up to the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena (website). As you'd expect, it has a modern and attractive entrance:

Our friend Penny recommended it, and we are very glad she did (thanks Penny). Though we did detour to find Adam and Eve by Cranach, we concentrated on modern art. There were five van Goghs on display including masterpieces like this portrait:

And even more Picassos:

We also enjoyed a special exhibit of works collected by Galka Scheyer, the art impresario who introduced modern art and artists (including Kandinsky and Klee) to California. While the Norton Simon is not on the scale of LACMA or the Getty, it is an impressive collection.

Norton Simon Museum, 411 West Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena, California 91105, (626) 449-6840

We wanted something simple and low-key for dinner. Vietnamese noodle soup sounded just about right, and Nha Trang – which specializes in bun bo hue and bun rieu – had a location about a mile from our hotel. It all seemed easy, we had no trouble finding a parking place, and then we realized it was closed (who knows why). So Tina's smart phone located another Nha Trang in Alhambra, not too far away:

Again we were eating early and were the first customers of the evening:

The small menu was printed on the placemats:

In addition to soups, we ordered eggrolls that were quite good, savory and crispy fried:

Originally there were more. They were served with lettuce and fresh herbs:

I only wish they had arrived before our soups, though we did manage somehow to eat all of them.

The soups came with a generous plate of shredded lettuce and red cabbage, lime wedges, bean sprouts, and abundant fresh herbs:

Really fresh herbs, bunches.

I got bun rieu:

It was decent with nice seafood pork tomato broth. Compared with the version at Mien Trung, however, it fell a little short. The broth wasn't quite as stellar, and the tofu wedges were dense and chewy. The crab/pork meatballs were fine and flavorful, but I missed the light chunks of crab cake (?) at Mien Trung.

On the other hand, the thin noodles were well prepared and those abundant herbs really stood out when added to the soup. Took it to another level.

Tina had the bun bo hue:

Excellent. Lots of beef, tender and flavorful. The pork was represented by chunks of pig foot, which Tina enjoyed gnawing. The thick noodles, not all clumped together, were nearly al dente with a firm bite. The spicy heat got our attention, but was not overwhelming. While the broth was not especially beefy, it had a preternaturally dark brown color. All in all, a very good bowl.

We were looking for a low-key dinner with good Vietnamese noodle soups. And we found it.

Nha Trang, 417 W. Main St., Alhambra, CA 91801 (626) 588-2833.

Mekong Cuisine Lao and Thai

May 15, 2017 mmm-yoso Lao Restaurants, Thai Restaurants

**** You can find updated posts here and here

I'm not sure why I waited so long to visit. I recall seeing the new sign back in March of last year. Perhaps it was because Sang Deuan really never satisfied my craving for Lao food, even though it was fairly close to work.

Recently, for some reason, I've been craving Lao and Thai food….especially Lao…man, has it already been 8 years since we visited Laos? For some reason, Laos, especially Luang Prabang really got to me.

So, I decided to finally visit Mekong on one recent, bright, sunny day.

To get a measure of if I should go more toward the Thai or Lao side of the menu; I asked the Server, a very nice woman, who told me the family (I believe she is one of the owners) who runs this restaurant is Lao.

So in looking over the menu, I noticed a couple of my favorite Lao dishes, which I ordered.

Of course, I started with some Nem Khao, which was a very large portion.

Good lord, this was a lot of food. In terms of flavor, it was not bad; there was a slight touch of coconut something that some Lao restaurants don't include in their Nam Khao, but my favorite version that I had in Vientiane had in spades. The amount of herbs in this was decent, though it was really fried too hard…..almost all fried, so it lacked that textural contrast that makes versions, like the one at Vientiane Thai Laos in Garden Grove enjoyable. The rice was way too hard and the pieces of sour sausage, while quite large, would have been better chopped smaller, thus spreading the flavor thru the whole dish.

Mok Pa, fish cooked in banana leaves is another of my favorite Lao dishes; I make a steamed version at home, though I learned to make it on a brazier (Tao-Lo) in Luang Prabang.

The flavoring of this was good, nice dill, kaffir lime leaf, perhaps a bit short in spice. The fish was very moist; but the quality of fish wasn't to my liking as the flavor was very muddy.

Still, this was a decent meal; in terms of flavor, it was pretty close. I also noticed that there were several tables of Lao as I left….they ordered Lao dishes….everyone else; Thai. That set the stage for my next visit.

I had noticed that two tables had ordered the Sai Ou (Sai Ua), the Lao style pork sausage that is usually full of herbs. So I made sure to order it.

And of course I got some sticky rice. Man, this sausage was very good. The casing had been browned nicely and was crisp; the porkiness was very distinct, I loved the lemongrass flavor in this. The tamarind based sauce isn't really needed, but it does add another dimension. I took the leftovers home and the Missus loved it and the well prepared stick rice as well. From this point on; I'd order this on every visit; sometimes also having an extra order to go as well.

Unfortunately, the Mok Nor Mai didn't fare as well.

This steamed bamboo shoot dish really lacked flavor, though it did have the gooiness of something that's made with yanang juice. The earthy flavor of the bamboo shoots really needed a bit of heat, shallots, fish sauce, lemongrass, or something else to bring things together.

Next visit; well more sausage of course……

And the Lao version of Papaya Salad, which is usually a lot spicier and more pungent due to using Padaek and fermented crab.

This was fine; we'd ordered a heat level 3 on a scale of 1 to 5, not taking any chances, and should have gone up a bit. Not too bad; a bit of fermented funkiness, for some reason the papaya didn't seem as crisp as I prefer; but I'd have this again. I think of Lao papaya salad as being more savory than refreshing and this was a tweener.

Finally, on my last visit….well sausage of course; but I was curious about the Nam Tok. This was basically the See Nam Tok that I've had a local Lao places.

Basically, seasoned, seared beef, served with a sauce. Years ago, Asia Cafe made a decent version of See Nam Tok. I expected the beef to be on the chewy side and it was; the beef didn't seem to be seasoned, as it usually would have some lime, salt, lemongrass, or the like. The dipping sauce was quite weak; though it wasn't bitter as I'd experienced the last time I had this dish. Though bitter wouldn't have been bad since I enjoyed the flavor it added. Still this, while being quite a generous portion was very mild for my taste….I probably just enjoy the Thai style Neua Nam Tok I make at home a bit more.

Still….there's that sausage and the really nice folks here. Plus, I still haven't ordered anything from other than the first two pages of the menu…perhaps when the weather cools down I'll have some Khao Piak…and maybe, just maybe, It'll take me back to that little hawker booth located at the end of the Fresh Market in Luang Prabang. A lofty goal for sure….but one can always hope.

Mekong Cuisine Lao and Thai
3904 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111
Hours:
Tues – Thur 11am – 9pm
Fri – Sat 11am – 10pm
Sunday 11am – 9pm

Vancouver – The Capilano Suspension Bridge, Anime Revolution, and Other “Stuffs”

May 13, 2017 mmm-yoso Beer, Caffeine Fix, Canada, Travel, Vancouver, Canada

Night seemed to fall rather suddenly as we walked back to our AirBnB after dinner at Miku. We decided to stroll around a bit and since we had just arrived that afternoon, familiarize ourselves with the surrounding area.

One thing we found interesting was that there was an H Mart on the corner of the block we were staying on. In the middle of downtown!

Something I'd imagine in, say Seoul, but not here.

I decided to relax by having a beer and there was a liquor store a block or so down the street. We decided to stop and see what they had to offer.

And this is where we really started noticing we were "in Canada". One of my coworkers loves to make Canadian jokes…..not joking about lack of cognitive ability, but joking about how nice Canadians are. As I noted in my first Vancouver post, my good friend married a Canadian, and my first trip outside of the state of Hawaii was to Canada for his wedding. I've seen the good natured "niceness" first hand. As much as it seems to be a stereotype, I'd say it's true. So what does that have to do with this liquor store? Well…..let me tell you:

So we're looking over the local beer selection and I pick something out. I walk to the register and the guy behind the counter waves at one of the "customers" in the store and tells him; "sir….sir, please leave. You always steal from us, so please leave." The guy, replied in a rather high pitched irate voice while lifting his shirt, "no….no…..I never steal from you…..how dare you!" And continues mumbling as he exits the shop. The guy then sighs and tells me, "I don't know how many times we've caught him stealing from us." I pay for my beer and get handed my change when a guy walks in with a bottle of wine in his hand, passes it to the cashier and says, "I saw a gentleman walk out of your store and pull this out of his pants, so I made him give me the bottle." The Missus and I couldn't stop laughing. How do you think the first part of this would play out in San Diego? "Please leave?"

Anyway, the Strange Fellows (I thought it strangely appropriate on this evening) Jongleur Belgian Wit, was light, citrusy, perhaps a bit too sweet, but we both enjoyed it as a nightcap. And I'd be stopping by Viti's Wine and Lager again.

Viti Wine and Lager Liquor Store
900 Seymour St
Vancouver, Canada

The next morning we got up bright and early. The Missus wanted to check out the Capilano Suspension Bridge. and even though there's a free bus from downtown Vancouver, we decided to take the SeaBus to North Vancouver, then take Bus #236.

But first, some coffee.

We decided to stop at this little shop as we headed to the Waterfront Station.

The guy working here was super friendly and chatty.

As we were waiting for our my Americano, he shouted out, "look….look…..all the crazy people are coming out!" We turned and saw folks dressed like Star Trek characters walking down the street. We get Comic-con down here, so the Missus and I shrugged.

Nice place, though all the coffee comes in take-out cups I guess.

Mario’s Coffee Express
595 Howe St
Vancouver, Canada

We got to the Waterfront Station, we had already bought a Daypass, which made all the ferries, trains, buses a breeze.

I enjoy travelling by ferry whenever we can, it gives us a different view of the cities we're staying in.

This one was a very short 15 minute ride.

From there; finding the bus and getting to the bridge was a snap. It was a bright and sunny day; so we knew we'd be enjoying ourselves. Admission ain't cheap; if I recall about $40 per person. But heck, we're on vacation. I bought the tickets ahead of time online.

The bridge itself was originally a hemp rope and cedar planked footbridge built in 1889 by George Grant Mackay. It has since been reconstructed several times; the last I could find was in 1956.

The place was already getting busy when we arrived.

The bridge does give you a slight thrill as it will sway back and forth and the views….well, at least for us, they were great.

There are different "attractions", like the "Treetop Adventure" which takes you above the forest floor.

And the Cliffwalk, a walkway attached to the face of, well, a cliff…..

Beyond all of that; it was just nice to get out and enjoy the sights and sounds……

We enjoyed exploring, but soon enough, it started getting crowded. The speakers over the bridge started blaring messages to not rock the bridge and so forth. It was time to head back.

So we exited and headed out and over to the bus stop. When, in typical Canadian style, one of the young ladies waved us over. She told us that the free shuttle back to the Waterfront was leaving in just a minute, so why not catch that instead of the bus and ferry? You gotta love it!

Back at the Waterfront, the Missus wasn't very hungry yet, so we decided to enjoy the sights……well, these "sights"!

Well….why not?

These folks sure seemed to be in their "element" and having a blast.

I always wonder what their coworkers think? Reminds of once going to a Kiss concert and a woman tapped me on the back as I left. I didn't recognize her until she spoke because of all the gear and make-up. I was shocked, she was one of the toughest, hard-a$$ managers I had to work with…and part of the Kiss Army! You know; I never looked at her the same again……

By now, it was getting kind of warm and the Missus was getting hungry. It was time to grab some lunch.

Thanks for reading!

International Deli and Cafe-first look

May 12, 2017 Cathy European Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! a food blog. Kirk has some interesting things going on at work right now; long hours, not enough time to write any posts. Similarly, Ed (from Yuma) has things going on (in Yuma) and also is using his free time wisely and not posting. Cathy is writing today, using this time as a break from the norm.

In April, I was meeting a client in the dark hours of early morning at Rose Donuts and noticed that Ryan's Cafe had closed, replaced by 'International Cafe and Deli'. A mental note was made and eventually there was time to return for a visit.

Stepping inside, I was greeted with a hearty 'Good Afternoon! Have you ever had Hungarian or Romanian food?" There was some small talk; this location of International Deli is a branch of a longtime (since 2007) Garden Grove Romanian-Hungarian Cafe/Deli. People were driving there from San Diego, asking the owners to please move closer.

I asked about the menu behind the counter and an offer of a sample of mititei (skinless pork/beef sausage) to be cooked for me was made. I began to peruse the small deli and grocery while waiting.   The deli area was intriguing.
As were the various shelf stable choices. There are several seating arrangements in the center of the cafe.   The cooked piece of mititei, two cabanos sausages (dry texture, yet not tough; black pepper is in this smoked pork sausage) and three slices of head cheese(mild, not spicy)(excellent, with tongue and many other meat parts).   The mititei was juicy, plump and mild flavored; pleasant. I will be ordering a sandwich next time.    I also ordered eight slices of homemade smoked bacon ($6.99/lb) It cooked up almost too quickly since there wasn't much fat. Very meaty and well flavored. Smoked meat here is done properly. Langos, a Hungarian flatbread, is offered in both sweet and savory versions. This is the savory version ($6.25), topped with 'everything'- sour cream, garlic, Feta cheese and dill. A fresh made, tasty snack. It can be ordered topped with any deli meat for an additional $1.99- that will make it a meal.
   On the menu board is "Kurtos"– Chimney cake. The available cakes are to the left of the cash register. I had heard of this delicate dessert, but never saw it up close. I had to purchase the walnut version ($6.99)(there are also plain, coconut and almond versions).

The raised dough is wrapped around a metal tube sort of device, rolled in granulated sugar then baked while being basted with butter. So, yes' crisp, yet delicate with a combination of butter/sugar and walnuts; a perfect accompaniment to coffee.

I'll be going back; there's a nice breakfast menu in addition to the sandwiches and flatbread…and deli meats…and desserts.

International Deli and Cafe 5201 Linda Vista Road San Diego 92110 (619) 294-5755 Open Mon-Fri 7-7, Sat-Sun 8-5 website

Dunkin’ Donuts- sandwiches and donuts

May 11, 2017 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix, Desserts, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog. Today, Cathy is writing; Kirk is busy (again) at work and Ed (from Yuma) is enjoying a beautiful spring day (in Yuma).

Its been a busy year so far. Since I tend to not plan ahead much, finding meals is an adventure and quite interesting. When leaving a quick breakfast stop at Winchell's in National City last month, I passed Dunkin' Donuts, two blocks West. Dunkin' began in 1950 in Quincy, Massachusetts and I remember a few locations in the Detroit area when growing up. Nothing stood out in those memories, though.

A mental note was made, research occurred, this location (2139 East Plaza Blvd, National City 91950) is open 24 hours and I had no excuse to not drop in.

Once I noticed one of the many door signs, indicating that "Dunkin' Donuts of San Diego are proudly owned and operated by local disabled military veterans", I felt good that the 'chain' concept was still local. As an aside, the location in Ramona (1410 Main Street, Ramona 92065, phone (760)789-0210, open daily 5 a.m.-10p.m.) is a combined Dunkin'/Baskin Robbins store. Anytime you stop in, a craving can be fulfilled.

So, there's a nice menu board with the third section a good choice of various sandwiches- the breads are Texas toast, croissant, flatbread and ciabatta.
The donut selection comes into full view once you get to the front of the line to order. There's quite a bit of seating in both of the locations I've been to.

The coffee here is very good. I've seen the ads, heard the raves, read about cravings for their coffee, but now know this for myself. For this visit, two basics. The "Big n' Toasted" ($4.29) Two eggs, bacon and cheese on Texas Toast. Wow. Unexpectedly overfilled with bacon, very good. Only ordering a simple grilled cheese ($1.99) and seeing there were two types of cheese on it (Swiss and a mild Cheddar), I 'borrowed' one of the eggs and made that grilled cheese sandwich special. It was really tasty. A side of hash browns (99¢) was a great choice (there were six in the bag; very flavorful with parsley mixed in the potato).
The ham, egg and cheese english muffin ($4.09) was another unexpectedly great choice. The ham, as you can see, is a better quality with thick slices and the sandwich was quite filling. Then there was this. It's right in the center of that third menu board. The 'Pretzel Croissant Breakfast Sandwich' ($3.79). The first two times I was here, the pretzel croissants were sold out. My lucky day, my wonderful breakfast. Crispy exterior; pretzel- topped with large grains of salt- fluffy flaky interior of an excellent croissant, filled with bacon, egg and Swiss. Oh wow, now I have another craving.

The donut choices, overwhelming and although fresh, not overly interesting. Chocolate Butternut and a French Cruller; both pretty basic. Good cake donut topped with 'butternut morsels'-not peanuts- and fresh cruller with egginess of the pastry. Small, just enough to go with coffee. There was a whiteboard of specials inside the Ramona location and a 'peanut butter delight croissant donut' ($2.49) sounded good and tasted better. The peanut butter was mixed with the regular Bavarian Cream filling (so not too sweet) and injected into the 'croissant donut'…which is a delightful conveyor of a crispy, light dessert.

So glad I rediscovered this childhood favorite.

Dunkin' Donuts, multiple locations nationwide Website