Sunday Stuffs: Yakyudori’s Empire Expands with Yakitori Hino, Yet Another Poke Place Opening, and Just in Case You Need Some Camel Milk

Yakitori Hino Coming Soon:

I noticed the "ABC" notice on the window of the former location of Mama's Grill.

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A closer look revealed it's going to be "Yakitori Hino" and the owner is "Yakyudori Inc".

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Interesting…..I'm going to have a bunch of questions for Taka-san next time I'm at Taisho. Though with the owner of RakiRaki opening a Yakitori shop and now this; I'm wondering when we'll hit critical mass.

7420 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

Also, in the Same Strip Mall…..:

A location of the Creamistry is opening.

Coming Creamistry

7420 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

Poki One N Half:

Speaking of critical mass….. Yet another poke (not poki) place.

Poki Half

Yikes…..

This used to be the old Subway location in the same strip mall as Mitsuwa.

8055 Armour St
San Diego, CA 92111

And just in case you need some Camel Milk:

You now get some, albeit frozen at Bristol Farms.

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If you're as curious as I am about camel milk, there's some info here. The Missus was really up for buying some, until She saw the $18.99 price tag…… So maybe you can tell us how it is. I've eaten camel and really didn't think it was that good; but we loved riding them in Tunisia.

Sapporo: Sapporo Noodle Zero and Nijo Market

Our flight from Seoul to New Chitose Airport was perfectly uneventful. The airport is about 30 miles from Sapporo. It might easily be one of my favorite airports….there are a number of shops selling; well, everything! It's not a large airport and easy to maneuver….and good lord, the samples! We ended up buying a load of snacks for my MIL…..so much, that we ended up mailing it Sapporo! As regular readers will know, I'm not much of a snack person, but I was totally taken by this Hokkaido corn snack, which was light, refreshing, and not too sweet. More on that in a later post. After sampling a load of stuff and buying some snacks, we activated our JR Pass and got to Sapporo Station in no time. Our good friend Akiko had made our hotel reservations at the Hotel Monterey Sapporo, telling me that I'm "going to love the breakfast buffet". It was a nice choice, just a five minute walk from the station.

After checking in, freshening up, and relaxing for a bit, we headed out. First stop; the ATM at 7-11, the easiest, most convenient ATMs in Japan. Be it 7-11, Lawson, or whatever; the snack selection and prepared food at these shops are something to be reckoned with.

IMG_4484 IMG_4487In spite of it being close to Thanksgiving, it wasn't too cold….yet! So of course the Missus wanted to walk to our lunch destination. Which wasn't so bad after putting in all those miles walking in Seoul. That's the Sapporo TV Tower located in Odori Park.

Strangely, we didn't come across too many people during our walk….perhaps it was a bit cold? Or perhaps folks were just a lot smarter than us and used the subway, which ran just a block from our hotel.

I'd read about Nijo Market before our trip and it was along the way to our destination so we decided to take a look around.

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Seeing all that seafood and knowing we'd be around here for a couple of days really got the Missus excited.

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The prices were no joke!

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But it did get my heart beating a little faster since I knew we'd be looking for some crab for the Missus…….

The Missus had declared this to be a "discovery of ramen and yakitori" trip. Our last stop before leaving Narita for Seoul was for some Seabura (pork backfat) Ramen at Miyamoto. So it only made sense that we'd try some ramen here in Sapporo. It only made sense that we visit a place famous for what I heard called their "flame torched chashu", Ramen Zero, which, being in the Tanukikoji Shopping Arcade was really easy to find.

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We entered……and of course came across the ramen ticket machine!

IMG_4501  IMG_4499As with most places in Japan, the folks here were really nice……most of the labels didn't have kanji characters, but a young lady came out and we made it through punching the right buttons with a combination of really bad Japanese…at least I know what we wanted and could order it in Japanese……it was a matter of finding the right buttons.

We were in Sapporo; so it was only right that we get a Sapporo Classic "Only in Hokkaido". A light Pilsner, easy to drink, great head, with a sweet finish.

So, like I said, Ramen Zero is known for this……

IMG_4504  IMG_4502Will you look at that piece of pork belly. This obviously wasn't one of those one thin slice of chashu places. I really liked the pork, which was tender, but not falling to pieces, smoky, with a nice pork flavor. The Missus thought they put too much black pepper on the beast. She also got a nicely soft boiled egg and some rice, which was just perfect.

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Since this was Sapporo, I got the Miso Ramen….with the pork of course!

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Man, that pork…plus the bowl was about $11 US and totally worth it. The noodles were nice, of the thicker variety,,  curly, and firm. The broth was the most un-miso, miso broth I've ever had. It was very mild, slightly thick, with a touch of sweetness, and we made out what seemed like a rather strong ginger flavor. In other words, everything took a back seat to that pork.

As you can tell, we didn't leave hungry. It seems we lucked out as I heard the place often sells out of items early in the evening.

Sapporo Noodle Zero
Minami 2 Jōnishi
Chūō-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan

Due to the season, night was falling like a curtain as we left. Still, we had a bit of exploring to do before heading back for the evening.

Stay Tuned!

The Patio at Desert Hills Golf Course, Yuma – the Rest of the Story

Looks like Ed (from Yuma) is less busy today than Kirk or Cathy. That’s why you’re reading this post today.

In my last post about this restaurant, back in February, the focus was on breakfasts, but The Patio does a lot of things, most of them well.

Take for example appetizers. Recently at an event here, Tina and I really loved the crunchy deep-fried calamari and oysters Rockefeller, but I did not have my camera with me. So the only appetizer I have pictured is the pretty Quesadilla: IMG_1185

The red pepper flour tortilla surrounded creamy mellow cheese, shredded chicken, and chorizo. A step above most quesadillas.

The first time I ate lunch at the Patio, I chose the Reuben sandwich, which came with the house made chips: IMG_1150

Those chips are warm, thick, and crunchy and went well with the sandwich. The Reuben itself was marvelous: IMG_1152

The Rye bread was grilled perfectly and there was a generous amount of corned beef and sauerkraut. For my palate, this was a great sandwich and a great lunch.

Not quite as successful was this BLT, which I ordered with the french fries ($1.25 extra): IMG_1189

There was nothing really wrong with the sandwich though I should have added avocado to it for some extra creaminess. Those huge fries have a lot of potato taste, but not as much crispness as I like in french fries.

The burgers are uniformly excellent. Look at this close-up their standard burger patty topped with avocado: IMG_1149

What's not to love? Hand formed patty, char marks, juiciness. All those things add up to a first-class burger.  

That even applies to the very basic Basic Burger: IMG_1235

Sure, the burger toppings (lettuce, onion, dill slices, tomato) are standard, but the patty was so good they were all that the burger needed. I left the mustard, mayo, and ketchup untouched.

I had requested the house “kale slaw” instead of chips that day because it's a crunchy, tangy, pretty salad with an excellent balsamic dressing.

I had discovered that wonderful thing when I tried the fish and chips: IMG_1216

The two fish filets were outstanding. The beer batter was good and the sea bass tasted moist, succulent, and  fresh. The chips were okay, but less interesting than everything else on the plate.

Usually I don't like to include photos of things that I haven't eaten, but Evonne loved her Asian Short Rib Tacos, so here is a picture:  IMG_1186

She swore they were as tasty as they look. They are topped with pickled cucumber, spicy mayo, and sliced red onion. They come with the same slaw, but the deep-fried things in the back are not chips, but chicharrones. Gotta have this on my next visit.

Tina and I have also had a couple of nice dinners at the Patio. When the weather is temperate, you can sit outside: IMG_1156

There's even a little fire going: IMG_1155

While the wine list is small (though featuring Bogle wines) The Patio has a full bar and specialty drinks like the Moscow Mule: IMG_1437

This old time favorite features primarily ginger beer and vodka, and Tina approves.

All of the dinner entrées come with your choice of salads, both excellent. Here is the wedge: IMG_1440

Old-school decadence. Iceberg lettuce smothered in ranch and topped with blue cheese, real bacon pieces, and diced tomato. The drizzle of reduced balsamic adds complexity.

Here's the garden salad: IMG_1441

The half a heart of romaine is topped with dried cranberries, pepitos, chopped cucumber, chopped tomato, shredded carrot, and roasted corn. The sweet tang of the dressing plays well with the other ingredients. Excellent salad in both taste and plating.

The entrées also come with soft dinner rolls and balls of butter: IMG_1443

So far, Tina and I have tried four entrées. Here's Italian sausage meatloaf, a thick slice wrapped with bacon and stuffed with mozzarella cheese: IMG_1165

It lay on a pile of mashed potato and was covered with gravy and topped with crispy fried onion strips. Tina loved the Italian sausage flavor of this rich and decadent meatloaf.

That same evening, I had  short ribs: IMG_1167

Braised in stout, the large chunks of tender beef sat atop cheddared mashed potatoes and both were enhanced by the stout gravy. All surmounted by mini onion rings and a tangle of deep-fried carrot shreds that resemble Donald Trump's hair. Outstanding flavors, nonetheless. I'd order this again.

The next dinner we ate indoors, and Tina was looking for something  healthier, so she selected the grilled zucchini lasagna: IMG_1444

This tasted much better than it looks in the picture. Basically, it's slices of seriously grilled zucchini covered with cheese and tomato sauce. This close-up may give you a better idea about the entrée: IMG_1452

I wanted lamb chops, which turned out to be two double boned chops slathered with chimichurri sauce and set atop mashed potatoes (and again bewigged like the Donald): IMG_1450

This was tasty. The mildly flavored lamb was tender and not overcooked. The sauce was green and garlicky. That little bowl sitting on the back of the plate was brimming with Mexican-style yellow corn, just like you'd find out on 8th Street: IMG_1451

 Roasted corn kernels, charred from the grill, swimming in a rich combination of butter, crema, and Parmesan. Total yummy.

This last year has been good for us Yumans who like eating out. A lot of interesting and tasty new restaurants. The Patio, in particular, offers a great range of various foods in a nice setting. Service is first rate, and many of the dishes are out of the ordinary. That chef Alex's cuisine often reflects Yuma (like that street corn)is an added bonus.

Seoul: Mirak Chicken, Tongin Market, and the Seoul Lantern Festival

Our time in Seoul, and Korea, for that matter was coming to an end. The Missus and I discussed the possibilities for a last meal and we decided to give KFC (Korean Fried Chicken) another shot. This time at a place that was more highly recommended. I had a place on my list….which one of my coworkers called a "Hof"??? A Hof? Like "Hofbrau"? Well, she wasn't sure…..the term "hof" is used for various places that serve beer/drinks with food and to my relief had nothing to do with "The Hoff". So it was off to the "hof".

The shop was located in the Gyeongbokgung area, west of the Palace. The Gwanghwamun Gate of Gyeongbokgung looked especially striking on this clear evening.

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Finding Mirak Chicken wasn't too difficult; especially with pocket wifi, called an "egg" in Korea, and a photo of the exterior.

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Mirak Chicken's popularity is in part due to being shown on a very popular Korean Food Show named Tasty Road, which is how we found out about the place after having two people mention Mirak and the show to me.

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The interior has a dark and kind of pub-like feel.

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IMG_4437 IMG_4435As is typical with these places, there's the all-you-can eat popcorn….which I found a bit odd. You obviously need a beverage of choice; we went with some Hite, which seemed a bit sweeter, but very light, and not as bitter as the versions here in the states. Perhaps it was being on holiday……. After ordering, some shredded cabbage dressed with a somewhat fruity mayo and the standard condiment of KFC, the water kimchi arrived.

Mirak is known for their Garlic Chicken, which of course had to order.

IMG_4440 IMG_4438The chicken came with a ton of glazed whole garlic cloves, which of course I loved, but made me socially unpresentable for most of the evening. As with other glazed/sweet/spicy chicken of this type, the glaze was very sticky and way too sweet for me. They really had the batter and the cooking process down as the crust was thin and light, and the chicken very moist. It was just hard to get over the sweetness, for which I was thankful for the radish.

Hedging our bets, we also ordered the regular fried chicken which was quite good.

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Crisp, light, and moist. But again, for some reason we both found the seasoning to be on the very mild side. They sure had the cooking process down though.

We were glad to have been able to try a couple of Korean Fried Chicken places.

Mirak Chicken (미락치킨)
17-1 Jahamun-ro
Seoul, South Korea

After dinner, we decided to take a walk around the area. We hadn't been around this part of Seoul so this made for an interesting walk. We came across a shopping arcade and decided to do some exploring.

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There were quite a few food stalls……

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One stall was especially popular.

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It made tteokbokki, not my favorite food item in the world, but this looked different. Bright red, stir fried in oil, so I had to try some…..

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The was quite good….nice chew, a slight crunch, a good amount of spice, not very greasy…..I really liked it. It changed my opinion of tteokbokki.

After returning home, I tried to find out the name of this place and learned that it is Tongin Market, which was originally set-up by the Japanese in 1941 during the occupation. I also learned that one of the most popular stalls in the market makes Gireum tteokbokki, basically a fried in oil version…….lines rarely lie, right?

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Walking back was a pleasure…..we really enjoy Seoul at night.

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Before heading back to the apartment, we decided to head on over to the Cheonggyecheon Stream area. A few nights earlier we'd come across the Seoul Lantern Festival. I'm guessing this night must be something special, because folks were really enjoying the sights.

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The theme this year was an "Illuminated Tour of Seoul", which was very cool. We saw lanterns of many of the sights we'd seen during the previous days.

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Under the bridge folks were gathered, putting together lanterns to be released in the stream.

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People were having a great time. It was a nice way to end our stay in Seoul.

IMG_4481 IMG_4480As we walked back to the apartment along the alleyway parallel to the main street. Apparently, the huge building we were staying at was built over the Pimatgol, parallel to the main street of Jongno. Because the lower class residents were required to bow down to the nobles everytime they came across them, this parallel alley; the "alley to avoid horses", was created. There's a couple of very nice stories to be found here.

And while there are quite a few anecdotes I haven't told about Seoul; like the Missus complaining about not seeing a branch of Cocohodo, when there was one on the other side of the building. Just like Japan, it seems like there was a story around every corner.

We dozed of easily on this evening. We'd be rising early, then heading off to the airport, via Seoul Station. Next stop; Sapporo!

Thanks for reading!

Shan Xi Magic Kitchen Opens on Convoy

Driving past one of the many strip malls on Convoy, I glanced and noticed Myung In Dumplings was gone. In just a matter of weeks Shan Xi Magic Kitchen had opened. Shan Xi? So we have Xi'an Kitchen (Shaanxi) up the street and now Shanxi down the street?

Shanxi Magic 01

Man, they really spruced up this place…..

Shanxi Magic 02

The menu seems to be mostly Shaanxi (maybe they left out the extra 'A') and other regional (I believe I saw twice cooked pork on the menu) items. Sadly, I saw no Mao Er Duo (Cat's Ear Noodle 貓耳朵), a classic Shanxi item on the menu. Still, there were a few of my favorite dishes on the menu….starting with one that was love at first bite in China. Yang Rou Pao Mo. I've given up on finding "real" Yang Rou Pao Mo in SoCal and have resigned myself to the versions here. With that in mind, I really thought the flavors were quite good.

Shanxi Magic 03 Shanxi Magic 04This was enjoyably gamey and rich in the tummy coating way good, muttony, Yang Rou Pao Mo is. It wasn't very salty; though the pickled garlic was too salty. Not much meat or bean thread in this…mostly the wrong type of waxy, pasty, counterfeit leavened bread. Still, it's the best version I've had here in SoCal, richer and more gamey than what Xi'an Kitchen serves.

I wanted something else to go along with the Yang Rou Pao Mo, but really didn't want a carb load, nor did I want anything particularly heavy, so I chose the combination three vegetables.

Shanxi Magic 05

Man, this had a ton of garlic on it! The eggplant was nicely done, the insides quite molten. I also liked a the mild green chilies, which just had a little "zip". Very simple, but decent.

So, I sent out photos to my friends and of course they wanted to try things out. So Candice, "YummyYummy", Xiāngjiāo, MrQ, and FCMichael met up for lunch.

We started with the Shanxi staple, the sliced noodles.

Shanxi Magic 06

The noodles weren't particularly good, kind of brittle, and this was a very simple prep. The use of vinegar reminded me of a more Shanxi style dish.

The Garlic Eggplant though, while pretty oily, was quite good.

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We quickly noticed that dishes weren't overly salty here. Nice garlic flavor…..pretty decent standard Chinese fare, with decent wok skills.

The Rou Jia Mo, looked promising. While looking nothing like my favorite version, it appeared much better than what I last had at Xi'an Kitchen, especially the bread.

Shanxi Magic 08

This also had a decent amount of pork, but was pretty bland overall.

The Biang Biang Mian was pretty good. Some fairly large sheets of noodles with a nice sour-spicy sauce.

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Xiāngjiāo had spent some time in China and marveled that they actually used the complex spelling of "biang" on the menu.

Since we had a large group, we got the Da Pan Ji (Big Plate Chicken 新疆大盘鸡). I usually love the potatoes in this dish, but we were all a but underwhelmed at everything but the size of the dish.

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The chicken was on the tough side and the flavor in spite of looks very tame. Quantity over quality here.

I had to order the Cumin Lamb of course; Zi Ran Yang Rou is one of my favorite dishes.

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Other than needing more cumin, the flavor was good. The meat was sliced too thick for my liking and it needed much more color.

One of the favorite dishes of the day was also the cheapest at $4.99, the Pidan with Tofu.

Shanxi Magic 12

Nicely refreshing, good balanced flavors, not too spicy or salty, you could make out each item in the dish. I'm sure the Missus is going to like this one.

Of course we got the Yang Rou Pao Mo, which was even more gamey this time around…..probably a bit too much for Candice, but "YY", "XJ", and I really enjoyed it.

Shanxi Magic 13 Shanxi Magic 14Even though the food here seems more Shaanxi than Shan Xi, (perhaps it's written correctly in Chinese – I'll ask the Missus), we thought it a decent option for regional Chinese in Kearny Mesa and preferred the dishes here to those at Xi'an Kitchen. Things seem to be looking up on da' Mesa….I hope they keep on coming.

Shan Xi Magic Kitchen
4344 Convoy St,
San Diego, CA 92111

A quick note – for those who enjoyed Myung In Dumplings; they've moved to the food court in Zion Market. I'll get a post done soon!

K Cuisine

I'd had K Cuisine on my list for a while, even when the place was "Gorilla Korean Fusion Restaurant"…..really. The last time I was here, the place was still Korean Hometown Restaurant ages ago. So when an acquaintance said that the place made some really good mandu, spicy chicken wings, and haemul pajun, I had to check them out. K Cuisine 01

I'd just returned from Seoul and wanted some straightforward Korean food. So I decided to give K Cuisine a try. The shop was pretty quiet on both my visits, spaced about 5 months apart. The place has a mom-and-pop feel, real down home, unpretentious with the smell of sesame oil permeating the air…..

K Cuisine 02 K Cuisine 03You do need at least a beer (perhaps more) with food like this, and I'm not a big makgeolli fan, so I had a Hite. Strange, but it tastes much more dry and bitter here in the states than Korea.

I'd ordered quite a bit of food, beyond appetizers, so I got some panchan.

K Cuisine 04 K Cuisine 05Nothing amazing, and yes, those are pickled forcemeat sausage, much like hot dogs. While I'm a big fan of pickled sausages like utopenci, this was way too salty. The baechu kimchi was taken out of a plastic container….like you'd get at Zion or H Mart, but actually wasn't bad. So perhaps they do what we do……I let the kimchi ferment in a cool hallway for about a week after buying it.

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K Cuisine 07

The Fried Mandu ($6.99) wasn't bad.

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Light and crisp, the wrappers weren't overly gummy like other versions. The filling was rather mild in flavor, but I thought this was a decent version.

I wanted something hearty so I went with the Gopchang Bokkeum ($16.99).

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Basically a stir-fried small intestine dish, with perilla leaf, onions, and other veggies. This was surprisingly tame in flavor, at least it wasn't salty, nor was it very spicy. The intestine could have K Cuisine 10been cleaned better as it had a good bit of musty, dank flavored, "grey matter" in it. Quite a strong offal flavor. It actually smelled even stronger the next day when I took it out of the fridge.

I fully intended to return to K Cuisine, but somehow the place just slipped my mind. Five months later, I returned. I decided to order the other two items recommended to me, starting with the Haemul Pajun – the Seafood Pancake ($7.99).

K Cuisine 11 K Cuisine 12In terms of texture, this was the best version I've had in a while; light and crisp. It was a bit short in the seafood department and perhaps in flavor, but the salty, soy-sesame oil-onion-scallion dipping sauce handled that. Not bad, I'd have this again.

I also went with the Spicy Fried Chicken Wings ($9.99).

K Cuisine 13 K Cuisine 14After having versions of this in Seoul, I should have known that it would be more sweet and sticky than spicy. I really needed that pickled radish to revive my tastebuds. The batter was on the thicker side, but decently crisp, the chicken seems to have been fried a bit too long as the meat was dry. This was just too sweet. I think I'll need to return and try just the plain fried chicken wings one day.

So there you go. Two visits over 5 months….I took long enough. Nice folks working here. Things tend to take a bit of time, which I find rather nice in these type of places. it ain't fast food. K Cuisine is only open during dinner to the wee hours of the morning (I think like 1-2 am). So next time you want some makgeolli, or perhaps a Hite and a bite to eat, you might want to check this place out. I'll probably return to try the straight up fried chicken wings and maybe even some kimchi jigae sometime during the winter.

K Cuisine
4688 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Local Kine Teriyaki (Barbecue) Pork

Great thing about living in San Diego, you can grill just about any month of the year. I've been told that there's been a dearth of cooking/recipe type posts over the last two years….I guess I've been kinda lax in posting these. Though I've posted on most of the dishes I make regularly over the last 10-11 years. Anyway, here's a wrinkle on the recipe I use for Teri Beef and my Local Kine Teriyaki Chicken.

When putting together these type of recipes, I think in terms of ratios.

Anyway, I've started buying a pound or so of sliced Berkshire pork shoulder from Nijiya on "Meat Day" along with a pound and a half of boned chicken legs. I then do a grill session and make Kelaguen with the chicken legs (I know, I know….recipe one of these days) and Teri-Pork with the sliced pork. I also grill whatever the heck I can find….even cabbage.

IMG_8143 IMG_8145Yes….cabbage. Since I grill over hardwood charcoal, and even throw some soaked oak/hickory chips on the coals, everything tends to have a nice touch of smokiness. The Missus loves the pork and the tofu….and even the cabbage! I make little Bi Bim Bap type bowls for Her to take to work, topping the whole mess with a couple of fried eggs.

Anyway, back to the pork. While this is basically the same as my other "Local Kine Barbecue" recipes, there's a slight twist. I use sliced onions and gochujang…..I buy stuff made from soybeans…..don't buy the stuff that lists wheat as ingredient number 1. Another key point….this can get messy, removing the sliced onions before grilling and all. But you can use cheesecloth to bundle up the onions. I also found that pork can handle a bit more sweetness and that granulated garlic(good quality stuff) works better than minced/grated garlic with this recipe. Lastly, like grilling the teri beef, if you're not careful, stuff will fall between the grill grates. As I've mentioned many times before, I use Aloha, Yamasa, or Tamari for these type of recipes.

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Teriyaki (Barbecue) Pork:
1 – 1 1/2 pounds thinly sliced pork (shoulder or loin – it should have a good fat content)

1 cup Aloha or Yamasa Soy Sauce
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup agave syrup
2/3 cup mirin
2 tb granulated garlic
1 tb ginger juice
1 tb Gochujang
1 tb Sake
1/2 medium onion sliced thin

Optional Stuffs:
1/4 c minced cilantro
1 tb good quality sesame oil
Ground cayenne or sliced chilies to taste

– Combine marinade ingredients
– Separate slices of pork and place in gallon ziploc bag
– Pour marinade into the bag
– Gently mix
– Marinade 4-6 hours, no more than 10.
– If grilling remove 1/2 cup of marinade and heat until boiling. Remove from heat. Use to baste meat.
– Wipe off onions and cilantro if using.
– Cook…….

Revisits: Pho Hut and Ramen Yamadaya (Clairemont)

A couple of revisits for today.

Pho Hut and Grill:

Back in January, I had a decent bowl of Dumpling Egg Noodle Soup at Pho Hut and Grill. So, on a recent weekend morning, returning home after the weekly shopping mission, I thought I'd drop by and grab a bowl of the Mi Sui Cao. This time around I noticed that there were forks in the chopstick dispenser….I guess it speaks to the clientele?

Pho Rev 01

And while my last go around with Pho Hut wasn't bad; this was disappointing.

Pho Rev 02 Pho Rev 03Well, at least the egg noodles were decent, not overcooked. But the broth was basically MSG water, lacking any depth, the char siu was tough and tasteless, and as with previous visits, the dumpling fillings just floated away from the wrappers….I guess you could look at the wrappers and say it's just another noodle and this should be pseudo meatball egg noodle soup.

Pho Rev 04

Pho Hut & Grill
5252 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92117

Ramen Yamadaya (Clairemont):

**** Ramen Yamadaya has closed

So, my coworkers, JohnF and Calvin were having a discussion about Ramen and Ramen Yamadaya in particular. And while my recent visits to Yamadaya have not been particularly delici-yoso, I still thought you could get a decent bowl if you followed a specific "template". That would be Kotteri Ramen, noodles "katame" (extra firm), with kakuni pork. So we decided to see if this worked out.

Yamadaya Cl Rev 01

And it did to a certain extent as the chashu was low on flavor and tough, so the kakuni pork did quite well. The noodles were nice and firm. Calvin loves the fresh pressed garlic with his ramen, while I think in this bowl it kills all the other flavors. I still think the broth could be hotter as it cooled quite quickly. The egg was decent, but the broth is not what it was when Yamadaya first opened…..lacking in flavor and richness.

The guys really enjoyed the Tori Nanban; the "Chicken Tartar" more.

Yamadaya Cl Rev 02

Crisp, nice ginger tones, with a dose of vinegar……..really good this time around.

As a bonus, John and Calvin treated me to lunch! Thanks guys!

Ramen Yamadaya
4706 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

Reborn – Cabañas Back in Yuma!!

Kirk and Cathy aren’t posting today; Ed (from Yuma) is posting and he is a happy man

Last Saturday, I nearly caused an accident on 8th Street. Disappointed and hungry, we'd given up on locating an elusive truck that I had been told about beyond Ave B. So we were just cruising 8th St to some place open when I glanced over to the right, hit the brakes, and swerved.

On a little building behind the Los Compadres truck, just to the west of El Zarape, were written magic words: IMG_1516

I went around to the front and was disappointed to see that it was CLOSED, but the curtains in the window and the signage let me know that someday soon it would be OPEN: IMG_1517

Here's the back story: Tina and I spotted Pupuseria y Taqueria Cabañas for the first time in April of 2008. It quickly became my favorite place in town, so I posted on it a second time (tendon “like the flesh of angels”), then again, and one more time after that.

In November of 2009, it vanished.                                  

I went through at least seven stages of grief, finally accepting that it was gone, pretty much giving up any hope.

Now OMG it's back.

Around 5:30 pm, May 5, 2016, Tina and I dropped by and saw that it was open. With smiling faces we opened the door, walked in, and immediately saw Lucia smiling behind the counter. Her first day in business at this new location.

The interior space is very small, but clean and bright. There are only four tables; here’s one: IMG_1523

Here’s another: IMG_1524

The building is much more modern than her last location and seems to have an effective AC system: IMG_1541

The aguasfrescas ensalada are still very sweet and chocked full of fruit: IMG_1526

The tamales de pollo may be even better than before: IMG_1531

Extremely rich, but complexly flavored. Note the green and red flecks of herbs and spices in the masa: IMG_1532

And completing the tamale striptease, here's a shot of the juicy hot tender flesh within: IMG_1533

Tina had sopa de pollo, a large bowl packed with bone on chicken, chayote, potato, zucchini, carrot, and chicken broth: IMG_1527

The soup came with colorful rice IMG_1529

and 2 thick handmade corn tortillas: IMG_1530

The broth was light and clean tasting, picked up by a generous squeeze of the lemon. And the portion so generous that the leftovers became Tina's next lunch.

I had pollo en salsa, chicken braised in a light tomato sauce, served with rice, chopped lettuce, cucumber, tomato, and radish, and of course 2 thick corn tortillas: IMG_1535

That picture is somewhat deceiving because the thin but very tasty tomato sauce was put on top of the chicken and rice and then the lettuce and vegetables were plated, so I took another picture just to show the hidden "salsa" IMG_1539

The chicken was moist, fall apart tender, and savory. The rice was perfectly prepared and married happily with the tomato sauce. The lettuce etc. was more condiments than salad. Downhome goodness.

The rebirthed Cabañas did have one new item, a very special cornbread: IMG_1542

We took a simple looking piece home for dessert and were amazed by its complexity. Covered with a sprinkling of sesame seeds and a light glaze, it was dense, slightly sweet, corny, and cheesy. Waves of flavors. Only after we had eaten some did I realize I needed a picture of it.

The new Pupuseria Cabañas has hit the ground running. Early on opening night, there were two other tables occupied and people grabbing to go orders.

Because I have written so much about Cabañas in the past, I probably won't be updating information unless something remarkable happens. Based on this one meal, I expect the reincarnated Cabañas will measure up to its former self – and maybe even exceed it!

Lucia plans to be open every day: 8 am through 9 pm Wed – Sat, and Noon through 8 pm Sun – Tues. Every day she expects to have one or two soups and one or two entrées available as well as tamales, pupusas etc. Thursday will be bean soup (woohoo) and Sunday Sopa de Pata, my favorite, sort of a muy rico Salvadoran Menudo.

I feel like I just ran into a dear old friend who I thought I would never see again.

Seoul: Dongdaemun Gate, Gwanghwamun Jip, and Gyeongbokgung Palace

It was our last day in Seoul. Time had really flown by, but to be honest, the Missus was already looking forward to the next leg of our trip, which was Hokkaido. There were really only two more places the Missus wanted to visit. So we headed off, down Jong-Ro…..walking of course. Past Gwangjang Market ….

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And several food streets…..

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Until we made it to Dongdaemun Gate (Heunginjimun), which is one of the four main gates of the original Fortress Wall of Seoul.

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Of course we had to stop by the massive Dongdaemun Market complex.

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The massive multi-building complex is quite overwhelming; covering 10 blocks, comprised of 26 shopping malls. After walking around a bit….I was getting hungry so we decided to head up to the Food Court located on the 5th floor of the "New Wing".

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And found a stand that was open and got something simple to eat.

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Nothing amazing, but simple and it kept the both of us going. Pretty cheap at 5,000 KRW (about $4.25) too.

We then headed off back in the direction we had come. Jetlagged, we had miscalculated the day of the week when we arrived and found Gyeongbokgung Palace closed. We decided to put off a visit until our last day in Seoul.

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We had made our way back here in record time as Gyeongbokgung wasn't open yet! Plus, we were pretty darn hungry….I guess that little breakfast/snack didn't hold up for very long. I had read several posts about a iconic Kimchi Jigae shop down an alley nearby. So we found the area and I believe we found the alley….

IMG_4319 IMG_4318There were no signs in older style Hanja that the Missus could read. Plus, all the businesses looked closed. I came across a kindly looking older gentleman and busted out one of few phrases I knew in Korean, "sillyehabnida" and showed him the name of the place, Gwanghwamun Jip. He smiled and walked us a few doors down……

The place did look closed so I used the other phrase I knew "gomabseubnida" and started walking away. He waved at me telling me to stop, opened the door, and one of the ladies running the place waved us in! Nice folks.

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They were still prepping, cutting scallions and napa cabbage. They kindly sat us at one of the tables in this tiny hole-in-the-wall. The place looked like it was run by a group of "Ajumma", a good sign. We actually never even ordered…..what's to order since they basically serve two things here, right? A pot was taken off the blue bookshelf and placed on the gas burner on the table.

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One of the women was hard at work at the stove near the window. And in a few minutes, everything else arrived.

IMG_4308 IMG_4311You can see the other item that Gwanghwamun Jip specializes in, the tasty gyeran mari – a rolled omelet. Perfect for this morning. I loved the baechu kimchi here. It was nicely fermented the flavor complex and not overly salty as versions in the states. The Missus really enjoyed the simple fermented cabbage which reminds Her of the suan cai we make at home.

Meanwhile the pork kimchi jigae was bubbling away.

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This was very hearty; even better as it kept bubbling away, eventually reducing to a thick and rich stew. Not too spicy, nor salty, nice savory flavors, this definitely has that "aaaah" factor. The pork was flavorful, though as expected rather tough…..it's there for the flavor.

IMG_4316 IMG_4317It was a filling and satisfying meal. We love soulful, homey places like this. In a nutshell, Gwanghwamun Jip did not disappoint.

Gwanghwamun Jip
12, Saemunan-ro 5-gil
Jongno-gu, Seoul

The meal left us warm and ready for our visit to Gyeongbokgung Palace.

As we approached the Gwanghwamun gate we noticed a bit of a commotion.

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We had arrived right at the 10am changing of the Royal Guards.

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Pomp and circumstance….

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Drumbeats and marching……

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From the Visit Seoul website:

"Ceremony Procedure

1. The first drumbeat signal sounds and the relieving guard unit mobilizes towards Gwanghwamun Gate.
2. The second drumbeat signal sounds and the relieving guard unit moves outside of Gwanghwamun Gate, and the chief of the relieving guard unit and the chief of the guard unit on duty perform an identification check.
3. The chief of the relieving guard unit orders his unit to take their positions at the gate and the relieved guard unit mobilizes to the inside of the gate.
4. The third drumbeat signal sounds and the chief of the relieved guard unit orders his unit to exit the vicinity."

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It does go kind of long….the Chinese tourists got bored rather quickly and decided to leave.

Meanwhile, we enjoyed the entire ceremony. We've now seen Changing of the Guard ceremony's in Athens, Prague, and Malta.

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Once the ceremony was over we could enter via the Gwanghwamun Gate.

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Gyeongbokgung Palace was constructed in 1395, the first royal palace built by Joseon Dynasty which lasted over 500 years.

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Our favorite spots on the palace grounds was the Geunjeongjeon, the Throne Hall.

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Which held the throne of course.

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And we also enjoyed the aesthetics of the Gyeonghoeru.

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As a whole, the Missus enjoyed the colors and aesthetics of Changdeokgung Palace and the Secret Garden much more. Still, the place is well worth visiting.

Walking back along Sejong-ro , we noticed this piece of concrete.

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It's a piece of the Berlin Wall! I'm sure the symbolism must stir emotions in many people in Korea, a nation divided north and south, and technically still at war.

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We headed back to our apartment, just a few blocks away….we'd done a bit of walking and the temperature was dropping, so it was time for a break. While walking back, we made plans for our last night in Seoul……