mmm-yoso – Page 301 – 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.

Artisan Bento

February 10, 2015 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants

**** Artisan Bento is now Hachi Ramen

*** Update: Artisan Bento now opens at 11am. A short update here.

Before things got real crazy at work; we were having dinner with my good friend Candice. Usually the conversation goes from travel, to our friends, and of course to food. Somehow the conversation went to those places we had wished did well, but just seemed to miss the mark. The now defunct Bentowich immediately came up. Candice quickly mentioned Artisan Bento which was opening in Banker's Hill….Banker's Hill? She explained that this was a project of Shihomi Borillo, one of the managing partners of Azuki Sushi and the the ingredients will be mostly local and sustainable….. It sounded interesting, but I wasn't quite sure what the concept was going to translate into.

One evening when the Missus was working, I decided to drop by. There was just a minimal challenge in finding parking. At least it was after 6pm….no feeding the meter on the street. The shop is fairly small, the a couple of tables tucked into one corner, counter seating, and a few tables outside. The place looked more like your friendly neighborhood coffee shop. The glass case gives things away though……very well presented menu items, it would look perfectly fine in one of those basement depachikas, like we visited in Ginza and Kyoto, though the guys behind the counter looked more like your friendly neighborhood barista's than someone working in the bento shop……even a hipster bento shop. The guys working behind the counter on all my visits were really friendly, service oriented, and very nice.

There are of course bento's, a "bento box" with one main and one "side salad" for $9.95 and the delux ($13.95), with one main, two side salads, and even dessert, which is what I got. I ordered the Ginger Pork – basically Shogayaki, something my Mom used to make. Of course what we had at home looked nothing like this.

And yes, this might not look like much, but it was enough to fill me up. I really didn't know what to expect, but was very pleasantly surprised with the pork….it isn't super tender, but the texture is right. So is the flavor, not too sweet, some ginger, perhaps a bit too salty, but it was definitely that bento lunch special pork shogayaki alright. The lotus root was perfect in texture, but weak in flavor….the spinach on the other hand was perhaps my favorite item. Just enough flavor, with the sesame paste coming through without overwhelming the flavor of he spinach. The miso soup was very good in terms of what is usually a throw-away side, much better than many places I've eaten at. Perhaps the item I was most surprised at was the multigrain rice onigiri….I had visions of mushy versions I've had in the past, but the proportion of grains to rice was perfect and somehow, the onigiri itself just seemed fluffy and light. I really enjoyed it….and didn't feel like I needed to take up macrame or tie-dying after having this.

I even enjoyed the yogurt panna cotta, which was light and not too sweet. As to whether this was worth $15 (with tax), well, I'll leave that up to you.

A few night later I decided to drop by and check out some other items on the menu. Starting with "Mama's Pork" Bao Bun ($5.75). Somehow, I envisioned a nice steamed bun filled with rich and fatty pork. What I got was this.

The pork was basically the shogayaki, which I can understand. Not much in the way of kitchen facilities here, they've got to maximize product. It's that bread, which by the way was sliced, even though it looked folded…very ponderous, which reminded me of something like a very bad Da Bing/Laobing. The best part of this were the vegetables and the dressing which had some nice sweet and mint components.

I'm not sure why, but I also went for the Albacore Tataki ($7.50).

Which was pretty much by the book, on the dry and tough side, and unremarkable.

I should have tried the "Cold Ramen Bowl" like I had planned too. Oh well, lesson learned. There's one more lesson I learned as well. I had seen the hours as being Monday – Saturday 10 am to 9pm. When I'm between meetings, one of my favorite things to do is drop by Nijiya, Mitsuwa, or Marukai, and pick up a bento for lunch to take back to the office. So between meetings one day, I dropped by, found parking three blocks away, fed the meter, and walked on over to get a bento. It was 1015……no dice, unfortunately, food is not served until 11am….which I didn't see noted anywhere. I have menu open in front of me and it doesn't say a thing about that either.

Still, I wanted to give the place another shot…..so, working on a recent weekend I dropped by and ordered the Bento Delux with Chicken Skewers. It was put into a box, looking quite neat and all. Dessert separated from the hot items.

Things held together quite well, though this won't win any awards for looking like something from an Ekiben stand. There was some seepage as sauce from the chicken, which was basically tsukune, formed meat, onto the onigiri.

The chicken was kind of dry……I'll stick with the pork, or try something else next time. The other items, the onigiri, spinach, and miso soup all delivered.

I like the concept, the foundation of the menu items are solid, it's not hipster bento….not too sold on the artisan part though, more like boutique bento. There were quite a few questions I had to ask myself about this place. I work in Kearny Mesa which has several Japanese places that I like better and are a better value than AB….like Izakaya Sakura or even Yakuyudori, or Kayaba…. In terms of straight up bento, I could get 2 bento from Nijiya…or maybe three bowls from Marukai for the price of the Delux…. is what AB creates that much better? Was this place worth going out of my way for? I'm hoping they find a niche for themselves in the area. Perhaps the location will be a plus. Like say, grabbing a bento before or after hitting Balboa Park. And while I've had surly service at Yakyudori and even Sakura, the folks here are very nice.

As for the Bentowich comparison…this place is on a different level…and just like that place, I hope they do well. Time will tell and I'll probably be back, just to see……..

Artisan Bento
2505 5th Ave
San Diego, CA 92103
Hours:
Monday – Saturday 10am – 9pm

Kokoro Restaurant (Lunch)

February 9, 2015 Cathy Japanese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Thank you for once again dropping by mmm-yoso!!! Kirk is, again, very busy as is Ed(from Yuma), so Cathy is writing today.

Here is a link to Kirk's 2019 visit, in addition to the links in the second paragraph.

There are so many fun and interesting things I've gained from writing on this blog. In addition to being friends with Kirk and Ed (from Yuma), our email and texting and sharing of food trivia and interesting places 'before it's news' (posted here) is a kind of 'perk'. Kirk and His Missus always plan their vacations far in advance, so that Ed(from Yuma) and I can plan out some posts during the transportation times. During those pre-flight months, Kirk tends to 'research' locally the cuisine(s) they'll be enjoying.

Case in point: in June of last year, Kirk wrote a two part post about meals at Kokoro, a new Japanese restaurant near Montgomery Field, not far from Convoy. Then He did a lunch revisits post in September. Ed (from Yuma) also went to Kokoro later in September, after hearing and reading about it, long before Kirk's vacation in Japan. This is my post about a recent lunch visit.

The deceptively simple decor is so calming. There is not a nail or screw head in sight anywhere but the chairs. The lunch menu has an excellent variety of choices and can satisfy any craving.The miso soup is crisp, clean tasting with an excellent seaweed. The very large Chirashizushi ($18) had the bottom of the box filled with an *excellent* sushi rice and topped with whole sashimi pieces. The variety of everything that was fresh that day and just perfect (the saba (mackerel) and sea eel were particularly great). Our waitress mentioned which items had been flown in from Japan.The Mister decided to try a Combination Bento ($15), with teriyaki beef and spicy tuna roll. Again, perfection (note the lack of sticky teriyaki sauce). The sides of pickles, radish, fried (karaage) lotus root and potato, salad and even tamago (egg) were so fresh tasting, complimenting the flavors.

Kokoro is more than excellent in quality and choices for a really nice lunch.

Another post: Dennis visited here also!

Kokoro Restaurant 3298 Greyling Drive, Suite B San Diego 92123 Website

Dolci Cafe Italiano (Breakfast)(Rancho San Diego)

February 8, 2015 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, Italian Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Good morning/afternoon/evening. You have found mmm-yoso!!! a food blog. Kirk is extremely busy with work and Ed(from Yuma) is extremely busy with retirement. Cathy, who is also extremely busy, is writing today.

We had some heavy rainstorms back in January and The Mister and I were driving on side streets instead of freeways, finding ourselves in El Cajon one morning.

In the mall on the curving corner of Jamacha Road ending, turning into the 94 (just before the Cuyamaca College entrance) are many businesses. Right next to the Ralphs Grocery store (across the parking lot from McDonalds), I had spotted this restaurant for a few years now. We saw people walking in and decided to park and follow.Once seated (in the 'outside' area, which had heat lamps and protection from the rain), we ordered a cappuccino ($3.75) to share while perusing the menu, which mentions 'local farm to table cuisine'. It was excellent, as was the regular coffee.Indeed, we were some of the first customers of the day, since Dolci opens at 8 on weekends for breakfast (9 during the week). Dolci Benedict ($10.95) was prepared with perfectly poached (organic) eggs on top of toasted ciabatta with pancetta, gorgonzola, spinach and a pesto hollandaise. Served with country potatoes and seasonal fruit, this was tasty and yet another version of Benedict we enjoyed.The description of the stuffed salmon crepes ($11.50) had me curious. Smoked salmon, cream cheese and scrambled eggs, overfilling two delicate, slightly sweet crepes and topped with a very thin slice of smoked mozzarella cheese…the blend of flavors was just right (I had feared that the smoked cheese would be overwhelming but instead it was flavor enhancing, because it was very thin).

All in all, an excellent breakfast. We are already planning lunch and snacks here.

Dolci Cafe Italiano 2650 Jamacha Road #121C El Cajon, CA 92019 (619)660-2012 Website (there is loud music involved when you log on)

Saturday Stuffs: Myung In Dumplings coming to Convoy, the Sab E Lee move is complete, and did you know the 29th is “meat day” at Nijiya?

February 7, 2015 mmm-yoso Blog

A quick post for a nice Saturday.

I saw this sign in the former Voltero's location.

Have to check with some of my sources and will update.

4344 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

According to Eater San Diego, the Sab E Lee move is complete.

I'll check it out sometime this week.

6925 Linda Vista Road
San Diego, CA 92111

I keep forgetting to mention. The 29th of every month is "meat day" at Nijiya. It's 20% off all meat. We've been taking advantage when the 29th falls during Thursday thru Sunday.

It's a good deal. I usually end up making something simple like this.

3860 Convoy St Ste 109
San Diego, CA 92111

Antwerp Day 2: Chinatown, Antwerp Train Station, Stadsfeestzaal and the Chocolate Line

February 5, 2015 mmm-yoso Belgium, Chocolate, Desserts, French Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Travel

Antwerp was proving to be quite interesting…..relaxed, laid back, even more so than Brussels. There were less tourists, it had more of a urban-local feel, even though we were staying close to the Grote Markt, there were businesses like a meat market, bakery, produce stands, that served the locals.

The Missus wanted to take a nice walk on our full day in Antwerp….to the train station, which I wanted to see anyway, then back. So we set off from Grote Markt, taking some of the back streets.

We stopped at places the interested us along the way, like the very Baroque looking St Charles Borromeo Church. The most popular local citizen, the famous Baroque Painter, Peter Paul Rubens, was raised in Antwerp and spent a good part of his career in Antwerpen. Even this Jesuit Church displays the influence of Rubens who supposedly designed the decorative façade. In fact, there were 39 ceiling paintings by Rubens that were destroyed in 1718 when the church was struck by lightning.

There are wisps of Rubens everywhere, even on this plate. From what I can find, Dr Lazarus Marcquis was on of the physicians who treated Rubens, who died of heart failure due in part to chronic gout.

We eventually found ourselves in front of the beautiful train station….but first, I was distracted by this.

I have a thing about Chinatown's, whether in Lima, SF, Portland, Toronto, Kobe, or even pseudo-Chinatown's like Brussels, I just can't help myself. So I just had to check it out.

And of course, I could not resist the temptation to check out the at least one Asian Market….just to see what was being sold. Markets like this one stocked everything from Sriracha to Datu Puti and Silver Swan. And some of the prices were no joke….sheesh.

We also checked out the various menus; here are a few in case you're interested.

Chinatown is barely a street or two in Antwerp, but it's all interesting to me.

We took a turn and walked back toward the train station. At one of the streets parallel to those of Chinatown I saw one of my favorite signs. Folks, don't even think about "wildplassen" here, ok?

The Antwerpen-Centraal railway station itself is probably the grandest, most impressive train station I've ever seen. Hard to believe that this structure, finished in 1905 was once considered for demolition.

A look inside and it's quite easy to see why they call this structure the "Railway Cathedral". The restoration job on the place was completed in 2007 at a cost of 2.7 billions dollars. The glass ceilings, intricate work, marble, and stone makes a truly impressive sight.

There's actually a level which links the place to the "Diamond District" and 30 diamond shops.

It's easily my favorite site in Antwerp. I've never seen anything quite like it. When looking at my photos I still stop at the one's we took at the train station…..

We walked down the Boulevard named De Keyserlei, arriving at a large street named Frankrijklei. This was where the city walls of Antwerp once stood. Across the way you could see the beginning of the "Meir", the major shopping street of Antwerp. Here you'll run into a statue of another of Antwerp's favorite son's, the Artist Anthony van Dyck, who was a favorite of England's Charles I.

You'll pass many….well, let's just say shops we know quite well on the Meir…… H&M, Forever 21…..H&M and Zara are everywhere in case you need something in a pinch.

But it's this ornate, but rather discreet portal that caught our attention. Through this passageway is Stadsfeestzaal, which is one heck of shopping mall…..let's just say it makes South Coast Plaza look like a trailer park…. Tons of gold inlay….there's actually a champagne bar! Yikes. I understand that this was originally built as an exhibition hall completed in 1906. It was destroyed by fire in 2000. Being a historic monument, it was rebuilt using the original plans and reopened in 2007. It is something to behold…..not sure about the shops in the place, the Missus wasn't moved; but with a grand staircase and such you can't help but admire the beauty of the place.

We our way through the place until the Missus became bored (I was already there) and walked back out into the sunshine of the Meir.

Back out on the street we quickly noticed a place whose name I recalled. Dominique Persoone is a Belgian Chocolatier, whose rather audacious approach to chocolate, along with his self coined handle as the "Shock-o-latier" has earned him quite a following and reputation. He owns The Chocolate Line with shops in Bruge and Antwerp.

You really couldn't help but be impressed with the upscale boutique look of the place….my goodness.

And when the Missus saw the play on upscale shoes….well we just had to take our time in the place.

And while it's easy enough for me to dismiss the rather seemingly kitschy chocolate lipstick and edible chocolate facepaint, along with his nomme de guerre. The chocolate "snort" made me stop and reassess.

And while some of the creations like the various chocolate sculptures and such, were obviously done to impress in the name of commerce.

A snort of chocolate, hmmmm…..what would that do to my already ravaged grey matter? Perhaps I'd change my name to Cadbury? Or perhaps start a campaign to save the "chocolate bunnies"? Who knows, as my train of thought was interrupted with the Missus telling me; "ok, I've got some chocolate, let's get going. Aaaand, I didn't buy any of those chocolate shoes…….can you imagine, shoes of chocolate, like feet and eat them, ick…." And so my Chocolate Gandhi moment was permanently interrupted.

We had bought some to add to the collection for my MIL and had a few that seemed interesting ourselves.

Interesting, but we enjoyed what we got from Pierre Marcolini and Yuzu in Ghent more…… But not being a "sweets person" who's to say, right?

Clearing out the Memory Card: Do you know these places?

February 4, 2015 mmm-yoso Bun Bo Hue, Burgers, Chicken Wings, Filipino Restaurants, Japanese Restaurants, Ramen, Sisig, Vietnamese Restaurants

Here's a bunch of photos that have been languishing for a while. Not much else to say today!

And a couple more.

Hope you're having a great week!

Revisits: Pizzeria Bruno and Pho King

February 3, 2015 mmm-yoso Chicken Wings, Pizza, Vietnamese Restaurants

Hmmmm Bruno and Pho King, there's surely a joke in there somewhere. Can't think of one right now, so onward with the post.

Pizzeria Bruno:

*** Pizzeria Bruno has closed

It had been almost a year since I'd been here and I was really wanting a pizza….the Missus is still not doing the bread thing, so I was on my own. I held out for a couple of weeks before giving in.

They must be doing well, as there were at least 5 people working on a Sunday, at 4pm.

My memory must be going as I don't recall seeing Belgians on the drink list before. I was quite happy to order a La Chouffe, mild spice, yeasty, just boozy and sweet enough for me. My server was a very chipper young lady…quite enthusiastic and all…..

Being a creature of habit, I ordered the Diavolo, subbing soppressata for pepperoni. It arrived in all it's yeasty charred glory soon after.

I must really be getting old because this just seemed larger than I remembered…ah, this cursed old age thing.

Man, loved the smoky charred crust, the slightly spicy and vinegary goat peppers….I did notice that the soppressata tasted a bit different, not as rich and full of lovely oiliness as before….but it could be that old age thing, right?

I could only finish half the pie and took the rest home. The Missus got home from work and said "that smells so good…." Knowing that She doesn't do the bread thing I told Her, "help yourself….he-he-he…."

I got out of the shower and She had a smug smile on Her face….so I headed straight to the pizza box and opened it….yikes!!! She had cockroached all the toppings! Teach me to tempt Her, right?

Pizzeria Bruno
4207 Park Blvd
San Diego, CA 92103

Aaah, I know why I put these two together mentally. While at Bruno, these two huge Italian guys walked in, pinky rings and all. Man, they had it down, talking to each other in Italian….until I was walking out and they were having a little "PDA"…..

So maybe they should have gotten a room or at least gone to….

Pho King:

Yeah, yeah….ok, enough with the jokes. I don't think I've posted on the place in over a year, so I'm due right? Man, they were pretty busy…..

I decided to order my usual and get some wings as well……

In retrospect, not the best move….these tasted of rancid oil, were fried "naked", but were on the mushy side, and really lacked flavor. Very large, meaty, and moist though. Ah yes…Pho King Wings….

My usual Hu Tieu Mi Kho did much better.

I love the sweet-porky soy and the combination of noodles on this. Which I've done posts on several times.

And on the good side, no one asked me for money. Like I noted in my Tu Thanh post, on my last visit in August, some dude asked me for money twice, once when entering and once when leaving the place…then I saw him looking into my car windows…sheeesh. Happy not have to deal with that, which kind of kept me away from the place. Guess I'll head back again soon.

Pho King Restaurant
4658 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

Lavang Restaurant

February 2, 2015 mmm-yoso Chicken Wings, Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Lavang has closed

Funny, I always almost say "lavage" when I read the sign….not the most appetizing word. A couple of weeks ago FOY "Janfrederick" mentioned that Pho Viet Cali was no more in the comments of this post. I had always thought Viet Cali really made a mediocre and over priced bowl of pho. One day I had meetings fairly close by so I decided to drop by.

I forgot how large the restaurant was.

I liked the menu; which seemed to have quite a few dishes that I enjoy. On this visit, though, I decided just to go with the pho. As I usually do, I just went with the dac biet since it gives me a nice picture into how the various proteins are prepped. At $6.95 for a small bowl, it ain't cheap. It was even smaller than Viet Cali's seven dollar pho. The herbs were really skimpy and the lime had brown spots as did the basil. Also take a look at the size of the bowl of pho in comparison to the little plate of garnishes.

All comparisons to Viet Cali stopped at the price. This was a pretty good bowl. The broth was fairly dark, yet clear. It had decent fat/oil and a very light anise flavor, with a more pronounced onion thing going on. Not quite as good as Pho Lucky on a good day, but ok.

The meats were fine, one piece of the rare steak had a metallic taste to it. Most of it was unremarkable and there wasn't much of it either.

The one thing that was a pleasant surprise were how the noodles were prepped. This wasn't your usual clump of mushy, over cooked noodles. No, the noodles had been separated and were just perfect in texture.

Also, the folks who run this place; I'm thinking it's a family of four are really, very, very, nice. It made me want to return in spite of the rather low value level. So I dropped by the next chance I had and tried a couple of the appetizers I'd seen.

The Lavang Fried Chicken Wings ($8.95). It was a pretty little plate.

The sautéed peppers and onions brought very little to the dish in terms of flavor. The wings were he small type; which I actually kind of like since it makes for the perfect bite; a combination of crisp batter/skin/meat. This was adequately fried, but the sauce was way too sweet for me, without a nice savory punch that I would expect.

I also tried the Nem Nuong Cuon ($3.95). Much like some other places in the area, this place is trying to take a page out of the Brodard playbook.

Wrapped too tight and hard, too much filler, the nem nuong was very bland and lost in everything. Could have used more herbs….oh and that sauce was watery and bland as well.

One evening a week or so later, I decided to drop by. The special that evening was one of my favorite dishes; Banh Mi Bo Kho ($7.95).

In some ways this was a pretty good version; lots of meat, the baguette nice and warm, the carrots perfect, not overcooked and mushy. I would have enjoyed a bit more anise tones and tanginess, but I know folks who don't. A good amount of black pepper in this and the broth was on the thin side….again, personal preferences at work. Like I said, tons of meat, cooked well, but not enough tendon for my taste. It is perhaps a bit more refined than the thick, rustic version I prefer.

But heck, this isn't bad by any means.

The owner told me to come back and try the Bo Luc Lac, so of course one evening, when the Missus was working, I dropped by to try it ($11.95).

Like some of the other dishes; the ingredients are done fairly well, the beef was adequately tender, but this fell short in the flavor category. I prefer mine with a more assertive sweet-savory flavor and this was really mild. Strangely, the rice was terrible…very hard.

The best part of the whole meal was the broth, which had such nice depth of flavor.

Just enough salt…this had that aaaah appeal. I guess I better return for other soups in the future.

I did return one more time for the Grilled Beef spicy Mango Salad ($9.95).

Again, nice try, but no cigar. The beef was tender, but on the mild side……the flavor of sesame oil was a bit too strong. The salad portion was nice, but again too much sesame flavor. I'd have enjoyed something with a stronger fish sauce flavor.

Like I said, the folks here are very, very, nice. I can see that they are trying for a more refined product, and while it shows in some of the prep, things just seem to miss the mark. I did notice that the two customers on the table in back of me were whining about how "greasy" the pho looked (meanwhile the Vietnamese on the table next to them just laughed – gringos wanting gringo pho)….I guess folks are really getting used to the MSG loaded, totally defatted, mediocre pho like they serve on Convoy. And while I admire the effort, the place just kind of falls short……

Lavang Restaurant
6755 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92121
Hours:
Mon – Fri 10am – 9pm
Saturday 10am – 10pm
Closed Sunday

Dinner in Hiroshima at Izakaya Sairai

February 1, 2015 mmm-yoso Hiroshima, Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Pubs and Pub Grub, Travel

After lunch at Kazuchan in Okonomimura we walked back to our hotel, the Granvia in Hiroshima Station. We took our time meandering through various streets and shopping arcades.

Fairly close to Hiroshima Station I noticed a photo menu….which looked quite interesting…..it had dishes both the Missus and I love. We headed down the alleyway. The place was closed, but we managed to speak, well that's not true either as the really nice young man spoke no English. Somehow, we got to understand that the place opened during the evening and yes, they served what we saw on the menu.

We took our much needed afternoon nap. When we awoke it was dusk. Time to find our little alleyway restaurant. The Missus had Her doubts, but I have a decent sense of direction and we found the place.

We found the place and headed down the alleyway. We entered the restaurant, but through sign language and my really bad Japanese came to find out that the place was booked solid. The woman then lead us the 2 yards across the alleyway and found the one young man who actually spoke a bit of English….about as much English as I spoke Japanese. Anyway, we could eat here, same menu, same drinks.

It was also mentioned that there were "appetizers" served with an automatic charge of 500 yen…..ah yes, tsukidashi…so this was an honest to goodness izakaya.

They seemed very concerned and wanted to make sure that we knew how the drill goes. It was of course, no problem. I actually think of it as a charge in lieu of a tip…since tipping is not done in Japan.

We were both quite happy to find a place like this….it was homey and comfortable, the staff was very nice…..the head bartender spoke a few words of English, not much, but enough. And of course there was a liquid refreshment. I went with a Miyajima Draft…..the Missus wanted something sort of local, so She had some sake from Saijo, which was really nice….clean, slightly sweet, easy to drink.

And then the fun really began. The Missus could make out some items since She could read Kanji. And I spoke really, really bad Japanese….except for some food.

Some of this was easy…..but some of it was plain hilarious…the bartender seemed to have fun….the Missus would point to something and he'd point to a part of his body, or the Missus would say, I think this is tendon and I'd say "suji"? And we'd get a grin and a nod and end up with a really tasty dish like this.

It was the photo of this dish that got us to come in. Classically flavored, sweet-soy, tender beef tendon and meat…….who could ask for more.

This was the spiciest thing I had in Japan, pickled chilies that brought some nice heat.

The Missus pointed to an item and said, I think these are onions….so I asked "Rakyo"? Which they were….

The Missus pointed to an item and the guy pointed to his abdomen……I asked "horumon?"

Nicely grilled intestine, chewy, well flavored….good stuff…..

Meanwhile, the Missus had another sake and was just beginning to hit Her stride it seems…..

Because when She pointed to the next item on the wall, the young man grabbed his ear! The Missus and I looked at each other and instantly knew we had to have this.

Now, I've had my share of pig ear, and while this isn't the most photogenic, I have to say it's among the best I've had. The pig ear had been simmered to where the external tissue was soft and sticky, it literally melted away on your tongue. The internal base piece was still slightly crunchy making for a fantastic textural contrast. The seasoning was plain, just a dip in salt and pepper, but it just perfect….especially with alcoholic beverages.

By now, the little ten seat bar was full….they actually had 6 reserved seats. So the anatomic charades were up. We had the bartender order something for us.

Which turned out to be a typical yakiniku, bulgogi like beef dish.

I was glad we arrived early. We would have not been comfortable taking up the bartender's time once things got busy.

It seemed like everyone at the bar was ordering the chicken wings; so I had to try the "teba".

A bit over battered and under seasoned and definitely not as good as the ears and guts……

The Missus and I had a blast here…it's our kind of place. I only wish I knew the name and address.

Update: Our FOY and fellow Food Blogger Kat did some sleuthing for us and seems to have found the place:

Izakaya Sairai

5-16 Enkobashi-cho

Minami-ku, Hiroshima

Thanks Kat!

After dinner the Missus and I decided to take the tram to….well, wherever. We got off at random spot to have a bit of a post-dinner walk.

Things were lite up brightly as we walked through the various shopping street we passed earlier in the day.

Along the way we found a Don Quijote. I enjoyed walking around and looking at prices. The Missus had to use the restroom which was in the basement.

This area was were all the arcade games were……while the Missus "did Her thing", I took a walk around and looked at some of the "games". I thought the claw crane games the oddest….one had plastic food as the prize, another instant noodles. It just seemed so odd to me…..

We walked past the bright lights of Nagarekawa.

Getting back to our room; the Missus fell asleep almost instantly. I on the other hand put some music on my iPhone and looked off into the bright lights of Hiroshima Station.

I was having the time of my life here….Japan had drawn me in….I was hooked.

Maitake – Porcini Sauce

January 31, 2015 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes

I recently mentioned being able to take time for a proper lunch on weekends again. Some of this means doing "component cooking", which is creating parts of dishes that can be put together in different combinations…….stuff that I used to do in a previous life a zillion years ago. Anyway, this is based on another recipe, used to create a sauce that keeps for a week or so and can be used in different ways. The one thing I've learned is to start this in a cold pan, versus dumping all the stuff with butter into a hotel pan over a couple of burners, which is what used to take place way back then. Maitake….or Hen of the woods mushrooms and shimeji mushrooms keep their shape and earthy flavor throughout the process, so this is a good sauce for composing dishes….like say….a Pan seared monchong, smoked potato-brussel sprout saute, maitake – porcini sauce, kinda thing….

Like I learned in my "hannabudda days" of cooking….it's all about prep, though I didn't realize it at the time.

Maitake – Porcini Sauce:

1 head of Maitake (Hen of the Woods) Mushroom, cleaned, trimmed, and separated
1 head of Shimeji Mushroom, cleaned, trimmed, and separated
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushroom
2 cups warm water 2-3 tb Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tb minced shallot
1 tb grated garlic
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme salt(truffle salt?) and pepper to taste
3 tb Creme Fraiche

– Steep porcini in the warm water for 20 minutes
– Place maitake and shimeji mushrooms into a cold pan
– Turn heat to medium high
– Allow the mushrooms to carmelize for 3-4 minutes mixing occasionally
– Remove porcini mushrooms from soaking liquid
– Strain porcini liquid
– Add Olive Oil and shallots to pan
– As mushrooms soften, add porcini, garlic, oregano, thyme
– Once fragrant, add 1 1/2 cup of the porcini soaking liquid
– Lower the heat and reduce by at least one-third
– Taste and add salt and pepper
– Remove from heat and thicken with creme fraiche