mmm-yoso – Page 326 – 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.

Circling back to Dumpling Inn

March 11, 2014 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Xiao Long Bao

There are a handful of restaurants that I've been kind of down on for the last couple of years and Dumpling Inn is one of them. My last couple of visits a couple of years ago just weren't satisfying and the the restaurant's namesake….namely Jiaozi went severely downhill after the owner opened, then sold the Dragon's Den. Even before then, the only dumpling worth my while at Dumpling Inn was the shrimp and chive version…..of course, the Missus, with Her QingDao heritage won't touch any of the jiaozi here with a ten foot pole(though She tells me I'm more picky than She is)….my coworker "YZ" once even told me, "you know, that's really NOT Chinese food….." And yet, the place is beloved by many….though I will say, I did not see a single Chinese customer during any of my three visits. I'm sure they come here, but I never saw a single one. Still, I thought I really needed to circle back here and give the place an honest try……

And I thought the Shrimp and Chive Jiaozi was the way to go, which is over eight bucks now ($8.25).

So where to start…..I usually begin with the wrapper, but why not go to the miniscule amount of filling in these….very bland, even with chives, it's literally the size of a dime. I'm going to start calling this place "Dime-pling Inn". The wrappers were too gummy for my tastes are really not very good.

Then there's the Xiao Long Bao ($7.75), which folks rave about…..which is actually better than any of the jiaozi.

Dough has that uneven, sometime's hard texture of something that's been frozen for a bit. The top of the folds are hard, not enough soup, quite bland, if this is the best that San Diego has to offer……..

I'd rather hold out for one of my trips to the SGV……

Black vinegar is not the standard here, you need to ask for it. They treat it like elixir of the gods. As soon as you pour some into the dish, they immediately whisk it away….kind of funny actually.

Still, I know someone who loves this place and during a discussion he convinced me to really give it a try here, putting aside all manner of dumplings and actually try some of cooked dishes. Fair enough, so I went with the dish he considers the best here on my next visit, the Sea Bass with Black Bean Sauce, now this is "lunch size", but not really what I consider "lunch priced" at $9.75.

First the fish, the batter was kind of greasy, like it was fried in oil at too low a temp. The fish was moist and tender though. My big question is "where's the black bean sauce"? There was so little of it, you can easily see that whomever made this didn't coat the fish very well. Vegetables almost raw. However, as a consolation prize, the rice was perfect. In total, on the bland side……

Still, I decided to give it one more go….this time ordering one dish I'd really enjoyed on previous visits and another I'd never had here.

First something on the menu I'd never had Satay Lamb with Chinese Greens ($12.75).

The Sa Cha sauce was really mild, lacking in a deep savory flavor that I like. Nice good portion of Gailan, done well. The lamb was "wok'd" quite well, very tender, but this was really too mild for my taste. Still, this was the best dish I had overall……

Mostly because the Jellyfish Salad ($8.25), an old favorite of mine surprisingly came out near the end of my meal; I thought they'd forgotten, but here it was…..

I kind of wish they had forgotten about this as the sauce tasted watered down and there was still an astringent flavor, mildly reminiscent of acetone, telling me that this was hastily prepared. A ig disappointment.

It would be easy enough for me to close the book on Dumpling Inn, but I saw something that would at least bring me back eventually. As I was eating, a gentleman in a wheelchair came in, apparently he was a regular as all the ladies here knew him. They sat him at a table, went to the back and returned with a ziploc with what looked like custom eating utensils that he could use…..I guess he really is a regular! This brought a smile to my face…maybe I'm not the biggest fan of the food here, but I'll surely support a place that takes care of their regulars. So I guess I'll be back……someday.

Dumpling Inn
4619 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Mariscos Monday: The Mariscos Tijuana Jr Truck and Mariscos Godoy closes

March 10, 2014 mmm-yoso Food Trucks, Mexican Restaurants, Seafood, Taco Shops

**** My understanding is that this truck so no longer

A couple of weeks back, occasional commenter "Buddha" who I've known since the "Chowhound Days" shot me an email telling me that he believes the best fish tacos are now being served from a truck on the corner of J and Broadway in Chula Vista named Tijuana Jr. This past weekend, I finally had some time to drive down there are check them out.

When I arrived at 10am, they were already doing some serious business. The truck is located in the parking lot of a tire shop with very limited parking. I was lucky enough to snare a spot.

There's one guy manning the order window and another manning the window for payment making things easy.

Of course I went with a Taco de Pescado – the fish taco $1.25.

Good god, this thing was huge for a typical fish taco. Two large pieces of fish, moist, the batter is almost a laquer-tempura style, very crisp. Not to much flavor, the crema is watery, you'll need to add some sauce to this one, a squeeze of lime, and maybe the habenero onions. Still, this is a super deal for a $1.25 and I think it may be the best……I need to get back to Mariscos el Pescador and El Prieto for a comparison.

I also ordered a Gobernador, which had a ton of perfectly cooked shrimp.

This really didn't seem like the typical gobernador to me….though I loved the way the cheese had been melted and griddled in some spots. This thing literally fell to pieces in ten seconds. If this was indeed a gobernador, I really missed the onions, peppers, and seasonings. Still no complaints about pertion size, though this too was very mild in flavor.

I was more than satisfied as I left. I'll be back!

Thanks for the recommendation Jeff!

Mariscos Tijuana Jr
706 W J St
Chula Vista, CA 91910

On site daily from 9am – 7pm

Since I was down in the South Bay, I thought I'd check on El Charco, which looks exactly the same as 5 months ago. I think the place is a goner.

Mariscos Godoy is now Maricos la Perla Negra:

As I headed to the I-5 down Palomar I took a quick glance to my right and was surprised. Mariscos Godoy was now Mariscos la Perla Negra:

Anyone know what happened?

A funny thing happened as I was waiting at the light to get back on Palomar; CC sent me a text telling me that Mariscos Godoy had closed! Man, that was kind of weird….I squinted my eyes looking out at Palomar Street….looking to see if I could spot her…..

651 Palomar St
Chula Vista, CA 91911

Sunday Sandwiches: The playing with my butt edition……

March 9, 2014 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes, yoso-silly

Sorry, I couldn't help it……

The Missus has been wanting me to make pulled pork since She had the Pulled Pork Hash at Nate's. I'd been wanting to use my meat injector (now that just sounds wrong), so I bought a bone in 7 1/2 pound butt Friday on the way home from work.

So before going to bed I had a chance to….ahem…play with my butt.

I basically used Slap Yo Daddy's Bone In Pork Butt recipe as a guide, making some adjustments for our taste. First thing's first, the injection sauce:

1 Cup Apple Juice
1/2 Cup Turbinado Sugar
3 Tb Kosher Salt
1 Tb Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tb Rib Rub
3 Tb White Vinegar
1 Tb Ghost Pepper Louisiana style Hot Sauce

I decided to name my butt, "Ben Dover"…….

For obvious reasons……

I reserved a half cup of the liquid and injected the rest in a 1 1/2 inch grid pattern over the pork. I then used about 3/4 cup of my rib rub on the butt.

I then tucked Ben in for the night…..

I got up at 5am, got my act together, got the smoker going. At six I put Ben into the smoker.

I kept the pork as cold as possible before smoking, which creates a better smoke ring……..I also kept the fat cap on, laying it fat side down.

After five hours things looked good…..

The butt was hitting about 160. Because the Missus had promised folks at work pulled pork, I needed to finish up fairly quickly, so I went with the Texas Crutch like Slap Yo Daddy recommends. I used a double layer of foil and poured this mixture over the butt – SYD uses butter, I did not, I did add the leftover injection mixture though.

6 ounces beer (in this case Tecate)
1/2 cup leftover injection liquid
1/2 cup tubinado sugar
2 Tb Ghost Pepper Louisiana style Hot Sauce

I left things alone for 2 hours then started checking the temp. After 3 hours it hit 195 and I removed it and let it sit for an hour.

I poured off all the fat and liquid, which had some nice fat since I left the fat cap on the pork. I removed all the liquid and used two forks to pull the pork. I had a taste and basically used the technique from my Oven Kalua Pork recipe to reintroduce some fat/liquid into the pork. I also added about two tablespoons of Maldon Sea Salt; I had cut down on the amount of salt in my rib rub, so this was a necessary step.

The flavors were quite nice; it really didn't need any sauce. In the end, The Missus got Her veggies and pulled pork, Her coworkers got their pork, and I got a pretty decent sandwich.

Da' Boyz also made out. Whenever I smoke, i'll do something for them. This time around I saw Beef Knee Bones on sale at Zion Market and bought a bunch. I smoked these up so Frankie has a once a week treat.

I guess everyone wins when I play with my butt???

Porto: We arrive, São Bento Station, our apartment, and lunch at A Grade

March 8, 2014 mmm-yoso Porto, Portugal, Portuguese Food, Seafood, Travel

There was something about Porto that really drew me in. It was quite subtle, I really didn't notice it, I wasn't that impressed at the beginning, but as the days……check that, the hours went by, it seemed that things just got better and better……

We enjoyed the train ride from Coimbra, it was comfortable, free WiFi, nothing to complain about. We arrived at Campanhã Station, the main train station which is about 2 kilometers from the city centre. We then got on the train to São Bento Station. It was an easy transfer, one of the gentlemen who got off with us at Campanhã took an interest in us and walked us to the correct platform. São Bento is translated as Saint Benedict and the spot on which the station is built was a Benedictine Monastery from the 16th to 19th century. Why am I going on and on about a train station? Well, within the station are some beautiful Azulejo tile work, which makes for quite a welcome to Porto.

The tile work was done between 1905 – 1916 by Jorge Colaço who was the most renown azulejo painter during that period. The tiles depict various scenes like the Battle of Ceuta to the right. It's quite a stunning welcome to Porto.

Porto itself is fairly compact and yet sprawling. The city itself has a population of 300,000, but there's a population of over 2.5 million within the Porto Metropolitan area.

Walking out of São Bento and taking a look around was a treat for me. Whenever I plan our trips, I study maps and read what I need to, I usually don't look at too many photos, there's a certain part of me that wants to be surprised. However, one can't help but have that mental picture inside your head.

As I looked around, I told the Missus, "this is what I thought Portugal would look like."

As we walked down Rua Mouzinho da Silveira toward the Ribeira (the River) I was charmed by the architecture, even with all the construction going on.

We headed down the street and met up with João, who was one of the "two João's" who took us to our apartment which located in a building a couple of hundred years old and basically located two blocks from the Douro and the waterfront.

While a bit on the dark side since it was on the lower floor, the apartment itself was huge! Full kitchen…….there was a small outdoor area since we were on the lower level….funny, there was even a bathroom located outside, a remnant from when there was no indoor plumbing.

João was fantastic; we told him our priority was, well, food, he brought out a map and quickly made a dozen recommendations, places he and his family ate at. He also gave us a bottle of wine and ticked off where the local market was; where to get a cup of espresso and other things.

We were literally steps from Praça Infante Dom Henrique.

In this park, the statue of Henry the Navigator is pointing off into the far horizon, a symbol of Portugal's Age of Discovery.

Hungry, we headed off to lunch. Located in one of the small side street right above the Douro is a tiny restaurant with four indoor tables, a couple of outdoor tables, and laundry hanging above it named A Grade.

So, we found out something quite quickly, the closer to the Douro, the higher the prices. We'd stick to other recommendations after this.

The guy serving was very friendly and there weren't serious complaints about our meal which was simple, basic stuff which we love.

It was sardine season, the Missus loves them, so ordering it was a no-brainer (10 Euros).

Which were simple and fine, though we'd have really great sardines – actually 8 really fresh sardines for 7 Euros a couple of days later.

The Octopus was quite good (17.5 Euros), though not quite up to, say Vasiliko in texture and prep. Still, it was tender and suited me well.

The rice, as with all previous meals just wasn't to our taste in terms of texture.

We also had a bottle of regional wine (not Port), which we really enjoyed. It was light and fruity, not too tannic, with a clean finish, overall a decent table wine.

Overall, a decent meal at tourist prices. At least they do serve a decent product. The dining room is quaint and cozy and the folks here are really friendly.

A Grade
Rua de S. Nicolau 9
Porto, Portugal

After lunch the Missus was rarin' to go……no post lunch nap for me on this day. It would turn out to be a fun afternoon!

Recently Consumed

March 7, 2014 mmm-yoso Cooking

Just a quick post for a very pleasant Friday evening….some of the stuff we've had recently.

The mother of a friend of the Missus makes her own XO Sauce and we were given some recently. I made some shrimp with XO sauce and it came out rather well.

I found the flavor interesting, very different from the bottled stuff……so this sounds like a new project for me.

They recently had King Clip at Catalina Offshore and I was lucky enough to be there. Made King Clip sauteed in Bacon Fat and Garlic Collard Greens,

We're working through our third batch of Suan Cai. The recent bit of rain we had gave us the perfect chance to make Suan Cai Yang Rou.

Other than that, it's just pretty routine stuff……

I hope everyone had a great week!

Coimbra: Across Ponte Santa Clara, Fado ao Centro, and a return to Ze Manel dos Ossos

March 6, 2014 mmm-yoso Coimbra, Portugal, Portuguese Food, Travel

The area down Rua Visconde da Luz which turns to Rua Ferreira Borges is a pedestrian only area, full of little shops, bakeries, and other businesses. Yes, it's touristy, but there are also a lot of students and locals milling about. We saw students walking along, on what appeared to be a architectural tour, stopping at various buildings taking notes.

Heading toward the Mondego River, Rua Ferreira Borges ends at a square named Largo da Portagem. Like most of Rua Ferreira Borges, it's a nice place to have a seat and people watch.

The statue in the square is of Joaquim António de Aguiar, three time Prime Minister of Portugal who was born in Coimbra. He's obviously much beloved, right? I mean there's a statue of him overlooking the Mondego River……well ask any local who's statue this is and they'll say it's "Mata Frades", aka the "Friar Killer.” Apparently "Mata Frades" was the Minister of Justice during the reign of Peter IV and issued a law in 1834 which shut down all religious orders and took over their assets.

The views from across the Ponte Santa Clara are the things postcards are made of.

There are also sites to see on this side of the river as well.

After a short nap we headed back up Rua Ferreira Borges and through one of the many gateways of what was once the city walls. The most well known is the Arco de Almedina. See the square hole in the ceiling? This was used a part of the defense system; soldiers would pour hot oil through the holes on enemies who tried to breach the gate.

We headed up the hill to Fado ao Centro, which celebrates Coimbra's unique version of Fado, which I call the soul music of Portugal. Every evening there's a 50 minute show, which we loved. Each number and the history is presented in both Portuguese and English, there's about 40-50 seats, no food, it's about Fado. The folks are very laid back; they let some folks actually videotape the show!

In contrast to the Lisbon melancholic "saudade" Fado sung almost exclusively by women; Coimbra's version is sung by men and tell of social issues, college life, and the such……

The show is well worth it. Instead of grabbing some of the gratis wine after the performance we decided to get dinner. We didn't have anything in mind and just wandered around…..

And no, we didn't eat here….though it was super cheap. We found the specials sign entertaining, "Arroz Chau-Chau" anyone?

I know that diária means daily, but it sounds too much like another word to me…..

It's not surprising that we ended up back here…..

Yep, Ze Manel dos Ossos. We stood in line and waited for the place to open. The guy seated here had dinner here the night before as well…..not sure, but I think he might be a local. He also had the same thing the night before as well which is what we ended up with.

Of course, we started with the gnawingly wonderful "Ossos", simmered pork bones.

We had originally wanted the stew pork with mushrooms, but the had run out, so we went with the classic "Feijao", basically beans, in this case Stewed beans and rice….

Loved the beany flavor, didn't care much for the rice. A nice, hearty, soulful dish. This came with bread (of course) and pork cutlets that had been grilled over hardwood charcoal (I saw the bags of charcoal). I expected this to be tough, but though it was chewy, the flavor was just perfect, nice salt, good garlic flavor, smokiness form the charcoal, doused in olive oil. Simple, but so nice.

Ze Manel dos Ossos
Beco do Forno 12
Coimbra, Portugal

We slept well……

The next morning we arose, walked over to Pastelaria Palmeira and had some espresso and pastries.

We went back to the hotel, packed, checked out, walked the one block to Train Station A to catch the short train to Train Station B….what seemed a bit confusing two days ago made perfect sense now! While waiting for our train to Porto, we went and had a nice cup of espresso….standing up of course!

Soon enough we were ensconced in our seats and headed to our next stop….the land of Port Wine, Porto!

Thanks for reading!

In case you wanted a bit more Fado; the late Amália Rodrigues is known as the "Queen of Fado" – you can see why here:

Here's a short video with some performers of Fado ao Centro:

Midweek Meanderings: Pho Hut opening and some other silliness

March 5, 2014 mmm-yoso Vietnamese Restaurants, yoso-silly

Just a couple of quick and rather silly things for hump day.

Pho Hut and Grill Opening:

Actually, when I first saw the sign, I thought it said Pho' What…which might be a great name for some of the pho shops I've eaten at. But no, it's Pho Hut……

This is in the former Quizno's location near the corner of Balboa and Genesee.

Kind of neat in a way as it seems these businesses are now moving further away from Convoy.

I'm still not sold on the name….say "Pho Hut" five times real fast….what does it sound like????

5252 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92117

Caption this photo:

"Luke, I am your mother…."

"You know, I always really wanted to be a welder…."

I'm sure you can come up with something funnier. I actually turned around and saw this woman….which startled me. What ever happened to good old sunglasses….tho' I guess she might have wanted protection from the sun. and sunscreen just didn't do it for her? After the inital shock, I just coudn't stop laughing….she actually did her shopping in 99 Ranch Market with the darn thing covering her face….indoors!

From the "why bother" files:

For some reason I find this amusing……

I mean, if you wanted a wheat flavored chip, why not make them out of wheat? Why would you make rice chips taste like wheat? Is it some kind of gluten thing? I dunno….it just seems a bit absurd to me.

I hope you're having a great week!

Curry Rice Hinotez Opens

March 4, 2014 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants

*** Curry Rice Hinotez is now Yakitori Taisho

I'd been keeping an eye out since Cathy told me that Hinotez was opening another restaurant in the old La Playita location. While driving from a meeting I noticed a sign was up so I decided to take a quick peek.

I was surprised to see the "Open" sign as I drove up; it was 10am in the morning. I decided to return to grab a quick lunch.

About an hour later I returned. There a single table a counter with a mat blocking the view of the rest of the restaurant. The hand-written sign features but a single dish Pork Curry Rice ($5.50). It's also take-out and cash only as well.

Five-fifty? Why not, right? I placed my order….which sounds kind of strange since I had my choice on a single item and took a peek behind the mat. There were two women hard at work prepping stuff. So I had a chat with the nice young lady out front. Apparently they'll be doing a single dish a day, some kind of curry until they get their beer and wine license going….god knows that may be a while….. And the early hours will probably be in effect until then. Though when i asked her if they'd be expanding the take0out offerings, she just shrugged…..

A photo of my Pork Curry Rice:

This was decent, think of a mild curry flavored bolognese sauce made with ground pork. It could have stood to have a bit more of a kick and a more complex spice flavor, but it was more than fatty enough for me. Light pork flavor as well. At least it didn't taste like it came from a box.

Having a choice between a sandwich and this, I might choose this at least once a week or more.

The sign looks temporary, so I'm not sure what the final incarnation of this place might be. Those Yakyudori folks are full of surprises it seems. I really didn't think Hinotez would make it, but it seems like they are surviving. This seems like an interesting project in the making.

Curry Rice Hinotez
5185 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117

You make me feel like some….Natural Style Chicken

March 3, 2014 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Korean Restaurants

I've been curious about this place for years and even more so after Cathy posted on it back in 2008. The name though, has always given me pause; as FOY Howie once said, "so, Natural Chicken, eh…..would that be versus, Unnatural Chicken?"

Still, when I recently passed by on my visit to Gaglione Brothers, the place was doing good business with the folks who know good cheap eats; postal workers and cops.

So when I had a chance to drop by a couple of days later I did. This time a large table was filled with city workers having lunch….always a good sign.

The place is dated, simple, and looks like it has seen better days…..but I do like the large brick rotisserie mounted in the front of the restaurant. It must get pretty hot in here when that thing is running….

If you look at the name, you might be surprised when you went to the counter and saw bulgogi on the menu. The place is Korean owned and on this day a really nice woman was manning the front counter.

The sign said "Best Teriyaki Chicken in San Diego" and while it isn't $4.49 anymore, it's still a great deal at $6.19. I ordered it and the woman asked what kind of dressing, when I told her she just turned to the window and simply said "Ranch!" My next surprise happened when I turned to take a seat….well, by the time my butt hit the bench, my food was ready! The chicken as Cathy described is skinless rotisserie, moist and tender, the teriyaki sauce is a "tweener", not overly sweet like the bentos from Nijiya or Mitsuwa, nor too salty. If you prefer it either way, this might be considered bland, but I thought it decently balanced. The rice was good, no complaints there. The "salad" was chopped iceberg with watered down ranch, but what did I expect at this price point?

The food here is priced right and my blue collar roots appreciates places serving honest food at decent prices. If I were still driving a truck or working in frozen foods, or heck, still doing short order work, I'd be here quite often……

"Lookin' out on the morning rain I used to feel uninspired And when I knew I had to face another day Lord, it made me feel so tired

Before the day I ate you, life was so unkind But your flavor was the key to my peace of mind

'Cause you make me feel, you make me feel.….."

Well maybe not…..but you know what I mean, right?

Natural Style Chicken
3944 W Point Loma Blvd
San Diego, CA 92110
Hours:
Open Daily 11am – 9pm

Sunday Sandwich’s, the “Say Cheese” Edition: Gaglione Brothers versus…Gaglione Brothers

March 2, 2014 mmm-yoso Cheesesteaks, Sandwiches

Since I've been waving the Cheesesteak flag again, here's the next logical post of a series that I began in 2010. I had first gone to Gaglione Brothers in 2005 and had revisited several times over the years. I've always found their sandwiches to be decent, if not the best, though it could be the garlic fries were the main reason for my visits. Since then, Gaglione Brothers has expanded, opening another location in Mission Gorge.

One evening, I was in the area….and thought, "why not"…..

Gaglione Brothers – Mission Gorge:

My how time flies, the last time I was here it was still Pisa's Chicago Deli, which didn't last very long. Now it's Gaglione Brothers second location….business must be good.

They were pretty busy when I arrived, though thing cleared out quickly. I went with my usual, the 8" Mushroom Steak.

This was kind of interesting. I've always thought the cheesesteaks at Gaglione's were moist with the provolone giving the whole mess a light milky, creaminess. It seemed to lack a sufficient amount of cheese. This was on the dry side and pretty salty. The roll was nice and warm, but I found some of the meat tough.

It's not quite what I expected from a Gaglione Brother's Cheesesteak.

Gaglione Brothers
10450 Friars Rd
San Diego, CA 92120

I was wondering if this was something to do with perhaps timing, or the location….or has GB changed the way they make their sandwiches? Which means that a couple of days later, after a couple of years, I finally revisited the Point Loma location.

Gaglione Brother's – Point Loma/Midway:

**** This location of Gaglione Brothers has closed

I've done a couple of posts on Gaglione Brother's over the years, though I've visited way more times. Still, it's been at least 2 years since I've ben here.

Not much has changed except the price………

I ordered my mushroom steak and had a seat. While waiting for my sandwich I stared off into the parking lot; and quickly noticed that one could easily tell which folks were coming to have something from GB, versus who was heading to the fitness center next door…..just by physique! It was quite entertaining as I was 10 for 10 in guesses. Of course, if one were playing the same game and saw me exiting my vehicle, I'm thinking they'd be able to tell where I was headed to……

And this turned out to be the typical, lovely, "hot mess" that is a GB cheesesteak. Gooey, gloppy, with hot cheese napalm burning your lips…… The beef didn't seem as well incorporated into the cheese as on previous visits, but it was decent. Because of the milky mildness, onions are a must on this sandwich…. It is still a bit lacking in terms of beef flavor, but it does fine by me.

Gaglione Brothers
3944 West Point Loma Blvd
San Diego, CA 92110

I did find it kind of strange that the two shops served up cheesesteaks that had very little in common….except for the name on the sign…..