mmm-yoso – Page 333 – 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.

Midweek Meanderings: Jin’s Pot opens and Happy Family returns

February 5, 2014 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Korean Restaurants

Jin's Pot opens in Plaza del Sol:

Aka in back of China Max and a few doors down from Spicy City.

I read this in Eater San Diego and was passing by during lunch so I took a quick swing past the shop.

My sources and the menu does indicate Yunnan….even though Jin's Karaoke is right next door…I'm thinking that must be a coincidence?

The prices seem kind of steep, though they have lunch specials.

They also have a 10% off grand opening special…..might not be for long, the "sign" is in marker…..

They weren't open yet on this day, so I'll just drop by later. A funny thought crossed my mind, if this was anywhere else but Convoy, a shop with the name Jin's Pot would have a total different connotation.

Jin's Pot
4690 Convoy St. Suite B109
San Diego, CA 92111

Happy Family reopens in UMart:

Well, I've been kind of keeping tabs one what's going on in the gigantic space inside UMart. There are a couple of non-food shops in the old Zion Market food court area. Happy Family, whom Cathy posted on has made a return, joining Big Joy Bakery.

Things have been moving kind of slowly here, I hope business and businesses pick-up.

Happy Family (Inside UMart)
4611 Mercury Street
San Diego, CA 92111

Kamayan Night at Villa Manila

February 4, 2014 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants

A couple of weeks ago, our good friend "MG" whom I hadn't seen in a while told me that Villa Manila was doing a "Kamayan Night". For those who haven't heard that term before, kamayan literally refers to eating with your hands. In short, for the Filipino's I know, it also refers to a fairly festive occasion where family and friends get together and eat like crazy!

MG had great timing as my good friends, the twins, Pete and John's Birthday was rapidly approaching. Ange was nice enough to coordinate and since the four of us had been here together before, Ange knew everyone's preferences….in other words, pork, pork, and more pork. Since there would be 8 of us, Ange ordered the "Fiesta" and we supplemented with two (small) orders of Crispy Pata and Chicharon Bulaklak.

As you can gather, it's imperative that you make reservations in advance, unless you want to wait for a couple of hours for food. You can then supplement again if the need arises. Also, note the fine print that adds charges if you have excess people and don't supplement.

Also, those bowls don't hold soup, ok? It's water and lemon for your hands….you'll be needing them, since you'll be eating with 'em. So don't drink that!

Anyway, having made reservations, our banana leaf draped table was ready when we arrived. And they quickly got our first supplement, the bulaklak, fried pork intestines, out to the table. Love the version here and can't get enough of it.

Soon enough, our Server, whom I shall call "Iron Hands" because he didn't even flinch when placing our steaming rice on the banana leaves.

"Iron Hands" also displayed his overall strength when he brought the proteins out to be served.

Here's the progress……so in case you're keeping score, you can see the the Inihaw na Baboy and the Halabos na Hipop (steamed shrimp), along with the Adobo….

Fried Chicken (supplement), bicol express, crispy pata (supplement), etc, etc…..

On a funny note, Xiāng Jiāo couldf not get enough of the Crispy Pata and Lechon Kawale…..she even got a pork "high" feeling a bit light headed near the end of the meal.

In case you were worried about our vegetable intake, dinner came with Inihaw na Talong (grilled eggplant) and the green stuff at the end of the table….though I think it was mostly a garnish. Those preserved eggs were pretty heady, but was nice combined with the mango and the atchara.

You can kind of tell what everyone was missing here right? Crispy Pata, bulaklak, lechon kawale, bicol express, adobo, and inihaw na baboy…it sure wan;t pork…..

This stuff is obviously great pulutan….beer food. Unfortunately, Villla Manila does not serve alcohol, nor allow BYOB. I was told it was because of the church across the street.

Initially, we thought we'd get a "mega" halo-halo, but there just wasn't much room after the cake.

Happy Birthday guys! We should do this again soon!

Villa Manila

500 East 8th Street

National City, CA 91950

619-477-8512

Kamayan Night only on Thursday – I suggest calling and making reservations.

Because everyone was itching for a nightcap. Candice, who has a deep affection for old-school and dive bars, suggested La Maze. Remember, this was the group who hit up Albie's. It was a nice old-school ending to a wonderful evening.

Super Bowl Sunday at Carnitas’ Snack Shack

February 3, 2014 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Hot Dogs, Pubs and Pub Grub

**** This location of Carnitas' Snack Shake has closed

I'm not big on Super Bowl parties, to many people, crowds, etc, etc….. I guess nowadays I'm just not too big on the Superbowl period. Though I haven't quite gone the route of "FOY" Reid who Tweeted asking when kick-off was so he could hit Costco! You gotta love that one!

Still, the Missus was working and my good buddy Candice asked me if I'd like to meet her at Carnitas' Snack Shack. What a great idea! I hadn't been back here since they first opened and while I thought the place a bit over-hyped, I really enjoyed the atmosphere, and thought the food had promise.

Over the last couple of years, they've added a back bar and grill ("The Pig Pen") area. The place looks very relaxed and inviting. There was a large screen with the game on…….

The main reason I met Candice….other than the wonderful company of course, was for this:

I've had my share of lousy TJ Style Hot Dogs, but this is not one of them. Yes, Carnitas' thrives on serving fairly over-the-top eats, but I gotta say, I really loved this. The dog was large, but still had some snap, it was well flavored. The bacon could have been more crisp, but I loved the flavor….the mustard was delish, the bun didn't hold up, but was nice and fluffy. What really caught my attention was how the guacamole on this dog just sang in perfect harmony with the "meat-stick". I like hot dogs, but I'm usually fine after just one, but much like my favorites, I left wanting another…..

Personally, I'm not a big fan of grilled wings, but these were also pretty good.

Mainly because the flavors worked real well together. The nice sweetness balanced out by a sneaky, spicy, finish. Courtesy of habanero I'm told. Much like grilled wings, this was a bit chewy, but not bad at all. In fact, I had two left that I brought home, which the Missus really enjoyed.

It seems that Carnitas' has really found their niche. Perhaps the dishes area bit over-the-top, but I really can't say anything I've had here was bland. Now that they serve beer and have really expanded their dining area, maybe it's time I brought the Missus.

Carnitas' Snack Shack
2632 University Avenue
San Diego, CA 92104

A revisit to Pho Lucky

February 2, 2014 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants, Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

It's been a wonderfully fun and busy weekend for me, here some stuff that I've had queued up while I catch up on things.

Pho Lucky:

Yes, yet another post, among perhaps a half dozen or so done by myself and Cathy over the years. This little shop ajoining Lucky Seafood has been our go to shop. So naturally, when the Missus wanted some pho recently, this was where we headed to.

Notice the jalapenos that the Missus adds to Her version…….not something I enjoy, but at least She doesn't dump in a boatload of hoisin or sririacha….

My intent was to have pho as well; but while walking from our car the fragrance of grilling pork permeated the parking lot. So I order the house special broken rice.

And while the rice wasn't as fragrant as I prefer, the pork chop was well flavored and fairly tender, the "bi" had been tossed with rice powder and was also good….the Missus poached the shrimp, which She enjoyed. We probably had good timing on this one…….and I'm not complaining.

What good stuffs did you have to eat recently?

Pho Lucky
9326 Mira Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92126

Recently Consumed

February 1, 2014 mmm-yoso Cooking

Here's a quick post of stuff recently consumed in the mmm-yoso household! I hope you're having a great Lunar New Year weekend!

Mahi Mahi with a spicy red pepper and tomato sauce.

Robalo Seared in Duck Fat with a Bacon-Sweet Potato Hash and Arugula:

The warm weather has me using my smoker quite a bit.

I always smoked a couple of chicken legs, whic makes great sandwiches or BBQ Chicken Salad.

I noticed I've been eating a lot of salads recently……

I'm waiting for another cold snap so I can make chili again….

Cheese plates are always welcomed in our household…..

The Missus is not fond of hard cheeses, but I really enjoyed this Vento D'Estate, which is aged under a blanket of hay.

Anyway, that's it for now….I'll be back tomorrow with stuff I didn't make at home.

Here's Frankie greeting the day……

Whole Foods- Made to Order Poke Bowl

January 30, 2014 Cathy Markets & Grocers, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, the food blog, is just that-a documentation of good, bad and ugly experiences, all eventually centering in on the central subject of food. Cathy is continuing this week of mediocrity with one of her recent experiences while Kirk and Ed(from Yuma) are out and about seeking something to write about. This is a short post.

The closest Whole Foods Market is 11 miles one way from home. The Mister and I don't shop there regularly, but stop in when we are in the area and do enjoy almost everything purchased there, because we buy things we can't find elsewhere and it's an interesting place.

We especially enjoy meals at the Whole Foods in store restaurants, usually before we go shopping. (I have a few more posts about those).

One day a few weeks ago, the signage in the seafood section of the store caught my eye. "Made -To-Order Poke Bowl $7.99" salmon or tuna. I had to.

Since the sliced fish was $20/lb, I knew the portion I'd be getting would be small. No problem- a snack for when we got home. You'll notice the display fish is plain/not in a marinade…

I placed my order and the nice lady working proceeded to fill a bowl with rice from a rice cooker behind the counter. She then scooped out three scoops of the tuna (a good portion), squeezed out a marinade on top of the tuna and rice and sprinkled it all with black sesame seeds, sealed and labeled the bowl and handed it to me.

It was quite heavy (and warm; fresh rice)…since the marinade/sauce had just been placed, we decided to wait until we got home to share this bowl as a snack.

Well. The poke flavorings/marinade never really stuck to the fish and it dripped straight to the rice, so the rice was seasoned with the sweet/tangy/sesame oil flavors and good on its own. The fish didn't pick up much of any flavors at all. It was fresh and good (and pretty plentiful), but the next time we were shopping, I just bought a handful size amount of the sliced fish, brought it home and made my favorite recipe. Lesson learned.

I hope your week has been better than mediocre.

Teri Cafe is now Katsu Cafe

January 29, 2014 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants

I've never been the biggest fan of Teri Cafe, which I've always thought served low second tier Americanized, Japanese food with sort, kinda, maybe, a plate lunch-ish touch. There were however, folks who really felt that I was totally wrong and they've let me know that over the years. So, I finally decided to circle back to Teri Cafe and give them a serious shot, just no "rolls" or ramen for me. I was in for quite a surprise.

So, first things first. The miso woup here was heinously bad, watered down, lukewarm and without flavor.

Second, my yakisoba was delivered and I was given a fork and spoon….no chopsticks, which I had to go and get.

The noodles were decent, but overall this wasn't nearly as good as what I had here before, which wasn't all that great anyway. The flavor was on the bland side, I like my yakisoba to have hints of worcestershire and the flavor here was faint. It also lacked any of the typical garnishes like pickled ginger. I was content with the chicken, which could have been cooked a bit more to give it a bit of crust, but it was fairly moist. I was glad the teriyaki sauce was on the side as the version here tastes a bit too heavy in soy and is pretty salty.

As I was leaving I was surprised to see the change of ownership notification……

And a few days later, Teri Cafe became Katsu Cafe. So why not check it out, right?

It was exactly the same restaurant, menu, decor……

Ironically, "Katsu" isn't on the menu per se; it's still listed as Chicken Cutlet and Pork Cutlet on the menu. I recall being corrected once when I ordered the Chicken Katsu, "you mean, the chicken cutlet…."

Well, to check on the namesake, sort of, I ordered the Chicken Katsu Cutlet ($8.65). It was nice to see that I was provided chopsticks by the really friendly….extra friendly, like everyone suddenly took happy pills friendly, girls here.

And guess what, they brought me chopsticks without having to ask for them!

You really can't fault the portion size, though that green salad is much too large and the dressing too thin and sour. The potato-mac salad on the other hand is decent, but seems to have a bit of a citrus taste to it that I really don't care for.

The chicken could have been fried a while longer, it was too light in color and soft. Much of it peeled away from the chicken, meaning the product was probably too cold when breaded. The sauce tasted like by-the-book bottled katsu sauce, which is not a bad thing. All-in-all, it was sustenance.

One big improvement; the miso soup, while still not great, at least had more flavor and was served hot.

This was certainly not a bad lunch; so I decided to return.

Tonkatsu, ummmm Pork Cutlet ($8.65):

Basically the same production as the previous visit with the miso soup and salads. This time however, they had done a nice fry job on the pork. The panko was crisp and sported a nice color. Just based on the portion size and price point, I didn't expect this to be say; Kayaba, and it was not, as the pork was on the dry side, though it was adequately tender.

So where does Katsu Cafe rank? Well kinda in the Chopstix category for me. It's not bad, the portions are fairly large, the staff seemed a lot more friendly…the owner was bouncing around contantly talking on his phone rather loudly, checking the television, the doors, everything but the customers on both visits; kind of like he didn't feel comfortable talking to them….. Personally, based on these two visits, I think it's a bit better than it was, perhaps new blood has provided a bit of fire. Plus, I overheard the owner talking loudly on the phone that he was replacing Pepsi with Coke.

So perhaps I'll drop in every once in a while to see if they start calling their Cutlet, Katsu…….

Katsu Cafe
7305B Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

The strangest Doner Sandwich at Istanbul Kabob/Miramar Pizza

January 28, 2014 mmm-yoso Sandwiches, yoso-silly

**** Istanbul Kabob has closed

After eating at Motor City Deli, I noticed this place while walking to my car.

I walked up to the window which said "Istanbul Kebob"…..really? There was lamachun and pide on the menu….really? Really? How could I not know about this place?

The location did seem kind of strange, but curiosity had already gotten the better of me, I just had to check this place out. A couple of days later I dropped by.

Entering the well worn interior of the place, I looked up at the menu and didn't see any Turkish dishes at all. Until I looked ot my left and saw this.

I had more than enough time to check out the menu, because there was no one out at the counter to take my order. The young guys in the back were cracking up and having a good old time it seems.

By the time someone came out to take my order, I had lost my nerve and decided to go the conservative route and ordered the Doner Sandwich ($8.49), something simple that anyplace should be able to make. I also asked the guy if the owners were Turkish and he told me that the former owners were and when the business was sold they were taught all the Turkish dishes and decided to keep it on the menu. Not a very comforting answer, but hey, I've had some good meals under stranger circumstances and in odder places.

So I get my Doner (gyro) sandwich which is wrapped in foil and walk to the table where I unwrapped it and "holy …." (fill in the blanks) "…(more blankety-blank) is this?"

This wasn't a flat bread wrapped product….it was a burrito…the darn thing was wrapped in a tortilla. Still, my criticism of such an adulteration would be minimized if it was any good….which it was not. Basically, 50% tortilla, 35% dry gyro meat (at least it was heated up), 15% veg, all served with a insipid, runny yogurt sauce…..for real? I know this is SoCal, where, as Kazumi once told me "anything goes with food", but this just wasn't good. I have a special place in my heart for Turkey, especially Istanbul, and this just seemed wrong.

On the bright side….well, the fries were hot and crisp.

And I guess I've finally had a "Turkxican" Burrito(Doner-rito?)….my first, and hopefully last. And yet, in my twisted mind, I can only imagine what the foreboding sounding "Black Sea Pide" is going to be like?

Istanbul Kebab/Miramar Pizza
7094 Miramar Rd Suite 110
San Diego, CA 92121

Pho Thyme and Pho Little Saigon

January 27, 2014 mmm-yoso Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

There seems to have been a little "pho-splosion" in the Midway/Sports Arena area. I really don't get down here very much, so I tried to pay a bit more attention when I drove down to Embargo Grill. I noticed two, well actually three (more on that later) more pho shops in the area. Since I had already done a post on The Pho Shop and Pho Point Loma, I thought why not do the other two, right?

Pho Thyme:

*** Pho Thyme has closed

Pho Thyme? Why? Well, I guess there's already a Pho Time in PB. I truly hoped that they weren't putting thyme in their pho. This place was strange enough when it was Jiggle Jiggle Korean Grill.

The interior of the place is pretty much the same.

The menu is a single sheet thing; you can order Pho Bo or Pho Ga and add 3 proteins for $6.25 for a small bowl, $7.25 for the large. Or you can be lazy like me and order the Dac Biet, which ain't cheap at $8.25. Remember those salad days when Pho was like five bucks?

The herbs and sprouts were limited as expected.

The best thing about this bowl was the broth; while the kitchen went a bit too far in defatting it; the broth had a nice clear, rich color. The flavor was on the mild side, but you could make out the beef flavor, and it wasn't very salty.

The worst thing about this bowl were the noodles, which were terribly overcooked and mushy.

The protein was a mixed bag. The rare steak was ok, but the flank was really tough, and the brisket mushy, with a slightly "off" flavor. There was however, to my surprise, a couple of pieces of decent tendon, perhaps a bit on the chewy side, but not bad.

This was a fair bowl, very middle of the road, but not terrible. A safe choice.

Actually, the best thing about this place was the very friendly and accommodating young lady who was so nice, even to some really trashy and rude customers. And then there was the guy who looked like Larry the Cable Guy on a bad day, who ordered his pho "dick bite". Now if you don't even have a chance at pronouncing it right, why bother? Though I almost snorted broth out of my nose…….I wish they would have given him "dick bite". I won't go into the parents who left their kids in the car while they shared a bowl of pho…..

Pho Thyme
3146 Midway Dr
San Diego, CA 92110

Pho Little Saigon:

Man, this one is easy to miss, tucked between a Payday Loan and a Acupuncture Shop.

This shop is very tiny, though it could really pass for some generic pho shop anywhere in the US, it seemed to have all the trappings, from the wooden tables, to the green chopsticks and combo spoon holder…..I'm sure there must be a number and name for it in the pho owner's catalogue somewhere.

The gentleman running the place was very reserved but efficient.

Of course I ordered the Extra Large Combo – $6.95.

To get to the point; this broth was not to my taste, it had that bitter flavor that happens when the shallots and onions are too charred when making the broth. It also lacked even the mildest of beef flavor and was on the salty (msg) side. This had ot be the worst bowl I've had since Pho Mignon. The color and the murky look of the broth should have been a warning sign.

The beef cuts were ok and the noodles were prepared adequately.

But when all of that is in a broth like this it's hard……

Nice enough folks and all….but perhaps less said the better, huh?

Pho Little Saigon
3445 Midway Dr
San Diego, CA 92110

So for my money in this area it's:

1 – The Pho Shop

2 – Pho Thyme – corny name and all

3 – Pho Point Loma

4 – Pho Little Saigon

So what about the other shop…..well for some reason, I'm having a mental block…..

Sushi Pho Sure? Pho-real?

Sunday Sandwiches – The not worth reading edition

January 26, 2014 mmm-yoso Cooking, Sandwiches, yoso-silly

So are you actually reading this? Gotcha! Just playing around a bit with negative suggestion…..

Actually, this post is made up some odd and ends with regards to sandwiches, and you should probably come back tomorrow for something a bit better…..really!

Since you decided to stick around….here goes……

Curiosity does get the better of us at times and I'm not an exception.

I was doing my usual toilet paper/paper towel/laundry detergent/ etc, etc, run at Costco on Morena. I passed the "home of the $1.50 hot dog combo" aka the food windows and saw something new on the menu. Something I couldn't help but try.

They often test market items at this location, perhaps because Costco's Regional Headquarters are located here. So this time it was……

My curiosity got the better of me and I ordered one….purely for research purposes of course…..

Damn, this thing was huge….with a good amount of oily barbecue sauce oozing down one side. The beef was shredded like a tough machaca, the sauce was fairly bland with just a mild spicy finish, the roll was hard and cold…..colder than the tasteless coleslaw.

In short, if you're after quantity over quality, this fits the bill.

I had two people email me about the Arby's Smokehouse Brisket…….so I decided to give it a shot. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, try this on for size.

One can take into consideration the comparison of the Ice Breakers container to understand the size of the sandwich.

Now let's take a look inside.

I won't go into the too sweet BBQ Sauce, the tough and fatty meat, the cold and greasy onion strings…….all for $5.69? This makes what I recently got from Bristol Farm look like I went to the French Laundry.

And yet, sometimes impulse buys work out well. During my visit to Costco, I decided to pick up one of the prime tri-tips. Seasoning with salt, pepper, granulated garlic, and some Mexican oregano, I kept my expectations low.

My goodness….this was so good.

It was basically a "hot smoke" over oak for about 1 1/2 hours and it came out juicy, tender, with a nice smoke flavor.

There ain't no excuse for tough and dry tri-tip. The only problem I see is perfecting how to keep the product thru the course of a day or two.

I also smoked some garlic which I mixed with horseradish, making a sauce for my sandwich.

If you decided to stick around and read the post; I thank you for being a really dedicated FOY (friend of yoso)! I hope you had a great weekend!