mmm-yoso – Page 344 – 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.

Hanging with Ed from Yuma at Sushi Tadokoro

October 3, 2013 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi

I finally got to hang out with Ed from Yuma and Tina on a recent visit to San Diego. It had been a while, so it was great to catch up on things. I thought Tadokoro would be the perfect place. Like I said before, I've posted enough on this place already so here we go with a pseudo COMC (Clearing Out the Memory Card) type of post.

Seems like Take-san is always trying a new wrinkle here and there….this time the ankimo had ponzu gelee…..

Take-san told us he had "lots of good things tonight….." he wasn't kidding.

Ed's "delici-yoso dance" even made an appearance! I hope you enjoyed dinner Ed; it was nice seeing the both of you!

Sushi Tadokoro
2244 San Diego Ave
San Diego, CA 92110

Thai Garlic Shrimp and Green Eggplant

October 2, 2013 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes

This is a recent favorite of the Missus. One day a couple of weeks ago I bought some of those golf ball sized green Thai eggplant. I thought we'd eat them raw with maybe a Thai Style Beef Salad, or something like that. The Missus on the other hand had a different idea….She wanted me to try and stir fry them with some shrimp, Thai style, in a sweet garlic type "sauce"….actually more of a coating as She didn't want these too wet. After making it a few times, I've finally got it down to the way the Missus enjoys it. It actually reminds me of those multi-part Chinese style stir-fries, which means it's the prep that really matters.

I found that this type of eggplant isn't the "oil sponge" that I'm used too. It really doesn't need much oil. It also stays fairly firm.

I use palm sugar for these, which, unless you know how to handle can be a pain. I first microwave the hard discs for about 20 seconds then grate it.

This looks like a lot of steps, but it is not.

Thai Garlic Shrimp and Eggplant:

For the Garlic – Palm Sugar mixture
4 Tb Palm Sugar
7-8 Cloves of Garlic minced (equal the amount of sugar)
1 Tb Fish sauce

– Combine grated palm sugar, garlic, and fish sauce – I actually grind up in a small food processor

For the eggplant
5-6 Thai EggplantSliced
2-3 Tb grapeseed oil
2 Tb Chili Paste
1 Tb Fish Sauce
1 Tb White Sugar
1 Tb Shaoxing
White Pepper

For the Shrimp
1/2 Pound Shrimp shelled and deveined
2 Tb grapeseed oil
4-8 Thai Chilies chopped
1 medium shallot minced
1 Tb Fish Sauce
3 kaffir lime leaves sliced in a thin chiffonade
1/3 cup cilantro leaves roughly chopped
3 Tb scallions sliced – green parts only

– Heat wok until smoking
– Add grapeseed oil for eggplant, quickly add chili paste, and stir till fragrant
– Add eggplant and stir fry
– Add Shaoxing, white pepper, sugar, and stir fry until eggplant is well coated
– When eggplant softens slightly add fish sauce.
– When eggplant is heated through remove to a plate and wipe down wok and bring back to temp

– Add grapeseed oil for shrimp.
– When the oil starts to shimmer add Thai Chilies, shallot, and kaffir lime leaf.
– Stir fry until fragrant
– Add shrimp and stir fry
– Add fish sauce.
– When shrimp starts turning translucent add the Garlic-Palm Sugar mixture and stir fry until it bubbles. Add eggplant back ot the wok.
– When shrimp is cooked through remove from heat and add all but 1-2 Tb of cilantro and all of the scallions and combine

– Top with the rest of the cilantro when serving

We served the shrimp on some lettuce from our garden.
And lots of rice of course

Pho Hoa Huong revisited

October 1, 2013 mmm-yoso Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

During part of my usual weekend shopping "mission" my stomach started rumbling. It was just past 8am and my next "targets", namely Nijiya nad Marukai wouldn't be opening for a while. I hadn't been to Pho Hoa Huong in about three years so it was about time for a revisit.

Things seemed a bit different this time around….the young lady placed my menu on the table with a smile….no "dealing out" of the menu and hovering over you like in Hanoi. In the past the menu was just a formality, they either expected you to know what to order, or be a student of Evelyn Wood (how's that for showing my age).

Was this the new softer and kinder Pho Hoa? Well, I'll tell you this much, they're probably still the fastest pho in the West. Not five minutes after ordering, my plate of herbs and garnishes was on the table as well as good ol' #4.

The broth is still on the dark side here, but very clear, slightly beefy, and a bit on the "sweet" side. Not as sweet as Pho Fifth Avenue, but definitely up there. It also had a bit too much MSG on this visit as my feet started to swell pretty quickly.

The noodles were right, dead on perfect for me…..

In terms of protein; the tendon was really hard and tough, there was trace tripe, the flank was almost crunchy, but with good flavor, and the brisket was nice and tender, but flavorless.

A decent bowl.

I did notice something a bit interesting…a lot of "older" gentlemen with "wives" at least 20 years or more younger. I later asked my friend "YY" about this and she told me it was kind of a trend nowadays……

Anyway, I was out of the place in less than 20 minutes….still too early for my next stops….still the fastest pho…if not in the West, at least in San Diego.

Pho Hoa-Huong Restaurant
6921 Linda Vista Rd
San Diego, CA 92111

The Fishery in PB – One More Time

September 30, 2013 ed fromyuma Fine Dining, Seafood, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

It's Ed (from Yuma) again, this time having a dinner with Tina at The Fishery in Pacific Beach. You're invited to join them. Kirk and Cathy will happily share meals with you at the blog as well, just not today.

I have no memory of my first visit to The Fishery on Cass Street in Pacific Beach, but I know the restaurant opened back when I was a denizen of PB in the late 90s. In 2009, I posted about a couple of meals Tina and I had at the restaurant. Unfortunately we hadn't been back since.

The exterior of the restaurant has not changed as far as I can tell:

And the interior still has hard wooden tables, wooden walls, a fish counter, and very little noise abatement, making the restaurant occasionally LOUD on the busy Saturday night when we visited. Soon after we arrived, Nate, a professional and helpful server, brought us menus and a wine list. He answered our questions, and when asked for help choosing a wine, he suggested the Lagar de Cervera, Albariño, 2011, from the Rias Biaxas region of coastal Galicia in Spain.:

It was good, beginning with clean flavors of tart apple, opening up with a more generous mouth feel and depth and complexity of flavor, and concluding with a smooth and lingering finish. It also complemented the seafood we ordered .

Our meal began with some slices of good but not outstanding bread alongside a whipped lightly herbed butter:

The white bread had a nice crust but isn't especially memorable. The brown bread was in the style of a German bauernbrot, slightly nutty with a mild taste of rye flour –kindof like pumpernickel but neither as dense nor intense.

A good-sized bowl of clams cooked in a spicy white Bordeaux wine reduction showed up next.:

The clams were small and slightly chewy though they were flavorful, garlicky, and fresh. The salty and strong flavored broth was great for dipping the little clams and the crunchy slices of garlic bread.

We had each ordered a soup. The clam chowder was nothing exceptional, containing few clams or potatoes; however, it was very well balanced, smooth, and creamy:

The very fishy seafood soup was more interesting and complex.:

Throughout the soup, chunks of various fishes, large pieces of tomato, and abundant celery, onion, and green pepper slices provided texture as well as flavor. We agreed it was outstanding:

Tina's entrée was macadamia encrusted Alaskan halibut.:

The perfectly cooked piece of halibut rested on a soft fluffy bed of buttery mashed Yukon potatoes. The fish was topped with fresh frisee and slices of red pear.:

Circling the plate was a spicy purée of chilies and red stone fruit. The sweet spicy flavors were accented by the small pickled red chile slices.

I chose the fresh local sea bass – which I thought was perfectly cooked to just beyond rare:

While the same buttery mashed potatoes underlay the fresh filet, it was topped with a tart apple slaw and accompanied by grilled and charred baby brussel sprout halves and tasty mustard vinaigrette. Where Tina's fish’s flavors had been lit up by sweet spicy accents, my naturally sweet sea bass was contrasted with tangy slaw and vinaigrette. We both love our entrées.

Overall, Tina and I were delighted with the meal. Sometimes it was a little too noisy for us to easily carry on a conversation, but the service and the food and the overall experience left us feeling full and happy. Though not cheap, we felt the dinner was a reasonable value:

The Fishery, 5040 Cass St, San Diego 92109, 858-272-9985

Playing with my food – using Tapioca Maltodextrin: Sesame – Salt Powder

September 29, 2013 mmm-yoso Cookbooks, Cooking, Playing with my food, Recipes

Though I love food…both consuming and cooking; once in a while I kind of hit a rut and need a little change of pace. I don't remember where I first about Tapioca Maltodextrin and its effect as a fat stabilizer. I'm sure it wasn't in Modernist Cuisine at Home which I bought last year. And looking through it. Maltodextrin is only mentioned in two recipes and barely in passing. I do recall seeing something, perhaps on Youtube where an olive oil powder was made. Anyway, a couple of months ago I bought Modernist Cooking Made Easy, which had a short chapter on Maltodextrin. It just seemed like fun…..plus Maltodextrin is plant derived and a pretty common food starch. First I cleared things with the Missus who has a Masters in Chemistry, then I went ahead and ordered a pound.

Getting to the point; tapioca maltodextrin can turn fats and oils into pastes and powders. For my first try, I decided to use something that we have around the house and use in sparing quantities…sesame oil was an easy choice.

One of things you'll notice right away is that tapioca maltodextrin is lighter than air….so no sneezing….no heavy breathing either. You don't need anything more than a whisk for this one. Using the recipe in Modernist Cooking Made Easy as my reference, it was a simple as this:

Sesame-Salt Powder (based on the recipe in Modernist Cooking Made Easy)
50 grams sesame oil
2 grams kosher salt
25 grams tapioca maltodextrin (this was about 3/4 cup)
extra tapioca maltodextrin as needed

– Pour sesame oil into a large mixing bowl (a large mixing bowl)
– Add salt and mix
– Add 10 grams of tapioca maltordextrin…gently, unless you want clouds of the stuff all over the place
– whisk in until a paste forms. Slowly add the rest of the maltodextrin. It will begin to clump.
– Whisk until it starts to form "beads", you may need to add more maltodextrin to get the texture you want.

Other than a couple of maltodextrin clouds floating about, this was easy…..

It will stay in powder form as long as it doesn't come in contact with liquid…though it lasted a while even when on some poke I made.

There's quite an interesting sensation…ahem, "mouthfeel" when it turns back to oil in your mouth.

It was also delicious on my Hiyayakko Tofu…….

I really didn't detect much in terms of any additional flavor….by itself, there's a very faint sweetness, which I could not detect when using it with my poke or tofu.

Truffle Powdered Popcorn, caramel – salt powder, nutella, and probably duck fat or bacon powder seem around the corner. This will be great for dipping….

This was a fun experiment…..now it's on to Xanthan Gum and Lecithin!

Scenes from the first San Diego Night Market

September 28, 2013 mmm-yoso Festivals & Events

I mentioned this back in August. The Missus and I decided to go early, like five minutes after things were scheduled and the place was already packed. We parked on the street; the combination of Zion shoppers and folks checking this out made for a chaotic parking situation. The folks who put this on managed to keep a small footprint.

The area with peace and quiet was the Beer Garden. Perhaps it was too early, but it also seemed that 50% of the folks here weren't legal drinking age and the crowd was overwhelmingly Asian. I probably would have settled in here if we stuck around.

There was a decent variety of food booths, though only one really interested me. It also seemed that just about everyone else was interested in this one as well…..the grilled cuttlefish on a stick looked quite appealing….though the super long line did not.

This was at 5:15 mind you….just imagine later on?

It was nice to see some familiar faces……

Here are some of the other food booths.

Other than Pangaea, nothing I was particularly interested in.

The size of the crowd this early on in the evening shows that San Diego can really get behind this concept.

I hope they do well.

It runs tonight from 5pm – 11pm. It's about 8 right now, so you still have time to get on down there and check it out yourself.

7655 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

Evora: The Agua de Prata Aqueduct, Snacks at Pastelaria Conventual, and dinner at Adega do Alentejano.

September 27, 2013 mmm-yoso Desserts, Portugal, Portuguese Food, Travel

The town of Evora is quite charming, within the preserved city walls are cobblestone lanes, charming streets, the place just oozes character. After a wonderful meal at Botequim da Mouraria, followed by a nap, we were ready to do a bit more exploring. I really wanted to see the Agua de Prata Aqueduct, the "Aqueduct of Silver Water", which stretches into Evora from the Northwest. It was literally a block from our hotel. You turned the corner and the aqueduct was in sight.

Construction on the aqueduct began in 1531 and was completed sometime in 1537 and brought water to Evora from Ribeira do Divor about 5 miles away.

What made this interesting to me was that I had read that there were houses and other structures actually using the pillars of the aqueduct as frames. Pretty amazing, no space wasted.

Of course the aqueduct works on gravity, so as the structure goes lower, so do the buildings…..

Which eventually turns to garages and sheds as it heads earthward…..

While walking along the aqueduct we heard an "hello, hello…..how are you? Would you like to have your picture taken?" We turned and saw a woman huffing and puffing, up the street….her name was Toni, from Australia, who had decided to move to Evora! Needless to say, we had a wonderful chat. I have to say, Toni is quite an interesting personality, her husband had passed away, and somehow, in her 60's she had decided to move here. Of course we had many questions; like "how's your Portuguese?" Her answer; "well, I'm starting lessons next week." Man, talk about living an adventure…..

We headed off to our next destination….it was time for some coffee and a snack or two. We passed quite a few sights on the way, some of which I'll cover in a future post. Here's a photo of Igreja da Graça, the Church of Grace. I found the figures on the facade kind of scary and the church just looked spooky to me.

We finally reached our destination, up one of the side streets; the Pastelaria Conventual, which specialized in "Conventual cakes", basically sweets that originated in the areas convents. I had a seat outside, while the Missus went to town.

We were told that the item Pastelaria Conventual is known for is the pão de rala, a "thin cake", made of eggs (quite a bit) and flavored with almond, with a touch of orange. It was a bit too "eggy" and sweet for me…..pretty heavy stuff too.

As was this…..

What was really funny was watching the Missus biting into this and freaking out…..

It was an empada de galinha, basically a miniature chicken pie, with a heavy chicken flavor.

It was nice to just sit down; have a cup of Cafe Americano and let time pass. It's something we here in the States aren't real good at……just sitting and watching the street scene; your own personal relaxation "aquarium".

Pastelaria Conventual
Rua do Cicioso No.47
Evora, Portugal

After our snack we wandered around for a bit, then headed back to the Albergaria do Calvario, checked email, freshened up and headed back out.

The heavily touristed Dos Mercadores was now quiet. The day trippers were gone, the young folk had headed to other places to enjoy the evening, and the shops had closed.

The heart of Evora, the Praca do Giraldo, the main square was now quiet and sedate, totally different from the bustling version we had seen earlier in the day.

Somehow, we ended up at the Templo Romano, the Roman Temple once again…..we quickly noticed how different it looked at this time of the day.

We walked across the street to the Largo da Porta de Mouro where the Missus snapped this beautiful shot of the sun setting over Evora……

How wonderful…..

Ok, enough of that….time for dinner. The Missus wanted something hearty, which the region, the Alentejo was known for. We decided to walk on down the now quiet side streets of Evora….

To Adega do Alentejano…….

The restaurant is actually quite large, but we were the only customers. The red checkered tablecloths gave it a homey feel and the gentleman serving us seemed a bit aloof at first, but ended up being quite a nice guy.

Things started out in the typical manner, appetizers brought to our table…if you eat, you pay. We also got some of the ohuse wine which actually comes from the barrels you see in the back of the dining area.

We looked over the items written on the chalkboard to determine what to get while we had our first earthenware pitcher of wine.

The Missus had been curoius about the Sopa de Tomate, tomato soup, wince She first read about it. The deal was sealed when She was told to not "order anything else…it is not a bowl of soup, but a meal!" They weren't kidding.

There's a lot this heart soup has got going for it; slices of bread soaked with a broth that just feels like a warm comforting embrace. There is of course the Missus' favorite, two eggs poached in said broth.

And like the info-mercial goes, "but wait, there's more…." a bowl of charcuterie accompanies the soup; fried pork belly, linguiça, and yes, farinheira, the "flour sausage" the Missus hated, which tasted just lovely deep fried.

Can you say comfort food????

If you think about it; this part of the Alentejo is almost like the great plains in a way, it is one of the hottest regions in Europe. Instinctively you'd immediately balk when offered a dish that includes clams, right? Well perhaps I had my doubts, but one of the classic dishes of the region is Carne de Porco à Alentejana, a dish that includes the wonderful local pork as well as clams. I just needed to try this.

The clams were surprisingly fresh, tender, and tasty, with a nice briney goodness. The pork, which seemed to be shoulder was on the chewy side, but the flavor of pork here is wonderful, it reminds me of what pork tasted like when I was a kid, even better. The fried potatoes went well with all the rich gravy/broth.

This was also fairly inexpensive as well. The Missus had asked for something hearty and She got that at Adega do Alentejano.

Adega do Alentejano
Rua Gabriel Victor do Monte Pereira 21 A
Evora, Portugal

Thanks for reading!

Mariscos El Titanic (City Heights)

September 26, 2013 Cathy Mexican Restaurants, Seafood, What Cathy Eats!

Welcome back to mmm-yoso!!! Kirk and Ed(from Yuma) and others who contribute posts here are busy. Cathy is not busy, so here's a meal she's had that you can vicariously enjoy.

It is so good to be able to live here in San Diego; we are close to the ocean and close to Mexico and the combination of those- Mexican seafood- fast became a favorite and a comfort food not long after we moved here.

It was the week between birthdays of The Mister and myself and my day to choose where and what I wanted to eat. (He chooses the first three days, which start on his birthday, we have to agree on the middle two days and then I get the last three days, ending on my birthday). El Titanic was my first choice.

Driving North on Fairmont, it's not easy to miss the freshly repainted Mariscos El Titanic building. It's right across the street (Dwight Street) from Murphy's Market (a great little neighborhood store that has a wonderful bakery, nice selection of produce and quite an extensive meat counter and makes some really good tortillas, ceviche and salsas).

The neon 'waves' at the top edge of the building are attractive in the evening. This is a typical mariscos joint that has several televisions and sometimes carries boxing matches and charges a cover on those weekends…otherwise in the evenings it's loud with bandera music. We came here for lunch and it wasn't crowded or noisy.

Each table is topped with a good selection of condiments. Fresh made corn chips, limes and salsa are brought out after you order.

Be warned- the salsa is *not* tomato based; it's all chile, hot but not overwhelming. It's good to use with your seafood order instead of the vinegar based hot sauces on the table…

The Mister ordered a gobernador taco, marlin taco and made it a combo ($10.50). You can see the cheese lined corn tortilla filled with sauteed shrimp. There were some onion and green pepper bits sauteed in there also. The marlin is a smoked fish and was stir fried with bell pepper and onion and was very very good; not salty as sometimes marlin can be.

I chose to have mojarra -whole tilapia- deep fried ($10.50). This particular preparation was so complimentary to the fish. There was a light seasoning on the skin, but nothing else. The fish was a good size, very meaty and just so right. The rice, beans, tortillas and even the salad all just went together so well. A good, memorable meal.

Yes, I'm back to documenting the cleaned carcass of whole fish consumed. Every bit was good.

I hope you week has been going well.

Mariscos El Titanic 3600 Fairmont Avenue San Diego 92105 (619) 584-2894 Website

I noticed this guy hanging from the ceiling as we were leaving…I am so unobservant.

Sweet indulgences up North (BC’s, Donut Man and Cream Pan)

September 25, 2013 Cathy Bakery, Desserts, What Cathy Eats!, yoso-silly

mmm-yoso!!! is a blog. We (Kirk, Ed (from Yuma), Cathy and a few others) write about food, either directly or indirectly. Today, Kirk and Ed(from Yuma) are busy and Cathy is writing, directly.

If you follow this blog, you know The Mister and I drive North about once a month to see the progress and assist with the decoration of Rose Parade floats. We leave home at 5 a.m., drive North on the Interstate 5, get to Pasadena at 7 a.m., view (and document) the road tests and that part of the day is over before 9 a.m. We eventually drive home South on the 15, using various navigational routes to get there. We stop along the way there and home.

Just about one mile from the Pasadena Farmers market is a small donut shop named B.C. Donut. The only workers are the owners, a husband, his wife and their daughter. The place is open 24/7 and has a small walk up window, just like the 24/7 Taco Shop that shares the same parking lot. They have a lot of offerings: smoothies, sandwiches made on their fresh croissants and a good variety of donuts.

The apple fritter is what to order here ($1.50). Fluffy, usually still warm, apple chunks and swirls of cinnamon enrobed in a smooth soft glaze. It's the best we've ever had. There are no more words.

B.C. Donuts 2525 E. Foothill Boulevard Pasadena 91107 (626) 795-0012

Driving down Route 66, parallel to the 210 to get to the 15, you will pass many iconic (or iconic appearing) restaurants, coffee shops and…in Glendora, Donut Man. Apparently we have timed our visits correctly: this 24/7 donut shop has people lined up on the front porch, ordering at the window, even at midnight.

If you want to try the fresh strawberry donuts, you need to hurry; their last batch of fresh strawberries will be sliced and used on September 28 (this Saturday). Donut Man also makes fresh peach donuts, in August.

Here's a peek through the side window…

These glorious giant twists are "Tiger Tails"- almost one foot long, raised donut twisted with chocolate and glazed…enough to share.($1.70)

These apple and lemon filled donuts are made the same way the fresh stawberry (and peach) donuts are made…the dough is fried, topped (glaze or crumb or powdered sugar) then sliced and then filled.($1.70)

Ta Da! A full tray of the infamous strawberry donuts($3.50), also crullers (95¢)…

I've never tried the ones on the left, topped with fruit and cream; I don't know if they are filled, but probably they are. The cake donuts (90¢) are always good.

Here's what it looks like through the ordering window; organized chaos.

Our order. The strawberry donut (with complimentary fork)($3.50), a plain glazed cruller (90¢), chocolate topped old fashioned (95¢) and raised crumb (90¢) . The crumb was our least favorite; it was kind of dry. If there were nothing to compare it to, it would be just a good donut…The strawberry donut- it's just overflowing with fresh strawberries on a perfect raised glazed donut.

Donut Man 915 E. Route 66 Glendora, CA (616)335-9111 Article in today's San Gabriel Valley Tribune Link to recent post on My Burning Kitchen

On the way North, taking the Red Hill Exit off the 5, it's a hop and skip to get to Cream Pan, which opens at 6 a.m. daily. The shelves are not quite full at 6:15 when we get there, but everything on them is *fresh* and usually still warm.

We always get a strawberry croissant ($1.40), a ham and cheese croissant ($2.50)-my favorite ham and cheese baked in bread confection, ever…and on this visit, The Mister wanted to try the pecan roll($3). At first, The Mister was shocked at the price…then we unfurled it (after the first bite of the crispy flaky crust)…

This confection is LINED with toasted pecans! Well worth the $3.

Cream Pan 602 El Camino Real Tustin, CA 92780 (714) 665-8239

Yes, none of these 'regular' stops of ours have websites…all have great, fresh, quality treats. Hope all of you are having a good week!

Raki Raki Revisited – Waylaid by a ramen burger

September 24, 2013 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Burgers, Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

I had promised myself a return visit to Raki Raki to have the Tsukemen back in November when the weather got a bit warmer…..well, if the record heat we had recently wasn't a sign from some divine being….in short, it was tsukemen time.

But a funny thing happened on the way to my noodles. I believe I'm usually hype free and don't really follow fads. Yep, I'm just your usually fuddy duddy, boring kinda guy. But in a moment of temporary insanity I ordered this:

A ramen burger…….or should I say a "Dream Come True California Ramen Burger" ($9.75)

Even I have those moments it seems….after eating this I mumbled "what was I thinking" to myself as I walked into the psycho parking lot on Convoy. Hopefully not too loud….

The burger is 100% angus beef, over-worked and cooked to death as it's tough as leather. The flavor is nice and beefy. All of the juices from the burger seemed to have collected in the greasy, bland, flaccid, mushy bunch of noodles used as a bun. The fry job on these was lousy as it fell to greasy pieces after two bites. I had imagined something like crispy "cake noodle" like I get back home, this was not very good. The "crisp" rolled pork slice they call "underbelly" was more like hard and the edges burnt and bitter.

The sweet potato fries were light and mildly crisp, with good flavor.

But man, who you gonna sue for this oil spill?

This was like something dreamt up in a college dorm room after a couple hits of the cash crop. For a more mature point of view, perhaps you should read Kirbie's post on the ramen burger.

I sent out texts and photos to my friends, then had a moment of paranoid reflection…….first Yes! Pingo and now a ramen burger…what's going on? What next…a Harley, porn 'stache, and a couple of tats? Maybe this was that male menopause I'd seen my friends go through? Yikes!

I needed to fix this……which I did by returning for the Standard Tsukemen ($8.75).

It was as before, noodles with a nice texture, perhaps a bit over-priced for what you get, and the broth edged on the too salty side.

But most importantly, this seemed like a return to normalcy. At least for now….

RakiRaki Ramen and Tsukemen
4646 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111