mmm-yoso – Page 408 – 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.

Is rice still nice? Revists to Homestyle Hawaiian and Point Point Joint

June 7, 2011 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants, Local Kine Stuffs in San Diego, Plate Lunch, Sisig

Over the two years or so, my rice intake has really decreased. I'm not so sure if it's age, environment, or what. These days, Da' Boyz are the biggest consumers of rice in the household. It used to be that when we were on vacation, I'd be missing rice after a couple of days….but this time… nada. In fact, the Missus specifically asked me a couple of times if I was missing rice, and strangely I wasn't. And as a matter of fact, it wasn't rice that I was missing. So was rice still nice? After a couple of weeks, I had ample time to see with some revisits:

Homestyle Hawaiian:

I hadn't been back around these parts since last year. The plate lunches here are still pretty much a bargain at around $6 – $6.50. And Mo will always try to make what you want. Even though it isn't on the menu per se, I wanted a Chicken Cutlet…..

Basically a chicken katsu plate with gravy….there's a whole scoop of…yes, rice under that chicken and gravy. It did hit the spot, though I wasn't able to finish it off. An acquaintance of mine just can't figure out why I like this….. the main issue being the chicken starts getting soggy under the gravy. Of course this person loves chicken katsudon??? Go figure….

The one complaint I may have about the plate is the mac salad…. I still think Mo needs to add more salt to it…. it's kind of bland for my taste.

Homestyle Hawaiian Island Style Food
7524 Mesa College Drive
San Diego, CA 92111

Point Point Joint:

**** Point Point Joint has closed

When you're in need a rice fix, one usually never needs to look further than a good old Filipino "turo-turo" (point-point) joint. And where better to go then a place actually named point-point joint, right? Actually, I wasn't intending a visit to PPJ…… earlier in the weekend, my good FOY (friend of yoso) TammyC just happened to mention sisig, which suddenly had me craving it. I initially went to Conching's since I really like their sisig. TammyC and I always joke about buying a tray of sisig for one of our potlucks, but we're afraid that we'd be the only ones who'll eat the stuff, which is not necessarily a good thing. You'll die with a smile on your face though! Anyway, Conching didn't have any sisig, and what they had looked terribly greasy on this day. I hadn't been to Point-Point in a couple of years, so I thought I'd drop by.

It had been about four years, but not much has changed. Seven bucks got me a huge plate of rice, three scoops of sisig, ginisang ampalaya thoughtfully put into a separate container, since I told the friendly woman (and surprised I order this, "OOOoooh, you like this?") I obviously wouldn't be able to finish off the whole thing. Along with the freebie sinigang…..

The lechon kawale used for the sisig had almost a jerky-like texture, I'm fairly certain it was fried twice. Not necessarily a bad thing since it didn't get soggy. I'd prefer it a bit more crisp.

There was a good ratio of pork to onions, but the flavor was very mild. I enjoy a more bracing sisig; a stronger vinegar flavor and more spice. Not bad, but nothing to write home about.

The bittermelon was strange…….

Both oily and bland, a strange adjective to use when a dish uses bittermelon. The bittermelon wasn't very strong in flavor, which sometimes is a plus. But in this case the dish had almost no flavor, too much "soup", and a oiliness that coated your tongue in a rather unpleasant way.

The sinigang at PPJ has always been pretty good. The Missus used to want this when She wasn't feeling well. This wasn't bad, but it had almost a pure vinegar flavor… almost like the vinegar hadn't been simmered.

Point-Point Restaurant
916 East 8th St
National City, CA 91950

I guess in the end, rice is still nice (I'm sure you'll enjoy that AZ)….. I just don't have the capacity, nor crave it quite as much anymore….which may not be a bad thing.

Selcuk-Ephesus: Our Arrival, Lunch, and the Ephesus Museum.

June 6, 2011 mmm-yoso Selcuk, Travel, Turkey, Turkish Food

Getting to the town of Selcuk from Izmir was an absolute slam dunk….. into the kiddie baskets (though at my age, that ain't exactly a sure thing anymore). You land at the airport in Izmir (Selcuk doesn't have an airport) and walk to the train station, which is attached to the airport and catch the train (4TRY – about $2.50 per person), which takes about an hour. Finding our hotel was even easier. For some reason I got off the train and proceeded to walk North past the gentlemen who spend their day having tea, smoking, and playing backgammon. Up the cobblestone street, and lo' and behold, there was Hotel Bella! Just halfway up the hill.

The hotel is quaint and colorfully decorated with paintings, rugs, and pictures that would usually seem gaudy. But here it works. After a short wait, we were led up the staircase (like many of the smaller hotels in Turkey, there's no lift) to the roof terrace…….. this clinched it. We really loved the view:

That's the view of Selcuk.

On the other side of the terrace you can check out the Basilica of St John (an upcoming post), which is across the street from the hotel and further in the background is the old fort which is closed to the public.

A few feet from the ledge of the terrace is this.

Here's a closer look…. it's a pair of storks!

We were told that the storks return to Selcuk every year to nest, often staying until the early fall. We were also told that the same couple will return to the same location of their nests year after year. Storks nest everywhere above the ground; on pillars, the old aqueduct, telephone poles….

One of the owners of the Hotel, Erdahl, sat down with us, and explained that our room wasn't ready yet. He mentioned that perhaps we'd like to leave our bags, and take a walk down the street (everything is down the street in Selcuk!) to check out the Ephesus Museum, Temple of Artemis, and the Basilica of St John. He explained that the walk was 2 kilometers….. which by now was a piece of cake. So we set off…… in about a minute we arrived at the main street, Ataturk Caddesi, and decided to grab something to eat. Erdahl mentioned a Pide place, but the Missus was fascinated with this place.

No, not the water closet, but the restaurant that was sending wonderful bursts of the scent of grilled meat down the street. Actually, I really tried to discourage the Missus from stopping here…. this place only sold two things, beef on skewer (cop sis) and meat balls (kofte), and these were beef, not lamb…. and the Missus was trying to stay away from most meat. But we ended up taking seat behind the grill area…. a very nice little courtyard. There we encountered a very positive sign. Everyone eating here was local…… all business men in suits.

The Missus ordered the Cop Sis, basically beef shish kabobs, which smelled heavenly, but was hidden under four huge slices of bread….. ubiquitously Turkish.

Instead of huge chunks of meat on a skewer, these were tender and juicy slices of beef….. with a rich gamey flavor like good grass-fed beef. The shaker of spice provided was not sumac like I thought, but ground cumin…. making this like a wonderful Niu Rou Chuan.

The missus actually enjoyed my kofte even more. Very moist, holding firm until melting into your mouth once you got past the charred exterior.

Along with the pile of bread, the other usual accompaniment for this type of meal was pickled cabbage, tomatoes, and peppery arugula.

By the time I finished sipping my all too salty ayran (yogurt drink), all the guys in suits had left…. back to work I guess.

And it was time for us to be on our way……. just a couple of blocks down Ataturk Caddesi, taking a right turn on Dr Sabri Yaylar Bulvari, and you'll come to the Ephesus Museum. The museum houses many statues and artifacts from Ephesus and what little there is from the Temple of Artemis.

There are a couple of items that are famous in the museum, the first being the statue of Priapus, a god of fertility…and well something else. For more info, you can check out the Wikipedia entry. IF you don't understand, think of the medical condition priapism. The other are the statues of the Greek Goddess Artemis. That photo to the right is of I believe the statue they call "The Beautiful Artemis" or the "Small Artemis".

One statues, or part of a statue I found interesting was the head and arm of Imparator Domitian taken from the ruins of The Temple to Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian in Ephesus.

You can't tell by my photo, but that cabeza and forearm are huge! Plus, for some reason, that face, sort of babyish, kinda spooky looking, stays with me…..

It was great spending about an hour and a half in the museum, but there were still a couple more places to see this afternoon!

Sunday Sandwiches: Tropical Oasis

June 5, 2011 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Sandwiches

Though my heart (or perhaps stomach) belongs to Banh Mi, I also enjoy a good torta once in a while. Not an over-stuffed massive beast of a torta, but something on a nice toasted bolillo, a balanced amount of decently flavored and moist protein (i.e. pork or beef). For me, there's something nice and summery about wrapping your hands around a yeasty smelling roll….. well, perhaps that's not putting my best typing foot forward, but I hope you understand what I mean.

More then a few months ago; a co-worker, "KM" told me about a Juice Bar – Smoothie – Sandwich shop that her husband enjoys called Tropical Oasis off of Telegraph Canyon Road in Chula Vista. I few weeks later I just happened to be in the area…. and went looking for it. The reason I'd never seen it before is that I usually go East on Telegraph Canyon, always looking to my right getting off the 805. If I'd just look at ten o'clock while exiting the freeway, I might have seen the place.

The shop is small, with a few tables, brightly colored walls, and looked very clean and smoothee-ish, if you know what I mean.

KM's husband had a recommendation for me; but I decided to try something a bit…. well simpler, for reasons that would become clear later on. I just went with the simple Torta de Lomo:

The sandwich took a while, but once I sat down and went to work, I found that I rather enjoyed this simple roasted pork sandwich.

The pork was moist, and had a simple, straightforward pork flavor, with a pleasant, almost "clean" finish…. you know what I mean; I didn't feel like I needed a shower and a nap (in that order) after eating this. The thinly sliced red onion added a bit of bite, the avocado rich-creaminess, the tomato a tart-acid presence. Overall, a decent sandwich.

A few weeks later, I was in the area again, and decided to try out the sandwich that KM told me her husband gets. The Torta Ahogada. Again it took a while for my sandwich, but what arrived looked positively monstrous….. good thing I didn't order the "Dinosaurio"! I really enjoyed the toasted and crusty bolillo.

The inner workings of the sandwich was just a decent portion of lomo, just like it should be…..everything else was on the outside……holes were cut into the top of the rolls and sour cream (crema agria) were smeared in and around the "pukas"(holes) , tangy and sour, this also added a cooling element when the hot sauce came into play. Pickled jalapenos added a bit more heat to the whole deal.

I had the notion of pouring the sauce over my sandwich; after all, much like getting a "double-dipped" at Phillipe's, it ain't the real thing unless it is drenched….after all ahogada literally means "drowned", right? I felt, well, much too civilized eating the sandwich. It also would have been great if the sandwich were made using a birote salado, but hey, sourcing bread from Guadalajara doesn't make much sense if you're only selling a couple of these a day. The hot sauce was okay, nothing particularly outstanding. I will say this, though I thought the bread at the El Gallito Tortas Ahogadas truck was outstanding, the pork here was better. If I recall KM's husband's family is from Guadalajara, and he enjoys these…so there you go.

I'd say the sandwiches at Tropical Oasis are decent, as good as any of your fine neighborhood sandwich shops. The service is a bit slow, but the two women working the place are very polite. Maybe not worth a special trip, but if you happen to be in the area and want a torta….this may not be a bad choice.

Tropical Oasis All Natural Juice Bar
417 Telegraph Canyon Rd
Chula Vista, CA 91910

St. Spyridon’s Greek Festival 2011

June 4, 2011 mmm-yoso Festivals & Events, Greek Food

It used to be that we'd attend St. Spyridon's Greek Festival every year. But over the last couple of years because of trips or work, we've missed their annual Greek Festival. I really wanted to make sure to check the festival out this year. I did have a Birthday to attend yesterday, and the Missus was working, but because admission was free from 5 – 10 pm, I thought it wouldn't hurt to just drop by.

And it was a perfect evening for a festival.

There was a decent sized crowd for 5 pm on a Friday, and all the usual suspects were present, such as the Deli, where you can get Greek food stuffs and of course the pastries!

The indoor "Dining Room" is usually the busiest, and this year no different as the line stretched from one end of the building to the other.

Because I had only a short amount of time I didn't anticipate getting anything to eat….. that is until the smell of lamb and sausages grilling over charcoal got the better of me. So I did grab a lamb plate from the Taverna:

This was much better than I recall, moist and tender, with a tad of the "flavor of the pasture". I ate at a one of the stand up tables, and watched a Dad teaching his daughter some Greek dance steps…. well I think it was Greek dance steps.

The new thing this year is the Greek Wine Bar, where you can purchase glasses or flights of Greek Wines.

Sorry about the lack of photos, but I only had a couple of minutes, which ended up being just enough time to stuff my face! As I walked back across Park Boulevard, the very friendly Traffic Control woman (I guess that's what they call crossing guards for adults) smiled at me and said "wow, that was fast, you must eat quick!" I laughed and told her "I know, it's terrible to eat and run!"

The festival runs through 10 pm tonight, and from 11am through 9 pm tomorrow, Sunday, June 5th. Admission is free from 11am to 1pm on Sunday. More information on the festival's website. Parking is thoughtfully provided at Roosevelt Junior High with a shuttle bus running to the festival every couple of minutes.

Sorry for the late post, but I hope you can make it!

St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church's Greek Festival
3655 Park Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92103

Tudor’s Beanery in Yuma

June 2, 2011 ed fromyuma What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!, Yuma

While Kirk is preparing to share more of his exotic Anatolian and Aegean adventures and Cathy is getting ready to give us the inside skinny about the SD County Fair (Deep Fried What??), ed (from Yuma) wants to rework the old Monty Python skit into – "beans, beans, beans, beans, and . . . "

Both Tudor's and the grocery store are no more.

We all know about restaurants that went under during the Great Recession. On the other hand, a tasty new addition to the Yuma dining scene is just perfect for economic hard times. Hidden inside Tamarack Grocery Store on 24th across from the main parking lot at the college is Tudor's Beanery:
Open at 11 AM every day, this small food purveyor sells to-go cups, pints, and quarts of different bean soups kept warm in several slow cookers:
When I get home with my savory purchase, I open the Styrofoam quart and I smell the wonderful aromas wafting up from (in this case) a type called Mama's:
As you can see, this mildly flavored soup is full of vegetables, beans, and meatballs:
As I heat it a saucepan, it smells better and better and I spot the bits of bacon that add to the flavor. It's serious good:

Another variety that uses white beans is the ham and potato – another mildly flavored soup:

As with this soup, occasionally you will find bits of char when the soups have not been stirred vigorously enough, but I've never had one where the burned bottom crust was very evident or hurt the taste at all:
In addition to mildly flavored white bean soups, Tudor's offers many soups using pinto beans and bolder border flavors, such as this smokey and spicey Bacon and Chorizo:
Or the picante light red chile flavors of carne Asada:
With chicken, it's Pollo Asado:
Then the greener flavors of Pollo Verde:
And the really tasty Chile Verde with pork:

The varieties change, and there are daily specials. Split Pea is made on Saturdays, for example. Others feature Tamarack Grocery's homemade pork sausages. Every time I'm there, I can choose from among 6 or 7 types.

And I have enjoyed every single soup I have purchased at the store – all are savory and full of umami. They are better than I can make at home. Not to mention the convenience of somebody else cooking. And can't beat the prices. Fresh hot quarts sell for $4.99; cold quarts (leftovers) are $2.99 — when there are leftovers. Cornbread and coleslaw are also available.

Tudor's Beanery may be a one trick pony – but give this pinto pony a ride, cowboys. And don't you dare think about Blazing Saddles.

Tudor's Beanery, 7875 E. 24th St, 11 AM – 7 PM daily.

Trying to cure a craving part 1: Tan Ky Mi Gia, Pho Convoy Noodle House, Minh Ky, and Toan Ky Restaurants

June 1, 2011 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

It was really strange during those couple of days after returning from vacation. Much like last year's trip, I got back to wonderful San Diego feeling kinda…. well, melancholy I guess might be the right word. I was really relaxed and all, but after all of that eating, walking, and almost constant moving from place to place, planning our next day's activities, doing the logistics of where we had to be…. my mind and body was in a different mode. And sadly, during our entire trip, I really didn't crave anything….. the Missus kept asking me what food I missed, I often said "nothing". Trying to convince myself that I should be missing something other then Da' Boyz, I finally said "noodles". "Well, what kind of noodles?" "Ummm, well….. yeah, egg noodles…yeah, egg noodle soup, that's what I'm craving." So right after returning we headed to:

Tan Ky Mi Gia in Mira Mesa:

**** Tan Ky Mi Gia has closed

A place I've included in posts numerous times over over the years, often in themed posts (sorta like this one). Some Roast Duck Egg Noodle Soup would surely do the trick, until it arrived at the table:

That duck really didn't look what I had before. The skin was tough, the meat was also tough… and greasy. The noodles were prepared well, but the broth was super salty. Sigh…….

Tan Ky Mi Gia
9330 Mira Mesa Blvd #A
San Diego, CA 92126

By this time I'd really convinced myself that it was egg noodle soup that I was missing. Still, I really wasn't motivated to get into my car and drive down to City Heights…. so instead I decided to…

Gather anecdotal evidence to see if the inverse of a "rule" was true at Pho Convoy Noodle House:

**** Pho Convoy Noodle House has closed

You heard that rule, right? Never have Pho' at a place that doesn't have "Pho" in its name. Well, I was wondering if the inverse was true…. "never have Mi at a place with Pho in its name." And Pho Convoy Noodle House was the closest suspect. At first I was taken aback at that the price of the Mi Dac Biet (House special egg noodle soup) was $6.65…..but you have to remember, the last time I had Mi here was back in 2005!

I really don't remember getting the typical garnish for Pho' with my egg noodle soup. And was surprised at the size of the bowl that arrived at my table, and how much noodles were in it. Mushed up, tangled, overcooked noodles….. some of it cooked into clumps….

The broth was a bit too mild in flavor for me…. though the portion size was pretty huge.

Pho Convoy Noodle House
4647 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

So perhaps it was true?

Now I had to confirm that you had to go a place like Minh Ky to get proper egg noodle soup:

I've been going to Minh Ky for quite a while; looking back, I noticed that I first posted on the place back in January 2006, man that's quite a while. I've become a fan of the Mi Sate Kho, the Sate Egg noodle Dry at Minh Ky, and that's what I've been eating on most of our visits, though the place has also been part of a few theme posts. I decided to order a Combination Egg Noodle Soup.

This was quite good; the noodles cooked to perfection, with a nice pull and crunch. The shrimp, fish balls, and other stuff, well…… just routine. The broth was solid, mildly pork, hints of what tasted a bit oceany to me…salty, but not too MSG laden. Not a huge bowl, but just right for my appetite.

I should have sat back in my chair, and let out a good "aaaah", but I didn't. For some reason, this didn't do it for me…… it was good, but not what I really wanted.

Minh Ky Restaurant
4644 El Cajon Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92115

So what the heck did I want…… perhaps it was one of my favorites when I'm feeling a bit under the weather; Beef Sate Egg Noodle "dry", that is soup on the side. And I thought that I'd give a place that I really didn't care for on my previous visits a try….

Toan Ky Restaurant in Linda Vista:

**** Toan Ky has closed

I of course ordered the Mi Sate Kho, and when the bowl(s) arrived I was a bit surprised. First, at over six bucks a bowl, this was a pretty small portion, even for me. And what's with the fried won ton wrappers? What was this, Mandarin Canton?

The beef sate egg noodle "dry" is served a bit differently here. First, instead of being served egg noodles blanched in the standard Mi broth, served with the sauteed sate (say that five times quickly) sauce, beef, tomato, onions, and what have you, with the broth on the side. The noodles were served blanched in broth and almost everything else was in a fairly small bowl on the side. The beef was a thin sliced Pho cut, dumped in the broth to "cook"….. and what to do about the Thai Basil? Of course the sign does say Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese…… This tasted pretty watered down…. and that's saying a lot when it comes to sate.

The noodles were well cooked and under the noodles were bean sprouts and green onions…. which told the story of how this bowl was put together…. just like regular egg noodle soup, then rolled out into a bowl. Actually, just the noodles themselves tasted ok….. so even though this place is priced like Minh Ky and Tan Ky, and serves kinda snack sized servings, I may return to give the egg noodle soup another try.

Toan Ky Restaurant
6925 B Linda Vista Road
San Diego, CA 92111

I did get a kick out of the two guys who walked in and ordered "Foe", as in Fee Fie Foe Fum…. followed by another young lady who ordered the same thing… Foe… but when I stared over at their noodle soup, I had to agree…. it looked like "Foe".

Getting back to my craving….. still not satiated…. I was feeling so, well, blah, and unmotivated when it came to food. I'd already been home for a couple of weeks, what to do?

Stay tuned for part 2.

Istanbul: The Basilca Cistern and Kokorec

May 31, 2011 mmm-yoso Istanbul, Travel, Turkey, Turkish Food

The Missus and I took a much needed nap after a fairly busy day that included two lunches. I managed to wake after about forty minutes, refreshed. The Missus, well, She was reluctant to drag Herself ot of bed. Deciding to let Her rest, I was going to take a walk, or do something…. but what, and where?

Earlier in the morning, as we walked back to the hotel, we passed by a stone structure known as The Million Stone. Built by Constantine the Great in the Fourth Century, the structure literally marked the center of the city, and was used as the landmark by which distances were officially calculated from Constantinople. A couple of yards away, and just a few steps from our hotel was this pretty humble building.

The sign said it was something called the Basilica Cistern…… we really hadn't read anything about it, and the Missus really wasn't interested in checking out water storage. But now, with some time on my hands, I opened my Lonely Planet Guide and what I read was interesting enough to motivate me to check it out while the Missus continued Her nap. Just as I was about to walk out the door She told me "wait, I better get up. Hold on a couple of minutes and I'll go with you." And I think She's glad to have made that decision.

When Constantine the Great moved the capital of the Roman Empire to Constantinople in 330 AD (or somewhere thereabout) he had the Great Palace of Byzantium built. According to what I've read, the complex was huge, and stretched from the current location of the Hippodrome and Hagia Sofia, all the way down to the old sea walls. Not much remains of the Great Palace, but the Basilica Cistern still remains. It's called the Basilica Cistern because it lay beneath the Stoa Basilica, a major square in Constantinople, and is believed to have stored water for the Great Palace. The cistern might have been lost to time if not for French Scholar Petrus Gyllius who was in Istanbul searching for ancient texts. According to the story, which I just love, Gyllius was told that people in the area would fetch fresh water from holes in their basement…. and they even caught fish through those holes! After doing some exploration, Gyllius found some stone steps in the garden of a house which led to the cistern. Man, that's some story…..

450 years later, I think the Missus is glad that we paid our admission and walked down the 52 stone steps….. you could here dripping water in spite of the voices around us. The air is cool, the ceilings high, the lighting makes you feel like you've entered one of those adventure movies………

You walk along and elevated wooden platform, sometimes staring a huge carp swimming in the water. There are several of the 336 columns in the cistern which garner a lot of attention. The first one you'll come across is the Hen's Eye column. These match the Hen's eye's on the column's of the Triumphal Arch of Theodosius.

But the two columns that garner the most attention are the two "Medusa Head Columns".

No one really knows the origin of the two Medusa Heads. As for the upside down and sideways placement, one explanation is that the heads were placed in this manner to neutralize the effect of Medusa's stare. There is of course the theory that the heads were placed in their specific position simply because they happen to fit that way. I dunno 'bout you; but explanation number one sounds a lot more fun!

Speaking of fun, we were glad that we visited the Basilica Cistern.

Those James Bond fans out there will recognize the cistern from the 007 flick From Russia with Love. I got a strange feeling that I had seen this place recently….. and was right, I saw the courtyard of the Blue Mosque, and the cistern in the movie The International.

After visiting the Basilica Cistern, we decided to return to Eminonu (by the Galata Bridge). The area around the Spice Market is full of food stands and carts. I saw, well actually first smelled something I wanted to try earlier in the day. Kokorec, basically organ meat wrapped with the intestines of lamb, looking like a spool of yarn…. well grey-brown yarn, at this stand it was sliced, then stir fried with peppers, then placed in a rather bulky roll, ready to eat….. Half a roll with Kokorec (Yarim Kokorec) is just 3 TRY (appox $1,75 US).

I didn't know what to expect, but man this was delicious……salty, rich, almost fatty, crunchy bits, with a nice bit of spice this stood up to the large bread real well.

There was a almost buttery taste to this….. and after returning home, I did a search on Gala Kokorec; and low a behold, the place is mentioned in a post on Istanbul Eats! (You can find a nice photo of Kokorec there) Apparently, this place wraps sweetbreads in the tendrils of intestine! No wonder it tasted so good.

The Missus loves a good deal; so when She saw the sign, and the line in front of Sadik Bufe, Doner Kebab and Ayran (yogurt drink) for 2 TRY (think $1.25) She couldn't resist. I did tell Her that this was chicken….but that moratorium went by the wayside for sake of a bargain.

And though the sandwich was mostly bread……

In spite of the huge bread, the meat was super flavorful, smokey and crisp, so you could actually taste the stuff in all that bread. It wasn't going to make anyone's tastebuds do the "happy dance", but for a bit over a buck? The ayran on the other hand, was the most absolute worst I had in Turkey……. tasted like slightly sour salt water…..

We sat on little kiddie stools, which reminded me of Hanoi. After finishing off our sandwiches, we headed into the Spice Market and though most of the shops were closed or closing, the Missus got some nice tea and something for Her sweet tooth from here.

After which we headed back to our hotel……. The Hotel Ares. You really couldn't beat the location; literally feet from everything. The room were a bit small…..check out the location of the toilet. I'm betting if you were fairly large, you wouldn't fit.Also, the placement of the bed was kinda strange….

Due to the location of the wall, I literally had to step/climb over the Missus to get out of bed. Yes, the room here were pretty small….everything was clean though. We thought the price at 133 Euros ($190) a night was kinda steep, and after the front desk told us it would cost us 50 Euros for an airport transfer (we did the tram and metro thing – and found out that other places charge 5 Euros a piece!) we decided on other accommodation on our trips back to Istanbul.

After listening to the final call to prayer in the evening we both fell into a sound sleep……… a woke ready for the next leg of our trip!

Thanks for reading! And my next post will be on San Diego, I promise!

Istanbul: The Spice Market and Pastirma

May 30, 2011 mmm-yoso Istanbul, Travel, Turkey, Turkish Food

Following our lunch in the Fish Market we walked back across the Galata Bridge. One can easily spot the (Egyptian) Spice Bazaar as you cross the street from the bridge.

Originally built in the 1660's as part of Yeni Mosque, it is commonly called the Egyptian Bazaar because during the Ottoman era, the bazaar, which support the Mosque next to it, sold many items from Egypt.

It was pretty funny, we entered the market via one of the side streets drawn in by the lack of a huge crowd……

And the enticing food stalls…….

You know I just can't resist a market……

You learn so much about the what folks eat…. and in turn the culture…..

At first I thought these were pigs feet….. but really had my doubts since Turkey is overwhelming Muslim. Turns out these were Mutton Feet.

Suddenly, about fifty feet into the market, we were caught in a crush of people……which was pretty much how it was for the rest of the time we spent in the market.

Besides the thousand or so Lokum (Turkish Delight), dried fruit, nut, and Spice (Turkish Viagra anyone? Scary thing is, it looks like candy!) stands, are other stands selling everything from kitchen wares to hardware, which was great for us since I had a voltage converter, but found that all the outlets were recessed! Lucky, one of the handy dandy stands sold an adapter…. best 3 TRY ($1.75 or so) I spent!

In need of a break, I stopped when I saw this:

I asked the very friendly (like everyone else, it seems) gentleman behind the counter if this was "pastirma" and was told "yes, yes…. you want?"

Which gave the Missus time to check out the wonderful collection of mezes……

Which led the Missus to get a sampling of meze…. Her favorite was this:

I'm not quite sure what this was, as I believe Koruk Eksisi is what they call grape vinegar…….

Still it was delicious. This shop had a dining area on the second (where there was a hot food – steam table operation) and third floors. Which is where we settled in and had our second "lunch" of the day.

The Missus just had a small variety of meze…..

I had a Pastirma sandwich. Pastirma is a cured, air dried beef. I read that Turkish Horsemen used to place slabs of spice cured meat in the sides of their saddles. The process of pressing the meat by their legs would enhance the curing process…. creating Pastirma… literally "pressed meat". If the name sounds familiar; I've read from more then one source (including an article in Savuer) that this is the origin of Pastrami.

The meat itself is highly spiced, and quite strong in flavor. It stood up well to the aged goat cheese. The flavor came through real well. It was too strong for the Missus but I enjoyed it. The tomato added a nice acid touch, which cut through the spices.

I'd later find out that this place is a well known shop called Namli…. in fact, it's right there in the Lonely Planet guide to Turkey. In fact, we'd come to find that LP's guide to Turkey would turn out to be pretty good compared to other LP guides.

After eating we headed into the Spice Bazaar proper, and made our way through the crowds….

And piles of spices and tea……

Back out into the shadows of Yemi Camii……

Where boxes of tulips were set out bringing color to the crowd.

More on Yemi Camii later on, we were tired, and the walk back to our hotel in Sulthanamet put us in dire need of a nap!

Real Sushi Porn: Getting Some at Sushi Yaro

May 28, 2011 ed fromyuma Japanese Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

It's summer, so ed (from Yuma) has time to share a meal with you. In San Diego. Back on March 31. Kirk and Cathy will blog again for you soon.

There are several reasons for the title of this post. I have done picture centered posts with similar titles on sushi at Sakura and at Sammy Sushi (RIP). Kirk tells me those posts still get a lot of hits (along with Lolita's Tacos), particularly from people who do not seem especially interested in the San Diego food scene. Second, I find sushi sexy and beautiful to look at. Third, I forgot to take notes on the wonderful meal that I ate, so this post depends upon some pictures and my incomplete memories of the food. The final reason is the last picture in the post is XXX or at least RRR rated. Proceed at your own risque.

I began my meal by ordering a large bottle of Orion, a pleasant beer from Okinawa that I had never encountered before:
Now that we have a beer, let me provide some background to my visit. Stuck in the desert, I had not had good sushi for months and months. You can't always get what you want, like Mick says, but can always get what you need – and I needed lots of excellent raw seafood real bad. Imagine my delight when this large clamshell packed with chunks of fresh aoyagi arrived in front of me:

I can't recall the last time I was served so much clammy goodness all at once. The texture was not chewy, crunchy, or soft — like goldilocks' perfect porridge, it was just right.

That clam should give you a hint as to why I was at SushiYaro and not some other purveyor. The seafood available is always carefully selected and often truly outstanding. After all, Sammy (of Sammy Sushi fame) is the itamae. I have enjoyed his sushi since I first encountered him back at Katzra, when I didn't even know his name. He has always served me good quality fish. Such as this maguro:

And this (hamachi???):
And this hirame:

I also must confess that I sometimes I am in the mood for the atmosphere at the sushi bars that Sammy has run. Nobody would confuse SushiYaro with a Japanese museum. Sometimes it gets loud, and people are encouraged to have fun. Sammy is happy to turn his television onto a World Cup game or, as on the evening of March 31, the opening game of the major league baseball season.

And what could be better than drinking beer, watching baseball, and eating such wonderful things as aji (Spanish mackerel) or fresh oysters?:

The Spanish mackerel was sweet, fresh, and rich. The oysters had a touch of ponzu sauce and a contrastive crunch of masago (or is that tobiko?).

Speaking of crunch, what possibly could be more crunchy and tasty than the head of a sweet shrimp (ama ebi)?:

To me, it seems paradoxical that sushi bars always serve the tail of a sweet shrimp before its head. So for this post, I've arranged the ami ebu pictures in anatomical, not chronological, order:
This particular sushi feast was particularly excellent because I had warned Sammy that I was going to be there and that I was interested in some of the real good stuff. So several things that evening were truly special. Look at this salmon belly:
Completely creamy. Butterly unctuous. Divinely delicious.

Toward the middle of the meal, I was served miso soup with clams. The clams were a nice addition (and I think Sammy knows I love clams), and the miso broth was intense with pronounced dark miso flavors:
One of my really favorite dishes of the evening was the kuzunoko (herring roe):

I had never had this presentation where the mass of crunchy herring roe is attached to a thin slice of saba (mackerel). The mackerel adds a fishy oceany flavor to the wonderful texture of the roe.

Similarly, the ankimo (monkfish liver) on this evening lived up to its reputation as Japanese foie gras. I don't know where or how Sammy procured this, but I've certainly never had better – and usually have had much worse. This was rich and smooth, mildly flavored and very lightly seasoned (with mirin?):

To be honest, I don't know how I could keep eating, but I did – everything tasted so good. The mirugai (giant clam) was fresh, crunchy, and clammy:

It reminded me the the meal had started with the large clam sashimi, and it also reminded me of those good old days when giant clam was so inexpensive that it was standard in most six or eight piece sushi combinations. Which reminds me that I am getting old.

At this point, to cleanse my palate, Sammy gave me some Japanese pickles (tsukemono). Though both were pickles, the two types had contrasting flavor and texture profiles. Together they were tart and refreshing:
And then my meal finished with the perfect dessert, uni:

Looking back over my pictures, I can't believe I ate so much sushi. And it was an exceptional meal. While I have had some outstanding sashimi and sushi at Sakura and Kaito, for my palate at least, this was as good a sushi feast as I have had in San Diego. The only negative thing I remember from the evening was that the Dodgers won. And that certainly wasn't Sammy's fault.

As I was finishing up – and enjoying a small glass of cold sake – I watched as Sammy made the most unusual sushi roll I have ever seen. It was true sushi porn (move the kids away from the computer screen NOW). So if you are in a basement in Bratislava scrolling through this post looking for pornography, here it is:
"What you call it?" I asked. "It's a WTF roll," Sammy said, and that seems appropriate.

Sushi Yaro, 7905 Engineer Rd # C (where Sammy Sushi used to be), San Diego, CA 92111-1930, (858) 560-1782, cell (858) 442-0212. www.sushiyaro.com

Istanbul: The Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, and a Fish called Hamsi

May 25, 2011 mmm-yoso Istanbul, Seafood, Travel, Turkey

As happens with all our trips we awoke early in the morning, this time to the 5 am call to prayer. We got up, and headed out for an early morning walk. In contrast to the hustle and bustle of the previous day; Divan Yolu Caddesi, the main street passing through this part of Istanbul was empty. There was a bit of a chill in the air, but nothing beats walking around at this time of the morning…. especially since the Missus was drawn to the Blue Mosque.

During this time of the morning the courtyard of the Blue Mosque is empty; in direct contrast to later visits when we entered the Mosque. On this morning we just walked the courtyard…..

A view of Hagia Sofia from the gates of the Blue Mosque……

Nobody around but the two of us…. and the local dogs, who were very well behaved….

This one took a liking to the Missus and followed Her everywhere.

He even managed to sneak into a couple of photos! Here he is wondering why the Missus is smiling at nothing…..

After walking around for a bit we headed back to our hotel, I showered, and we headed downstairs via the tiny lift for breakfast. The typical Turkish breakfast is jam, honey, cheese, tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, some kind of meat, yogurt, juice, and some Turkish tea…..

And bread….. lots of bread, sometimes several varieties of bread; often including the standard "simit", sesame bread. They don't fool around….. we often got what amounted to almost a whole loaf! Eggs are always offered, but come on; after eating six slices of bread…. there ain't much room left!

Compared to what we had later on in the trip; this was mostly packaged stuff….. but it sure filled me up. Later on, the Missus would often whisper to me, "just because they give you twenty slices of bread doesn't mean you have to eat it!"

Then it was off to Topkapi Palace, one of the must see places in Istanbul.

Constructed by Mehmet the Conquerer who conquered Constantinople after a 57 day siege in 1453, the palace was home to a Ottoman Sultans for almost 400 years.

The complex is designed around four courtyards, and of course there is much to see……

Not the least of which are the views of the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus……

Here's the Asian side of Istanbul, right across the Bosphorus.

Of all the rooms, structures, and displays at Topkapi Palace; there were two that really caught our interest. Unfortunately, both rooms, the Treasury, and the Sacred Trusts don't allow photos. In the Treasury you'll find the Sword of Suleyman, and the even more impressive Topkapi Dagger with the three gigantic emeralds in its hilt. There's even a watch set into it! Even more interesting for us was the Room of the Sacred Relics, which include the Holy Mantle of Prophet Muhammad, along with several other holy relics. There is also the Sword of David, the Staff of Moses, and the Skull of John the Baptist. It is said that when Sultan Selim I conquered the Middle East and North Africa he started bringing the relics back to the city.

One of the areas where you can take photos is within the fourth courtyard which features some beautiful tile panels…..

The wonderful tiles decorate the exterior of the circumcision room…….

The chamber is also beautifully decorated.

All told we spent a good three hours at Topkapi Palace…. and could have possibly spent a few more, but we didn't want to burn ourselves out.

Deciding to grab something to eat, we walked the couple of kilometers to the Galata Bridge which spans the Bosphorus. Starting on the European side we crossed the Golden Horn to Asia in less then 15 minutes! How's that for pretty cool? The current location for the bridge has been used since 1845 and bridge further up the waterway was built in 1836. But plans for a bridge at the current had been in the works for many centuries before the actual construction. Back in 1502, Sultan Bayezid II solicited none other than Leonardo da Vinci who came up with a revolutionary design that was not approved by the Sultan. Another design was requested from some Italian "Dude" who turned down the offer. Today's bridge was built in 1992, and is a lively spot; not only for 2 and 4 wheeled vehicles, but for foot traffic. On a sunny day, the bridge is lined with vendors and tons of men trying their luck fishing….. and socializing.

And of course there's food……. like the folks selling the very popular "Balik – Ekmek" (fish sandwiches – more about that in a future post).

I had read that there was a fish market on the Asian side of the Galata bridge so we went in search of it. Because if there's a fish market, there's bound to be at least one place serving it!

The market itself is fairly small; a couple of stands selling fish, and one or two produce stands.

There happened to be more restaurants then fish vendors on this particular day. One was doing some good business; and his customers seemed to be all older gentleman, who tend to be more picky eaters. So this was the place for us……

But before taking a seat, I inquired about some of the fishes available, and the cook actually let me look at the fishes.

Of course being Turkey; everything started with a huge hunk of bread!

And a plate of veggies…..

I'd heard about a specific fish that is very popular, and after reading posts about it on Istanbul Eats and Eating Asia, it was all Hamsi (European Anchovy) for me.

These were nicely fried. If you love the oil-ruch Anchovy you'll like these. A bit stronger than Shishamo (smelt) in flavor, these were too much for the Missus. I considered it a bargain at 5 TRY (about 3 bucks).

The fish I selected for the Missus, was Cinekop, baby bluefish 15TRY, which She loved:

With water the entire meal came out to 22 TRY (about $13.75)…. cheaper then the previous night's lousy dinner, and tons better.

The funny thing was, even though we were satisfied, we weren't done yet…. the Missus spied the Egyptian Spice Market while crossing back….. and there would be a second lunch today!

Stay tuned……..