mmm-yoso – Page 42 – 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.

Zgara Greek Grill – Under New Ownership!

November 18, 2024 mmm-yoso Greek Food

For some strange reason, my most recent post on Mama's moving (I actually went on Sunday for lunch – that post is coming up) had me wondering how Zgara Greek Grill was doing. Because of all our travel and stuffs, I hadn't been back since probably around March or so and hadn't done a post on the place since December of last year. So, I decided to drop by this past Saturday.

Zgara New O 01

All the spaces in front of Zgara were available; probably because I arrived just after 11am.

Walking in I noticed that Eric wasn't working on this day.

Zgara New O 02
I walked up to the counter and ordered my usual, the Gyro….the default meat here is pork. I noticed that if you're only used to the typical "mystery meat" Gyros or such that unless you read the description you might not know it's actually pork; which is pretty traditional. At least that's what we had in Rhodes where Eric is from. Speaking of Eric, I casually asked how Eric is doing…thinking he was on vacation or something. The gentleman told me he wasn't sure since they sold him the restaurant back in July of this year! Whoa…..didn't know about that! I didn't want to pry so I told him "congratulations" and he introduced himself as "Tom". Well, this was quite a surprise!

So, I headed home with my Gyro ($10.86) interested to see if I could detect any changes.

Zgara New O 03 Zgara New O 04a It's still quite hefty, though wrapped a bit tighter. There seems to be a bit less Tzatziki, but the pita is still nice and pillowy.

The meat seems to have been cooked a bit more as it had more chewy-crunchy bits, a bit drier in texture, though perhaps it was just my mind playing games. Though if you do look at the gyro on my previous visit you'll see that the meat is much lighter in color. The seasoning is still as good; nice spices and herbs; I make out a touch of cumin, a faint citrusyness.

Once unbound, it basically exploded in meaty goodness….

Zgara New O 05

Still quite enjoyable.

I hope Eric is doing well. I'd been a fairly regular customer of his since the days when he opened Zgara in Pacific Beach and was quite sad when it closed. I was overjoyed when he reopened in Bay Park right in the middle of the pandemic.

Zgara New O 06

I wish the new owner well and will probably drop by again soon.

Zgara Greek Grill
1229 Morena Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92110
Current Hours:
Mon – Sat 11am – 8pm
Closed on Sundays

Zgara New O 07

Saturday Stuffs – Mama’s Bakery & Deli Moving and White Rice Morena Closed

November 16, 2024 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants, Lebanese Restaurants

Just a couple of things I saw while on errands.

Mama's Bakery & Deli Moving?:

At least that's what the sign says.

Man, it's been a while since I last visited. Though the Missus did drop by when we stayed at the Lafayette. Mama's has been here forever, though the address on the sign is right around the corner.

I'm going to try and stop by this weekend to see what's up.

Mama's Bakery & Deli
4237 Alabama St.
San Diego, CA 92104

White Rice Morena Closed?:

Was driving down Linda Vista Road when I noticed that the sign on White Rice Morena was gone. So, I made a turn into the parking lot.

Considering that this was during lunch hour, I'd say that they're closed? So, I guess no moa' "White Rice" (which I didn't think they made well here and even at their Normal Heights location).

It'll be interesting to see what moves in next.

5299 Linda Vista Road
San Diego, CA 92110

Hope you're having a wonderful Saturday!

S3 Coffee Bar

November 15, 2024 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix

Well, it as that time again. Time to take my car in for servicing. Once I dropped off my car, it was time to get my caffeine fix and get something light for breakfast. I had thoughts of returning to Cuppa Cuppa Coffee Lab, but decided to get something more than a croissant on this morning. I decided to head further up Mission Gorge to a place I'd heard of named S3 Coffee Bar. I thought a nice little stroll would do me some good as well.

S3 01

Walking up to the place, I tried to recall what it was before? I seem to remember something with a drive-thru? Perhaps Cathy will remember?

S3 02

The space is pretty large, with ample outdoor seating.

S3 02b

Along with a very bright, modern interior that seems to have every newish-hipster design trend, from the artwork-lighted sayings, to the skylight, to the plant wall, and the pink touches. I've started calling this "Pink-ster" design.

S3 03

S3 04

The gal at the counter was very friendly. As is the norm in many places these days, once you pay, you get one of those buzzer things. Once it goes off, you pick your order up at one of the "cubbyholes".

I had ordered a Cold Brew, which seemed to be priced right at $5.50 for a fairly large 16 ounces.

S3 05

Pleasantly strong, not overly bitter, with just enough simple syrup, this did the trick.

I also got the Avocado Toast ($9.50), which looked quite pretty.

S3 06 S3 07 I enjoyed the mashed avocado which added a nice creaminess to the toast. The Balsamic seemed to take it a bit over the edge with regards to sweetness; though I'm thinking some folks would love that. Not enough micro greens to make a difference. The Mozzarella added some milky-sour tones, but I rearranged them to try to get one in every bite.

The one thing that I really didn't care for was that the bread wasn't toasted enough. It just got soggy and I had the somewhat humorous thought that perhaps since I was obviously the oldest person in the place, the sagging was a tribute to me? Let's not even go into me losing my (cheese) balls, rolling off the bread as it sagged as well.

Enough of that silliness. Nice folks, very bright and airy…modern interior. I thought the cold brew was pretty good. I do wish that there were more options for savory items.

S3 Coffee Bar
6225 Mission Gorge Rd.
San Diego, CA 92120

On a more interesting note. I noticed quite a bit of construction and empty lots/businesses on my walk back to the shop.

IMG_3862a

The one that really caught my attention was what used to be 6171 Mission Gorge Road.

This place had a bunch of eateries. I recall an Indian Restaurant, a Japanese/Sushi place, Cathy posted on Donut Panic (one of the best names ever!) and A Brooklyn Pizzeria among others that have resided in that strip mall.

I see that the Taco Shops and Iowa Meat Farms look like they're doing good business and the folks from now defunct Salud have taken over the original location of Tio Leo's. So, it looks like new development like the Vora Lux Apartments, which is where Suppa Cuppa is located is taking over? It'll be interesting to see what this part of Mission Gorge looks like five years from now.

Honolulu – Izakaya Uosan

November 14, 2024 mmm-yoso Honolulu, Japanese Restaurants, Memorable Meals, Oahu, Sushi and Sashimi, Travel

There was a reason we didn't go overboard at SXY Szechuan. I had made dinner reservations at a restaurant in walking distance from the Ala Moana Hotel. Of course, this was yet another place I read about on Kathy's awesome website Onolicious Hawaii. Having read Kathy's posts for almost two decades now, I've learned to trust her recommendations. Plus, the photos, and the menu at Izakaya Uosan just seemed right for us. It was interesting to note that the restaurant doesn't do online reservations; I had to call to book us two seats.

Izakaya Uosan is located right on Kapiolani Boulevard, between Piikoi and Pensacola. It was a nice little walk to the somewhat discreet location.

We were instantly greeted upon entering. The small place is quite low-keyed, but filled up quickly. One of the gentleman working; I believe his name is Daniel was awesome.

Looking at the photo of the menu on Kathy's post, I just got the feeling that this be a meal the Missus and I would enjoy.

A quick look at the menu and I was rain' to go. But first things first…..we need to start the meal on the right foot. Which meant an ice cold and refreshing Asahi. Heck, even the Missus enjoyed Her “biru(s)”. Yes, She actually had more than one!

We placed our orders and food started arriving.

You know if there's Foie Gras on the menu….well, how about Foie Gras with O-toro ($13.50/each).

My goodness, the texture! Rich, decadent, the tare wasn't over-powering and really complimented the dish. The sweet-offaly foie gras was wonderfully creamy. The rice was prepared decently, the shari not too strong.

The next item to arrive is the restaurant's version of Shirasu Chips; basically Baby Sardine Chips ($9).

Crisp, light, very savory!

The Kani, Kani Miso Gunkan Maki ($13.50) was slightly sweet, umami bomb.

For some reason; the rice here seemed a bit drier and harder.

Our least favorite dish of the evening was the Gyutan ($14.50).

It hadn't been grilled to our preference and was rubbery and lacking in the smokiness that we associate with binchotan. The flavor had a bit of a metallic "edge" to it as well.

Of course we had to get the Braised Daikon with Foie Gras ($19.50), right?

Think of this as Daikon no Nimono crowned with a sizeable piece of seared foie gras and caramelized onions. As Kathy noted in her post, this skewed toward the saltier side, even though the onions tried to bring a hint of sweetness to balance out the flavors, it was not up to the task. This might be a case of "too much of a good thing"?

We didn't have much time to dwell on things because the next item to arrive was the Uni – Truffle Butter – Egg Yolk -Rice ($24). Oh my goodness!

One could imagine that a dish like this could get a bit "out of hand"; but in this case the preparation was so balanced! From the soft and tender rice, which had a nice gave off that wonderful aroma of truffle. The truffle added a earthy-mushroomy-floral component and didn't overwhelm the dish. Ah yes, the egg yolk, one of the Missus's favorite food items; when mixed in added another layer buttery-creamy texture. Speaking of creamy; good lord, the Hokkaido Uni, the oceany-sweetness took me to a very happy place! We loved this dish!

Wanting to actually get some fish; we asked Daniel what he would recommend. He told us that the Sumagatsuo (Mackerel Tuna) was super fresh, wild caught, so we went with the Tataki ($28). Oh man, I know folks who used to diss Kawakawa, which is what we called the fish growing up, but man, this was delici-yoso!!!!

This must have been a good sized one; the fish was firm, yet yieldingly tender. Quite refreshing with the onions and shoyu!

The Missus loves Her Chawan Mushi; so when She saw a version with Uni ($19.50), She had to order it.

My goodness, the delicate-velvety texture; the creamy-umami chawan mushi, crowned by that oceany-sweet-savory uni. That says it all.

After this we were done for the evening! We liked the laid-back, friendly Service. And guess whatthe tab was with our drinks and food….$190 for two! Can you imagine what this would cost in San Diego? This was our favorite meal of the trip. We can't wait to return!

Izakaya Uosan
1221 Kapiolani Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 200-5077

It was still fairly early, so we walked down Piikoi and then along Ala Moana Park back to the hotel.

Which gave me time to contemplate how lucky I was. To be able to have such a wonderful meal, to call Hawai'i my "home", to be able to travel, and to be able to "share" this wonderful meal with you all!

And also, to have gotten to know folks like Kathy over the years, whose opinion and recommendations I can trust!

Hope you're having a wonderful week!

Juewei Food – A Quick Look

November 13, 2024 mmm-yoso Chains, Chinese Restaurants

**** Juewei has closed

During our last visit to Yomie’s I noticed that Juewei had opened.

Juewei 01

So, with Matcha Red Bean Yogurt in hand, we decided to see what was up. Having been to Jue Wei Kitchen in San Gabriel we kinda knew what to expect. And yes, there were all the duck and pig parts in trays in the counter.

Juewei 02

Suddenly the prospect of some duck tongue or intestine sounded like a good addition for dinner. I’m not the biggest fan of duck neck, so we’d be passing on that for now. The menu also includes various fried items and like Zhengxin Chicken Steak down the street there were a number of skewered items for sale as well. Though, based on our previous experience with Jue Wei, it was all about the duck and piggy parts. Our idea of getting both duck tongue and intestine was derailed when we saw the prices; each was priced at $79.99 a pound! Yikes!

So, we decided on a small portion of duck intestine, and small orders of pig ear, pig head, and yuba bean curd. The young lady working was really nice; she told the Missus “it is good to try and have a taste since we have only been open for a few days”!

Juewei 03

As I thought, we really enjoyed the duck intestine.

Juewei 04

It was cartilaginously crunchy; almost hard. Think of super crunchy nankotsu “noodles”. It was sneakily numbing-spicy and soon I was actually sweating! We really enjoyed this.

The Pig Ears ($11.99/lb) were cuts a bit thicker than we’re used to. You can purchase whole pig ears and chop them yourself if you’re up to the task.

Juewei 05

Quite crunchy with a good “ma-la” (numbing hot) – sesame oil flavor as well.

The Pig Head ($11.99/lb) was milder in flavor, fairly meaty with crunchy bits.

Juewei 06

I do enjoy Yuba Bean Curd Skin ($11.99/lb) and this was decent, crunchy and refreshing.

Juewei 07

Mild spice, the sesame oil flavor seemed more upfront, light sweetness, though perhaps a bit on the salty end of the scale.

We had our cold dishes with Pidan (Century Egg) and cold tofu for a nice, light dinner.

Juewei 08

We enjoyed checking our Juewei and thought the duck intestines were good…..though was it $79.99 a pound good? Not so sure about that!

Juewei Food
4690 Convoy St. #103
San Diego, CA 92111
Current Hours:
Sun – Thurs 11am – 11pm
Fri – Sat 11am – Midnight

Juewei 00

Soi 30th Revisited

November 11, 2024 mmm-yoso Thai Restaurants

The Missus had been craving Thai food during a recent lunchtime. Of course one of the first places that came to mind was Sovereign, but it was a Thursday and the place doesn't open for lunch until noon. After some back and forth, we decided on revisiting Soi 30th. The Missus took some convincing since our last meal from there was disappointing. But, it had been a year-and-a-half since that visit and we had done takeout to boot. So, in my mind, it was time for a revisit. This time we'd be dining in.

We arrived just after 11 and there were already a couple of tables filled. The menu has changed a bit over time; the Thai Sausage hasn't been on the menu for a while and another favorite; the Larb Moo Krob was not on the menu either.

Still, for me, it has always been about the pork belly here so I ordered the Ka Na Moo Krob ($16.95); the pork belly with Chinese Broccoli (i.e. Gailan). The Missus surprised me; not by ordering the Pak Boong; i.e. Morning Glory/Ong Choi, but ordering it with chicken ($15.95)? You know, based on my recent experiences with basic takeout Thai places, the prices here seemed quite reasonable. Though they did charge us $3 to add an egg to each dish……

Both dishes were quite good; the Ong Choi perfectly stir fried; crisp, mildly sweet, not bitter, but quite earthy.

Soi 30th Rev 01

The chicken was ok, nothing special, but the dish had some decent heat….we ordered medium spice. Good savory tones; I think they put Oyster Sauce in this, a hint of sweetness. The rice was fragrant and moist. We both cracked up (no pun intended) with regards to the egg….it was tiny. I joked that Soi now serves "quail eggs" on their dishes! At least it was nice and runny though it also had that fishy finish I don't care for. Still, this was way better than what we'd had on our last visit.

The Pork Belly with Chinese Broccoli was back to how it used to be. The pork perhaps a bit more sauced, but nicely crisp-chewy.

Soi 30th Rev 02 Soi 30th Rev 03 The rice and egg were the same on this dish as well. The Missus loved the crisp, earthy-vegetal gailan. The spice was quite good for just a "medium". The sauce was closer to the saltier side of the scale, but was quite enjoyable. The hints of garlic, sweet, and the spice balanced things out nicely.

Soi 30th Rev 04

We enjoyed our meal and were really happy that Soi 30th is back on our "list" of Thai places to eat at!

Soi 30th Rev 05

We look forward to returning!

Soi 30th
3442 30th St
San Diego, CA 92104
Current Hours:
Mon – Thurs 11am – 3pm, 430pm – 9pm
Fridays 11am – 3pm, 430pm – 930pm
Sat – Sun 12pm – 930pm

Soi 30th Rev 00a

Guadalajara – Tikuun Comedor Local

November 9, 2024 mmm-yoso Guadalajara/Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico, Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, Travel

I thought that this post was already done, but was mistaken. I'm so behind on travel posts, but just wanted to make sure to get this one done as it was our favorite meal in Guadalajara.

After a nice, busy day of exploring Centro Historico, we took a nice break. When it came time for our last meal, I went with a place that no less then five people, all locals recommended to us. A place located in our favorite neighborhood; Colonia Americana, which I briefly mentioned here.

The restaurant was described as Modern, yet very Mexican, relaxed, with an interesting menu. Tikuun Comedor Local. The restaurant was located near the University, closer to the Northeastern side of the district.

The restaurant had a nice outdoor patio area overlooking the quiet street, so we decided to dine there. The service was quite friendly, though it got a bit slower as customers started coming in. It's quite a popular place.

The menu featured traditional Mexican cuisine with international touches. Which can sometimes really disrupt the soul and key flavors of dishes. Here at Tikuun it seemed to work well in most cases.

I stuck with a couple of cervezas with dinner and the Missus enjoyed the house win here.

As we will often do; we went with a meal of all starters as those dishes seemed the most interesting to us. Like the Pellizcadas de Chicharron de Pork Belly.

IMG_9733a

For those not familiar with Pellizcadas; it's masa based, sort of like a sope; though I believe these have the "boundary edges" like a like Picaditas. The maize tones came out so clearly; as did the porkiness. The black beans "grounded" the dish which had a bit of acidic heat. This was out favorite dish of the evening.

The Sea Bass Aguachile with Katsuobushi was a nice dish.

While we initially had doubts about the freshness of the fish; this was wonderfully fresh. The brightness of the marinade went quite well with the uber-savory, umami katsuobushi. Nice amount of spice in this one as well.

Of course, we couldn't resist ordering the Sweetbreads; even though it was prepared with Ssamjang!

While the sauce was a bit much for the dish, the pickled onions and radishes were essential in balancing things out. Still, the buttery texture of the sweetbreads contrasted nicely with the greens and veggies. The addition of the spicy-fermented-savory Ssamjang and the Chiltepin chilies made for an interesting heat. The blue corn tortillas were really good as well.

The Scallops were so sweet, tender, and briny.

The firm, nutty-earthy fava beans added an interesting texture and a nice layer of flavor. Good acidity as well. The gremolata had peppermint in it which kind of rendered pungent tones out of the equation.

As you can see; this was an interesting dinner, which we really enjoyed. The sometimes novel combinations worked more often then not. And heck, if Tikuun were here in San Diego we'd be eating here every once in a while.

Tikuun Comedor Local
Calle Emeterio Robles Gil 50
Americana, 44600 Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

Well, we had really enjoyed our time in Guadalajara and really can't wait to return!

Yes, there are places that seem a bit on the "gritty" side…..

But folks were so warm, kind, and welcoming. We took a short walk after dinner. We started noticing some interesting places…..

As we walked thru Parque Revolucion; instead of heading back to the hotel, we headed north a bit up Calz del Federalismo. This busy district was again a total change from the other neighborhoods we'd visited on this stay. Which made sense since the metropolitan area of the city is home to over 5 million.

This had been such a fun stay!

We can't wait to return. But on this trip, our next stop was Tequila, the town, not the drink. Though we'd have our share of that as well!

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you're having a wonderful weekend!

Yomie’s Rice X Yogurt

November 8, 2024 mmm-yoso Australia, Desserts, Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt, Sydney

It's funny how doing a bit of travelling will expand your life and even add new items into your routine. Take for instance, Yomie's Rice x Yogurt which opened off Convoy back in May of last year. Honestly, I'm not much of a Boba drinks kinda guy and I just put Yomie's into that "bucket". Plus, ever since our return from Taiwan, the Missus has gotten some major sticker shock regarding the prices in tea shops, with one notable exception. More on that in a future post.

Before heading back to Oahu we stayed in Sydney for four days. Instead of staying right in the middle of CBD (not, it's not what you think, CBD = "Central Business District" here), we stayed right on the Southern edge of the district in the area known as Chippendale (and no, it has nothing to do with what just came to your mind either). It was close to transportation and I thought we might enjoy the area. Which we did immensely. We spend a good part; or even most of each day just wandering and exploring, and there seems to be a boba/tea/frozen yogurt shop on every corner; which totally reminded us of Taiwan.

Anyway, on one of our "walks" we passed this place.

Yomies Sydney 01

Look familiar? Anyway, the Missus was fascinated, it was a warm day, and so we went in and ordered two Jujube Yogurts, one with the purple rice, the other without. We both enjoyed it; though that Purple Rice is quite filling….well, it was quite filling period as we could only do half of each cup. It looked somewhat pricey at $6,7 AUD….BUT, with the exchange rate it was like $4.40 US! Anyway we returned a couple of days later and split the Haw version. Sadly, as we enjoyed our treats while walking, I never took photos. I actually never thought I'd post on the place as we were quite "busy".

Upon returning, I found out that this location was the original as Yomie's was started in Sydney!

Yomies Sydney 02

I mentioned to the Missus that Yomie's had a shop in San Diego; in Plaza del Sol off Convoy and She seemed quite interested! We also went to check out the location in Ala Moana Center and the prices looked good; being in the mid $6 range. Unfortunately, they didn't have Jujube or Haw which is what the Missus was craving.

To my surprise, after lunch one day, the Missus instructed me to drop by Yomie's Convoy. The place opens at 11 and I was thinking the parking lot might be crowded, but with China Max and other businesses having not reopened yet, we easily found parking.

Yomies 01

The place was quite empty….in fact, we've been the only customers in the place on all our visits….yes, we've been back like four times already!

Yomies 02

The menu looked similar to that in Sydney, which made the Missus happy. Though, we got major sticker shock at the prices.

Yomies 03

Most everything is over eights bucks? Yikes! More expensive than Ala Moana Center, how can that be? At that moment, we decided on the "Yomie's rule". Since the yogurt smoothies are pretty filling; we get one and share.

Here are our current favorites.

We always go with the "less sugar" option. Our current favorite is the Matcha Red Bean Yogurt ($8.50).

Yomies 04

The matcha adds a nice earthy-chlorophyllic flavor and is a good foil for the sweet-nutty red bean. We usually get this without the signature purple (forbidden rice). It's quite refreshing.

Other than that; we will usually get the Red Bean; sometimes with the purple rice ($8.50), sometimes without ($8.25).

Yomies 05

Yomies 06

The Missus also enjoys the Jujube versions as well. We haven't tried any of the fresh fruit versions; perhaps during the summer?

Yomie's touts the health benefits of both the yogurt (the probiotics) and the purple rice (antioxidants) and claims everything is made fresh inhouse.

Well, it is the current favorite of the Missus and we've developed the "Yomie's rule" to deal with the price. And even though I don't have much of a "sweet tooth" I do enjoy the refreshing "less sugar" option. And heck, we've even been to the original location!

Yomie’s Rice X Yogurt
4688 Convoy St. Suite 109
San Diego, CA 92111

Takeout from Village Kitchen (Again)

November 6, 2024 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants

Recently, when we've been going out for our biweekly Chinese food "fix", it's been Taste of Hunan. Well, a few days back we wanted some takeout and didn't feel like making the drive out to Scripps Ranch. The Missus was wondering how Village Kitchen was doing, so, like on our last visit over a year-and-a-half ago we decided to do some takeout.

Upon arriving we went with our "regular" dishes and tried something new as well.

We were really feeling like a couple of dishes with La Rou, so we went with the LA Rou with Radish Skin ($19.75) and the La Rou with Bamboo Shoots ($19.75).

VK TO 01

These were dishes that we've ordered several times. It would be interesting to see how things were on this visit.

The Smoked Pork with Bamboo Shoos was the better of the two dishes.

VK TO 02

The smoked pork was a bit chewy, but imparted a good porky-smokiness to the dish. The bamboo shoots were nice and crunchy, while still being tender and moist. Most important was the flavor, good savory-umami soy sauce tones, not overly salty, it perhaps could have used a bit more "heat", but was not bad.

We've had the Smoked Pork with Radish Skin many times. It had earned a spot as an item we'd regularly order. But this time, it was not very good.

VK TO 03

This time around we really didn't enjoy this, as the dried radish had not been properly prepped; it was super hard….not crunchy, but really hard. Along with the chewy smoked pork, the overall textures just weren't pleasing. There was not enough heat in this and it just seemed bland overall, like it hadn't been seasoned well, nor stir fried properly and just "thrown together".

The one item we hadn't noticed before; I'm thinking it's a rather new dish is the Stinky Tofu with Pork Intestine ($18.75). A great "cloud" of offaly fragrance rose above our dining table when I opened this.

VK TO 04 VK TO 05 I'm thinking that the Chou Doufu is not really needed in this dish as it appeared charred, wasn't really overly funky-smelly-"toe jammy"-rotten smelling. It was quite mild. The pork intestine was very tender and had kept the funky-offal-ly flavor, it was quite savory. While this dish could have used more spice; it had good peppery-soy sauce tones and was quite enjoyable….if you're a pork intestine kinda eater. Which we are.

While not as refined, without a broad array of flavors, and not as spicy as what we've been having at Taste of Hunan; two of the three dishes were tasty and the portion sizes were quite generous. I'd say the food at Village Kitchen is a bit more rustic, the taste a bit more simple. It's not a bad thing at all. Sometimes that will just do fine.

Village Kitchen
4720 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

Thaipan Kitchen (In the Pyramid on Miramar Road)

November 5, 2024 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Filipino Restaurants, Japanese Restaurants, Thai Restaurants

It's funny how things sometimes turn out. In the comments of my post on the Cuisinery moving to Miramar Road, "FOY" Sandy happened to mention that there used to be a Chinese Restaurant in the Pyramid; currently known as the San Diego Innovation Center. I'm sure you'd recognize the structure if you've ever driven on Miramar Road.

Thaipan 01

A few weeks ago, when heading home after shopping at the Cuisinery, I noticed something on the signage for the Pyramid.

Thaipan 02

Do you see it? It says "Thaipan Kitchen". Hmmm…… So, after doing a bit of research, I found that it's owned by the same folks as Ping Yang in the Market on 8th. I also noted that they are only open from 1030 to 330 Monday to Fridays.

I like the 1030 opening since I enjoy an early lunch these days. Plus, the Cuisinery now opens at 10, so I could coordinate my visits! A few days later, I dropped by.

Thaipan 03b

I saw the sign and decided to step into the Pyramid. Funny thing, we've lived in San Diego for over 20 years now and I'd never been in this structure. Never had a reason to visit I guess?

I opened the door and walked on in.

Thaipan 04

The bottom floor was a huge space. There didn't seem to be much going on, I'm not sure what the occupancy of the building is right now? There even seems to be coffee stand that doesn't seem operational?

The tiny shop was open and I walked on over.

Thaipan 05

The gentleman was hard at work in the kitchen, so I had a look at the menu; which features standard Thai dishes like Pad Thai, Tom Yum, and also Japanese items like Karaage, Gyoza, and Tonkatsu.

Thaipan 06

And looking at the register, it seems like they are venturing into Filipino dishes. Right now they do Spamsilog and Tocilog….it seems they also do Katsu Sandos. I asked the guy worknig about the hours and he told me that they tried to open at 830 but things were too slow. All of the dishes are available from 1030 to 330 in spite of what the menu says.

Thaipan 07

I mean, there's no way you can do "everything" well, right? So, knowing that the owners are Thai, I decided to stick with that side of the menu.

I wasn't feeling like Pad Thai or a curry; the Ka Prao with Pork Belly ($16.50) sounded good. It was also the most expensive item on the menu. I was given one of those buzzer things and just cooled my heels in the dining area.

Thaipan 08

Soon enough, my lunch was ready to go. I had decided on takeout…..I just didn't feel like eating at the cold and empty dining area.

Once home I unpacked the fairly hefty bowl.

Thaipan 09 Thaipan 10 The fragrance really got my stomach growling. In terms of portion size, this was way bigger than the takeout I'd had from Thai Test Kitchen. I got this medium spicy and it wasn't bad, not dumbed down for sure. Loved the crisp, sweet-anisey fried basil. I could make out a hint of fish sauce, it wasn't overly sweet, loved the flavor of the pork, which was a bit too chewy and tough though.

I'm not sure if it was the drive home, but the egg was overcooked for my taste.

The rice was fragrant, but on the chewy side.

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Overall, this was not bad, definitely not overly "Ameri-Thai" and in terms of flavor and all that basil in line with Thai Test Kitchen in my mind.

A couple of weeks later I returned. This time, I went and placed my order then went to the Cuisinery to shop before returning. But that's not before I saw something interesting. If you look closely at the photo below. You'll see the microwave below what looks like a portable griddle. Well, I noticed as I walked toward the entry to the building that a large plastic bag of rice was bein put in the microwave. That explains the texture of the rice.

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Anyway, this time I went with the Thai Omelet over Rice ($13.50). For some reason I was just craving some Kai Jeow!

This really looked lovely when I unpacked it at home.

Thaipan 13 Thaipan 14 It usually has Sriracha drizzled on the egg, but the gentleman nicely asked if I'd prefer to have it on the side. I really didn't even need it. The egg was slightly crisp and quite fluffy. Nice savory tones; the ground meat used, I'm thinking it may be ground chicken was moist and tender. Nice savory tones; quite "eggy" without any off flavors. Quite nice!

The rice though, as you can see was dry and chewy.

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Overall, not bad. In spite of the rice, I enjoyed the omelet enough that it managed to push the dish over mediocrity.

I'll probably be back. As for a comparison to Thai Test Kitchen; I think the overall quality at TTK might be better, though the prices and portion at Thaipan seems better. Thaipan 16

As for the location; well, wouldn't having a food hall in the Pyramid be a great idea? Not sure if it would make it; but I believe there are so many businesses in the area, along with MCAS Miramar that perhaps it would succeed?

I do need to make it down to the Market on 8th one of these days. I tried twice, but the parking situation was terrible.

As for Thaipan; well Sandy, you see, there's an actual restaurant in the Pyramid now!

Thaipan Kitchen
7310 Miramar Rd. Suite 105
San Diego, CA 92126
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 1030am – 330pm
Closed Sat/Sun

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