Jersey’s: Home of the 3 lb Burger in Yuma Foothills

Everybody eats burgers. Kirk eats burgers, Cathy eats burgers, vegetarians eat veggieburgers, and even ed (from Yuma)  eats burgers. Today, he's posting about some that are yoso delicious.

Jersey's is gone but not forgotten.

Some things happen in threes.  Right after my post on the Fortuna foodcourt in Foothills, Yuma, appeared here at mmm-yoso, three things converged. First, Cathy and Foodhoe wanted to know about the 3 pound burger at Jersey's; second, my gourmandizing friend Chip insisted we had to go there and try the burgers ASAP; and third, Kirk sent me an e-mail reminding me that Burger Week was approaching at the blog.  That was a triple whammy, but I hardly needed three prompts to go  to Jersey's:IMG_4293

In fact, the very next day, a bunch of us carnivores,  Chip, Betsy, Light, Deb W, Tina, and I,  gathered together to eat some serious meat.

After ordering sandwiches, we walked over to the refrigerator and selected some soft drinks:IMG_4656

While we were deciding between root beers and colas ($1.50), it was impossible to ignore that wonderful smell of beef being charred over coals on an open grill.  Cue the saliva.

The tables contained a limited number of condiments and a whimsical paper towel dispenser:

IMG_4659 
The smaller burgers and Betsy's cheesesteak arrived first.  I had ordered the most basic burger on the menu ($5.50) , which came with some iceberg lettuce and abundant mayo sauce:IMG_4665

The sesame seed bun held a handmade patty that had to weigh at least a half pound. One bite and I was in protein paradise. I cannot recall a more intense burger in my life.  The whole thing screamed BEEF as loud as it could!  The char from the grill and the  sauce (mayo with hint of ketchup, I think), just made the flavor of the patty that much better and more intense.

By default, all the burgers come with french fries:IMG_4664

These were obviously homemade and full of potato flavor.  While not greasy, they were also not especially crunchy.  Not bad, certainly, but really just okay.  Next time, I will follow Chip's lead and order mine extra crispy.

Tina opted for a blue cheese burger, which came with mayo sauce, red onions, hand cut tomato slice, pepper bacon, lettuce, and hand formed perfectly grilled burger patty:IMG_4660

In general, I am hesitant to order blue cheese burgers because many that I've had over the years have tasted more like blue cheese than like burger.  Not the case here.  The intensity of the beef flavor stood up to and was enhanced by the cheese.  There was so much going on (in a good way) that the bacon seemed like an afterthought.  Let me say that any time slices of bacon are not the most flavorful things on a sandwich, that sandwich has got to have full tilt taste. The only disadvantage of Tina's burger was that the bun disintegrated before the whole burger was consumed.

"Totally scrumptious," Tina termed it. It was so good that I think it's worth another picture:IMG_4662

Unlike my french fries, the onion rings Tina ordered were just about perfect.  Clearly homemade, each crunchy ring had a sweet onion center.

Betsy's cheesesteak ($?) was also pretty darn good. She loved it.  The beef was full of flavor, like good carne asada steak, the roll well grilled, and the cheese, onions, and peppers added tastes and textures:

IMG_4668 

And then it arrived, the 3 pound burger ($21 — free if you can eat it all in 20 minutes):IMG_4672
The genormous burger was loaded with lettuce, tomato, cheese, grilled red onions, pickle relish, and two 1 1/2 lb patties.  For some strange reason, Chip had asked the mayo sauce be replaced with mustard.  This close-up shows the wonderful grill marks that marked each patty with flavor:
IMG_4676 
We cut the giant burger into four wedges, letting us all see a cross-section of this flavorful concoction:
IMG_4678 
A quarter section of this giant burger was still a handful — actually two hands full:IMG_4679

It is rare for a restaurant, whether it be a posh fine dining establishment or a taco stand, to exceed my wildest expectations.  After all, when it comes to food, I have some very wild expectations.  Jersey's is everything it promises and more. 

However, it should come with two important warnings.

After lunch, I had work to do. All afternoon I struggled to keep my eyes open and my mind on what I was reading.  When I got together with Tina that evening, I was complaining about nodding off, and she looked at me and said, "you think you had problems.  I lay down for a second – and woke up three hours later."

First warning:  May Cause Drowsiness!

Second warning:  Could Be Habit Forming! 

Consider yourselves warned.

Jersey's, on the access road parallel to Fortuna between Walgreens and the Fry's Shopping Center, Yuma Foothills, (928) 920-6476.   

Burger Week 2011- Anny’s Fine Burger, Santee

Welcome back to mmm-yoso!!! This is one of Cathy's contributions to the heck with your New Year Resolution Burger Week 2011.135

At the Trolley Station in Santee (end of the Green Line) we have a Starbucks, Einstein's, Quiznos, Panda [something] and now, Anny's Fine Burger. It used to be VGood137
and the cook/owner is the same, as is the CalTrans Orange paint on the walls. (Really. Click onto the link for the VGood post)144
The menu, however has taken over one wall…It's right there as you walk in; you can't miss it. All the main items offered are served in a burger form. Hot dogs, chili and sides are also on the menu.

Anny's Fine Burger makes Burgers. Burgers of angus beef. 1/2 pound burgers. (But you can substitute chicken, turkey or veggie burgers). All are char broiled. All the sauces are home made. 143

I'll start out showing you The Mister's Pastrami Burger ($5.99), since it comes with cheese and the pastrami topping can be removed and eaten separately… Baked pastrami, not fatty, but nicely smokey flavored, piled on a hand formed, half pound burger cooked medium rare. Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato pickle and a smokey, house made teriyaki sauce topped it off. The bun is more of a Kaiser roll, fresh and toasted. Toasted in butter. The burger is very flavorful and juicy-but not so juicy as to ruin the bottom bun. Char broiled. Just enough char flavor without being overpowering. 141
Since, like Kirk, I also like the taste of a pure burger, here is my usual order – the Basic Combo. (#1 on the menu-$4.99) ($5.50 as the combo) the half pound burger (no cheese). Lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion and a house made thousand island. The Combo comes with plain fries and a beverage. I like the simplicity and ability to taste the basic ingredients. Everything is fresh-and good. The burger meat has some seasoning which brings out the meaty flavor. The meat is coarse ground and a texture I enjoy. As with all the burgers here, the char broiling imparts just a bit of smoke flavor.

001

The fries are cut here from fresh potatoes and double fried. Pretty darn good and crispy. Above is a side order of sweet potato fries ($3.99). Cut from fresh sweet potatoes. Quite a large order. Good flavor, proper frying technique. I do appreciate proper frying.

007

Just for fun, here are some other choices from the menu. #10, The Blue Cheese burger ($5.99). Crumbled blue cheese as well as a house made blue cheese dressing. Again, excellent beef flavor. Cooked medium rare. Juicy and flavorful. They used a mold to form the burgers on this visit. The beef is not frozen and tastes good on its own.

006

#23. The Sand Dune Burger ($6.50). There are beer battered onion rings on the menu, but this burger comes with onion strings, which I like and can't get any other way. This burger also has bacon, cheddar, lettuce and tomato as well as a smokey teriyaki sauce. It is a nice melding of flavors and texture. (This presentation was about 6 inches high)

I like the coarse grind of fresh meat used for the burgers here. I haven't tried any chicken, turkey or veggie patties because when I get here, I am usually craving a 1/2 lb of beef. The sauces all made here- including lemon mayo, spicy mayo, sun dried tomato mayo, garlic mayo, ranch, bbq, honey mustard..in addition to the thousand and teriyaki are made from scratch and are very good. The fresh Kaiser buns are toasted and brushed with butter always; the optional whole wheat bun is very good also. Anny's is a really good choice for burgers.

Anny's Fine Burger 9862 Mission Gorge Road Santee CA 92071 (right at the Trolley station, near the Starbucks)(619) 258-8288 Mon-Sat 11:00-9:00, Sun 12:00-8:00

It’s Burger Week: Five Guys times two…….

While driving to work this past week, I recall hearing that by February, 50% of those New Year's resolutions have fallen by the wayside. So I thought it was time for our Fourth Burger Week. I had my doubts at first because it seems that we've covered a good bit of ground. From iconic burgers served at places like Rocky's, Hodad's, and Nessy, to "pub burgers" at joints like The Waterfront, to newer places like Burger Lounge and The Counter, I wasn't sure I had it in me. But after trading emails with Cathy and Ed from Yuma, I realized that there's always another burger somewhere down the street.

A couple of months back, Five Guys Burgers opened up in San Diego…… part of a West Coast expansion of an East Coast favorite. This prompted a whole slew of Five Guys versus In N Out posts and articles. Some of my favorite Food Bloggers like The Catty Critic and Passionate Eater weighed in on the debate.

Thus I put a visit to Five Guys on my "list"………. then my trip to Madison and Chicago came up. An acquaintance of mine who had tried the San Diego location of Five Guys told me that for some reason, in his opinion, the burgers at Five Guys in the Midwest and back East taste better. He told me to check out one of their location in Chicago if I had the chance. And I did indeed have a chance, as I came across a Five Guys in Mount Prospect on my last morning in Chicago.

FiveGuys01 

Even though I arrived right at opening time, there was already a short line. It gave me time to check out the decor, all of the declarations of the greatness of Five Guys plastered on the walls, the large sacks of potatoes, the peanuts for eating while you wait……

FiveGuys02 

FiveGuys03The menu, much like In-N-Out's is deceivingly simple; Four burgers, four "little burgers", hot dogs, two sandwiches, and two style of fries. The gimmick here is that you have the choice of up to sixteen free "toppings", everything from Ketchup to A1 Steak Sauce.

Those folks that know, realize that I like a pretty unadorned burger, just the typical veggies and maybe some mustard. Which is how I ordered mine. It all came wrapped in foiled lined paper. It's good that I was eating this here, as a burger would keep on steaming inside this wrapper had I waited too long….

FiveGuys04 

I liked the look of the burger, the sesame bun was nice until it started falling apart. This was a fairly hefty burger, but I thought it over-priced at five bucks($4.99 actually)…… though I guess you could make up that difference if you got everything but the kitchen sink on it.

FiveGuys05 

FiveGuys13The meat itself wasn't seasoned, lacked any beefiness, and was on the "mealy" side. No wonder President Obama needed to order his burger with Jalapeno.

Five Guys Burgers
118 East Kensington Rd
Mount Prospect, IL 60056

This didn't turn out to be the burger I had expected. But I decided to check out the Liberty Station location in Point Loma, just to see if there was any difference. I arrived on a Sunday evening, and the place was packed.

FiveGuys06 

FiveGuys07 

Because I wanted to be boring consistent, I ordered the same thing as I did in Chicago. I even managed to score an open table. This is what my burger looked like when unwrapped….

FiveGuys08 

What a mess……. that bottom half of the butt was pretty much a goner, just minutes after making.

FiveGuys10 

FiveGuys09

 At least the burger here had a bit more char to it, and was more moist than the version I had in Chicago. I still think the meat has a kind of mealy texture, and is under-seasoned. The meat here cannot stand alone, The packaging left much to be desired as well.

 Five Guys Burgers and Fries
2445 Truxton Rd
San Diego, CA 92106

So what about the Five Guys versus In-N-Out thing…… being that Five Guys' burger is larger, it's hard to compare. But I will say this about the burger…… For the price of one burger from Five Guys ($4.99)….. I got this at I-N-O:

01042011 003 

Smaller, but dressed in a similar manner – two double meats, mustard instead. I enjoyed In-N-Out much more as well…..

FiveGuys11 There is one thing at Five Guys that I enjoy much more than at In-N-Out…… it's the fries. I've never developed a taste for the fries at In-N-Out…….yeah they're "natural" style fries; but just about every other place I have that type of fries have been head and shoulders above In-N-Out.
 

Saturday Stuffs: Honey Pig is now Old Village and Silver Ark is gone(or has been for quite a while), and would you hold it against me if I ordered a Ma-ka-ka Burrito?

Honey Pig is gone:

Man that was quick. I first heard about it from "YY", and saw that a new business had quickly moved in. It's now a place called Old Village… and the sign says "Korea's best Chef in twenty years!"

01312011 002 

It makes me wonder what the saturation point is for Korean Tofu Houses…. well, I guess it's much higher than the saturation point for Korean BBQ's, huh?

Silver Ark has been gone for a while:

A couple of days ago, the Missus asked if we needed to do a revisit of Silver Ark after our last not so good visit. I told Her that Silver Ark has been gone for a while, and is now a Thai Restaurant. I then displayed photographic evidence. Which made Her ask me why I hadn't mentioned anything…..

11272010 040 
She had a good point…… so here's a mention several months after I actually took a photo of what was Silver Ark and is now Siam Nara. I've heard that they are associated with Amarin. Anybody been there yet?

And finally…….

I've been waiting months trying to figure out when to do this post. And have come to the conclusion that there really wouldn't be a perfect time. It involves Vallarta Express on Genesee, a place Cathy has posted on. I really don't eat too much taco shop fare anymore, perhaps I'm still suffering from post tramatic shock from Howie's "Battle of the 'berto's", but I just have kinda stopped eating Carne Asada and California Burritos. But to paraphrase a much more interesting man then me, "I rarely eat Carne Asada Burritos, but when I do, I prefer Vallarta Express." Well kinda…… for some reason, when the carne asada is on it's quite good, I think they use soy sauce……but I've had my share of clunkers as well. The last time I stopped in at Vallarta Express was back in October. I was tired, on my way back home from a long day at work, and a trip to Henry's, and I just decided to grab a California Burrito….. I hadn't had one in a while. I even took a photo of Vallarta Express….which I think came out pretty peachy-keen and neato-rooney….

10232010 002 

It almost says….. "aaaah Vallarta Express at sunset", huh? But on this day, the food was really secondary…and knowing me, what I eat rarely takes a back seat. I was in the drive thru, behind a Lexus SUV. The woman sticks her head out and orders a "Cho-rye-zo burrito". The disembodied voice blares from the speaker "so that will be a chorizo burrito?" The woman, using her best "outside voice" says "ummmm yes, and one more thing, can I get a ma-ka-ka burrito?" I'm laughing so hard I almost take my foot of the brake. The Lexus doesn't move, mainly because not an utterance comes out of the little speaker box. Perhaps they're searching for some "ka-ka"? Having worked in restaurants and fast-food, I can only imagine what is currently going on in that little shack…… Yes, one could only imagine……

The woman finally moved forward, puzzled look on her face and eventually made her way out of the drive-thru….. I hope she got her "ma-ka-ka", or reasonable facsimle.

In comparison, my CAB…. that's a California Burrito, not you CAB was totally anti-climatic.

10232010 004 

OK, so I "set-up" the burrito by taking my photo of it leaning up against a container of brown rice…. perhaps it's a Jungian duality statement….. but maybe I just needed to lean my burrito against something.

This wasn't the best burrito I've had from Vallarta….too much sour cream in this one.

10232010 005 

10232010 007But just having that moment was, at least to me, worth $5.25………

Have you ever had one of those moments?

Vallarta Express
4277 Genessee Ave.
San Diego, CA 92117

Open for "Ma-ka-ka and Cho-rye-zo" 24 hours a day.

Roadtrip: Earthen Restaurant – Hacienda Heights (Los Angeles)

Over the last couple of years, we've tried to grab a meal at Earthen Restaurant in Hacienda Heights, but never seemed to have much luck, and had usually ended up somewhere else. The Missus just didn't think that much of the menu, and was sure we could get better Dan Bing and Jiaozi elsewhere, so why wait in line? Still, having read posts on Earthen by Elmo and Pam, I knew I just had to make it there someday. And on this weekend before Chinese New Year, we were in luck.

Earthen01 

We're very familiar with the strip mall where Earthen is located. We used to shop at the Long's Drug store that used occupy a large part of the mall.

Half of the problem was that Earthen opens at 1115, not 1100, or 1130……. so we had to adjust our schedule. We arrived at 11am, and were the second set of customers in the door.

Earthen02 

There were just two items I was really interested in. One of them is the Shandong Chicken. A room temperature roasted chicken topped with a nice sauce…..slightly sweet, assertive but refreshing vinegar tones highlight this chicken.

Earthen04 

Earthen03While not quite in the class of Dazhou Pa Ji or Dao Ko Shao Ji, the famous roasted chickens of Shandong province, this was quite good. And since we saw a plate of this on every table (we actually checked), this is obviously the restaurant's signature dish. I'd gladly have this again.

We also ordered Dan Bing…… here they are thin and slightly crisp.

Earthen05 

These are good piping hot; but get really greasy as they get cold.

The Missus decided to order some Jiaozi. We started with the Shrimp and Chive, one of my favorites.

Earthen06 

Earthen07The filling had nice pieces of flavorful shrimp in them, if a bit on the mild side. The wrappers were decent…. they looked pillowy, but were a nit too tough for my tastes.

When the Jiaozi arrived, something interesting happened. The Missus noticed that there was only white vinegar on the table. And worse, we weren't provided with bowls for our dumplings. Very un-Shandong-like.  We noticed that the service here was a bit better than many of these types of restaurants….. and when the Missus asked for bowls, the woman smiled and asked Her if She wanted black vinegar as well. Both arrived post haste.

We also ordered some Pork Jiaozi.

Earthen08 

The wrappers on these were better than the shrimp Jiaozi; pillowy with a bit of pull. The filling wasn't that great. Some folks may enjoy fillings heavy on the meat, like these. However, there wasn't anything to cut the rich pork, which was also on the hard side. Some celery, cabbage, or something similar would have been a welcome addition.

In the end, we thought the service here was good. Unlike many of the restaurants in the SGV this place is well staffed. The chicken is quite good and the Dan Bing was good, As for the Jiaozi, I guess if we were still living here, we'd have them every so often. But when you drive a hundred miles, you really don't mind driving a bit farther for something better.

Earthen Restaurant
1639 S. Asuza Ave.
Hacienda Heights, CA 91745

Postscript: We're always curious to see how businesses that we remember are doing. Back in the mid-nineties, before the Missus met me, this was a regular stop for Her.

01152011 005 

And while I hold no nostalgic memories of this place; I was happy to know that one of the Missus's very old favorites was still around…….

We interrupt my posts with an important word from the Missus…….

After a hiatus of over fours years, the Missus has decided it was time for another post….. so here goes…..

This is a post for my husband on his birthday, Kirk, the man behind the blog…
 
Those of you that read the blog from the beginning know that I only posted once  and it is a postVacation 2010 03 536  about my childhood experience in China. Needless to say, I only post what is precious and dear to my heart. 
  
First of all, I want to thank you for being my best friend. The most prominent moment was when we sitting by the shores of Mekong river after the walking tour of Vientiane designed by the "Lonely Planet" ( on this note, I appreciate you put up with my gruelling schedule during our travel. IVacation 2010 D60 01 050  know it is not easy to follow the city tour and end up eating at the crappy Vietnamese sandwich in near 100 degree humidity air in Laos, or landing in china at 10pm the night before and then hike the 10k Great wall the next day) all tired and drained, watching the river rolling by and the sun setting in the hazy southeast Asia sky. Sitting on the mat trying hard to get comfortableVacation2008ThaiLaos 253  and drinking our first Beer Lao, the air filled with the smell of trash burning and falling in love with Laos. That is the moment I know that you are truly my best friend. Of course it is also about every day when I get back home from work, regardless of the time, I want to wake you up and tell you all about my day and you always listen patiently. I don't know how you do it but I dare you ever do that to me…

Vacation2008ThaiLaos 258 

 
Second of all, I want to thank you for being so adventurous and together we enjoyed what differentPhoXpress07  cultures have to offer, through food and travel. I'm always  surprised and a little sad to hear that my friends have never had Peking duck or pho or dim sum or truffle oil on fries. We may not like everything we ate but we always give it a honest try. We meet so many wonderful people and through foods we understand the culture and the people just a little more… It also makes me realize that we are more alike than different. Yes, we may speak different a language and use different utensils but at the end, love always come through the foods they make. Food is life, love food, love life… and  I hope I am becoming a better person because of this. I learned compassion and tolerance through the years and start to see life through a entirely different angle.

Peru2 095 

 
Last but not least, I want to thank you for being a great dad to our boyz and grD6003202009 004 eat son-in-law for my  parents and cousin and nephew for my family. We have no regrets with my boys. They may have been born in puppy mills but we give them the best life we know how to offer to them. And I know if they can talk they would definitely say to you " I love you daddy." My parents love you and you are deemed the golden standard son-in-law by my aunts. Even though the only chinese you know how10232010 023  to say is "let's eat, thank you, and I'm so full I'm going to die", they love you cause you love and appreciated the foods they made and they made everything with love… The kind of love that come through multiple generations cause cooking is passed from generation to generation. When my aunt made the Sausage it is like my grandma making it for you just like she made for us years ago.

Vacation 2010 01 535 

09132010 004
Those of you that read this far, make no mistake of thinking our life is perfect. There are ups and downs just like everyone else. But as a whole, I would marry you all over again. Thanks again for everything.
 
Happy Birthday.

Guatemala-Honduras01 1046 

Suzhou: The Humble Administrator’s Garden and the best pot of tea I’ve ever had.

*** My apologies, this is one of those really long posts, and there's not much food in this one.  You may want to return tomorrow for more food!

After our we started walking to our first "destination". Suzhou is well known for their wonderful gardens, most were built during the Ming and Qing dynasties by retired scholar and business men. The largest garden in Suzhou is called the Humble Administrator's Garden, spanning thirteen acres it is anything but humble. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Sight, meandering on zig zag bridges and trails over and around water. I'm going to stop now, and just do pictures…… I could never do this place justice in one short post…….

Vacation 2010 02 429 

Vacation 2010 02 426 

Taking a close look, you soon realize that every space within the garden was carefully designed. I find the idea of creating a calculated aesthetic to match the randomness of nature somewhat fascinating.

Vacation 2010 02 449 

I loved all the windows……

Vacation 2010 02 419 

Vacation 2010 02 533 

Vacation 2010 02 571 

And for some reason, I could just sit and look out the moon gates…….

Vacation 2010 02 453 

All of which seem to frame it's very own living portrait………

Vacation 2010 D60 02 063 

There are many pavilions along the way…..where you can soak in the garden view….or check your map to figure out where you were.

Vacation 2010 02 473 

There are many buildings along the way, such as the "Hall of Distant Fragrance":

Vacation 2010 02 530 

And the "Hall of Elegance":

Vacation 2010 02 532 

But we found the tiny nooks and crannies like this quaint "couples retreat" most charming……

Vacation 2010 02 513 

Vacation 2010 02 496Another feature of the gardens are the large natural stones that represent different scenes.

It can be a bit overwhelming at times, and don't let the seemingly tranquil photos fool you. There are some pretty large crowds in the garden.

 Vacation 2010 D60 02 041

Vacation 2010 D60 02 061 

Yet, there are always those moments….. like this one, where I looked up at the ceiling of the "Listening to the Sound of Rain Pavilion".

Vacation 2010 02 535 

I could almost hear the "sighing of the autumn rain" giving "great pleasure to all those who have noble sentiments".

Vacation 2010 02 437 

Connected to the garden is the Suzhou Museum, designed by I.M. Pei, who drew much of his architectural inspiration from the gardens of Suzhou. For us, it was way too sleek and modern, but it also housed what was probably the cleanest public bathrooms we came across in China!

Also attached to the garden and museum is Prince Zhong House – Zhong Wang Fu. This was the orginal location of the Suzhou Museum.

Vacation 2010 02 547 

Vacation 2010 02 551 
Within the complex is a restored classic Chinese Opera stage.

Vacation 2010 02 553 

Vacation 2010 02 557 

Exiting the garden and museum, the Missus decided that "garden fatigue" hadn't set in, so why not try for another one. We headed off on foot, looking for the Couple's Garden….which took some looking for. We wandered past tiny streets that reminded us of the "hutongs" in Beijing, which turned into vast lots where the ever present modernization of China was taking place. We worked hard to find the garden……

We did find this well, though……

Vacation 2010 02 563 
Which apparently is of some significance.

Vacation 2010 02 562 
After going around in circles, the Missus asked for directions and we found the Couple's Garden. It was down a small side street.

Vacation 2010 02 565 

Vacation 2010 02 566

This garden was built in 1874, and is located at the intersection of canals and surrounded on three sides by them.

This garden was tiny, quiet, and serene.

Vacation 2010 02 569 

Vacation 2010 02 570 
After about twenty minutes or so, we hit the wall. It was time for a break, and we headed out on foot, back to Guan Qian  Jie.

We enjoyed walking down the residential back streets of Suzhou…….

Vacation 2010 02 564 

Vacation 2010 02 593 

Vacation 2010 02 595Walking down one of the streets, we passed this building which really stood out.

It turned out to be a museum of Kunqu Opera, a form of Chinese Opera dating back to the 16th century. Having traveled quite a bit, even though we were tempted, we knew when to say when, and decided to take a pass on this one.

Vacation 2010 02 596 

Vacation 2010 02 598 

After a short while, we finally made it to the street that paralleled a canal on the other side of Renmin Lu.

Vacation 2010 02 601 

Crossing the canal and Renmin Lu…. we were back within the hustle and bustle of Guan Qian Jie. The Missus decided to pick up some snacks….. and in spite of the heat and humidity, determined that we needed some tea, and found a tea house on the second floor of a tea shop right across the Xuanmiao Temple.

Vacation 2010 02 734 

The Missus went over the list of teas, and decided we should have the Ti Kuan Yin. When I saw the price…. 70 Yuan, over ten bucks for tea! I refused….. but the Missus insisted, and eventually I gave in. And I gotta say; this was the most fragrant, wonderfully flavored tea I've ever had. Nothing before, nor since (I've had tons of tea from China) has even come close.

Vacation 2010 02 607 

Vacation 2010 02 614 

While the Missus had Her snacks……

Vacation 2010 02 604 

Vacation 2010 02 605 

I just kept pouring myself cup after cup of tea….which lasted a good long time, we went through a whole large thermos of hot water, and watched the crowds below.

Vacation 2010 02 609 

Vacation 2010 02 610 

This was just one of those perfect moments…….

Vacation 2010 02 612 

And where I started learning the wonders of having tea…. something that I've kept up since returning home.

Vacation 2010 02 611 

In our travels, there always seems to be that perfect moment, whether it's having dinner on the shores of the Mekong, drinking Chicha de Jora in a tiny dirt floored shack in Calca, or having a meal and drinks at Can Cau Market…. it's those moments that stay with us.

Thanks so much for hanging in there and reading!

Noodling Around: Santouka, Yakyudori, Izakaya Sakura, Gunco, and a special gift from Dennis.

Here are a couple of bowls of ramen from (fairly) recent visits…. plus what was a nice little bonus (for me) at the end. Since I've posted on most of these places before, I'll keep the verbiage to a minimum.

Santouka:

Still our favorite. The Missus likes the Miso Ramen, which I feel is much too salty. I stick with the Shio Ramen.

SantuokaAgain01 

And as I mentioned in a previous postit has to be "toroniku", with the special fatty pork on the side.

SantuokaAgain02 

The pork is wonderful with just a quick dip….steep it in the broth and it'll fall to pieces. This has become comfort food for the Missus, the rich pork bone based shiro seems to fix the Missus right up when She's feeling a bit under the weather. At close to ten bucks, it ain't cheap, and it's not everyday ramen….. but it sure fixes us up!

Santouka Ramen
4240 Kearny Mesa Rd(In the Mitsuwa Marketplace)
San Diego, CA 92111

Yakyudori Ramen and Yakitori:

I'm not sure if others have noticed this; but having been here six or seven times, I've found the ramen to be better when Nabe-san is in the house. My three previous visits had been a bit disappointing, but this bowl of Shio Ramen made up for it all.

YakyudoriShio01 

YakyudoriShio02The broth was nice and savory. I've been told that Yakyudori uses a special salt for this brought in from Japan. I'm not sure about that, but this was delicious. Just rich enough, the noodles done perfect for my taste; firm, but not hard. The one item that has always been perfect on my visits is the boiled egg. The chashu was tender, not too rich, but good overall. As I finished my bowl, I let out the "aaaah" of satisfaction.

Yakyudori Ramen and Yakitori
4898 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111 

Izakaya Sakura:

Izakaya might be one of my favorites, a long time fixture on our rotation. I don't think I'll be standing in line for the Shio Ramen here however.

SakuraRamen01 

The noodles were a tad over-cooked for my tastes….which could be remedied by ordering it more firm. The broth however, was pretty mediocre……. I recall Dennis mentiong how thick the broth was here. I guess they've gone in the opposite direction…. this was waaaay "assari" (thin) and plain salty. It seems that you'll be playing ramen roulette here due to the inconsistency……

Izakaya Sakura
3904 Convoy St #121
San Diego, CA 92111

Gunco:

Speaking of my buddy Dennis; we recently had a bite, or should I say bites in Chula Vista. we started with fish tacos from Mariscos El Pescador, followed by a visit to Hogetsu, ending with some ramen from Gunco. I've never really had great luck with the ramen from Gunco. But this time, the Shio Ramen I had was not bad…. perhaps Dennis has some major ramen "ju-ju" going on.

GuncoAgain01 

The broth was a bit low on the "richness" scale for me, but the shiro was pretty good, if a bit too heavy handed with regards to ginger. The noodles were cooked perfectly. The chashu is still too tough and dry, though. I'm finding that the ramen here seems to get better on every visit…..

Gunco Ramen
305 Palomar St
Chula Vista, CA 91911

01232011 053 

Speaking of ramen…. and the always generous Dennis. Having just returned from Okinawa and Japan (please check out his posts). Dennis had a gift for me. Being the ramen-maniac that he is is Mr Radiused Corner made sure to check out the Ramen Museum.

01232011 054

And ever thoughtful, Dennis had a box of various ramen from the museum for me!

It has been pretty cool in the evenings recently, so the Missus and I decided to do a sampling of the ramen.

I'm including notes Dennis gave me along with our observations about the various ramen….so here goes. From the top to the bottom. 

Box 1 – Komurasaki:

 According to Dennis: "I heard kumamoto style tonkotsu is usually on the lighter side compared to Hakata (cousins). As for slangs for firmness in these thinner straight noodles there's Barikata which many people get and even Harigane ("steel wire") which is firmer still. The firmest would simply be to ask for Nama (raw) where the noodles swim in the boiling water for a mere 15 seconds or so. Again these terminology for noodle firmness only applies to the Fukuoka/Hakata/Kumamoto tonkotsu ramen."

Koumurasak02 

Koumurasak03 

This was light alright…….. the broth was a wonderful shade of pale, but we found this bland. I only cooked the thin Hakata style noodles for only 45 seconds, and that was still too much as it really got mushy quickly.

Box 2 – Harukiya

From Dennis: "one of my favorite shoyu ramen. very old school with a good dose of dried fish. I think they're one of the permanent fixtures in the raumen museum (most shops rotate). It was too fishy for my gringo friend I took with but I personally wish more places made shoyu's like it."

Harukiya01 
Check out the fat content in that package!

Man that broth smelled really strong, like I was boiling a pot of anchovies! At first taste, the broth had a good fishy punch. But a funny thing happened along the was….. the more we sipped, the more we enjoyed. This one grew on us.

Harukiya02 
I gave the noodles a three minute cooking and it was perhaps a bit longer than needed.

Box 3 – Ideshoten

Per Dennis: " I believe it's technically a tonkotsu-shoyu. It wasn't my favorite of the day (tried it there) but has a lot of character. remember loving the noodles."

This one came with a little bag of dried green onions.

Ideshota01 

More shoyu to my tastes, I'm not a fan of the noodles which are not as firm as I enjoy.

Ideshota02 

A nice middle of the road ramen.

Box 4 – Sumire

Dennis says: " Intensely miso. They came to mitsuwa's fairs a few times. might be a bit salty for some and I think I already warned you about the amount of fat."

This was my favorite of the bunch (the Missus preferred the Harukiya).

Sumire01 

Sumire02 

Loved the menma….. best noodles of the bunch as well, they held up well.

Sumire04 
As a whole, I'm not a big fan of miso ramen, but I loved the flavors and the richness of the broth. I guess I'm going the next time Sumire is at Mitsuwa!Sumire03

 I need to thank Dennis again for giving the Missus and I our own little ramen adventure! Yoso-generous!

Thanks so much Dennis!

There are times….

When I feel so blessed……. Recently, I was invited to a home of some good friends for a combined birthday, Tet meal…. and I do mean a meal. My good friends; Peter and JohnL's Mom, a fantastic cook invited me over for a wonderful feast…..

Not much more to say, other than feast your eyes…. everything was home made… from the sausages:

01292011 008 

To all the pickles…

 01292011 007

 01292011 004

I can only say…. "man this was soooo good…."

01292011 012 

01292011 015 

01292011 017 

01292011 020 

01292011 024 

From a tiny kitchen in a cottage off a side street in Clairemont, such wonderful dishes arrived……

01292011 022 

 01292011 026

01292011 029 

And then, when all the guys settled in for the usual "games of chance"…….

01292011 044 

And liquid refreshment…..

01292011 051 

There was even more…….

01292011 032 

01292011 033 

All of it home made……

01292011 037 

Ever had twenty year old Nuoc Mam? The flavor is so deep……

01292011 034 

01292011 027 

01292011 039 

There are times when I imagine how life is for other folks…. on this night, I felt so lucky to be me; and to be surrounded by my friends who I treasure so…… life would not be the same without them!

Mission Gorge Cafe-Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner: Greek, American, Mexican

 

Mission Gorge Cafe has closed.

Welcome (back) to mmm-yoso!!!, the food blog.  A written record of food eaten, prepared and enjoyed by some friends.  Kirk and ed (from Yuma) aren't writing any records today.  Cathy is writing and recording. 

021

 

Hi.  A few weeks ago (as you can see by the rain soaked parking lot in this photo), The Mister and I were out and about and saw that Taste of India had changed ownership.  In fact, it seems the the people who had worked here before it became Taste of India were back.  (It used to be Frank's Happy Chef, which I hadn't posted on despite eating there a lot…).  This location is on Mission Gorge, very close and between to the two Kaiser Hospitals, in the same mall as Souplantation.

010 
The interior tables, chairs, and other inventory is the same (although the walls are no longer painted to match the fuchsia pink of the chairs). As always, a fresh rose on every table…

013

The Mister ordered the "Mighty Swiss Alps" fritatta ($7.95) Eggs, mixed with ham, mushrooms, Swiss cheese, tomatoes baked in the pan and topped with sour cream (sort of looks like snow on Swiss alps…) and chives.  It was a really good blend of flavors, served with the country fried potatoes (nice and crisp) and the English muffin.

017

I wanted something more "Greek" and since it was still breakfast time, I ordered the gyros omelette (7.95). Gyros meat and tomatoes mixed with the egg and topped with Feta cheese and served with the tomatoes, lettuce, more Feta, tzatziki sauce and pita bread.  Excellent flavors, satisfying my cravings. 

016 

A few days later, we were again in the area at lunch time and The Mister ordered the chicken and gyros Greek salad ($9.45).  More than enough for two, served with hot pita bread…

The Greek salad was made of mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers,onions, olives, Feta Cheese and a home made Greek dressing which did not overwhelm the flavors of anything.  The gyros and chicken were fresh grilled, still warm and very complimentary.
011

A few days later we were again back in the area and it was lunchtime.   Something Mexican was in order, and since it was still raining, a bowl of the tortilla soup sounded good. ($3.45).  An excellent portion, filled with chicken and vegetables and very definitely home made.   The vegetables (carrots, celery, onions, potatoes and rice) were plentiful and chopped in random shapes.  The chicken had flavor on its own and the tortilla strips were fresh made and crispy.
020

017

I decided to try the 1/2 pound gyro burger ($6.95) and pulled out the gyros meat for this photo. The addition of hand breaded onion rings was $2.95 and worth it. Excellent frying technique.

The burger is a 1/2 lb steak burger ($5.95)and was char grilled ( we were not asked how we wanted it grilled, but it was just right).  Good flavor, moist and went well with the soft sesame roll, topped with standard burger toppings.  The amount of gyros was significant (only $1 more than the 1/2 lb steak burger) and the tzatziki sauce went with everything-together or eaten on the side).

I'm very happy Mission Gorge Cafe is here.  I guess I could say it's back…it has the same owners as Miramar Cafe ,who started their business when Frank's closed.  Both places are good. 

 
Mission Gorge Cafe 6171 Mission Gorge Road San Diego 92120 (619)283-2887 Mon-Sat 7 am-9pm, Sun 7 am-8 pm