mmm-yoso – Page 446 – 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.

Chiang Mai: Doi Suthep

March 6, 2010 mmm-yoso Chiang Mai, Thai Restaurants, Thailand, Travel

On our third day in Chiang Mai, the Missus decided that She wanted to visit Doi Suthep, located about 15 kilometeres from Chiang Mai. So how to get there???? Well, you just flag down a "sawngthaew" one of the innumerable red trucks plying the streets. Bargain, and get on your way…..

We arrived at the 309 steps up to Wat Doi Suthep….. and it seemed like everyone else in Chiang Mai decided to visit as well.

There's quite a bit to see, more than I could possibly cover in a post.

Lest you think just tourists come to Wat Doi Suthep, you'd be mistaken, as there seemed to be many who came to worship.

We spent a nice morning wandering the grounds.

We could only imagine how beautiful the view would be on a clear day.

Walking around sure stirred up my appetite….. so we had the sawngthaew drop us off across the Three Kings Monument, and went lookng for something to eat. I noticed a Khao Soi shop on the corner. I'd already tried Khao Soi twice, and was relatively unimpressed. This place looks busy, so I decided to give it another try. The Missus had already decided that Khao Soi wasn't Her thing, and stuck with just a soda.

I don't know if it's the fried noodles that is rather powdery and could have come from a can. Or if it is the watered down curry flavor that can't be rescued by lime, shallots, or even the only item I enjoy, the pickled vegetable. It could be that I didn't have a good version of this dish. But I really didn't care for the three versions Khao Soi I tried….. maybe next time….

As we walked down the street, we noticed another shop full of people. It looked like satay was the specialty here.

A woman walked down the aisles taking orders. As she took orders she'd bark them out, and the orders would hit the table.

Then things stopped…… the woman announced something, and half the people got up and left! The woman told us that they had run out of chicken, and only had pork left. I guess this place made a mean satay chicken. We decided to stay……

And indeed the pork was fine, but nothing to write home about.

I thought it was strange that each of us got two servings of rice. One on a plate, and the other in a bowl.

No matter, the rice had been cooked in chicken stock, and I would have been happy with just the rice alone.

Even better then the rice was the bowl of chicken broth, rich and vibrant with chicken drippings, great oil, with just the right amount of salt, and a touch of ginger to cleanse the palate.

That was worth the price of admission……

Like the rest of Thailand……… food was everywhere…….

Food aside, I found this little pup adorable.

Antigua: Miscellaneous stuff

March 5, 2010 mmm-yoso Guatemala, Guatemalan Food, Markets & Grocers, Travel

I really need to finish up my Guatemala, and for that matter my Thailand posts. After Copan Ruinas we returned to Antigua, to spend our last nights of our trip.

We really loved the colors of Antigua, from the cobblestone streets to the colorfully painted buildings, this is one photogenic town.

After some research I booked our room at the Hotel Casa Florencia. Our usual "M.O." is to book a room for the first night or two and take things from there.

As for how we enjoyed the Casa Florencia…. I ended up booking all our nights on our return trips from Lake Atitlan and Copan Ruinas at the Casa Florencia. The rooms aren't very large, in fact, they are on the small side. Though on our last night, we were given the larger "triple" room on the second floor. I'm guessing that the folks at CF were being nice to us for making the place our base of operations.

What we found most impressive about Casa Florencia, was how clean the place was…..the floor shone and squeaked under our feet. You felt like you could almost eat off that floor.

Hotel Casa Florencia
7a Avenida Norte #100
La Antigua,Guatemala

On many nights, we'd sit on one of the benches outside our room, and have our snack of fried chicken from Pollo Campero, and a cerveza or two. One evening we decided to taste test two of the very popular beers….. Brahva and Gallo.

Brahva is a light lager, very effervescent. Gallo, which is the more popular beer is also a lager, but has a weird "skunkiness" to it, that wasn't very enjoyable. It wasn't just a bad can…. all of them tasted that way. Needless to say, we stuck with Brahva from then on……

On the west edge of Antigua is the market which we only briefly visited. We did spend enough time to take some photos.

If I were to go over all the sights in antigua…. well, I'd have a ton of posts. Instead, here are two of our favorites. On the north side of central Antigua is La Merced, a beautiful church.

And though La Merced is known for what is often called the most impressive fountain in Central America….

And the views from the top of the church…. I found walking the hallways more interesting. The lights and shadows give the place an interesting feel.

La Merced is an interesting way to spend an hour wandering the hallways, checking out the views above, and of course the fountain.

To the Southwest, is one of the oldest churches in Antigua, the Iglesia de San Francisco. Dating back to 1579, the church and the large monastery was destroyed in the great 1773 earthquake.

The church has been rebuilt, but the grounds of the monastery, which once included a library, and even a hospital has not. You can walk and explore the ruins.

And of course, since this is a food blog, I need to include some food. During the evening, you can find vendors outside of La Merced, selling various items that is a good change of pace from all the tourist food.

Where you can get stuff like this….

The Missus always cracked me up when ordering these….. this type of small tamal are called "chuchitos". The term tamale is saved for larger tamals. So the Missus would point and go "tamales…tamales?" And the woman manning the cart would go "no, no, no tamales…. chuchitos!" And the Missus would point again and go, "tamales…." And the woman would go, "no…chuchitos"……. he-he-he….

And of course there was always someone selling tostadas…..

Which always hit the spot……..

Thanks for reading!

Chin’s on Convoy – A first quick look.

March 3, 2010 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Xiao Long Bao

**** This location of Chin's has closed

As I noted previously, we managed to drop by the new Chin's this past weekend for a quick bite. Lucky for me, FOY Candice managed to get word out to me, because just looking at the place, I really couldn't tell they were open.

We arrived at just about 11am, and the place was empty except for one table. I thought the interior was pretty nice, just hitting the edge of tasteful Chinese restaurant decor. The dining area is small, but the tables are spread out pretty well. There is a bar area, with plasma televisions as well.

A very cheerful, and undoubtedly proud young lady sat us, and handed us the menus…. which looked like a combination of the typical ABCDE Chin's menu, along with items on the Miramar Chin's menu. This was interesting since I know there's something going on between the two Chin's. On our last couple of visits to the Miramar location, the folks there seemed to distance themselves from this location, saying they have nothing in common with this Chin's, other than the name…… We were a bit disappointed since after reading the coming soon banners, I had been under the impression that this place would be serving "Chinese breakfast" much like the Miramar Chin's. The young lady informed us that such a menu is in the works, and will be implemented after things in the kitchen gets straightened out, in about a month. Of course, knowing how long it took this place to open, that may be two, or perhaps three months.

We really had wanted maybe a few small dishes, so we stayed the course and ordered just a couple of items. For some reason, the Missus wanted Zha Jiang Mian, which is not my favorite dish in the world. What's even more funny, is that several Korean friends and acquaintances of mine, don't even know that Zha Jiang Mian, or as they know it Ja Jang Myeon is Chinese in origin. I've even been called a liar to my face! Such has this noodle dish been culturally etched in their society.

This version was different from any I've had before. First off was the soy beans, something which I've never experienced. Second, the "meat sauce" lacked the strong savory presence of bean paste. It also wasn't as salty, or greasy as many version I've had were. This was fairly bland, the noodles were decently prepared, the boiled egg was inhaled by the Missus, who dismissed this as "terribly bland".

We also ordered the Five Spiced Beef, one of my favorite dishes at the Miramar Chin's.

On the good side, the beef had a nice texture, neither too soft, nor too tough and sinewy. The flavor really fell short though. There was a serious lack of five spice flavor, and the sauce, instead of being that classic Shanghainese sweet-soy, was watery and tasteless. Too bad, this dish has potential.

The last item we ordered were the Xiao Long Bao. Now Candice had mentioned something interesting to me. I was told that the Chef was the original chef of Mandarin Garden in Mira Mesa. And when the XLB arrived, I was suddenly reminded of Mandarin Garden.

You see, the two times I had XLB at Mandarin Garden, all the "soup" had leaked out of the bao. Guess what….. like Yogi Berra said: "It's like deja vu all over again." In addition to lacking soup, the skins were too thick for me, and the fold on the tops were really tough.

While we were eating, the young lady approached our table, and dropped this off, telling us, "this one is for you, free, so you can try." I'm not sure why we got the dish, whether all the customers that day were getting something free, or maybe it was all the questions, or perhaps she spotted my camera (I've gotten pretty good at being discreet over the years. I've actually had meals with folks who didn't notice I took photos). But we got a plate of Cold Roasted Duck:

And you know what….. this was the best dish of the day! The duck was nothing to write home about, but the sauce was a pot on rendition of the typical sweet-soy reduction typical of these type of cold dishes. The presence of soy was tasted, but the saltiness deferred to the sweetness, which was nicely restrained from sending the dish into "candyland". Now this dish displayed enough for me to return.

Meanwhile, a small army of Servers poured in the door, and the place had become fully staffed. The young women asked all the customers as they were leaving if they wanted to see the room in the back.

The banquet area is about 2/3 the size of the main dining area, and could probably hold up to perhaps 60 or so people. It's a short hallway down from the main dining area, and has two plasma televisions, and the young woman even pointed to a machine and said "Karaoke"……

I'm pretty sure we'll be checking this place out again once they start serving breakfast. The chef at tis Chin's has a good deal of experience so It'll be interesting to see how they match up with Shanghai City down the street.

Chin's
4433 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

It’s So Easy to Gain Weight from the Big Easy!

March 2, 2010 Vicky (SF Bay Area) Cajun, Southern, and Soul Food, San Francisco and Silicon Valley, What Vicky Eats

Hi Everyone! 🙂 It's Vicky again… blogging about my gluttony up here in the Wonderful SF Bay Area. Actually not too wonderful as we're getting another storm pass through.

So my workplace placed us in teams and challenged us to a weight loss challenge.. a "Biggest Loser" or sorts. Before the challenge started, I managed to get one more wonderful delicious brunch in. Being that I LOOOOOOVE Cajun food, we made a trip up to the city to go eat at Brenda's Soul Kitchen. (Keep in mind, this place is in a shady place…. The Tenderloin… and you'll get taunted at as you wait outside for an hour for your table… We've had more than one hobo walk by and go "Man, who would spend 15 bucks on breakfast! You're nuts!" Seriously? I'd spend 15 bucks on my breakfast… especially from Brenda's!

The cafe is a tiny little place; you bump shoulders with everyone around you and you better get there right when they open or an hour before they close at 3PM so that you don't have to wait eons for food. Oh yeah… and out of towners, go on Sunday or have a Handicapped placard cause those meters are sharks!!

We finally settled in and Sam ordered the Andouille Sausage Omelette with a biscuit. I LOVE their biscuits. Flakey… light, buttery, oh so delicious!! It came topped with a smokey cajun-y salsa. Yum!

I ordered their special for that day: Bananas Foster French Toast. OMG it was French Toast heaven… Delicious and completely out of this world… The bananas were tender, well balanced with a hint of rum, and had a wonderful carmelization to them.

Being a Southern cafe, Brenda's also served biegnets. OMG… Biegnets…. Strangely, I hate doughnuts but LOVE biegnets. Something about the chewiness of them just totally appeal to me. Brenda's offers plain, Ghiradelli chocolate filled, cinnamon sugar and apple filled, and spicy Creole Crawfish and Cheddar filled. For those who can't decide, they also make a biegnet flight.. You get one of each!

Brenda

I guess my days of eating Brenda's is now on hold…

Brenda's Soul Food
www.frenchsoulfood.com

652 Polk Street
San Francisco, CA 94102-3328
(415) 345-8100

Com Tam 75

March 1, 2010 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Com Tam 75 has closed

I always appreciate all the recommendations and notifications I receive from all the wonderful FOYs (Friends of Yoso) out there. It sometimes seems that the moment a new place opens, there'll be an email in my inbox awaiting me. Com Tam 75 is no exception. Back in November, I received an email from TammyC letting me know about this new shop. About the same time, I received an email from someone with the handle "ComTamMan" recommending Com Tam 75. Com Tam Man? Hmmm…. The strangest thing was, that even though this place was named Com Tam 75, it wasn't the namesake dish that was recommended. CTM told me to check out the Korean BBQ Ribs, the Teriyaki, and the Philly Cheesesteak! Huh? You know I had to check this place out now…..

Much like Hal Mu Ni, Com Tam 75 used to be an outlet of Rice King, and you can see the remains of the steam table on one side of the restaurant. The interior has been brightened up a bit, the chairs have wheels on them in case you want to channel your inner seven year old. From the various posters, and the channels playing on the television, as well as the application for liquor license notification on the front door, this looks like a sports bar ready to happen.

The menu is humongous, with everything from Banh Mi (including a Philly Cheesesteak Banh Mi), Bo Kho (Beef Stew), Bun Mang Vit, Bun Bo Hue, Chao (rice porridge), and Bun Rieu. It was almost a relief to see no Pho on the menu….. until I looked at the greaseboard.

Yep, there it was Pho, right above the Beef Tamales and Chicken Teriyaki (???).

The young man who waited on me was quiet, but very nice, and waited patiently for me to figure out what to order. I decided that since this was Com Tam 75, not Beef Tamale 75, nor Banh Mi75, that I should go with a Com Tam dish.

I went with the Com Tam Bi Cha Tau Hu Ky ($7.75):

The plate that arrived was a bit on the small side. Let's just use what I got at Com Tam Thuan Kieu for $6.25 as a point of comparison:

Now I realize this is San Diego and all……….. but pictures sometimes speak louder than words. Still, if the items on the plate were top notch, I'd forget about the price. Alas, it was not.

Some of the Com Tam was hard and dry. The Bi (shredded pork) lacked the ground rice powder that adds a wonderful nuttiness, and was just plain bland. The Nuoc Mam Cham (fish sauce dip) was on the watered down side. The Cha (steamed egg) was moist and soft, but had a weird camphor like after taste that I found a bit strange. The Tan Hu Ky (shrimp paste in bean curd skin) was probably the best item on the plate, though it was on the greasy end, and the bean curd skin was more flaky than crisp. This wasn't inedible, but it just wasn't very good.

And yet, the folks here were so nice, and the young man kept refilling my water….. I wanted to find something I'd enjoy on the menu, and I think I saw just the item. A few weeks later, I found myself in the area. It was pretty early, about 830 am or so. Com Tam 75 opens at 8, so I though I'd drop in, and order…….. Spam, Eggs, and Rice ($4.95):

Spam…. how could this go wrong? It didn't, the Spam was sliced thin and fried crisp. There was also five slices of it on the plate, which is probably like getting 6-7 slices of bacon. The rice portion was on the smaller side, but perfect for me as I've been cutting down on my rice intake. The eggs were slightly crisp on the edges, and nice and runny. I placed them on the rice, added a dash of fish sauce…….

So perhaps Com Tam 75 does make a killer Philly Cheesesteak Banh Mi or Buffalo Wings. Maybe the Teriyaki Chicken was kept on the menu to appease all the former Rice King customers…. I've no answer for the Beef Tamales or Tacos though? I think I'll let you tell me if the Korean BBQ Ribs or the Cheesesteak is worth a visit.

Until then……… I'll wait it out.

Com Tam 75
5420 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

As a side note, I do appreciate the efforts of places that attempt to make their food more accessible. I do think the line between accessible and dumbed down is a fine one, and it's usually the latter that is achieved. You don't do any dish a favor by removing its soul……

Gamja Jorim – Korean Spicy Soy Sauce Potatoes

February 28, 2010 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes

The Missus has been requesting these for a while, so today I thought I'd take a shot at making them.

You may not recognize the name, but once you look at them you'll realize that these are the sweet-savory-sometimes spicy potatoes that are delivered to your table as panchan.

This wasn't much of a problem as I had all the ingredients at home….. except for the potatoes. I wanted it a bit spicier than I usually get them so I added red pepper powder and kochujang. Another easy recipe, but quite good.

A couple of notes; the "mulyeot" I use is malt syrup, not colored corn syrup, which is cheaper, but at least to my palate doesn't taste the same. The Kochujang I use usually has glutinous rice powder and soybean in it. There are versions that use other ingredients.

Gamja Jorim:

2 lb russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" – 3/4" cubes, rinsed to remove excess starch.
1 small onion sliced thin
6 cloves garlic sliced thin lengthwise
Red Pepper Powder to taste (optional)
2 Tb Canola Oil
Sesame Oil to taste

The sauce

1/4 Cup light soy sauce
1/4 Cup water
3 Tb Mulyeot (Malt Syrup)
3 Tb granulated sugar
1 Tb Kochujang
3 cloves garlic finely minced

– Mix the ingredients for the sauce, and set aside.
– Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil.
– Add the onions and garlic(and red pepper powder if desired), saute until translucent.
– Add the potatoes and saute.
– When the potatoes start to brown, add the sauce and bring to a boil.
– Turn down the heat to a low simmer, and cover.Stir every 2 minutes or so until the potatoes are cooked through.
– You may add more liquid if necessary.
– When the potatoes are cooked through, remove from heat and add sesame oil to taste, and stir to incorporate.
– Cover and let sit until cool.
– Serve at room temperature or cooler.

It sure was nice to have a sunny day…… and San Diego always looks much better after a good rain has scrubbed the skies. While the Missus wanted to sleep in, I thought I'd take a drive, and ended up at Presidio Park. The Missus and I used to go there regularly when we lived in the Mission Valley area, often packing a nice bento or sandwich lunch. Since we've moved, we haven't been back very often. But on days like today, it sure is a beautiful, and tranquil place.

Across from the park area was the location of Fort Stockton, and the monument to the Mormon Battalion.

Here's the view on one side…..

And even though the Missus decided on sleeping in, I was by no means alone……

It made for a nice little diversion…..

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

Saturday Stuffs: Chin’s on Convoy opens(finally), Toan Ky replaces LV Sandwiches, and the future of Hal Mu Ni

February 27, 2010 mmm-yoso Blog

Just some small bites for this Saturday.

Chin's on Convoy opens (finally):

A few days back FOY Candice sent me a text (I'm good at receiving, but not very good at sending for some reason) letting me know that Chin's on Convoy had finally opened.

When we dropped by this morning, it was evident that this was a "soft opening". We could tell that Chin's was open by the little "open" sign blinking on the parking lot door. I'll be doing a post next week.

I just thought you'd like to know that the official grand opening is scheduled for tomorrow, Sunday, February 28th!

Chin's
4433 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

LV Sandwiches closes, to be replaced by Toan Ky Restaurant:

We thought LV Sandwiches made pretty good Banh Mi, but the shop was always empty. Recently, the Missus called me and told me they were gone. Driving through the parking lot, I noticed that they are being replaced by Toan Ky Restaurant.

Sad…….

6925 Linda Vista Road
San Diego, CA 92111

The future of Hal Mu Ni:

We've been eating at Hal Mu Ni quite often recently. Often enough to be told that Hal Mu Ni will eventually be moving next door and taking the spot that was previously occupied by Kabul Market.

I'm guessing the place will look more like a restaurant, than a converted fast-food joint.

Hal Mu Ni Soon Dubu
4425 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111

I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

La Fachada

February 25, 2010 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops

A couple of Saturdays ago, during the big rainstorm, a couple of good friends and I decided to do a taco crawl. The weather refused to cooperate, howling wind and pouring rain, but I gotta give it up for JohnL and TammyC, they handled the dripping canopies and pouring rain like troopers, and we managed six stops, and about a dozen tacos a piece (including a coupla gobernadors, etc). In need of a stop where we didn't have to suffer through water pouring onto our tacos, and us. I suggested La Fachada. It had been a whilem and I thought after doing the mariscos thing, a coupla street sized tacos would make for a nice change of pace. Of course, the La Fachada I'm mentioning is the trailer parked in the lot of the restaurant.

And they were doing some pretty good business, even on a stormy Saturday……

Each of us went with tres (three) tacos. I selected Birria de Res (spicy braised beef), lengua (tongue), and cabeza (beef head), a buck-sixty each.

Much of it was like I remembered, the tortillas, even though hand made (pressed), tasted mass produced. The birria was on the stringy side, and the chili flavor was a bit muted. The lengua was a bit too waxy. The cabeza was very nice though, moist with an intense gamey-beefy flavor.

One thing that I didn't recall, was how spicy the pickled onions with habanero were…… pretty darn hot! The salsas are tried and true, nothing spectacular, but it met my expectations. Overall, a nice stop. So a couple of weeks later, I was in the area, and decided on a nice breakfast of a couple of tacos.

This time it was (from let to right) carnitas, adobada, and cabeza(again).

The real winner of the bunch was the carnitas, crisp, rich, and full of flavor, it really hit the spot. The adobada was pretty weak and too tough. The cabeza was even "beefier", and perhaps a bit less fatty/greasy.

I really enjoyed the carnitas, and may make it a point to drop by more often then the every coupla years thing I've been doing. Funny thing is, I've never been "in" the restaurant, as I've always eaten at the taco cart, so I can't help you there.

A couple of weeks after our taco crawl, JohnL contacted me…… at the end of the email he wrote "maybe over some tacos LOL I've been taco crazy ever since…." Looks like we'll go for more than a dozen next time?

La Fachada
20 25th St
San Diego, CA 92102

Road Trip: Com Tam Thuan Kieu – Garden Grove (Orange County)

February 23, 2010 mmm-yoso Orange County, Road Trip, Vietnamese Restaurants

A while back I was in the Little Saigon area, and being quite hungry, I was in the mood for a Cơm tấm (broken rice) dish. Almost right across Viendong Restaurant is Com Tam Thuan Kieu, which with over a hundred different combinations of item topping broken rice, you could say, ahem…. specializes in Com Tam.

The restaurant itself is fairly neat, and no frills, reminding me of a more run down Banh Cuon Tay Ho. The service is also no frills, you sit, menu arrives and you order, if you're able to pick out what you want from the huge amount of items. There's a steady stream in and out of the restaurant as all the men seem to need to step out for a smoke before, during, and after a meal. In fact, if you have a problem finding the place, just look for all the men smoking……

Chilies, chili paste, and fish sauce, the standard seasonings are provided. I chuckled when I saw the spoons labeled as "spoon" and the forks as "fork", I would have never known. Want some hot tea? Mine was delivered in a large water glass. The knife was delivered with the Nuoc Mam Cham, which wasn't watered down, like some versions in San Diego.

Like I mentioned before, the menu seems to be an endless list of com tam "combinations"….. it is a classic case "Vietnamese menu overload", if I've ever seen it. There are a couple of gut-busting combinations which run up to nine bucks, and includes everything you can think of. Even the seven item combinations, like what Elmo had is enough for a family of two. I went with my tried and true Com Tam Bi Cha Tan Hu Ky Thit (Broken Rice with shredded pork skin, steamed egg, shrimp paste in bean curd skin and charbroiled pork), which at $6.25 is to me, a bargain.

The charbroiled pork looked tough, but was fairly tender, and the marinade was less sweet than most versions. The Bi was nicely flavored but a bit on the dry side, which the nuoc mam cham easily fixed. The Cha, the steamed egg with pork skin and cloud ear fungus was very good, perhaps a bit on the dry side, but chocked full of earthy flavors. They didn't skimp on the fungus in this version.

The Tan Hu Ky really wasn't my favorite, as I enjoy a nice crisp and light bean curd skin, and this was soggy. The shrimp paste was a bit too "squeaky" for me, but the flavor was good. The com tam was fairly fragrant and moist, and better than just about anything in San Diego.

While eating, I was wondering why my meal didn't come with any broth. Well, just as I was finishing up, a bowl of broth was dealt out on my table…. sigh….. Here's another variation of the "appetizer sin", you know, when your appetizers come at the end of your meal. I guess in this case, the broth was dessert?

Along with marking the forks and spoons, serving my hot tea in a water glass, and my soup arriving when I had just finished my meal, I thought the door to the restroom was kinda, well, odd. It was lined with stainless steel looking more like a walk-in door than one for the restroom. It made me feel like I was going into a "deep freeze".

Speaking of deep freeze, I'd been sitting on these photos for a while, thinking I'd be returning. But it just seems like that won't be happening for a while, so I hope you don't mind a very short post.

Com Tam Thuan Kieu
14282 Brookhurst St Ste 2
Garden Grove, CA 92843

Maguro many ways – Maguro Tartar, Maguro Carpaccio with Salsa Cruda, Maguro-Natto Don, and Maguro Yamakake

February 22, 2010 mmm-yoso Cooking, Poke, Recipes

For this past Valentines Day, we picked up a nice 1 pound piece of Maguro in LA. A nice splurge for us. I was going to come home and do the usual thing……

The Missus however, had other ideas, and wanted something new. I was told that there would be no more this:

And don't even think about making that:

I guess I'd been going "to the well" much too often, and I don't blame the Missus of being tired of poke and crusted maguro….. So what to do?

While staring at my Maguro, some ideas entered my mind. We'd stretch the block into four dishes, starting with some fancier dishes for lunch, followed by some more traditional preparations for dinner. This would even solve the "tuna dilemma"…… just about everytime we'd buy Maguro, there would be a nice portion that is pristine, dark and deep red. But there's always a bit of the tough and fibrous parts as well. By planning out the meal a bit, I could utilize the maguro more efficiently.

So for lunch, I made a Maguro Tartar, using my basic shoyu poke recipe, but utilizing a finer cut for my fish.

I mixed about 3 ounces of finely diced maguro with good quality shoyu, a few drops of ginger juice, 1/2 clove of garlic grated, 3 tablespoons of red onion brunoise, and sea salt. I placed the mixture in a clean Coral tuna can, and topped it with 1/2 small avocado diced, followed by 1/2 roma tomato, which was seeded, and diced.

The can was inverted over a plate, and the whole thing was "coaxed out". I garnished the dish with ground chili, scallions, and wasabi tobiko.

For my other dish, I decided to do a tuna carpaccio, topped with greens and a salsa cruda.

I made two plates, so I used about another 3 ounces of maguro, a total of four slices which I placed between plastic wrap and pounded paper thin.

The salsa cruda consisted of red onion brunoise, capers which were rinsed, than coarsely chopped, cucumber brunoise, kalamata olives brunoise, 1/2 serrano chili minced, and tomato brunoise. This was mixed with some good quality extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice for some acid. Sea salt and some lemon zest completed the salsa cruda. The paper thin slices of tuna were placed gently on the plate, topped with the salsa cruda, and finished off with mixed greens tossed with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Served with some toasted baguette, this filled out our fairly light lunch.

For dinner we wanted something more substantial, and the Missus decided She wanted Maguro-Natto Don, a tuna and natto rice bowl. The Missus and I often order this from Izakaya Sakura.

This was pretty easy, and I think you can figure out what is what here.

I did flavor the maguro with some soy sauce, sea salt, and ginger juice. The natto rested on some shiso leaves. I heated the natto slightly and added a touch of soy sauce, and topped it with a chiffonade of shiso leaves and shredded nori. Dabs of both prepared wasabi and hot mustard were provided for extra zip.

My dinner consisted of themaguro yamakake and rice. I used the lower grade portion of the maguro, which I mixed with soy sauce and scallions. I topped the whole thing with a good amount of grated yamaimo, which made it nice and "snotty". A topping of shredded nori and a dab of hot mustard finished things off. This was gooey-snotty heaven, and the yamaimo even tasted a bit sweet.

Grated yamaimo (tororo) is fairly substantial, and combined with the maguro and rice, was a filling, and satisfying end to the block of tuna.

So 1 pound of tuna, four dishes, two meals, and undoubtedly an increased mercury level………