mmm-yoso – Page 454 – 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.

Chicken Wing Thing – City Dragon

November 17, 2009 mmm-yoso Chicken Wings

If you ever want my undivided attention, all you need to do is say "chicken wings". If you've read through enough posts, you know that I kinda have a thing about chicken wings….. from Fish Sauce Chicken Wings at Que Huong to trying my hand at making Chicken Alice's legendary Chicken Wings, and Kyochon, to the granddaddy of them all; doing a Salt and Pepper Chicken Wing tasting. I guess I've got a thing 'bout them wings…….

Recently, I got a taste of some wings from a Chinese fast-food joint called City Dragon. It really wasn't too bad. I thought the name sounded familiar, and sure enough when I drove up to the place, I realized I had been there before.

Located next to Ray's Mexican Restaurant on El Cajon Boulevard, I'd actually once gotten some pretty generic Chinese food from this place.

And the menu does nothing to persuade you that City Dragon is nothing but another of the possibly hundreds of Chinese Fast Food joints littering strip malls through out San Diego. In fact, just a quick glance at the generic menu, and interior makes me want to turn right around and walk out. I can't even bear to place it in the Chinese Food category……

But of course, I just had to check out those wings…which is what I did. They are called "Dragon Spicy Wings" and are $6.99 per order. It is fried to order and takes about fifteen minutes or so. So meet the wings……

From a value point of view, this ain't cheap, 7 wings for $6.99, that's Kyochon territory, and this is no Kyochon. No rice, nothing else, not even a fortune cookie for me. The flavor is decent, a bit of heat, good salt, could use a bit more garlic. The wings are moist. The batter could probably use a bit more leavening, as these did not hold up too well. I'd have appreciated a bit more of a crunch.

In the end, I guess if you'd stick one of these under my nose, I'd gladly consume it. But you wouldn't lose a finger in the process. In other words, I don't think these are worth $1 a wing. Still, this got me wondering how many of these little places have something on the menu, ala Fortune Cookie Express's Chowmamein? So maybe you can tell me?

City Dragon
2885 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92104

Pho in Rancho Bernardo – Pho Hoang Express and Pho Ca Dao & Grill

November 16, 2009 mmm-yoso Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

It's getting to be that time of year again…..the mid-morning and afternoons may still be warm, but the mornings are quite cool. Perfect for Pho. Though I've had recommendations for Pho Hoang in RB, I never thought of making a special trip North to RB. Until Pho Ca Dao opened a new branch just a stone's throw (if you were Roberto Clemente) away. So one recent cool morning, I bolted on my spare stomach, and made my way up the I-15 to Ranch Bernardo.

Pho Hoang Express:

Is located right off the Bernardo Center Drive exit. If you didn't know it was there, along with Spices Thai Cafe and Passage to India Restaurant, you'd think you'd be driving right past another business park.

The interior is on the dim side, and has an almost classic Vietnamese restaurant feel to it. From the simple tables and the spoon and chopstick stand, to the ubiquitous paintings of Halong Bay and a Hmong Woman and Baby scene. The service here is also classic….. you walk in, are pointed to a table, menu tossed on table, the guy stands waiting for you to order. Not rude, just no nonsense…..

Usually, I'll just order the special ("Dac Biet") when I eat at a new Pho shop, just to get a nice overview of the various meats. But I've really gotten tired of the same 'ol rare steak in San Diego, which is usually of low quality, dry, and tough. You can get it on the side if you want, but it really doesn't make much of a difference…..maybe if the meat was, say, Shabu-Shabu quality, a nice dunk might be great. But until I start seeing Filet Mignon Pho served in San Diego…..

I went with the #4 – well done steak, flank, brisket, tendon, and tripe ($5.70). In less then three minutes, my plate of garnishes, and my bowl of Pho made it's way to my table.

One large and one small (and withered) sprigs of basil, lime, a couple of slices of jalapeno, Ngo Gai (culantro…yay!), and maybe a half handful of bean sprouts. This is about right for San Diego nowadays. The Ngo Gai was fresh, and had that light, but slightly more anise cilantro like flavor. The bean sprouts reminded me of a funny encounter I observed at Pho Hiep and Grill. A Korean Gentleman was apparently trying to show off to the two women eating with him. He did the whole Neoc Beo, meat on the side, etc, etc…… running the poor Server crazy by not making his requests with his order, but piecemeal. And not in a very nice way as well. He did things in a very superior – narcissistic, "I'm the customer, and you'll serve me" kinda way. I specifically remember him telling the two women, "yeah, I eat Pho all the time, and this is how I roll….." Finally, when the garnishes arrive, he tells the very good natured young man to take his plate back. He wanted is bean sprouts "blanched". The Server was really accommodating, and trying to be friendly he told the young man, "oh, you have false teeth?" The Korean guy, "what….no, I have perfect teeth, no trouble!" The Server; "oh, because my mother and grandmother have no teeth, and they need to have their bean sprouts made that way….." The two girls started giggling, the Korean dude turned several shades of red, all the while the Server kept a straight face, with a look of total innocence. So I'm still not sure if he was getting a bit of revenge, or if he was dead serious…… It was funny though…. I guess "that's the way he rolls….."

Back to the Pho:

The broth was on the dark side, but clear. The flavor was mildly beefy, but lacked any good pronounced clove-anise tones, and could have been more savory. The noodles were bunched in the bottom of the bowl, SOP….. and were a bit overcooked and mushy.

There was a good amount of meat, the best being the tendon which was buttery and excellent. The brisket was cooked much to long; it had good flavor but had fallen into tiny pieces. The flank looked good, but had a slight "refrigerator" flavor.

Not a bad bowl, I've had much worse, the amount of meat was impressive. As in most Pho restaurants, everything happened pretty quickly, and I was out in 20 minutes.

Pho Hoàng Express
16425 Bernardo Center Dr
San Diego, CA 92128

Right up Bernardo Center Drive, taking a left on Rancho Bernardo Road, and I was at Pho Ca Dao.

Pho Ca Dao & Grill:

Open just two weeks at the time of the visit, Pho Ca Dao was much more well lit, and had folded the usual "Pho dining set" into kind of a shiny pseudo-tropical looking dining area.

The service here was much more friendly, though not as efficient in the "well oiled Pho machine" way of Pho Hoang. My water was even refilled three times during my meal! But as different as the two restaurants were, there was much in common. The prices looked the same, and the well done steak, flank, brisket, tendon, and tripe was item #4 here as well. And when my garnishes hit the table, it looked like the exact twin of what I had at Pho Hoang.

That's where the similarities ended, as this bowl of Pho looked totally different from Pho Hoang's version:

In fact, it was markedly different from the soup at Pho Ca Dao's El Cajon and Mira Mesa locations. The broth was very light and clear, with almost no oil. I got a spoon of the broth, and took a photo…. it's almost transparent.

The broth actually had more anise-onion-clove flavor than Pho Hoang's, but was much more salty, and obviously less beefy. The broth also did better with regards to being able to taste the couple of leaves of basil and Ngo Gai. The noodles were perfect, a bit of stretch, and a mild toothsomeness. The meat was on the sparse side, and even though some of my favorite tendon is served at Pho Ca Dao's ECB location, this wasn't even close. Actually, I thought the flank, though a bit chewy had the best overall flavor.

I was asked twice how things were. The service is bordering on Western in standards. Even with all of this, I was still out in 40 minutes. Very quick for lunch, maybe forever when it comes to having a quick bowl of Pho. The folks working here are attentive, and have obvious pride in their shiny new digs.

Pho Ca Dao & Grill
11808 Rancho Bernardo Rd
San Diego, CA 92128

So which do I prefer? I dunno, it's a toss-up. More meat, it Pho Hoang. Want a clean and sparkling restaurant? Pho Ca Dao. Dark broth, Pho Hoang, lighter broth Pho Ca Dao….. you get it. Half a dozen of one, six of the other. It's nice to have choices, isn't it?

Texas I Go Go!

November 15, 2009 Vicky (SF Bay Area) Cajun, Southern, and Soul Food, Texas, Travel, What Vicky Eats

Hello! It's Vicky again… This time not writing about the amazing food we get up here in the SF Bay Area. Sam and I took a trip to visit his family in Texas. The last time I was in his neck of the woods was back when I was 3. It was a fantastic trip and he scheduled around my stomach… and balanced it all out with some great sightseeing.

Sam chose a great Cajun seafood restaurant to show me what REAL Cajun food tastes like. Also… it was very apparent that Texas definitely has huge portions! We met up with his parents at Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen near Sugar Land. We started out with huge crusty loaves of piping hot bread served with butter.

We ordered a Blackened shrimp and crawfish cheese fondeaux (notice the play on words!) to start. Obviously we were digging into this dish before I scrambled to get a picture of it. Glorious! Melted cheese, which is always a good thing, mixed in with crawfish tails and shrimp. I was regretting not packing my fat jeans on this trip.

I ordered the Salmon Diablo which was a portion of Char-grilled Salmon topped with crab mean, crawfish, and pico de gallo in a lemon garlic sauce served with dirty rice. The dish was delicious… the only issue I had was that at the center, my salmon was severely undercooked. The server was pleasant and immediately brought out the dish completely redone. I was never a fan of crawfish out here in California but this trip made me enjoy mudbugs. The crawfish there was amazing… juicy, flavorful, delicious! The topping had huge chunks of blue crab meat. The lemon garlic sauce rounded off the spice very well and it was my first time enjoying dirty rice!

Sam chose the soft shell crab served two ways and had it prepared as a blackened version and a fried version. The blackening and cajun spices they used in Texas were amazing… I still haven't found a comparable brand out here yet. The softshell crab was fresh and delicious. I was especially partial to the cajun blackened one.

His parents split an entree, knowing how large the portions were going to come out. They ordered the Opelousas prepared with Mahi Mahi instead of catfish. It was a mahi mahi steak blackened with oysters, shrimp, and crawfish in a lemon butter sauce with dirty rice. We shared and I have to say… blackened seafood is now one my favorite lists of things to eat…

In the morning, Sam took me to a long time Texas establishment. Now keep in mind that I am not a fan of donuts… I never really enjoyed Krispy Kreme… but just thinking about this donut makes me drool. Shipley's!!! The donuts were light and fluffy and had a good chew to them. Absolutely delicious!!! You can see my eager teethmarks before I finally remembered to take a picture of it first.

Lastly… I'll leave you with a lovely portrait of their family dog – I would hear so many stories about her. She would hang out underneath the kitchen table as we ate. It was great to have seen Houston and hang out with his family.

Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen
12711 Hwy 59 S.
Stafford, TX 77477
281.240.5533

Shipley Do-Nuts (multiple locations but the one we went to was in Sugar Land)
11315 Hwy 6 South
Sugar Land, TX 77478
281.494.1474

Spinners- real fresh and real fast Mediterranean food

November 13, 2009 Cathy Mediterranean Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the name of the blog. A few of us write about what we ate. You read and get to enjoy, or get inspired. Today, it’s Cathy being enjoyable and/or inspirational.

The Mister and I happened to be in the Rancho San Diego area last week and drove past the newly remodeled Ralphs and in that same parking lot, saw this place on a corner..and..you know… stopped.

We ordered, paid, got our beverages, sat down and our food was brought out very quickly.

The menu is simple- chose a “Spinner- Steak (it’s schawarma), Chicken (schawarma again),
Gyros or Falafel.

Then a way of serving it- in a pita, as a sub, on a salad, as a lettuce wrap or on a plate.

This is the gyros salad. A very healthy size serving of Gyros meat, moist and with excellent flavor, served on lettuce with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, green pepper and dressing and sauce. $6.49 and we took home leftovers.

The steak plate ($7.99). A very large serving of the Schawarma, pita, hummus (fresh made and wonderful), pickled turnips and sauce. Again, we took home leftovers.

Here is a photo of the full plate not covered by the pita.

Of course we went back, less than a week later, so we could try other items…and satisfy my craving.

Below is the “Lettuce Wrap” with falafel and couscous(I could have had tabbouleh or couscous with the wrap) ($6.49).

The falafel are very good and substantial with a lightly fried crust and the insides are flavorful chickpeas and fava beans and parsley, as well as some spices.

The couscous was fresh, nicely chilled and had red and green peppers as well as a lot (at least eight) olives as part of the mix.

Bonus!!! The yellow sauce on top of the turnips is a *very* traditional falafel sauce, amba, made with mango chutney- pickled/vinegary with definite mango flavor and pieces. It is perfect with the falafel.

I have rarely seen amba served with falafel.

If you noticed the poster in the first photo- the kebab burger $5.95- this is it. A *really* flavorful piece of marinated kebab meat on a toasted sesame bun with lettuce, tomato, onion and large side of fries. Kebab is not listed as one of the “Spinners” because it is cooked on a grill when you order.

The fries were pretty standard, there looks to be a flavor coating but salt was all we tasted other than potatoes but a lot of people were ordering the “Spinner Fries” ($7.49), the other poster in the window in that first photo. A lot of fries topped with whatever meat you choose and feta, hummus (there is a jalapeno cilantro hummus offered), tomatoes and onions …pretty much one of the plates with fries instead of pita. It seemed to be the popular choice, but The Mister and I just don’t eat fires fries and left a lot of these.

Anyhow, if you are in the Rancho San Diego area and are hungry, this is a very good choice. Very fast and very fresh.

Spinners 2654 Jamacha El Cajon, 92019 (West of the Ralphs in the Kohls Center) open daily 11-9

website

Honduras: Baleadas

November 12, 2009 mmm-yoso Honduran Food, Honduras

If there was one item I was absolutely going to have in Honduras, it was going to be a Baleadas. Looking much like a quesadilla, this calorie bomb is one of the ubiquitous fast breakfasts foods in the land where breakfasts would more likely send me right back to bed.

Remember this menu item from Churrasqueria Momo's?

Yikes!

And even though the Missus ate a Baleadas at Momo's, I wanted to try one from a "Caseta" (food stand). And this pretty busy one seemed to fill the bill:

After a glance at the three item "menu" was there any question what I'd be ordering? "Full toys" of course!

The Missus was kind enough to do the ordering, while I took photos. Like a typical quesadilla, the base of the baleadas is a flour tortilla…. a very large flour tortilla, which is heated on the comal (griddle):

First up is a large smear of frijoles (beans – in this case black beans), a smear of mantequilla, which in this case is not butter or lard, but a very rich sour cream. Next up the huevos (eggs), and then a huge ladle of chorizo, swimming in a pan of grease. Everything is topped off with avocado and a good amount of grated queso duro (a hard white cheese). I wish I could have a photo for you, but everything happened so quickly, that I couldn't keep up.

I was also going to take a picture of the Baleadas being consumed, but the grease just dripped down my arm off my elbows. It is without a doubt a calorie-cholesterol bomb, and like many of that category, it was pretty tasty; salty, greasy, messy, mildy spicy………. I didn't eat until dinner, and I still wasn't very hungry.

Our shuttle back to Antigua had only three passengers. The Missus and I, and a young lady from Canada who was teaching English in Honduras. During our conversation the young lady mentioned that everyone of the foreign teachers have gained weight, some up to thirty pounds while in Honduras. When we asked how this happened, her answer was short and to the point….. "Baleadas"!

Road Trip: Vientiane Thai Laos Restaurant – Garden Grove (OC)

November 10, 2009 mmm-yoso Lao Restaurants, Thai Restaurants

It had been such a long time since the Missus and I went on one of our eating road trips. First I was busy, than the Missus was busy, than I got sick, than the Missus was busy….you get it. I'd say those hours of being sick were the worst. You get into these periods of melancholy, followed by periods where you daydream about being somewhere else, anywhere, away from the body aches, coughing, the irritated spouse, you get it, right? For some reason, my mind kept taking me back to Laos. I can't put my finger on it, but there was something about that trip, that stayed with me……

So as soon as I felt better and we actually had a free weekend day, we were itching to head "up North." And what better place to check out than a Lao Restaurant I'd heard about.

Vientiane Restaurant is located in one of what may be a couple hundred strip malls in the Westminster/Garden Grove area.

It is tucked back, away from the street, over-shadowed by Pho 54 in Saigon Plaza. The sign simply says "Lao & Thai Food". The restaurant itself is tiny, comprised of four tables. When we arrived there was just a woman on her cell phone waiting for an order, and no else up front. We checked out the cold case, and were comforted at all the Jeow (dips) and other items. It indicated that we were at the right place.

Now comes the funny part. A very nice woman seated us, and handed us menus. When we were ready to order, I started giving off menu item numbers. No dice. I started reading off the English, translations…. wasn't going to work. The woman giggled. I pointed to the items on the menu (no Lao script – but English translations). The woman leaves, and another very motherly woman comes out….. same drill. The previous woman comes out, points to the menu and tells me "you read it to me." I start cracking up, the Missus is rolling Her eyes….She always gives me grief over my terrible pronounciations, and this might be downright painful. This was going to be much harder than "tres tacos Al Pastor". For some reason, this exchange took me right back to Laos…. So I start, and it is quite interesting…. "Mok Pa", "eh", "Mok Pa", "fish?"," yes, Mok Pa". "Ooooh, Mok Paaa!" The Missus is covering Her eyes. She can't bear to watch this disaster. At the end of the whole drill, the woman laughs, and exclaims, "you say good!" More eye rolling from the Missus. The woman starts walking back to the kitchen, turns and makes a spoon to mouth motion, "rice, you want rice!" I make the Lao three finger to mouth motion and go "sticky rice". "OK!" I thank her, "kopchai lai lai", She starts laughing, and the Missus has a look like She's just returned from the dentist, and says, "we'll see if we get what you really wanted to order."

Well, at least the sticky rice was going to be right.

A large container of perfectly made sticky rice. In San Diego, I believe that Asia Cafe is the only place that consistently makes perfect sticky rice, and this was on par.

Of course, right at this moment a gentleman enters carrying several sacks of groceries. He speaks excellent English.

Next up, one of my Death Row dishes – Nam Kao ($6.50):

Man this was good, the textures, the pork skin, the mildly sour fermented sausage, the smokey, almost sweet toasted chilies. Served with all the requiredveggies and herbs, this was such a vibrant dish. The second best I've had, next to the one in Vientiane. Crunchy crisp rice, chewy sausage and pork skin, amazing flavors, a symphony of textures.

Next up the Larb Pa Thong – in this case Catfish Larb ($7.99):

At first I was worried, as I'm not a big fan of catfish and the muddy flavors. But in this case, the muddiness was muted by the strong savoriness of the sauce. The roasted rice powder added a nice nuttiness, and the mint and galangal helped to cleanse your palate.

As good as the Nam Kao was, the dish that I've been craving is the Raw Shrimp ($7.99):

Even though I know they went easy on us in the spice department, this was a fantastic dish. The shrimp was slightly toothsome and sweet, the amount of garlic and lime was balanced in a never ending tug-of-war of flavor. Heck even the tomato slices tasted good with the sauce! We finished every single piece of everything on the plate, even the shredded cabbage. It looked like we vacuumed the plate. As much as I enjoy the Naked Shrimp at Sab E Lee….. you get the point, right?

The last dish was the only clunker of the day, the Mok Pa($4.00) – fish in banana leaf:

Even though the menu says steamed, it looked like it had been placed on a brazier. The fish was very boney, and not of high quality. The banana leaf also looked past prime, and didn't deliver the wonderful slight smoky flavor that I love. Also, for strange reason, the flavors seemed very muted. Maybe it's because I make this at home once in a while? I dunno…..

Even though we always like to check out different places on our road trips, we'll without a doubt be back here.

Vientiane Thai Laos Restauarant
10262 Westminster Ave
Garden Grove,CA92843

Hours: Mon – Thurs 11am – 9pm
Fri – Sun 10am – 9pm
Closed Tuesday

Postscript:

As went to wash my hands before and after (eating sticky rice, you know) the meal, I walked past the kitchen (spotless clean just like Asia Cafe), and the three women were singing. One humming, two singing different parts of a song. I was reminded of the housekeepers in our hotel in Vientiane, three girls, barefoot (this is Laos), always singing together in harmony while they worked…..

I really don't need much prompting to be taken back to Vientiane….

Or to Luang Prabang for that matter…….

This post is dedicated to some great FOYs (Friends of Yoso) "J & D" who are headed off to Laos in a month or so. I hope you both enjoy Laos as much as we did!

I hope you're all having a great week!

Cafe Athena

November 9, 2009 mmm-yoso Greek Food

Finding a place to have Greek Food with the Missus can be a bit of a challenge. You see, the Missus doesn't care for the usual Moussaka-Gyros-Kabob-Dolmathes-Souvlaki-Greek Salad stuff. She'd much rather spend Her time with some pita and Fava Skordalia like this:

Or a simple Bamies (Okra) dish.

Unfortunately, it seems such Greek fare is hard to come by in San Diego. Or it could just be us; so if you have a recommendation let us know. Until then, we'll just kinda head off to Cafe Athena in Pacific Beach when we want something other than the Souvlaki-Gyros meatfest.

Cafe Athena is tucked back in the busy strip mall that houses Great Moon Buffet, Great News, and a ton of other businesses. It's kinda easy to miss, especially if you're circling around looking for a parking spot. There is outdoor and indoor seating, though the al fresco seating means the walkway, and you'll have patrons walking past you heading to and from the businesses upstairs, and if you rather not have the homeless dudes checking out your dolmathes you may want to sit elsewhere. The interior is clean, and a bit spartan, with the requisite paintings of the Blue roofed Santorini buildings. Our Server on each visit has been a very nice young lady whose name escapes us, but who is a joy.

The menu at Cafe Athena is a bit different from other Greek Restaurants we've been to in San Diego, and often times we'll make a meal of the various appetizers. Like the Fassoulia ($6.99), which in this case is a fairly simple marinated Fava Bean appetizer:

Mildly earthy, tangy, the Missus enjoys it with a dose of extra virgin olive oil.

Being garlic lovers, we of course always get the Skordalia($5.29), a basic garlic spread.

This is nice, fairly mild garlic paste. The grilled Anaheim Pepper is a nice touch, and the Missus often requests that I throw some peppers on the grill when I have the charcoal going.

When She first ordered it, I dared not tell the Missus that Taramosalata($5.49) was a Cod Roe dip. I don't think She would have ordered it if I had spilled the beans….

This has got to be the mildest Taramosalata I've ever had, though not in a bad way. It had the flavor of a very light Salmon Mousse and the texture of hummus.

Just a dip or two, some warm pita, and olive oil can make for a pretty decent meal on a warm afternoon or evening.

I will usually get the Papoutsakia (stuffed eggplant) Sandwich ($6.99), and share some of it with the Missus.

The ground lamb is usually fairly gamey, and the eggplant adds a rich texture and a tad of bitterness that is offset by the salty feta cheese and the tangy tomato sauce, all wrapped up in the fluffy pita. Add a touch of tzaziki and your good to go…… it is a bit messy though.

Once the Missus ordered the "Vegetarian Phantasia" ($15.49), the veggie version of the de riguer meatfest plate:

It was quite a lot of food. Along with the afore mentioned (and pictured) Fassoulia, there was some Yalandji, grape leaves stuffed with tomato, red pepper, onion, mint, and rice, which I found very puckery, but the Missus enjoyed.

The Imam Bayaldi(eggplant stuffed with raisins, walnuts, and tomato) was good, though I'm not a fan of raisins in savory dishes. I thought that a more savory filling would have done better.

The Missus enjoyed the above dishes, but didn't care much for the Spinach Pastitsio, much like a vegetarian version of Moussaka. This was a bit too rich and cheesy for Her.

So there you go…….. Even though most entree prices are $11 and up, you can still get a pretty decent meal, going with the appetizers. And some of them are a bit more interesting than the usual Gyro or Souvlaki. Nothing against a good gyro, but sometimes you just want something a bit different.

Cafe Athena
1846 Garnet Ave.
San Diego, CA 92109

Nha Hang Quoc Te

November 8, 2009 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Nha Hang Quoc Te has closed

When we moved to San Diego the Missus and I tried the two locations of Quoc Te severals times…. and had some horrendously bad meals. It ended up that the only thing I'd ever get at Quoc Te is the Banh Cuon, which is a bargain at a shade over six bucks. Over the last couple of years however, I've gotten several recommendations for the Quoc Te location on University. There were two items mentioned, the Fried Rice, and the Roast Duck. The prices at Quoc Te have always been pretty reasonable so I thought "why not"?

Not much has changed from our previous visits, except the prices which have gone up tad over the years. The dining area is a bit dated, and don't look at the carpet, and you'll be fine. The parking lot, with a very limited amount of parking stalls can be a challenge.

We decided on getting those recommended dishes, and throw in a few more Vietnamese style dishes as well.

So we started with the Papaya Salad with Dried Beef:

This was probably the best dish of the night, served ice cold, refreshing, with a good amount of herbs. The Missus has been craving this in the time since this meal, so we've been making it at home quite often.

Taking the fried rice recommendation, we went with the Shrimp Fried Rice:

This one was almost there. The shrimp was cooked perfectly, just past rare, not allowing the flesh to seize and become too chewy. The rice had a smidge of "Wok Hay" (Guo Chi), that caramelized smokey essence of the wok. On the downside, the dish was quite bland, and needed a good bit of soy sauce and white pepper to bring the flavor up to par.

Of course, I got the Banh Cuon Tay Ho ($6.25):

This was strangely bland for me as well. The only item I enjoyed was the Banh Cuon with the dried shrimp, everything else was very dull…. even the Nem Chua (fermented sausage). Even worse, the Nuoc Mam Cham tasted watered down. It sure looks like I'll have to head to Little Saigon soon for my fix, as this sure wasn't it.

And of course, the Roast Duck ($12.95 – half duck):

This was a bit of an "odd duck", no pun intended. It was very meaty, but sorely lacked a decent flavor….even the "drippings" were bland. The skin was strangely cracker-like, not the usual lacquered look and texture, but crumbly. I think this duck had been deep fried to revive it before serving. Personally, I'd take a more boney duck with good skin and great flavor.

A couple of days later, the Missus and I were chatting about Quoc Te, and how it seems that most of the dishes were just a bit off. So we decided to make another trip up to Quoc Te.

Having thought the papaya salad was pretty good last time around, we started with the Goi Xoai Tom Thit, the Green Papaya Salad with Shrimp and Pork.

Again, the fish sauce based dressing tasted watered-down. Good amount of herbs, specifically Rau Ram, the pork was tough but had decent flavor, and the shrimp was passable. Not as good as versions I've had at Seafood Island or Que Huong, but okay.

We also ordered the Stir-fried Egg Noodles with Seafood:

I thought the calamari and the shrimp were cooked to perfection. The egg noodles were a bit over-cooked. And much like the fried rice, this fell short on flavor and needed a good dose of soy sauce and white pepper.

We also decided to try the Whole Steamed Sole ($12.95). The dish that first drove us away from Quoc Te was a Catfish Hot Pot that was so heinously bad, that it still remains in my memory banks. Unfortunately, this dish would have the same effect on us five years later:

First off, apparently the oil used to top the fish had not been heated properly, and so there was no sizzle, nor wisp of steam coming off this. Thus, this caused the dish to have an excessively greasey feel to it. Also, the soy sauce was not appropriately flavored, and didn't add enough flavor. And worst of all, the oil tasted rancid…….yuck. My tongue was coated with a nasty rancidness that was really difficult to conquer. To add insult to injury, the Missus got a fish bone stuck in Her throat after the very first bite. I don't think we'll forget this dish for a while….for all the wrong reasons….

Nha Hang Quoc Te
4448-A University Ave
San Diego, CA 92105

La Abejita

November 6, 2009 mmm-yoso Sandwiches

The area East of 7th street on "C" is not the most picturesque part of Downtown San Diego. Sure enough, there are abandoned buildings, and the trolley line goes right down C. Certain parts of the area do define the term "gritty". I found myself in the area a few months back, just kinda looking around, when I saw what looked like a trio of restaurants. to the right was Rolando's Taco Shop, a ubiquitous San Diego taco shop, many of which end in 'berto's. To the left was "Lui's Restaurant" which advertised five dollar specials, gyro's, and other fairly honest fare. For some reason, I looked into the tiny shop in the middle, a clean, and colorful shop which advertised "Fresh and Healthy Food", a sign that would usually have me walking in the opposite direction. But for some reason, the shop seemed to welcome me in.

The menu is simple, a couple of sandwiches, some salads, and a ton of juices and smoothies. There was one item that caught my attention, it was the Super Torta, which is what I ordered.

After a short wait my "Super Torta" ($6.49) arrived:

The sandwich itself, is as long as my forearm, and contains two shaved slices of ham, lettuce, tomato, onion, what tasted like mild Jack Cheese, pickled jalapenos, avocado, and thin slices of "Lomo" (Roast Pork). It was dressed with a light smear of mayo. The star of the entire production was the Birote (bolillo), which was toasted to a nice crustiness, I admit that I enjoy certain toasted sandwiches. The roll was also light and airy, and heck if I didn't have flashbacks of Banh Mi in Vietnam; it was that light.

If I would have this again, I'd tell them to put the jalapenos on the side. I love pickled jalapenos, but in this sandwich they overpowered all the mild ingredients. I'd prefer to use the jalapenos as my "pickles on the side" in this instance. In this world of over-stuffed sandwiches, I found this light, crusty sandwich to be just what I needed on this day……..

I guess in the future, I'll pay more heed to those places that say they serve "Fresh and Healthy" food. And I need to finds out where they get their Birote…….

La Abejita
817 C Street
San Diego, CA 92101

Open: Mon -Fri 8am – 3pm

Sab E Lee Santee – A first look

November 4, 2009 mmm-yoso Thai Restaurants

**** This location of Sab E Lee has closed

Often times, a bit of information or a recommendation will allow me to order to the strength of a restaurant. When I first visited Sab E Lee, I was taken by the gentleman who ran the tiny restaurant. He eagerly provided me with the information I needed to order by telling me that the cooks were from “Issan” (Northeastern Thailand), and I ended up ordering to the restaurant’s strength. That was a whole fifteen months, and maybe over a hundred visits ago. Since then, I’ve gotten to know Kobe pretty well, and now with the opening of Sab E Lee 2 in Santee, it’ll be more of the same, right? Well, not so fast pilgrim……… During the past weekend when I went to check out Sab E Lee 2 and ran into Kobe, he shared the new menu with me, and information about the chef at this location. This Chef is more experienced in fine dining, having worked at several four star hotels…. I believe The Sukothai Bangkok was one of the hotels named. After looking through the menu, the Missus and I headed over, East on the 52, off at Mission Gorge, and arrived at Sab E Lee. As I mentioned in my previous post, the restaurant is maybe four times the size of the Linda Vista location, Kobe also showed me the kitchen which is about the same size as the dining area!

After we were greeted by Kobe, and several of the familiar faces, we got under way. First off, please forgive the pinkish tinged photos as the reflection of pink everywhere makes everything…. well, pink.

Kobe told me to try the Kra Thong Tong ($7.95):

You see, from what Kobe told me about the Chef, I figured that one of the streng SEL203 ths here would be what I tend to call “Royal Thai” cuisine, with it’s more intricate presentations, lighter fare, featuring many Chinese and Mon influences. And these wonderful, light, rice flour based pasty cups filled with minced prawns and chicken surely fill the bill. Royal Thai doesn’t mean dumbed down, but it presents itself with a wonderfully balanced flavors and textures. In this case a mild curry background, brought up with a cucumber relish that seems to use palm syrup. And yet, it is not overly sweet, but a very complex dish.

The Plaa Shrimp($8.95) was a good second choice:

Butterflied shrimp are quickly charred, and left in a “rare” state. The bracing and spicy lime sauce finishes off the “cooking” process. We quickly noticed that this chef uses a good bit more lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves in his dishes. The spice level was excellent, courtesy of Thai Bird Chilies, and with the slices of raw garlic and Thai Eggplant, this is a dish that would be right at home at Sab E Lee on Linda Vista.

The third dish we ordered was the Pine Cone Fish (Halibut – $16.95):

I’m sorry to say that my photos don’t do this dish justice. It is a good-sized Halibut, de-boned, crusted with panko and placed into the shape of a pine cone. The fish was fried to perfection, soft and tender. The line-chili-fish sauce dip was good if a bit salty. Kobe brought out a little dish of tangy tamarind based sauce which the Missus loved. Kobe told us that it was the sauce used for Three Flavored Fish, which is what we’ll be ordering in the future.

Overall, this was a wonderful meal….lovely presentations, well prepared food, and the prices weren’t too bad. And yes, there’s Koi Soi, Catfish Larb, and many of my other favorites on the menu. But I thought it would be good to play to the Chef’s strengths, and I think he did a great job. I’ll do my Koi Soi comparison on another day…..

Sab E Lee 2
9159 Mission Gorge Road
Santee, CA 92071