mmm-yoso – Page 482 – 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.

Lazy lazy chili

October 3, 2008 Cathy Cooking, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the blog about food. Today it is Cathy’s turn to write about her $5 for two meal…

Hi. It is October and it gets darker earlier and is kind of chilly in the evenings(despite being in the 90’s during the day) and sometimes The Mister and I come home late from work and want something quick yet tasty to eat.

I sort of "invented" this recipe a few years ago when the power was out in the neighborhood. We still have our propane fueled grill outside and were trying to use up things from the fridge and freezer. It is simple and does not require you to go scavenging through the house for spices in the dark, yet is tasty and filling.

Brown 1/2 lb of ground beef in a pan.

Drain the grease.

You can brown things on a gas grill in any regular pan, just like on the stove.

Always have these ingredients in your cupboard (buy when on sale)- Diced tomatoes with green chilies; Chili beans in sauce and canned corn. I got this MexiCorn when it was on sale. It is just corn with red and green peppers.

Drain the corn and put into the pan with the ground beef. Use the whole can of tomatoes and the whole can of chili beans.

Heat through.

Really, you don’t need to add any spices.

If you want to, serve with some shredded cheese on top, and some crackers.

I only have oyster crackers. It makes things festive. Especially if you have no electricity. Whoo hoo!

Cathy’s Lazy Chili

1/2 lb gound beef- browned and drained

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with green chilies

1 can (15 oz) chili beans in sauce

1 small (7 oz) can corn (or corn with green and red peppers), drained.

Heat through and serve

La Playita- a return visit

October 2, 2008 Cathy Taco Shops, What Cathy Eats!

La Playita has closed

mmm-yoso!!! is a blog about food written by Kirk and a few friends. I'm one of the friends; Cathy.

Hello again. I am still just blogging about places and things I eat. Last summer, I seemed to have some specific cravings for seafood cocteles and the cravings subsided somewhat this summer…kind of.

My favorite place has 5 tables, 4 barstools and is located in this small corner of Clairmont Mesa and Limerick streets, in the same mall as the Smart N Final. La Playita. I blogged about it here last year.

It was my birthday and I got what I wanted- a large shrimp coctele ($12)- The raw shrimp was cooked in the tomato and lime juice with cucumbers, cilantro and shredded carrots…

Served with crackers and tostada corn crisps.

The fried garlic shrimp plate ($8.50) was The Mister's choice. We were told they were out of rice for the side dish and salad would be substituted…

A lovely, fresh cooked in front of us no-carb meal!

Here is a close up of the coctele and my beverage, an orange Jarritos-and some of the hot sauces available on each table.

When we were almost finished, one of the two men cooking brought us each a small cup of of seafood soup. A perfect dessert for me, someone who does not crave sweets.

Yes- this is what I wanted for my birthday. Nothing fancy, just something good.

La Playita 5185 Clairmont Mesa Blvd San Diego 92117 (858)874-6484 Open 7 days 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Website

Note: La Playita has a booth at the following Farmers Markets on these days and times: Thursday: Oceanside 8-1, Tierrasanta 3-7 Saturday: Poway 8-noon Sunday: Leucadia 9-2 Solana Beach 2-5

Road Trip: Daikokuya – Costa Mesa (Orange County)

October 1, 2008 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Orange County, Ramen, Road Trip

**** This location of Daikokuya has closed

I've long been a fan of Daikokuya, though not a big enough fan to wait 1-2 hours in line….for me the return on investment was just not there. Well maybe an hour, but no longer…..except when it's kinda cold outside, but only then could I wait maybe an hour-and-a-half…..or if I'm really Jonesing for a bowl of the super rich and fatty Kotteri broth, maybe…..

So when I read that Daikokuya was opening up in the Food Court of Marukai Costa Mesa, I was overjoyed, and quite excited. Until I read Elmomonster's post on his disappointing visit to Daikokuya Costa Mesa. Still, I thought that I needed to find out for myself.

After seeing the "menu"(written on a piece of construction paper) and the "crew", I pretty much knew that this, at the best, would be a stripped down Daikokuya experience.

Being not very hungry, the Missus and I decided to split a bowl of ramen ($8.50). We were handed one of those vibrating coaster like thing-a-majiggies…. And before you knew it, the bugger got all lit up and vibrated its way off the table. I guess my bowl of ramen was ready!

As I moved the bowl from the plastic tray to the table, I noticed that it was not very hot, which for tonkotsu (boiled pork bone) style broth is the kiss of death. It ends up being oily. The first thing the Missus went for was the boiled egg, one of Her favorites, and Daikokuya, as I remembered it was one of the few places that would make their eggs "hanjyuku" style…soft boiled. As I fished the egg out, the Missus let out a gasp:

Talk about lousy quality control; this egg had cracked during the boiling process, causing the albumen to get stiff, and the yolk would obviously be overcooked. The Missus wasn't going to take this sitting down, and marched the bowl back to the counter. What She got from the young lady was a titter, and the statement, "wow, that's an ugly looking egg". You gotta love the attention to detail. After a short discussion, we got a replacement egg. It was not soft-boiled, but acceptable.

The broth itself was a disappointment, bland, somewhat greasy, almost what we would consider "stagnant". I had expected the Chashu to be lousy as well, but it was pretty good, with a nice mildly sweet "porkiness" to it.

The noodles were as good as mass-produced standard ramen noodles could be prepared. It had a nice chew to it, and was not overcooked. The Missus's assessment? "We came all this way for this? You better get some fish from Marukai and make me Karei Karaage when we get home!" Which I did.

I should have known better and taken Elmo's word on Daikokuya….but I had to find out for myself. Still, they seemed to be doing okay business in the Bermuda Triangle that is the Marukai Costa Mesa Food Court. But to me, it is a mere shadow of the Little Tokyo location.

Daikokuya
2975 Harbor Blvd (In the Marukai Food Court)
Costa Mesa, CA 92626

I just realized that I chose what may be one of the hottest days of the year to post about ramen…..maybe I just wanted to share my pain?

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Jasmine Seafood-Dim Sum on a lazy Sunday

September 30, 2008 Cathy Dim Sum, What Cathy Eats!

Welcome back to mmm-yoso, the blog about food. Again Cathy is blogging about a meal she and her Mister had during their "seven days of feasting"-meals out between their birthdays. The other people who blog here apparently haven’t had anything to eat lately.

So, anyhow, The Mister and I were awake early on Sunday and were hungry. Jasmine opens at 9:30 and we were in the parking lot before 10 a.m., avoiding the waiting throngs who are lined up by 10:30. Kirk has blogged about dim sum many times, yet I’ve eaten here many, many times and never blogged about it. Until now.

We usually order eight items, which seems to be just about the correct amount of food for us. This time, the jasmine tea counts as one of the items. They do charge $1 per person for the tea here, but it is a very high quality loose tea and even on the third refill of hot water, the flavor is still deep. I didn’t take a photo. Sorry.

The first, noisy, steam cart rolled by. I pointed. -Har Gao- translucent rice dumplings filled with shrimp appearred on the table. You get four and, well…at least I sort of got a photo. Price was Group C ($4.20)

The steamed bean curd roll- this one filled with pork, bamboo, cloud ear mushrooms and in a *very* flavorful broth. Also priced as Group C. There were two of these pieces, cut to make 4 pieces total.

Wonton soup ( Group D-$4.50) came rolling on its own cart. Four shrimp wontons, Chinese broccoli, some scallions and a nice, warm broth. Never had this before. Excellent to share.

Shrimp Shu mai. (Group B $3.90) Always wonderful. Pretty much solid chopped shrimp.

Pork Shu Mai (Group A, $2.70), apparently ordered because we were not too adventurous…the tripe cart had just passed us..and the chee fee just didn’t look all that good today.

Cross section of the Taro Gok (Group A), filled with a pork and preserved vegetable mixture that was just the right amount of juicy and salty for the light mashed taro…the crispy fried shredded exterior added just the right amount of crunch without being oily. Three on the plate.

Custard tarts, three on the plate, Group A, the perfect dessert…warm, eggy custard, flaky warm crust…mmm!

Jasmine Seafood 4609 Convoy San Diego 92111 (858)268-0888 website

Pho HoaCali Express – Mira Mesa

September 29, 2008 mmm-yoso Bun Bo Hue, Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

There are times like this, when my avocation takes a back seat to my vocation. This past few weeks has been a challenge, finding time to eat, much less portioning out part of the day to post, sometimes took a bit of effort. It is during these times that I’m thankful for Cathy’s help! I am doing well, and to quote Ed from Yuma, quoting Samuel Clemens, "the rumors of my demise were greatly exaggerated". I’m still alive and kickin’, if a bit tired.

I don’t have enough fingers, and toes for that matter, for which to count the number of people I know who consider Pho HoaCali the best place in the greater San Diego for Pho. My personal favorite is Lucky Pho which is right across the street, but I wouldn’t fault you for having Pho HoaCali listed as your favorite. My usual time for a visit is before 11am…and sometimes as early as 8 or 9, I love Pho for breakfast! It also helps that at during that time, the packed and crazed little restaurant is a bit more peaceful. It also ensures that I get a great parking space…..I’m sure there are some who have never been able to get within sniffing range of the front and center parking stall!

PHC, has one thing in my opinion that put them head and shoulders above the other Pho shops in the area…..the meat. In this photo "from the vault", of a visit last year, you can see what I mean.

On this visit, I ordered the Dac Biet (special), large bowl, which at that time was somewhere around five and a half bucks. My favorite by far was the brisket and tendon(duh!), both of which shone. The garnishes were of good quality, and the amount adequate.

The noodles had the perfect texture, just right right amount of pull, and not over-cooked as id the case at many other places. What was disappointing, was that the broth lacked a good beef flavor, which was strange because I’ve always thought that the broth at PHC was pretty good and beefy, if a bit lacking in other flavors. It was also much too salty. Hmmm…I decided to give PHC a rest. This visit was not without some "interesting" vignettes however. I saw one customer get up and start berating the Server. Doing my best "fly on the wall" impression, after a few seconds I understood that the customer was angry because he believed that when the Server moved the Pho from the tray to his table, the Server had stuck his thumbs into the soup! I also viewed the phenomenon from which PHC earned the nickname "Hoisin City" from a friend of mine. Folks dumping huge amounts of hoisin and sriracha into the Pho, without nary a taste to see if the broth needed it.

And so I just kinda gave PHC a rest. Until reading about several folks who just raved about the Bun Bo Hue at PHC. Bun Bo Hue happens to be one of my favorite soups, so I just had to check it out. And however misguided or somewhat esoteric it may be, over the last few years, I’ve kinda developed my own "shortlist" of what I look for, or more appropriately sniff, stare, and taste for, in Bun Bo Hue. So here’s how the BBH at PHC (you gotta love the abbrev’s) was for me.

First off, the price (small) $5.65:

The bowl arrived, and it looked downright delicious if a bit short on the "annatto red" that I’m used to. It also lacked any type of serious lemongrass-shrimp paste fragrance. I enjoyed the flavor of the Rau Ram(Vietnamese Coriander), but other than that, this broth really lacked the bright flavor of a good bowl of Bun Bo Hue. First off, the lemongrass and mild ginger flavor was sorely lacking. The broth was also seriously lacking in heat, and had only a very mild hint of the shrimp paste flavor I’ve become familiar with. The broth had a nice amount of oil, which was very noticeable because the bowl was delivered lukewarm. It is important that my BBH…or even Bun Rieu be delivered absolutely tongue scortching hot. Why? It’s because of this:

While the herbs served with Pho are considered "garnishes", I’ve come to understand that the herbs and vegetables served with Bun Bo Hue and Bun Rieu are treated more like vegetables, and are an integral part of the dish. It is also important that the broth be served hot, so that the vegetables, in this case only shredded cabbage(?), will soften a bit.

The noodles were okay, if a bit too soft. If there was one redeeming feature of this Bun Bo Hue, it would be the meat, all of which was top notch. I did lament the lack of Cha Lua(steamed defatted pork sausage) in this bowl, but not for very long, as the excellent tendon (just as good as Pho Ca Dao on ECB) soon diverted my attention.

All things considered, this bowl lacked the soul of a bowl of Bun Bo Hue. And after eating it, I can understand how misguided individuals can call Bun Bo Hue, "spicy Pho"(please forgive me Wandering Chopsticks). That’s basically what it tasted like.

I really didn’t want to do a post at a place where I’ve enjoyed a good many bowls of Pho over the years, and end things this way. So recently, before things got too crazy, I went for another bowl of breakfast Pho. With the various combinations of meats available on the typical sizeable Pho menu, you’d think I’d be able to get my "dream combination" – brisket, flank, and tendon. But alas, it isn’t available on the menu(though I’m sure that I’d be able to request it), so decided to order the #7, rare steak, flank, tendon, and tripe ($5.65).

What came my way was a steaming hot large bowl (and I was only charged for a regular). The garnishes were again of good quality, if a bit sparse. On this day the broth was as I remembered, mildly beefy and light. The meat was good as it always is, and the noodles perfect. It was a good bowl of Pho……..

I’ve found the service at Pho HoaCali to be efficient. It may be because I usually eat there in the mornings, but I’ve never had the "menu dealt out, and the Server standing over you with the ordering pad" thing done here. The Guy who mans the register has alway been nice and friendly, and I’ll gladly go back for some Pho…no Bun Bo Hue for me though.

Pho Hoacali Express
9170 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

Foodland for lunch-A Taqueria inside a grocery store.

September 28, 2008 Cathy Taco Shops, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!. The Blog. Written by Kirk and ed (from Yuma) and Cathy and a few others. Again, yes, Cathy is back…because all the others have lives…or perhaps they have not eaten anything lately.

The person who named this store had zero imagination. However…oh the food. A Mexican market and in the El Cajon location, a plethora of Middle Eastern products (there is a large Chaldean population in El Cajon). A panderia, taqueria, fresh tortillas, wonderful produce and an array of great items to be found inside.

This day was yet another of our "seven days of feasting" -celebrating the week between our birthdays- and The Mister and I wanted some simple good food for our lunch. We met in college and lived on a very limited budget and enjoy good food, not really caring about atmosphere.

Two carnitas tacos $1.50 each.

Fresh, juicy, tasty.

Fresa (Strawberry) drink ($2.00)(the most expensive item we bought)… and a beef tamale ($1.50)

Cross section of the tamale- filled with fresh, tender, juicy beef. The masa still had larger pieces of soft hominy-you know it was made fresh…

Buche, cabeza and birria tacos. $1.50 each.

Excellent, as always. Large portions inside the doubled tortillas. The buche (esophagus) meat was tangy and nicely chewy and the cabeza (head) meat was deeply flavored. Rich might be the right word. The birria is always perfectly cooked (it can be lamb or goat-and there were three goat heads for sale in the refrigerated sectin of the store, as well as other goat parts and no lamb parts, so I assume this taco was goat. The taste gave it away also).

Simple. Good. Oh. The tortillas are made in the store, so are *always* fresh and wonderful. The usual toppings are cilantro, onion and in house made tomatillo salsa-just a bite of heat with a wonderful tomatillo flavor.

Then there is the grocery store. Go to the cheese section. Danish Blue Cheese is $6.99 a pound. I have no idea why. We always get a chunk when we are here. Always.

Foodland Mercado 1099 East Main Street, El Cajon 92021 (619)579-4100

Other locations: 920 Cardiff Street San Diego 92114, 303 Highland Avenue National City 91950, 5075 Federal Boulevard San Diego 92102

It’s Autumn. The mornings and evenings are cold out. Time for chicken soup.

September 26, 2008 Cathy Cooking, Recipes, What Cathy Eats!

Happy Autumn 2008 to all of you mmm-yoso!!! readers. Today is Friday and it is time for another $5 for two meal, written by Cathy.

Hi everyone. Boy have we had some cool evenings lately. It is soup weather. Coincidentally, chicken thighs and legs are on sale for 99¢ a pound at Vons this week, as is celery. You can buy carrots individually for less than a dollar a pound and can find some onions for that same price. This is all you really need. If you like, you could put some sort of starch in the soup, like noodles or rice or potatoes, but even that is not necessary. Chicken soup is *so* easy.

For the discount price, chicken is sold in this bulk package. I used 5 thighs in my 4 Quart stock pot and there were 15 thighs in this package. Thigh meat has more flavor than breast meat and there is only one bone to remove. I think thighs are easier to work with than legs.

You will also need these three ingredients: celery, carrots and onion. The flavorful trinity known as a mirepoix.

Chop these. Use the celery leaves.

Put the chopped vegetables ( I used 5 carrots, 1.5 onions and the whole celery) and the chicken thighs, skin and all into the pot, fill with water, put on low heat and cover.

Don't add salt or pepper-those can be added at the table.

Oh. This is how you make stock, by the way. You don't have to cook this in broth or other canned flavorings.

Simmer on low with the lid on for about an hour. Remove the thighs, let cool.

When cool, remove skin and bones and shred the chicken meat with your hands.

You can skim fat off the top of the soup while these are cooling.

Put some ice cubes in a clean dish towel, twist and then run the towel over the top of the soup. A good amount of the fat will cling to the cold towel and even go through it and congeal on the ice. Another way is to put the whole pot in the fridge for about an hour and then skim the congealed fat off the top.

Reheat the whole thing, ading back the chicken meat and some Herbes de Provence and/or garlic powder or other spices if you wish.

At this point, just about 10 minutes before serving, you can toss in some rice or noodles or even potatoes.

Alphabet pasta works well, too.

Cathy's basic chicken soup

5 chicken thighs, 5 carrots, 1 bunch celery, onion, Herbe de Provence, water. (You can add any herbs pretty much in any amount. Spices are a whole other ballgame)

Mona Lisa- A little grocery and restaurant in Little Italy

September 25, 2008 Cathy Italian Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is this: a blog about food, written by Kirk, ed(from Yuma) Cathy and a few others. Today, Cathy is back, continuing on about her "seven days of feasting"-or how she and The Mister celebrated their birthdays this year…

If you have ever driven or picked up anyone at the San Diego/Charles Lindberg airport, taking the Hawthorne Street exit off the 5, you most likely have gotten stopped at this light at India Street and perhaps, wondered…Perhaps it has been a clearer view for you also. This is Mona Lisa, on the Northern edge of Little Italy near downtown San Diego…

Something we discovered…It seems that if you want to go out to eat on a Friday, you need something called "reservations" at most restaurants. It also seems that some strange social occurrence called "date night" is happening. Silly us. The Mister just wanted some pizza. He gets to choose for the first three days of our week of birthday celebration… so anyhow, we were able to get a table here. Forgive the photography, I did not use flash.

We started out with a half carafe of house burgundy ($7.50). I was driving and did not want a lot to drink much(and Mona Lisa doesn’t serve Chianti in half carafes, as Filippi’s does).

The caprizzi appetizer. Sliced tomato, sliced fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, olive oil, salt and pepper. ($7.50). Pretty standard and a reassurance we do it right, since it tasted the same as when we do this at home…

Four cheese pizza. Mozzarella, Provolone, Fontina and ricotta (!) … Only one size here, the proper way to have pizza. ($15)
A cross section. There is also chopped fresh basil on top. The tomato sauce is fresh tomato tasting, not spicy. Lots of olive oil.

We shared a fresh made cannoli for dessert ($3.50)made with ricotta and a touch of lemon peel as well as Amaretto.
..along with two shots of espresso in a cup. ($2.50)

A very nice birthday dinner for The Mister.

I liked it too!

Afterward, we walked through the grocery store, where there were great prices on many grocery items, fresh breads, wines, cheeses and vegetables as well as sandwiches. I could easily shop here daily if I lived closer…

Mona Lisa Italian Foods 2061 India Street San Diego 92101 (619)231-5367

Greek Style Chicken- a revisit

September 23, 2008 Cathy Greek Food, What Cathy Eats!

You are reading mmm-yoso!!! a blog about food. Kirk, ed(from Yuma) and Cathy and a few others all contribute in a strangely anonymous yet intimate way to this online diary. Today, it is Cathy’s turn.

Hi. Just a quick post about one of my ‘regular rotation’ places, where The Mister and I came for one of our "seven days of feasting" meals (the week of our birthdays, which are seven days apart) (although the photos here are of two meals)…This location is close to home and we like the food.

Yes, we love this place. Here is the 1/4 chicken combo meal ($7.25 when we were here in July, now $8.25). A perfectly seasoned and rotissiere grilled 1/4 chicken served with Greek salad, garlic bread and either fries or zucchini, or as pictured, the lovely onion rings I crave.

The glorious strawberry shake($2.25). Not artificial tasting at all.

This location used to be a Foster’s Freeze you know. The ice cream machine is still in the store.

We went back for The Mister’s birthday: Yet another gyros ($5.25) (in July it was $4.25 and looked pretty much like this photo; I don’t want to bore you). The sandwich comes with onions and tomatoes, sauce on the side. Fresh bread.

Chicken pita- huge! ($5.25) Served with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, feta and tzatziki on the side. The chicken is moist and flavorful.

Onion rings and fried zucchini sticks ($2.15 each). Nicely, lightly batter fried. Why play games? Way much food. Excellent food. Never have we been disappointed when we eat here. Never.

Another Happy Happy Birthday meal.

Link to prior post

Greek Style Chicken 1468 Graves Avenue El Cajon 92021 (619)401-0700 11a.m.-9p.m. seven days

Anthony’s Grotto, La Mesa-lunch specials!

September 22, 2008 Cathy Seafood, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the blog about food, written by Kirk and ed (from Yuma) and Cathy and a few other friends. Today, Cathy is writing about one of the meals she had during her "seven days of feasting".

Hi. In case you don’t know, The Mister and I celebrate our birthdays seven days apart by eating out for at least one meal a day. Somehow, over the years, by the time it is my birthday, I am only wanting to stay at home and eat something homemade and light…

So, Day One. We decided we wanted to eat lunch at Anthony’s Grotto in La Mesa.

I had blogged about a dinner with my brother here last year. We all do like good seafood.

The meal starts off with fresh baked Italian rolls served with sun dried tomato butter.

Calamari appetizer. ($9.50). Perfect. Sometimes people say this is a ‘first date’ food. We must still be dating…

Seriously, light, herbed batter, perfectly fried, Parmesan sprinkled on top and served with a warm marinara…

I chose the soup and chowder salad salad meal ($8.95)…of course the soup was the white(never red) clam chowder…which has classic great fresh clam flavor, along with the cream, butter and includes diced potato and celery.
The chowder salad (which you can get on a sandwich or on top of a salad of shredded lettuce and cabbage)(hence, my saying I got a chowder salad salad above) The chowder salad is fresh made with not oily fish-halibut and cod and shrimp in a light mayonnaise based sauce. I did not feel I needed to add the side of home made ranch dressing until I was near the bottom of all the lettuce and cabbage and wanted something different…

The Mister chose the seasonal catch combo ($10.95) -a lightly (in flour and egg wash) grilled fish of the day (cod) with batter fried ‘small’ shrimp-which were not that small…The batter as always was perfectly done and the fish was ever so lightly sauteed.

As always, the fish was all prepared perfectly and was wonderfully fresh. We did not tell our server we were celebrating a birthday, or would have received a free dessert, as many other tables were had. We were full!

Anthony’s. Numerous locations in San Diego. Website