mmm-yoso – Page 484 – 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.

Cambodia: Kbal Spean, Banteay Srei, Pre Rup, Sra Srang, and “meeting” our Prahok

September 8, 2008 mmm-yoso Cambodia, Siem Reap, Travel

Kbal Spean:

After our filling breakfast of Num Banh Chok, and a short stop to check out how palm sugar was made, we were on our way to our next stop, Kbal Spean. Kbal Spean is not a temple in the typical sense of the word. Located about 25 kilometers from Angkor Wat, Kbal Spean is a sacred site in the jungle. As we drove it started to rain fairly hard. This made Narin turn to us and say, "you are good luck, we’ve been waiting for the rain." After a bit of sliding and mild hydroplaning, we arrived at a large field.

At the rear of the field is the trail to Kbal Spean.

The hike takes about 20-30 minutes through the jungle. The trail was a bit slippery, but except for a few steep areas pretty easy. The humidity and the moisture made me feel like I was back home in Hawaii hiking.

The main feature of Kbal Spean is the river, which contain carvings that have been done in the bedrock. According to some of the literature we read; these carvings were originally made in the 11th century by hermits who inhabited the area.

Many of the symbols are "Lingas", sacred symbols.

And fertility symbols abound.

We had arrived right after a very loud group of Young Japanese Tourists who were making a racket and walking back and forth over the stone carvings. Soon enough, a little Gentleman wearing a blue shirt emblazoned with a badge restored order. Seeing that there would be no more jumping over the rocks and walking across the river carvings the group soon left. The Gentleman, seeing that the Missus was interested in the carvings, gave us a little tour.

It was a neat encounter; neither of us spoke the other’s language, but somehow we communicated and understood each other through gestures and sign language. And of course, there are gestures that are universal…..especially the ones used to explain which of the carvings were fertility symbols!

The water that passes over all of the symbols is supposed to be Holy Water. And of course you know the Missus had to get some of that!

Luckily we had packed our raincoats! As I always say, we need all the help we can get.

The hike down seemed amazingly short, and I felt refreshed by the change of scenery. And so we headed off to our next stop.

Banteay Srei:

About 20 Kilometers East of The Bayon; Banteay Srei is unique for several reasons. The first becomes apparent at first glance:

It’s the wonderful red color of the sandstone used for this temple.

Making some of the carvings quite stunning.

The other unique bit of information about Banteay Srei is that it is the only temple in Angkor not built by royalty. It was instead built by two brothers; Yajnavaraha, the court physician and trusted confidant of King Rajendravarman II, who granted them the land, and gave the brothers permission to build, and his younger brother Vishnukumura, who was a wealthy landowner.

Whatever the history, this is a beautiful site, and quite deserving of it’s modern name Banteay Srei, which I was told means "Citadel of the Women". The temple itself is small, and can be covered fairly quickly, but chances are you’d want to take your time.

I can’t say the same about our next stop…..

Pre Rup:

This place gave me the heebie-jeebies. It just looked ominous…..and frankly kinda spooky.

The place was also very empty. As I climbed up the temple stairs, I could imagine flying creatures with fangs swooping down to prey upon us from the crumbling spires.

The Missus later told me that the current name, "Pre Rup" means "turning of the body", and many Cambodians believe that cremations and other funereal rituals were carried out here. This story is fiercely debated. But, I can see where the stories come from….

And while the Missus was standing on the third level looking for Angkor Wat, I couldn’t wait to get the heck out of the place. As I scurried down the tiny stairs, the Missus had to keep reminding me to watch my step. One false step could be my "Pre Rup"……

We got back to the car, and a more pleasant subject came up. Lunch!

Meet the Prahok:

Unfortunately for us, we stopped at one of the many tourist eating spots that line the edge of Srah Srang (The Royal Bath). We did convince Narin to eat with us. The menu was a uninspired collection of Thai, tourist-Khmer, American, and European dishes. Wouldn’t you know that the Missus ordered Fish Amok…sigh…..

I couldn’t even bring myself to taste it….

I ordered some very routine Lemongrass Chicken:

What did Narin order? Narin ordered in Cambodian, so it remained a mystery, until it arrived. He had ordered Hamburger and Fries!!! The Missus and I looked at each other in astonishment. It was a platter of mystery meat disks, that by the two handed effort (no buns, Narin held the fork with 2 hands to bite, nay tear a piece off) necessary to eat it, must have been closer to jerky than meat. There were strips of soggy looking shoe-string potatoes on the plate as well. Later the Missus postulated that Narin had never had a chance to have a burger and fries, so he probably took this opportunity to sample "American food". After eating that garbage, I wondered what he thought of the American diet? Regardless of what he thought of what Americans eat, there’s no doubt in my mind that he must think we have the strongest teeth and jaw muscles in the universe!

There was one bright spot of the meal. Narin had noticed that we enjoyed eating the local food much more than the tourist food, and brought by a little dish.

It was Prahok, the crushed or pounded fermented fish paste, a staple as important in Cambodia as cheese or butter is here in the States. At first taste, it was very pungent, the fermented fish flavor made me tilt my head back in surprise. But with the addition of some lime juice to take the edge off, I rather enjoyed it on my rice. I mentioned the crunchy texture, and the distinct sour flavor to the dish. This made Narin smile……if you enlarge the photo above, you’ll find out why…..

He told us, "it is the ants". Say what? As I focused my beady eyes on the little dish of half consumed Prahok, I could make them out. And yes, there they were, red tree ants, dozens of them in the dish….they were indeed crunchy, and added an interesting sour flavor to the dish. I took one of them out for a photo-op. So say hello to my ant:

Srah Srang:

One of the good things about this restaurant was that is was right across the street from Srah Srang, the Royal Bath. Not really understanding the magnitude of Srah Srang, we crossed the street, and dodged the grazing animals:

And walked to the edge of Srah Srang:

Boy, this was some bath…….

More like a lake. And the breezes coming off the water gave us some relief from 100 degrees plus temperature.

A few minutes later; sufficiently refreshed, we headed off on the last leg of our tour of the Temples of Angkor……..

Wa Dining Okan – Part 2

September 7, 2008 mmm-yoso Chicken Wings, Japanese Restaurants

As I mentioned in Part 1, Captain Jack and I had already consumed almost all of the first 5 Kozara Ryori (small plates). At this point, CJ turned to me and said; "ok, it's time for some meat!" Opening the menu, I started ordering items from the Grilled Dishes and Side Dishes potion of the menu.

The first dish to arrive was the Grilled Beef Tongue (Gyutan – $5.50):

5 slices of Grilled Beef tongue, served with a lemon wedge and a sprinkling of Shichimi Togarashi, the standard Japanese chili and spice blend. If I may digress for a brief moment; the translation of Shichimi Togarashi is basically "seven spice chili pepper". Whenever I use it around the house, I will often show the bottle to the Missus and tell Her; "your people may have 5 spice…but we have SEVEN spice!" At which time I need to duck and scamper away quickly…very quickly. I thought the slices of tongue would have been better off texturally if it were sliced a bit thinner, and grilled a bit more crisp. As served it was a bit more rubbery than what I prefer. Still, the flavor was excellent…..and a good sign of proper preparation was evident. The Gyutan was permeated with the unmistakable fragrance of Binchotan, which adds a distinct smoky flavor to whatever is being grilled.

Next up was something not on the menu. But seeing that there were a few Yakitori style items on the menu involving various cuts of chicken, I asked if they had Tori Kawa (chicken skin). Nanase pointed to the Japanese menu over the doorway to the kitchen, and said yes. So this was a no-brainer.

Served in a ponzu style sauce, and topped with a good, mildy, sweet-pungent Negi (green onion), this dish delivered as expected.

Off the side dish menu, we ordered the Spicy Chicken Karaage ($5.25):

The Karaage was decent, but nothing special. What was delici-oso good was the "spicy sauce" which was more tangy than spicy, and tasted great on the Mizuna…..they should bottle the stuff.

Grilled Chicken Wings (Tebasaki – $4.50):

Not the largest chicken wings you'll ever see, but these were grilled to perfection. And the smoky Binchotan flavor came sailing through. And even though I haven't met very many chicken wings I didn't like, I thought these were especially good.

What was called 1-Bite Deep Fried Pork on the menu($5.50).

This was basically 2 bite Tonkatsu nuggets. The pork was fried to perfection and had a good amount of fat, but was on the tough side. The katsu sauce was really good, very tangy, and I think it's made in house.

I saw a plate of tempura pass by….the color and shape caught my eye. So of course, being with CJ, I had no fear of unfinished food…we ordered the Okra Tempura, which I didn't see on the menu.

This was fried with a skilled hand; the okra still had a nice bite to it, and had not wasted away into mushiness, and the batter was light. What really caught my attention was the Tentsuyu, the dipping sauce, which had a nice dashi flavor, without being too salty.

As we were finishing the okra, CJ turned to me and said; "we need one more thing…." Which gave me the opening to order the Asparagus Wrapped with Pork ($4.25):

Under any other circumstances, this would be plain-Jane bacon wrapped asparagus. It was the addition of grilling over binchotan that added an additional layer of flavor over everything. Overall, this was a decent dish.

12 dishes, along with a small Tokkuri of Kubota Manju came out to a tad over $70. Not bad at all.

Funny thing, a day later I was craving that Gobo Salad. And knowing how much the Missus loves all those nimono (simmered) dishes, I talked Her into having a nice light dinner at Okan. Unfortunately, the Sataimo, Kabocha, and Nasubi dishes weren't "on the table". Of course the really bad tuna-daikon salad, and the strange sweet-sour chicken were…. But all was not lost, for tonight there were a couple of items the Missus enjoys.

We started with some Gobo Kinpira (sauteed than simmered gobo):

Man, this was good, and motivated the Missus to order some Gohan (rice). All the textures were perfect…..this was much better than anything I've tried to make at home.

The Hijiki Nimono (simmered Hijiki):

Nice and crisp, but very mild in flavor. The Missus preferred the version I make at home.

I was surprised when the Missus ordered the Simmered Saba (Simmered Blue Mackerel) from among the specials lining the counter.

Inability to handle the high oil content and the texture, Saba has never been one of the Missus's favorite fishes. And this was no exception. Saba had never been one of my favorite fishes either……but I really enjoyed this. Nice oil, fairly dense meat from the preparation, not as fishy as I had expected.

We also ordered one of the Missus's favorites, Agedashi Tofu ($4.25 – fried tofu in a broth).

The Missus loved the tofu, perfect in texture. The tentsuyu, the sauce for the tofu was very mild, except for the flavor of ginger, which over-powered the otherwise delicate flavors of the dish.

Along with all of those dishes, we had the wonderful Gobo Salad I had been craving, and the Okra Tempura. The Missus had a Calpico Sour, I had tea, and the meal came out to $35. Not bad at all. Many of the dishes are really home-style, and I'm sure many of us makes at least some facsimile of them at home. But some of these dishes take a good amount of time, and to make many small plates…..sheesh!

As we were driving home, we started discussing the salad. The Missus mentioned the textures and also the flavors…..in the very Chinese way She said, "suan, tian, ku, xian." Suddenly, in a moment of clarity I understood, "Okan" (Mom) was teaching us about life in this dish. Life is made up of sour(suan), tian (sweet), bitter (ku), and xian (salty) moments, and we must devour it with zeal. Of course, She may just want us to eat our greens……..

Wa Dining Okan
3860 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Hours:
Mon – Wed 530-11pm
Thurs – Sat 530pm – 12am
Sun 430pm – 9pm

Part 1, can be found here.

BLT Chicken-yet another $5 Friday meal

September 5, 2008 Cathy Cooking, Recipes, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is this blog. Just a diary of food that we eat. By "we", I mean Kirk and ed(from Yuma) and sometimes Miz Ducky and sometimes Omar and even sometimes me, Cathy. Today, another meal made at home with food on sale.

Hello again. It is Friday and time to get another recipe. This one is *so* easy and *so* inexpensive and *so* good.

I try to make most of my recipes easy to cook and be tasty and to make the ingredients easy to remember. BLT: Butter, lemon (or lime) and tarragon.

Chicken is on sale for 69¢/lb at Vons (with your club card), This 6 pounder was ~$4. Lemons are not on sale, but I bought one anyhow. One whole stick of butter. About 1/4 cup of dried tarragon, (1/2 cup fresh) which was 30¢ when bought by the pound at Henry's.

Melt the butter, squeeze a whole lemon into the butter, put the tarragon in and let the flavors sort of meld-without letting the butter get cold again…

Pour it over the chicken and bake.

I heat the oven to 450° until I put the bird in, then turn it to 350° and bake 20 minutes per pound. (Inner temp should be 185°)

Photo when it was almost done…

Sorry, I apparently started eating and stopped taking photos.

Easy, tasty side dish.

Broccoli is on sale 50¢/lb at Henry's this week.

Broccoli, olive oil, kosher salt (not as salty)

Slice broccoli into small florets, put into bowl, cover with olive oil and scant tablespoon salt (you can add salt later if you wish).

Spread out thinly on baking sheet, even the small leaves and stems…try to have everything cut pretty thin/small.

Put the baking sheet into the oven about 10 minutes before the chicken is done.

You'll hear the sizzle of the oil. The florets will burn and be nicely crisp.

Tasty! Addictive!

Cathy's BLT Chicken

1 each: Chicken, stick butter, lemon

1/4 C dried tarragon (or 1/2 C chopped fresh)

Melt butter, add juice of lemon, add tarragon. Let flavors meld (about 5 minutes) while heating oven to 450°.

Pour melted mix over chicken, put into oven, lower temperature to 350°.

Cook 20 minutes per pound, until internal temperature (taken at thickest part of breast, not touching the bone) is 185°, or until juices run clear.

BROCCOLI SIDE DISH

Finely chop broccoli into florets, stems can be sliced finely also. Put into bowl.

Pour olive oil over broccoli, put about 1 T Kosher salt and mix.

Place all, spread flat, onto baking sheet. Put into oven about 10 minutes before the chicken should be done. When broccoli starts to brown and oil sizzle, remove.

Wa Dining Okan – Part 1

September 4, 2008 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants

Everyone likes a good story, one full of intrigue, right? So how about a story of riches, a far away land, some mystery, and with Mom’s love thrown in to tie it all together? Well, let’s give it a whirl, shall we?

There I was, minding my own business…..I know, I know, you’ve heard that one before. But really, there I was minding my own business on a recent Saturday night. As I left Nijiya Market, groceries in tow…..yes, such is the glamorous life I lead, grocery shopping on a Saturday night. Leaving Nijiya, I noticed that the space previously occupied by Yakitori K-1, was lit up, and as I peered through the window, the place was packed.

There was not much to identify the place, except for a sign of "specials", and several laminated photos with wording in Japanese. I was immediately hooked, but I really wanted to do a bit of research before stepping through that door. Questions danced through my head; "what kind of place would open up, flying way below the radar?" "No signs in English, what would that mean?" "Why haven’t I heard of this place before?" Hence the mystery……put in simple terms, what the heck was this place? I needed to know more….so what would a good Private Eye do? Well, I started interviewing people. From 2 different cashiers at Nijiya, I learned a bit. They weren’t quite sure how to explain the type of restaurant in English. Until it hit home; when I mentioned the term "Kozara Ryori", I was met with approving nods. Both of the women had never been to the restaurant, and one of them said; "I think it might be the most expensive in San Diego!" And then She whispered to me, "when you go, come back and tell me about it." For those who have never heard of Kozara Ryori dining, the term "Kozara" refers to the little plates that are used. So the term Kozara Ryori, is used for restaurants that serve "little plates"…..sort of Tapas, Japanese style. (No, Izakaya is NOT a term used for Japanese little dishes). And from another source, I was told that the Owner was a rich (the riches) Japanese Businessman, who was unhappy with the Japanese food in San Diego, and decided to find and hire a Chef from Japan (the far away land). Wanting this restaurant to be his own little semi-private dining club, but also needing to make enough to keep it afloat, the place opened with no fanfare, and the sign still read "Yakitori K-1". I’m not sure if this is all true, but it makes for a heck of a story…..

Having a better understanding of the task in front of me, I knew I was out of my depth. I needed some help, an individual with deep pockets, and an even deeper stomach. There was only one man for the job, my Urasawa Partner in Crime. The man, the myth, the appetite, Captain Jack. Jack, as always, was up for anything, and met me for dinner, at the restaurant whose sign still read "Yakitori K-1"

We arrived right at opening, 530pm, so that we could deal with possible complications. Places are less crowded at that hour. As we approached, I really took a detailed look at the sign of specials.

No, I don’t read Japanese; but I quickly noticed the prices….hmmmm….everything under $5.25. Looks like it won’t be too bad. I’ll have to tell the lady at Nijiya……

The restaurant is elegant, in the simple, and what Captain Jack calls "austere", Japanese way. As we sat at the "bar", we quickly noticed the specials are lined up around the bar in large bowls.

And there is an English version of the menu….even though there are several other specials in Japanese, you’ll have no problem maneuvering here. The restaurant itself is quite small, and the fairly large menu consists of appetizers, salads, side dishes, grilled items, and the inevitable "closing dishes" (i.e. soup, soba, and udon). The prices are quite in line with other places…..

As I looked over the bowls of specials, a smile appeared on my face. Most of the items were homestyle dishes, many of which I grew up eating, and still make from time to time in my own mediocre way. And so I started ordering, and really appreciated the wonderful service that Nanase provided….She actually put up with my very bad Sansei pronunciations of the dishes.

We started with some simmered Satoimo Nimono (simmered Japanese taro):

Oh man, memories of my childhood. Nicely simmered to a perfect moist-starchiness, in a mild dashi-based broth. This was, at least for me, quite nice.

Kabocha Nimono, simmered "winter squash" also known as "Kabocha Squash" and "Japanese Pumpkin".

I dare not even attempt to cook my Kabocha to this level…it would never hold shape. Melt in your mouth, but maybe a bit too soft for me. Wonderful flavor, the mild sweetness accented by the balanced dashi.

The Daikon and Tuna Salad:

The only real clunker of the night…ugh….canned tuna…mayo…belongs at the buffet line at Todai.

Having tasted the Kabocha and Satoimo, something told me that the Miso Nasubi(Eggplant) might be pretty good.

I really enjoyed this. The miso was used with a very restrained hand, there was the hint of miso in every bite, but you could still taste the eggplant. The eggplant was simmered to perfection, just enough melt in your mouth goodness, without a hint of bitterness. A very nice home-style dish, and my favorite of the "specials".

For our salad; we ordered this:

It’s the Gobo Salad ($5.25). I was a bit surprised at the portion size. The Gobo (burdock root) had been shaved and deep fried. The Gobo and the Mizuna was tied together with a Sesame-Vinaigrette, which added a nice tart-sweetness, and the wonderful earthiness of the Gobo was balanced out with the mild bitterness of the Mizuna. This was possibly my favorite dish of the night.

Would you believe that we had just gotten started? I’m bushed, so you’ll have to wait for part 2 of this…..

Oh…yes, what about "Mom"?

Just read the little page to the right. There are little signs around the place, signed, "Yours Sincerely, Mom." And who doesn’t love Mom? So how about adding this to the little story. A rich Japanese Businessman, misses his Mom’s home cooking, and the comfort food of home. He hires a Chef from Japan to recreate those seasonal dishes he loves, and quietly opens a restaurant……. Could it be true??? I dunno……..

Wa Dining Okan
3860 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Hours:
Mon – Wed 530-11pm
Thurs – Sat 530pm – 12am
Sun 430pm – 9pm

Part 2 can be found here.

Sieu Sieu BBQ

September 2, 2008 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants

I try my best to go into any new eating establishment with a "good" attitude, a blank slate, always hoping for the best meal possible given the price, food, and service. That doesn’t mean that I’m always successful. Sieu Sieu BBQ is such a case. When we first relocated to San Diego, Sieu Sieu BBQ occupied a small space on Linda Vista Road. Being curious about the Chinese BBQ offered at the tiny shop, I sampled the Roast Duck, Salted Chicken, and Roast Pork, and found all three to be severely lacking…in flavor. I had never had bland Chinese BBQ before, until that day. Needless to say, I never returned. While driving down Linda Vista Road last year, I noticed that Sieu Sieu BBQ was gone……and I felt bad, perhaps a bit of guilt. I really never gave them that "third chance", that I could have.

And then, one recent morning, I drove by one of the multitude of strip malls on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard. And there it was; Sieu Sieu BBQ, back from the dead!

The first thing that went through my mind, was "nice sign, but couldn’t you afford some paint?" As you can tell, this is the location of the now defunct Maui Maui Hawaiian BBQ. At that point, the "two little men on my shoulder went into action". The "good Kirk" whispered, "hope springs eternal" in one ear, while the "bad Kirk" murmured "see…bad pennies always show up." Good Kirk, "the third time is a charm". Bad Kirk: "Three strikes and you’re out." What to do? My solution? I opened the window and let the breeze blow the two "Kirks" out the window…my way of taking my mental "Etch a Sketch", shaking it, and clearing off all of the haphazard mental drawings. In essence, starting with a clear slate.

One of the things I noticed about this version of Sieu Sieu BBQ, was the new dining area. Tables, many of them large and communal, all lined up. And on the morning I passed by, there were several older couples eating in the restaurant. All "good signs". In spite of this, I started slowly. On the first day, I ordered something from the menu. A simple Wonton Egg Noodles Soup ($4.95):

The noodle and soup menu is quite reasonable; all the dishes are under $7. And for under 5 bucks this was a pretty good "deal". In the exact opposite of what is usually done in restaurants, the bowl looked quite small, but there was a good amount of egg noodles in the "just about average" (at least not too salty) broth. The wontons were also just okay, there were 6 of them in the soup. Not much soup, but a ton of noodles. To me, worth the 5 bucks.

And this was good enough for me. Good enough for what you may ask…..good enough for a "meat-fest"! First, let’s go to the Roast Duck (1/2 Duck $7.99):

Dry and bland…this was the Sieu Sieu BBQ I remembered. It did not bode well, but I also ordered other stuff.

The BBQ Duck (1/2 Duck $7.99). You can tell the BBQ duck from the Roast Duck, because it is cooked split and hung in a "spatchcock" position. You can easily tell the difference.

We had never tried this at the "old" Sieu Sieu. It is much more meaty, moist, and tender, than the Roast Duck. On the other side of the coin, this duck was suffering from "bean paste overload", as the beany flavor overwhelmed all else except for one thing; it was very salty.

The Roast Pork ($8.25/lb):

You’ll find something interesting at Sieu Sieu; it’s the 2 ladies who chop and handle the meat. They are both really nice, and after checking out the pork, have some decent "chops"(pun fully intended) as well. Each piece had just a little sliver of bone. Again, the meat was moist, though the fat was a bit "hard"…it had not been cooked enough. The "skin" was on the hard side, though Da’ Boyz didn’t complain very much.

The BBQ Pork (aka Char Siu $6.55/lb !!!):

Hmmm, that’s a bad photo…..it looks sort of radioactive. How about this one?

The Char Siu wasn’t bad. The pork was moist, had a decent amount of fat, and was fairly tender. Unfortunately, just as the BBQ Duck, it suffered from bean paste over-load, and the flavor was too salty, lacking in a balancing sweetness.

Lest you think it was just a (BBQ) meat-fest, here are a few more dishes:

The Beef Stew on Rice ($5.25):

Man, there was a ton of rice (not a bad thing) provided. The beef was just mediocre, though the piece of tendon had that wonderful buttery texture.

I’m thinking that my assessment rally wasn’t 100% accurate during this meal. I saw something that I hadn’t seen since we moved from LA. In the San Gabriel Valley, it is, or at least was, quite common to see someone eating, say chicken feet, and upon completion of eating, spit out the bones and inedible parts right onto the table. The thing I’ve always found humorous about the whole thing was, that after spitting and dumping all the bones on the table, that the person in question would grab a toothpick in one hand, and cover his mouth(it was usually men) with the other, in what was almost a gesture of modesty. Not good, not bad, just ironic in a twisted way. And yes, I was sitting across from a "spitter", who ended up "depositing" a bunch of duck bones on the table. The nice woman, who a minute ago was chopping this very bird, now came up to clean up. She looked at me, and simply smiled and shrugged. And though I’ve seen this many times, I’m still not used to it.

The Home Style Rice Vermicelli Noodle ($6.95):

This was very much "Home Style", quite simple in flavor (soy sauce), and though not bland, a bit like this:

The Rice Vermicelli was a bit over-cooked, though there were 5 shrimp in the dish. I did feel like I could have made this at home. Still, for $6.95 it wasn’t too bad. More than enough food for 1 meal. But wouldn’t you know, I sat across from another "spitter"…..just my luck. This time it was Salted Chicken…I guess I can’t complain about variety!

As a whole, the Chinese BBQ at Sieu Sieu is better than what I remembered, though not top notch. The folks working here are very, very nice. The menu dishes are inexpensive, and perhaps a good diversion from Sam Woo, at least you won’t have the "attitude and parking" problems.

I did find that on every visit, I dealt with an "older" crowd.

As a last note; FOY "Fred" emailed me and told me the Sieu Sieu Chow Mein was well worth the $6.95 you pay for it. And knowing Fred, it’s a good recommendation. And for the "real" cultural experience, maybe you’ll sit across from one of the same gentlemen I did!

Sieu Sieu BBQ
7420 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

9am – 9pm Daily

Sab-E-Lee – Beef Salad or the Nahm Tok Nuea?

September 1, 2008 mmm-yoso Thai Restaurants

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

That has been the question that has been driving the Missus crazy recently when ordering from Sab-E-Lee. Do I get the Beef Salad? Or do I get the Nahm Tok – Beef? Which is resolved with a simple question, "which do you prefer?" Which inevitably drives the Missus into a bout of crazed indecision….it's almost like asking if she'd prefer Sammy to Frankie, or visa versa. And from my emails, She's not the only one that's a bit confused. Yes, there is a "Beef Salad" on the menu (Yum Nuea), it's located under salads, #22. And there is Nahm Tok Nuea (basically "water-fall beef"), under "Specialties". In two of the emails I received, said individual(s) ordered the Beef Salad, and expected the Nahm Tok(I knew right away when I read, "there was no rice powder in my salad"). Not that they didn't enjoy the Beef Salad, but they had expected the Nahm Tok. This point was driven home recently, when the Missus and I had dinner at Sab-E-Lee. We met 2 really nice young men; Justin and Mark, and in the confines of the tiny restaurant, we chatted. In the course of the discussion, we were asked what the difference between the 2 salads were.

So here we go; just a short post tonight. But I'll try to describe the differences between Sab-E-Lee's version of the two dishes.

The Beef Salad($6.95):

Don't let the rather innocuous dish fool you. This is plenty spicy. The Yum Nuea utilizes heat from a good amount of fresh Thai Chilies, which is a very upfront and to the point heat. The fish sauce flavor is not as strong, and the simplicity of the salad allows for the citrus tones to come through. What I really enjoy about the salad are the slices of garlic, which seem to be slightly pickled (I could be wrong), which taste almost sweet. In this case the carrots have been mixed into the salad, along with sliced red onion and scallions. The salad is topped with a generous amount of cilantro.

The Nahm Tok Nuea($6.95):

This dish has the benefit of mint leaves and roasted rice powder, which adds a mild nuttiness to the dish. In addition, chili paste is used instead of the chopped chilies, which, at least for me, creates a slower "burn", that can sneak up on you. I find this dish to be a bit more pungent than the Beef Salad, and prefer it over the Beef Salad(don't tell that to the Missus though). I think of it as a more hearty dish, and love to eat this with sticky rice. Shredded carrot and purple cabbage, as well as the standard wedge of cabbage is also provided.

So there you go…..2 dishes that seem to be one in the same, but are quite different. So which does the Missus prefer? Well, recently, it's been dish #3…….this:

It took me a while to get Her to try it….but when She did….well, I'm kinda sorry I did. Now the Missus and I fight it out. What is it? I'll cover that in a future post!

Sab-E-Lee Restaurant
2405 Ulric St
San Diego, CA 92111

My previous posts on Sab-E-Lee can be found here and here.

I hope everyone had a great long weekend!

By Request: Kimlan’s “Chinese Spaghetti Sauce”

August 31, 2008 mmm-yoso Cooking, yoso-silly

You all are always full of surprises, that’s probably why we love you all so much. On any given post, I never know what might catch the fancy of the wonderful folks who read mmm-yoso!!! This little bottle to my right is a good example. I happened to have mentioned it in one of my shopping posts, and was asked several times if I bought it. Of course this aroused my curiosity. After all, just what is "Chinese Spaghetti Sauce?"

And so I bought a bottle on one of my trips to 99 Ranch Market. I wasn’t paying attention, and didn’t realize that it was $3.09 a bottle!

I was surprised at the Missus’s reaction when I returned home and displayed the bottle. Instead of the expected "what are you wasting money on now", I received a "hey, you might like this". I guess you all aren’t the only ones full of surprises.

Speaking of surprises….about a week later I decided to finally try out the sauce. And when I grabbed the bottle it was almost empty!! The Missus had been using it to top Her jook, and as a topping for rice. Realizing that my window of opportunity had suddenly gotten much smaller, I dug through our cabinets looking for some pasta…and found some capellini. Which I cooked up, and topped with a conservative amount of the sauce (I heeded a warning from the Missus, "a little will go a long way….") along with some green onions and cilantro.

From the first bite I understood why the Missus enjoyed this. The flavor was 5 spice and bean paste heavy, and most of all, S-A-L-T-Y. The mystery meat consisted of five spice tofu and "Kaufu", which is wheat gluten. The flavor is very Chinese, and you’d never mistake his for your good old bottle of Ragu. A little does go a long way…….

I thought it was okay…..but I think a little phrase the Missus uttered to me the other day is much more telling. "Don’t forget to buy a bottle of the Chinese Spaghetti Sauce the next time you go to 99 Ranch Market!"

Take that, Ragu!

Lightning Jack’s BBQ – Clairemont

August 30, 2008 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, BBQ, Cajun, Southern, and Soul Food

**** Lightning Jack's has closed

I'm sure you've felt this way…..totally pooped, half-way wiped out, hungry, and looking for something close to home. Which is why I ended up at Lightning Jack's, in the "food court" area of Clairemont Town Square.

I'm not quite sure why I decided to pick up dinner here…in the words of Captain Jack when I told him I bought BBQ from Lightning Jack's; "what the hell were you thinking?" Yeah, what was I thinking? I walked into the tiny restaurant, looked around, and almost decided to turn around…..but something kept me there.

And the gentleman running the place was very friendly…so I made a decision to just go for it. Looking over the menu, I noticed that the ribs were "St Louis Style", which made me understand that the type of ribs used were Spareribs. But I wondered if the sauce was St Louis style, a basic spicy-sweet tomato based sauce….sort of like what Phil's uses(more of that in a future post). A friend once gave me a bottle of Maull's which is supposed to represent that style of sauce. So I asked the Gentleman behind the counter what style of BBQ Lightning Jack's serves. His response? "Ummm…uhhh(blank look), we use a lot of liquid smoke!" Not very promising, but I ordered a half-rack($10.49), which came with a roll, and a side. I chose Baked Beans, which the Missus loves.

The ribs were dry and tough, and the only smoke I could detect was from the super liquid smoked sauce(the Guy wasn't kidding).

My eyesight is getting pretty bad, but I couldn't detect a "smoke ring". Which kinda goes against what the menu says:

I think I need to see the "pit smoker" if I ever eat there again.

The Missus enjoyed the beans, which I thought was very bland. I also ordered some Steak Cut Fries ($1.80), which was a very generous portion of thick cut fries which was probably the best thing about the meal.

I also ordered the Pulled Pork Sandwich ($5.99), which came with 1 side. I asked the Guy if I could just get some Hushpuppies with it, and being the amicable Gentleman, he said, "no problem".

Before the big sandwich reveal, let's read what the menu says:

For me that says a Hickory Smoked Pork Butt……. I haven't had North Carolina BBQ in North Carolina, but have had said style at Mike and Ed's and Country's in Columbus, Georgia, and Dusty's in Decatur, Georgia (near Emory University – Brunswick Stew….). And I can honestly tell you, this wasn't it. The pork was on the tough side, and you really could only taste the sauce……same sauce as the ribs. And no "pile of coleslaw"……

The Missus thought the Hushpuppies were okay. Since the Gentleman was nice enough to give us this instead of some other side, I'll give it a pass. I will say that I'm glad I still have my teeth after eating them.

In retrospect, perhaps I'm being a bit too harsh. But I try to be consistent….if you say you make Sichuan food, I'll expect Sichuan Peppercorns or at least something that is representative of the basic 23 flavors of Sichuan cuisine. Likewise, if you say something is North Carolina style BBQ….. If I didn't know better, perhaps my opinion would be very different.

I really don't even qualify as a novice when it comes to BBQ, and I've only eaten in 1 of those hallowed BBQ havens. I had lunch at Arthur Bryant's in Kansas City in 1997. I did have decent BBQ at a couple of places in Fort Smith, Arkansas (the only one whose name I can remember is Jerry Neel's), a couple places in Atlanta (i.e Dusty's and Fat Matt's Rib Shack), Columbus, Georgia, and one really good shack in Fayetteville, Arkansas. So take my opinion with a grain of salt. Still, I think I've come far from the kid who only had Tony Roma's while growing up in Hawaii.

As for Lightning Jack's, the service was nice and friendly, and the prices are relatively reasonable.

Lightning Jack's BBQ
4705 Clairemont Drive (In the Clairemont Town Center)
San Diego, CA 92117

Another Inexpensive Meal-London Broil

August 29, 2008 Cathy Cooking, Recipes, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a blog about food written by Kirk and friends. Today, Cathy is writing about cooking at home with stuff she bought on sale this week. Again.

Hi. Back again, showing you a meal (actually two meals )I made for two for $5, buying stuff that is on sale this week in San Diego.

London Broil. That is how it is labeled at Henry's this week. $2.59/lb. A tough cut of meat that is sometimes labeled that way- how it should be cooked. Actually, the cut of meat is more often (correctly) labeled flank or top or round steak. It has muscle fibers that run through the entire cut and needs to be massaged or pounded and NEVER scored or stabbed or otherwise mutilated-the few juices in the meat will run out. It is best when marinated and then…broiled… as the way of cooking it. Then you cut against the grain and the meat is tender and juicy when hot or cold. Simple.

The marinade I usually make for roasts and red meat is pretty simple: Olive oil, red wine, garlic, basil, oregano, parsley, black pepper. You really can't put in too much of any of the ingredients, except maybe the black pepper. Just make sure everything is coated and let it marinate for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight, in the refrigerator.

I saw this cool hanging planter thing at the County Fair last year and found it on line and, as you can see, I have a lot of fresh herbs (mostly different basils) at my fingertips. (They sell something similar to this at Home Depot now)

Broil about 3 minutes on each side. No more than that, unless the meat is more than 1.5 inches thick. (broil about two minutes per side if the meat is an inch thick or less)

WHEN YOU TAKE THE MEAT FROM THE BROILER, LET IT REST FOR ABOUT TEN MINUTES. If you cut it right away, the juices run out and the meat will get tough when it cools down.

When you slice it-against the grain- it will slice thin easily and be pink in the center.

I served it hot with some noodles with a simple cheesy cream sauce.

and the next day we each had the chilled meat on top of a salad, made with red and green peppers, slices of mushrooms and radishes and some celery on some mixed lettuces. (Along with some tomatoes from my garden.)

I do buy the 'by the pound' lettuce and mushrooms from Henry's and find those to be more economical -less waste-. A large bag filled with enough mixed lettuces for two salads was 80¢. A large handful of mushrooms was 92¢. All the other veggies were on sale this week at Henry's.

Cathy's London Broil Marinade

For one lb meat: 1 C Olive oil, 1 C red wine, 1/2C chopped garlic, 1/4 C each chopped fresh basil, oregano and parsley. Black pepper to taste.

If you are using dried instead of fresh herbs, use less-the flavor is way more concentrated in the dry stuff.

Cathy's Cheesy Cream Sauce for pasta

melt 1 stick butter

Heat 1 C milk in sauce pan. Add melted butter.

Add 2 Tbs wine vinegar-(this will turn the milk to cheese)

Simmer for about 15 min until the sauce cooks smooth.

Cook pasta to al dente. Drain and immediately toss in two whipped eggs, the above sauce and 1/3 C fresh grated Parmesan or Romano, salt and pepper. Toss and serve.

(if you cook 1/4 lb bacon (cut in little cubes) until clear with the butter in the above recipe and then pour the bacon with the melted butter/bacon fat mix into the milk, then follow the rest of the recipe, that *is* pasta carbonara)

Cathy's Salad Dressing

1/2 C oil, 1/4 C vinegar, dash Tabasco, salt and pepper

Lately…….

August 27, 2008 mmm-yoso Chains, Cusco and the Sacred Valley, Lima, Peru, Siem Reap, Travel

"I have had the strangest feeling….." Not to imitate the style of one of my favorite bloggers Penny, who often finds just the right lyric or quote for her various posts….

But lately I've been finding myself fading away at certain times, just "wool gathering". I'll be doing a post….you really can't call what I do writing or composing….it's really just "doing". And my mind just sort of wanders. Maybe off to the cobblestone streets of Cusco. Perhaps I've just been working too hard. But I'm starting to get that feeling again. I think we need to head off, to where, I'm not quite sure yet….

It's a funny thing, some of the nicest, most memorable meals we've had on trips, have ended up on the "PWTSDS" ("putdz" – Places Where the Sun Don't Shine) list. That would be the mmm-yoso photo scrap heap. And yet, these were meals we really enjoyed. So without further ado, I think maybe it's time for those "ugly duckling" photos to shine…..so if you'd just put up with me!

Anticuchos in Cusco (Peru):

I believe this was right after our dinner at the Chicharroneria. We were walking down Avenida del Sol, when we spied a crowd on the corner of Avenida del Sol and Ayacucho. A woman was making Anticuchos, and if the crowd was any indication, it was very good Anticuchos indeed!

Seeing the crowd, and breathing in the scent of grilling meat restimulated our appetites, and suddenly we just had to have some Anticuchos. But how to deal with the mass of humanity? Just as in all of our travels, whether in a confused state in a train station in Hanoi, or getting Anticuchos, we met our Guardian Angel. This time, an older gentleman saw the Missus trying to edge Her way forward. He immediately took control of the situation, and waved the Missus next to him. He quickly yelled out for some Anticuchos for the Missus, and even looked them over…..just to make sure.

The Missus said these were the best Anticuchos She ever tasted, and at Un Sol (about 33 cents), it was more than a bargain.

I'm sure the kindness of the Gentleman made them taste even better!

Pardo's – Miraflores (Peru):

As we noted, we stayed at the huge Marriott in Miraflores before returning home. Right across the street is a mall, Larcomar, which is built into the cliffs overlooking the ocean. And in the mall is a location of Pardo's Chicken, the largest Pollo a la Brasa (rotisserie chicken) chain in Peru. There seemed to be a Pollo a la Brasa shop on every street corner in Lima. People here are crazy about it.

We were headed home the next day, and were bushed, and Pardo's seemed to fit the bill. As good as the chicken was….

It was the Papas Fritas (French Fries) which we enjoyed the best. The potatoes were a nice yellow in color (Papas Amarillas – like Yukon Gold), which tasted like the soul of a potato. I can still taste them…….

And with a dip in the Aji Sauce…sort of like an Aji Aioli….man was this good. There's something to be said for having just the right food, at the right time.

Which takes us to Siem Reap and…

Maharajah Royal Indian Cuisine (Siem Reap):

After a day of hiking among ruins, and tired of Fish Amok, we wanted something different. An acquaintance of mine had mentioned that the Indian Food in Siem Reap is not half bad. And we just stumbled into Maharajah.

Gotta love the "spicy scale" provided on the menu….

The unfortunate thing about the restaurant was the lighting, it was a horrible "bug killer green", which made everything look pretty unappetizing.

The Missus enjoyed Her Special Vegetarian Thali (meal set – $3/US), which was an absolute bargain!

I got the most expensive item on the menu; the Mutton Thali ($6/US). And yes, it was indeed mutton, very gamy, and pretty tough. But the Dal was very good.

It was just the right meal at the right time. In fact, the Missus wanted Indian the following night as well.

It's funny how these meals stuck in our mind. Just the right thing, at the right time. Our memories of these places are quite varied as well. For all of the photos of Inca Treasures….

And the magnificent temples of Angkor…..

It's the photos of things like this dog "scratching an itch" in the fresh grass in Calca,

or the children learning traditional dances at school in Cusco,

And the children in Siem Reap…..

With smiles that are priceless….. that we remember the most.

Funny thing, it's the people, and our experiences with those people that the Missus and I discuss the most. The kindnesses of strangers, the stories of the folks we encounter, the understanding that we are all more alike than different.

Yes, I think soon it'll be time to get on a plane and go somewhere….not quite sure where yet, but we'll be sure to let you know. And hopefully I'll finish all those Cambodia posts before I head off on another vacation.

You know, my week has suddenly gotten better. I hope you have a great one! If you've hang around till the end I thank you.