mmm-yoso – Page 504 – 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.

Wednesday Wanderings

February 27, 2008 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants, Sisig

Just a few items for your "hump day"!

Jeong Won Korean BBQ:

During our visit to Spicy City I noticed the sign for a new Korean BBQ opening up next door:

I asked around and was told one of the former Owners of Arirang House has decided to get back into the restaurant business. There sure seems to be a lot of activity in the Clairemont area. The location is 4690 Convoy St.

China Chef Temporarily Closed:

During one of my trips to the Mira Mesa area, I noticed that China Chef appeared to be closed. I did a U-turn and drove into the mall to check things out. Per the sign it looks like they are temporarily closed, and set to reopen on March 3rd.

Party, party, party!!!

To quote my "nephew"(my good friend's son)….as a 2 year old, whenever we were set to go to the zoo, Sealife Park, or someother activity. I sure do miss those days.

In that vein, I recently celebrated yet another Birthday. MrB and I both celebrate our Birthdays in February, so it has become sort of a tradition over the last few years to get together and have a party of sorts. MG is the most generous Hostess, and always feeds us well. And as you'll notice, most of the dishes are pretty much targeted toward my appetite.

MG's knowing that I love Kaldereta had her cousin make some Kaldereta! delici-yoso!!!

I was asked for the one dish that I wanted. Having heard so much about the Sisig from Conching's Cafe, but never having the planets aligned during my visits, I requested it:

It is as good as advertised, perfectly balanced. Even the Missus, who "doesn't eat pork" (somehow Bi, Crispy Pata, et al aren't pork?), had 3 servings.

The rest of the good stuff:

AmyA baked us a wonderful cake….but please don't ask what the "numbers" mean…nothing good can come out of that!

There are few things better than a Filipino party! There is a downside though; hearing me sing "Achy Breaky Heart" on the Magic Microphone is enough to spoil the heartiest appetite. As always MG, thanks for your warmth and generosity!

I hope everyone is having a great week!

R & B Filipino Cuisine

February 25, 2008 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants, Sisig

I'm constantly amazed at the amount of recommendations I've received from FOYs(Friends of Yoso) since I've started blogging. Restaurants in locations that had never even entered my mind. A good example is R & B Filipino Cuisine in Mira Mesa. R & B is located on Camino Ruiz, North of Mira Mesa Boulevard, an area that I hadn't ever visited. But thanks to FOY JanFrederick, who mentioned R & B in several comments, I made an effort to check them out.

R & B is a little Mom and Pop "turo-turo" joint, that offers about 20 or so different steam table options daily. The Lady who works the counter is very nice, always smiling, and chatting in her relatively high pitched voice, the Gentleman who works the front is on the quiet side, but still very nice.

The prices are reasonable, $3.99 for 1 item and a starch, $5.79 for 2 items and a starch. On this day, I decided on the (what else) Lechon Kawali and Beef Mechado(Beef Stew), which at first I thought was Kaldereta.

The Beef Mechado was good, though it did not have as much gravy as I would have liked(probably why I thought it was Kaldereta). Nice tomato tartness, the beef was fairly tender, with a touch of black pepper flavor.

We had times our visit pretty well, the lechon kawali was moist, and not too waxy, nor greasy. The skin was crisp, not hard, making this a pretty good version of lechon:

What I didn't care was the lechon sauce, the liver based dipping sauce. It was too bitter for my tastes. Still this was a pretty good meal……

Which led to another visit, where I again got the 2 item combination:

This time with Pancit Bihon….which wasn't greasy, and had a decent flavor….but it was almost all noodles….in fact, other than 1-2 pieces of stray cabbage, and 1 small piece of chicken, this was all carbs.

Because of the hour (10am) not everything was available, so I got the lechon kawali again.

This time the lechon was on the dry side….

Now where's the "missing item" you ask? Here it is:

This was something I'd never had before, Kilawing (per the menu, I've also seen it spelled as Kilawin) Puso, banana blossom simmered in a vinegar based sauce. I could also identify a bit of pork, but not much else. The banana blossom had the texture close to that of artichoke. Overall, this was a very bracing dish. Per instructions, I ate the Kilawin with the pancit, a touch of Kilawin on top of a bite of pancit, the saltiness helped to cut the sour flavors.

Did I mention Filipino Breakast? On weekend mornings R & B offers Tapsilog, Tocilog, Dasilog (Bangsilog), and of course the classic Longsilog, all for $4.50. All the dishes come with 2 eggs(any style), and Garlic Fried Rice. I recently had the Tapsilog:

The Tapas wasn't bad, more tender than most versions, and decently flavored. The Garlic rice, didn't have enough garlic for my tastes(but very few do), and the rice was hard and dry in sections. The easy over eggs were overcooked, the yolks hard. Still, not bad for $4.50……less than a bowl of Pho.

A friend's Husband who eats here once in a while told me the Pork Adobo is pretty good, JanFrederick enjoys the Sisig, and the Hamonado has also been recommended. Unfortunately, I haven't run into any of them in my visits….always Chicken Adobo, never Pork! Hopefully, I'll be more lucky in the future.

R & B Filipino Cuisine
11257 Camino Ruiz
San Diego, CA 92126

Mon-Fri 930am-730pm
Sat 8am – 7pm
Sun 8am – 6pm

Thanks again for the recommendation Jan!

To Bi or not to Bi – A Banh Mi Bi Comparison – Cafe Dore, Saigon Sandwiches & Deli, Kim Chan

February 24, 2008 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

Want to meet the Missus's latest obsession? Here it is:

Yes, it's Banh Mi. Banh Mi Bi…..the version with shredded pork skin as the filling. I don't quite know how this one came about, but 2 weeks ago, it became "all about the Bi!" So after eating Banh Mi Bi just about everyday for the last 2 weeks(that's a lot of Bi!), the Missus came up with Her 3 favorites. So I decided to see, if the Missus knew Her Bi(that kinda rhymes, doesn't it?).

In a blind tasting of Her 3 favorites, She identified each sandwich and where it came from, based on taste, texture, bread, and of course Bi.

So here they are:

**** Cafe Dore has closed

Bi – 1: Cafe Dore($2.75):

The Missus says: "it's all about the Bi, great ratio of meat to skin(meatiest Bi), nice condensed pork flavor, Bi is always moist, with hints of sweetness. The bread is okay, on any given day Cafe Dore or Saigon will have better bread. The cilantro is a lost cause, too stringy, and the pickles are just average. Best flavor and texture overall."

Cafe Dore
4135 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92105

Bi – 2: Saigon Sandwiches and Deli($2.75):

Amazingly, Saigon Sandwiches and Deli, right next door took second place. Even though they reside next to each other, Cafe Dore and Saigon have distinct personalities. Cafe Dore being a Viet Coffee shop, is overwhelmingly male; the Missus was the only female in the place during a recent meal(post is forthcoming). Saigon, is a combination convenience store/snack shop, and the clientele is about two-thirds women and children.

So what about the Banh Mi? The Missus says:"Too much skin to meat, meat is on the dry side, the amount of roasted rice powder makes this sandwich stand out. It adds nice texture. The pickles are usually very good, refreshing sour with some spiciness. Too much pickles relative to Bi. Bread is usually good. Larger sandwich that Cafe Dore"

Saigon Sandwiches & Deli
4133 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92105

Bi – 3: Kim Chan Sandwich Shop($2.50):

**** Kim Chan has closed

The Missus says:"Bread is sometimes soggy, too much mayo kills the flavor. This place has the spiciest peppers that overwhelms the mild flavor of the Bi. Too little Bi relative to veggies, pickles, and bread."

I noticed something interesting when waiting for the sandwich. The gentleman first made the sandwich, wrapped it up, than proceeded to heat the sandwich…..

Kim Chan Sandwich Shop
4712 El Cajon Blvd Suite N
San Diego, CA 92115

Others that didn't make the cut include Bale…..

So there you have it…….it's all about the Bi.

Another short lived obsession:

After enjoying the Nem Chua I brought home from the Tet Festival, the Missus started seeking out different versions of this tasty sour pork sausage. So here we have a rarity……parallel obsessions!

The winner? The version from Kim Chan, though the smallest, and most expensive($6) was the favorite. It had the best texture(even though it had the least amount of pork skin), and flavor(hints of garlic, chilies, peppercorns).

The version from Bale in Mira Mesa was okay, but had too many peppercorns, and was too sour. In third was bought from Saigon Sandwiches & Deli, very tough, and bland.

Did I mention why this was a short lived obsession? When it was explained to the Missus that this was not a "cooked" sausage, in fact it is a fermented sausage….for some reason this ended the Missus's obsession.

Fast Food Breakfasts-without regard to calorie count, of course..

February 23, 2008 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the blog and Cathy is today’s writer of her recent adventures in eating. Kirk will be back soon.

Hi again. Just a post showing what I eat/have eaten lately for breakfast, mostly while driving (yet never using a drive though window)-(that was my New Years Resolution a few years ago: I park my car and walk INTO fast food places…to save on fuel and get that little bit of exercise in my day) around town, apparently aimlessly… Anyhow…

It looks like this, wrapped.
Yes, the ubiquitous Chick Fil A breakfast biscuit and side of tater-tot-ish potato nuggets(about $4). A light, tender, crispy edged biscuit with a lightly crispy batter fried 1/3 chicken breast that is nice and tender. The potato nuggets are fried correctly: crispy and kind of cooked through in a good way on the inside. This is the only chicken breast biscuit breakfast I like (McDonald’s has tried one and so has Hardee’s back East; it isn’t the same) Chick Fil A only cooks…um…chicken fillets, and they do it right.
By far, my most favorite fast food breakfast…
Because you get all the flavors in every bite…and it is all good. For $3.22, including tax, you get a 1/4 lb burger, topped with cheese-and bacon-and a fried egg-and on the bottom there are Tater Tots-and ketchup.

I crave this sandwich. I just do.

I don’t care about calorie count (obviously). I do care about the taste, and this has *every* flavor and texture I want for breakfast.

Then there is the ever popular

McDonald’s Sausage McMuffin (2 for $3)- The Mister craves these: I don’t. They are OK and not bad, just not a craving…and those hash browns, I do admit I ..um…do crave. However, pretty much any potato I think is good with me…

McDonald’s has a new item- the McSkillet Burrito (less than $3 everywhere) and I was curious. Looks kind of plain…
But, as you can see, it is the only item McDonald’s sells that has *real* chunks of potatoes in it, along with a whole sausage patty and eggs and cheese and salsa. A nice little meal in one bite. The salsa is not mild, ot too hot-just enogh of a bite-and I like how the flavors blend.

There are more places where I eat when I am having busy days (as have been happening lately) and I do enjoy a a bit of variety sometimes. I hope you do, too.

www.chickfila.com

www.carlsjr.com

www.mcdonalds.com

“Noodling Around” – Revisits to Tan Ky Mi Gia and Tan Ky Mi Gia(which used to be or still is Hinh Ky Mi Gia)

February 21, 2008 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Both these locations have closed

Here are a few updates.

Tan Ky Mi Gia – Mira Mesa

For some reason, the Missus and I were in he mood for some Roast Duck last week, and since we were in the area decided to stop by Tan Ky Mi Gia. It had been a while, and I've always thought they prepared their egg noodles well, it has always been nice and crunchy.

So, of course I had the Roast Duck Egg Noodles($6.05):

On this visit the broth was not as salty as it sometimes is, though it was more "yellow" than usual, I'm thinking from the egg noodles. The noodles were again perfect. I was a bit disappointed at the "roast duck", which is different from the duck I had here before. This one was more like BBQ duck, the skin was tough, as was the meat. The flavor was also very mild.

The Missus had the Roast Duck over rice($6.50):

Same duck, but with rice. The bowl of broth provided was very nice, though.

For some reason the Missus, feeling very hungry, also ordered the combination Banh Cuon($7.45):

As you can tell the Cha Lua(lean defatted pork sausage) was very dry. The butterflied fried shrimp however, was excellent. The Nuoc Mam Cham was on the sweet side, and overall, this was mediocre.

I think I'll stick with the Beef Sate Noodle Soup, unless on future visits I notice that the duck has changed back to how it was previously.

Tan Ky Mi Gia
9330 Mira Mesa Blvd #A
San Diego, CA 92126

My previous post on Tan Ky Mi Gia.

~~Hinh Ky Mi Gia,~~ wait, this place is back to being Tan Ky Mi Gia(El Cajon Boulevard):

As you can tell if you compare to my previous post. The Hinh Ky sign is down, leaving "Tan Ky Mi Gia" as the last sign standing:

Disappointed in the Duck Noodle soup at Tan Ky Mi Gia on Mira Mesa Boulevard, I just needed my fix.

As good as always, though the price has gone up, and is now over 6 bucks. What makes this duck so good are that the dripping poured over the duck.

I don't know what the story is regarding the name, the same folks still work here. In fact, they recognized us, saying; "we haven't seen you in a while." I think I'll be back soon.

Tan Ky Mi Gia
5237 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

“New” Spicy City aka Si Chuan Garden (Guo Qiao Yuan) Part 1

February 19, 2008 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants

Last week, I noticed that Spicy City had a new identity…..as per the new sign.

Yep, the sign still says Spicy City, but in Chinese it says "Across the Bridge Garden"…which made us think it’s referencing the famous Yunnan dish Across the Bridge Rice Noodles(check out the link – it has the story behind the dish). This was great news to the Missus and I, not that the old Spicy City was bad…..we used to be regulars at Spicy City when we first moved to San Diego. In fact we used to eat there 2-3 times a week. However, after a very, very, bad, insulting, and just plain nasty experience, we stopped visiting. For 6 years……

Now under new ownership, the Missus and I couldn’t wait to check things out, even though they have only been open for less than a week. Things have been rearranged a bit from what I can recall, and though the Spicy City menu is still in use, there is a laminated sheet with mostly Sichuan, and a few Yunnan dishes on it. This menu is pretty large……menu overload quickly kicked in.

The Missus was quickly attracted to something in the cold dishes section, and quickly ordered a plate of various appetizers:

Yep, it was those chicken feet, they didn’t look like much, but were terrific, mixed with Pao Jiao(pickled peppers), seasoned with some sesame oil, five spice, et al…this was very, very good….I called it Kwai Fei Chicken Feet.

The Bean Curd Skin noodles were on the bland side, and the Fuqi Feipian was very tough, and also on the bland side.

The Across the Bridge Rice Noodle(Guo Qiao Mi Xian – $6.99):

Rare chicken, bean curd skin, and other items are put into a hot chicken based broth, followed by rice noodles. The broth had a nice layer of oil, a requirement for this dish. Overall, it is very mild……sort of like Pho Ga(Chicken Pho).

The Chicken with Chilies Airpot($8.95), was brought to the table kept hot by the lit "sterno".

This was a very good dish, the chicken was cooked perfectly, it was moist and tender. The heat was just mildly-spicy(by our standards), and a combination of peppers were used for heat. It was very clear that the dishes used a much "lighter hand" when it came to spices and oil in comparison to Ba Ren and Dede’s. We took the leftovers home, where it went well with rice.

Spicy Cold Noodles($5.28):

This was a very strange dish…..it was very tasty with a good amount of vinegar, Sichuan pickled vegetable, minced pork, et al….but the noodles were terrible; hard and brittle, like they hadn’t been cooked. The Missus inquired, and the very friendly Server told her, that perhaps the noodles were a bit "undercooked"…and in the very practical Chinese way, told Her, that "by the time you get home, the noodles will soak up the flavor, and be better!" Which cracked us up…..the same Lady gave us some of her beauty tips. When the Missus commented on how nice her complexion was, she replied; "of course, because I eat chili peppers everyday…."

Now for the interesting part. We know that this is an extension of a Los Angeles Restaurant, we weren’t quite sure which restaurant is the one in question, is it Yun Gui Garden (formerly Hua’s Garden and Yunnan Garden), or Hua’s in Arcadia…this would become clear in a future visit.

Spicy City Chinese Restaurant
4690 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Part 2 can be found here.

I’d like to dedicate this one to FOY JeffreyC, whose Pao Jiao search remained fixed in my mind as I ate!

Sage French Cake and Coffee-quality food and a New Year Resolution I have kept!

February 18, 2008 Cathy Bakery, Caffeine Fix, Desserts, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso is the blog, written by a bunch of friends about food we eat, sometimes with some side notes about other things we do while eating. Today, Cathy is blogging.

Hello. Cathy here. Part of my New Year Resolution for 2008 was to take time to relax every day. Even if only for a few minutes…an hour a least I think I told myself.

So, the other day The Mister and I were shopping at Nijiya Market and finally got ourselves over to French Cake, located in the same parking lot. Many people have told me to try it here, and I have said I would…and now, finally, in 2008, I have.

Should have done it sooner.

We tried the banana split mousse ($3.75)- a very gelatinous, firm mousse, with very strong, rich flavor of banana and blackberry syrup with a dense flavored thin slice of chocolate cake on the bottom and an unsweetened whipped cream on top. Perfect flavors for me- I don’t crave sweets and do appreciate the true flavors that were in each bite. Even the cocoa in the cake.

We got regular coffee from the pump pot. It was strong flavored and fresh.

One of my recommendations from Yummie Yummy was to try the tiramisu ($4), and I am so glad we did. An excellent rendition that was very fresh and very non sugared down, with fresh marscapone with cocoa and cake which was perfectly textured.

I will be stopping here regularly, as part of my wanting to stick to my New Year Resolution to relax for at least one hour daily- and not eat or drink in the car while driving…

Yeah…I made a New Years Resolution and somehow turned it into a reason to stop at a bakery at least once a week…I don’t want to hear it…

Sage French Cake and Coffee 3860 Convoy Street, Suite 112 San Diego, CA 92111 (858) 571-3484 Tues-Sat 10-8, Sun 10-6, Closed Mon

A Trip to the new Fresh & Easy

February 17, 2008 Cathy Stuff, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the blog and today it is Cathy’s turn. Kirk is busy.

Hi again. Hope you day has been going well. Fresh & Easy has come to Southern California, and the one closest to our home has (finally) opened, so I thought I’d show and tell what our sort of "average" purchase is in a quick post..

For those who don’t know, Fresh & Easy is a mini grocery store concept, brought here by Tesco, the third largest retailer in the world, British based (Wal-Mart and Carrefour in France are #1 and #2) international grocery and general merchandising retail chain.

The products in the store are not from Britain, per se, but this one item I look for that seems to be sold out rather rapidly.

The "british-brand" uncured back bacon. ( no nitrates added except for naturally occurring nitrates in sea salt and celery juice) It is hand trimmed and hickory smoked.$5.59 a pound and *wonderful* stuff. The slices are not at all uniform- some thin and some thick, but I don’t cook a lot at once, so can keep an eye on the bacon in the pan.

Other items we buy on a sort of "regular shopping trip include:

Jewish Rye bread ($1.77)-this is thick cut, light(not dense) and has a hearty rye flavor. A pack of four cheese Danish ($3.59), light and crispy, buttery crust with a not too sweet, creamy filling. Smoked Polish kielbasa ($2.49) a one pound ring of not bad-but not like I grew up with- garlic-y kielbasa is a staple in our fridge …OH and that pint of Roasted banana gelato for $2.98 is my personal new addiction- it is pretty much Bananas Foster in cream form. Every flavor- butter and burned brown sugar- is there along with a wonderful, non-artificial banana flavor. I can’t wait for summer so I can maybe try other flavors, or just keep getting this stuff.

I also like the freeze dried banana/blueberry/raspberry mix ($2.50 for a 44g bag). This is a wonderful snack or add in to plain yogurt, or on top of salads and costs almost double when sold under other brand names in regular grocery stores. Freeze dried-light and airy crisp-not a hard and crunchy crispness-wonderful! The 24 ounce bag of carrots is only $1.03 and the 16 ounce low fat cottage cheese is $2.28, a good price in Southern California nowadays, where dairy prices have gone insane.

I don’t usually like orange juice from concentrate, but for $2.19, I tried it this time. It is not bad at all. The Greek yogurt (honey flavor and fig flavor) at $1.18 each, are a great deal. This time we bought the regular hot dog buns ($1.19) and a jar of sauerkraut (99¢) because we have some good skinned wieners at home that I think will be tomorrow’s lunch. The hot dog buns feel not soft, but the expiration date is about 5 days away- they were the freshest marked bread product there, so I am going to toast and butter the buns before eating and see how that works out. I think it will be dense but fresh bread…unlike the 99¢ generic hot dog buns sold in regular grocery stores.

Oh, the Huntsman Cheese is only $10.48/lb and one of my favorite treats, along with cured, dried meats, which we did not buy this time.

The store is known for its concept of having foods that are easy to prepare or eat (hence the name) and the refrigerated section is quite large. Sandwiches, salads, side dishes are not expensive and rather interesting. I just like to cook, so I only have purchased occasional of those items, when I am in a hurry. The lasagna is particularly good and, as I recall, $3.99 for a one pound serving.

As well as easy to eat and prepare items (make your own shrimp and salmon skewers- with sauce and a tomato on each of the 4 skewers -$5.99 for 13 ounces) (boneless skinless chicken breasts ready to bake with bell peppers, cream cheese and butter sauce for $7.99/lb), there are also other grocery items, like whole chicken legs for 79¢ a pound (they are 99¢ a pound at Costco) and 5 or 6 types of ground beef , including Angus (th 80/20 ground beef is $2.59). There are breakfast cereals, pancake mixes, syrups and baking goods, canned tuna, soups, oils and vinegars, both in popular brands and (about half the store is) Fresh and Easy brand. They sell plenty of Indian curry items, both fresh and frozen items (a 24 ounce frozen Mac and Cheese is $2.99) and some regular grocery store items, such as pet food, baby needs, cleaning items and drug store sundries, although not a full selection. Kind of a few notches above 7-11 in convenience and fanciness for those quick stops on the way home after a busy day.

It is an easy one stop shop, where you scan and bag it yourself. There are no sales: just everyday low prices. {They did have Whitman Chcolate 2 pound heart shaped boxes for $1.67 sold at the cash registers after Valentine’s Day, so I assume the prices were higher within the store prior to the holiday, but there are no sale flyers or things like that. } I do like it here and can do some regular, as well as some fancy shopping here. Addendum: The "fresh" items are marked down to half price after about 3 p.m daily (Including the flowers). The end unit you first hit when walking in the door has mark downs anyhow, but the half price stickers are fairly obvious on the items in the regular bins. There are no ‘weekly specials’ per se.

www.freshandeasy.com

Saturday “Stuffs”….

February 16, 2008 mmm-yoso Blog

Just a few items for this long weekend.

New Peruvian in San Diego:

This one is courtesy of FOY, Candice Woo, who mentioned a new Peruvian Restaurant. When She told me the location, I cracked up….it was right under my nose:

The name is Aji Seco, and it is located at 4310 Genesee. The dining area is attached to Nieto’s Taco Shop, though the kitchens are separate. Currently, open only evenings…we were told we sometimes open at 5, sometimes at 6. A post is forthcoming.

Thanks for letting me know about this place Candice!

Yakata is currently closed:

As mentioned by "Shan" in Ed from Yuma’s post on Sammy’s. I drove by recently, and did find the restaurant closed:

There are several notices posted on the door:

Too bad, we really enjoyed our meals at Yakata.

2424 Hoover Ave
National City, CA 91950

In the place of Da Kine’s in Mira Mesa:

Looks like it’ll be an Indian Restaurant:

This is going to be a pretty diverse mall….Filipino, Chinese, and now Indian all within a short walk.

10606 Camino Ruiz
San Diego, CA 92126

I hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend!

Thai By Tara

February 14, 2008 mmm-yoso Thai Restaurants

*** Thai by Tara is now Sab-E-Lee. You can find a post here.

There are some locations that seem cursed, locations come and go, changing every year or so. This location right off the corner of Ulric and Linda Vista Road is one of them. A few years back, it was a Banh Mi, and Vietnamese shop called, Linda Vista Food to Go, less than 2 years later, under new Ownership, it became a "Mi" shop called Mi Ngoc So 1. Than, last month ago, "Noodlefan" mentioned a new restaurant in this spot in His comment under the Filiberto’s Linda Vista post. That’ll be 3 restaurant in 3 years! And a Thai Restaurant to boot……. Of course, we made sure to check it out ASAP. Funny thing was, as I was getting ready to post I realized that I could never figure out what the name of this place was….

Ummmm, can you? Finally, on our last visit we asked…..and the Owner, a very funny, energetic Lady, told me "Thai By Tara". So Thai by Tara it is….even though it has a weird ring to it, I mean it sounds almost like a nail or hair place….Nails by Tara, or Hair by Tara….

The tiny restaurant has had a bit of freshening up, but otherwise has not changed much.

What has changed…other than the menu, is the personality of this shop….Tara(I’m guessing the restaurant is her namesake) has a personality like your outgoing, bossy, generous Aunt. Twice while eating, "Tara" brought out some nice dishes, and made sure to show them to us, with an, "Hmmm, looks good, huh? Next time you order this…." To be honest, the first time I looked at the menu, I was a bit disappointed….it looked like the typical "choose your meat, choose your sauce" style of Thai Restaurant. But the prices were quite good, with regular prices starting at $5.95. And when I turned the menu over, I noticed some "house specials" that looked promising…and nothing over $7.95.

There wasn’t much else to do, but to start ordering. And soon enough, a nice tray of condiments made its way to our table. Things were looking up.

We started with the Pad See Ew with Chicken($5.95):

This was borderline terrible…the dish was on the greasy side, the noodles mushy, and overall very under flavored…it needed a bit more soy and garlic.

Luckily, the meal was rescued by the Namtok, which was priced at $7.95 on the menu, but we were charged $5.95….in fact everything we had was $5.95.

This grilled beef salad was quite good. The beef was to our surprise very tender, in fact the Missus kept eating piece after piece….later She told me; "that first piece was so tender, that I thought it was a fluke, so I had another, and it was tender, so I had another….." I enjoyed the crisp "bite" of the onion, combined with the nutty roasted rice powder. Granted, I added some pickled chilies for a bit more heat, as well as a good squeeze of lime.

The Som Tum.

We enjoyed the crisp shredded papaya, the sweetness was spot on, as was the heat. There were 3 large plump, and perfectly cooked shrimp, though I did miss the savory rehydrated and shredded dried shrimp. Overall, not bad, not enough tomato and too much shredded carrot(?), and we’d have enjoyed some long bean.

The Shrimp Fried Rice.

If there’s any reason to return, it would be this…nicely "wokked", great flavors, including lots of garlic…and 6 shrimp! For $5.95!

The Green Curry with Chicken:

Too watery and sweet, weak in the curry department.

Kai Kra Pow:

This minced chicken stir fry was on the sweet side for me, though the Missus enjoyed it. I think it was the nicely fried egg that reeled Her in.

Beef Larb:

This was a nice dish, finally a Larb with enough herbs….the roasted rice powder was a nice touch. The flavor was quite good, though the Larb was a bit on the dry side. The acid test? The Missus said this was much better than the version I make. Hmmm……

Hot Basil with Beef:

Another one of those, choose the meat, choose the sauce dishes. Beef was fairly tender, not enough basil flavor. Mediocre…..

And finally, the Pad Thai with Tofu:

The noodles were perfect in texture, just the right amount of elasticity. We would have preferred fried tofu, it has a better texture, and more flavor. This Pad Thai was very bland……

As you can see, its a mixed bag…but the prices allow you the luxury of really trying out the various dishes. And we found a few that we’d have again.

The restaurant is small, 5 tables crowded into a small space. The Owner is very nice and funny….one day She shared some really nice "Ginger Tea" with us. On one occasion, The Missus and I watched in amusement as a young Hispanic Man ate his noodle soup with wooden chopsticks….that he never broke apart! We were amazed at his ability to feed himself……he used the one piece chopstick as a glorified fork, and twirled the noodles around the chopstick like pasta.

Oh……and Buddha eats really well here!

Which made me think that there’s a lot more than what’s on the menu….next time I want some of that!

Thai By Tara
2405 Ulric St
San Diego, CA 92111
(858)650-6868

Hours – Mon-Fri 9am-8pm
Sat-Sun 10am-9pm

Thanks again for the recommendation Noodlefan!