mmm-yoso – Page 505 – 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.

Road Trip-Day Five: Detroit/Ann Arbor, MI to St Louis-ish, MO

November 27, 2007 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Detroit, Michigan, Road Trip, What Cathy Eats!, yoso-silly

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog, written in some creative ways. This time it is Cathy, writing about food across America and back. We are now heading back … towards San Diego.

Hello again. We are all back in the car and heading west…albeit slowly. First, breakfast…

Cracker Barrel is along our entire driving route- except, not in California-the closest one to us is 3 hours away, in Yuma. It is good in the sense that all are laid out the same way and I know exactly where the restrooms are-just past the "General Store" lobby (filled with souvenirs and knick knacks and candies)…and they serve breakfast all day. There is a small game on every simply set table. Coffee is $1.39-but I am spoiled by the consistency of Starbucks- cross country(as a side note- we used 6 tanks of fuel and 7 stops at Starbucks on this drive East) I can get a fresh cup of coffee whenever we stop; I can tell you stories of the strangest tasting brown colored hot water I have consumed on prior road trips. This year the signage for Starbucks is better( "Exit 159, Turn Left" with a Starbucks symbol, nothing else) and there are more locations right off the freeway.

So, back to Cracker Barrel, The Mister got the "Holiday Sampler" breakfast plate ($7.19) A choice of country or sugar ham, a slice of wonderful country bacon (it is not crispy, but a cured smoked ham thin sliced and pan fried -different than what most of you grew up with), a wonderful sausage patty, two eggs, hash browns, spiced apples, grits, a regular biscuit, an apple biscuit and country gravy-not too spicy(needed to add pepper), not at all lumpy.Plenty of food. I got the two biscuits with ham and side of spiced apples- they are cooked with the skins on….still crispy in a thick, non-cinnamon, non-sweet sauce.

One thing I like about Cracker Barrel is that you can get a book on tape (or CD) at one location and then drive while listening to it and return it at any other location whenever. It ends up costing you less than $5 and is a good way to pass time if you don't have satellite radio. Regular AM/FM stations end up fading so fast while driving (at best one station will last 2 hours) that having something to hold your concentration, besides conversation, helps tremendously.

Wonderful… said our goodbyes and and we were off in the car again. First stop, the University of Michigan. North Campus. Food.

Yes, you are reading correct- Bagel Fragel. A fragel is …yep, a fried bagel.

Raisin packed bagel dough, fried to a golden brown (instead of boiled). Coated in cinnamon sugar. More sugar than cinnamon-perfect. (I don't crave cinnamon) (89¢) An Ann Arbor tradition for 30 years. {The original Bagel Fragel place used to be located on South University, but now is North of North Campus, on Plymouth Road.} I would get one every Saturday morning. Had to get one now. Had to. While I could. It is bread-y inside and the crust is lightly crispy…not hard…still chewy but a little crunch. Healthier than a donut…not as healthy as bagel…like I care.

A salt bagel, toasted, with butter. (72¢) It is quite difficult to find salt bagels around San Diego. These are good, fresh, inexpensive….and salty! The shop also sells muffins, danishes, sandwiches and breakfast bagels.

Then the traditional Ann Arbor stop at The Cube, a beautiful installation art piece that spins on its axis, either with the help of a push, or just the wind. Made in 1966-67, by Tony Rosenthal, it is located near the Michigan Union, {just off of State Street, on Maynard} and has a "twin"of itself in New York City. As a size reference, the corners parallel to the ground are worn out. Those corners are arm level – where you push.

Then, our primary traditional food indulgence. Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger. This small restaurant (Capacity of 50) seems to be patronized by a lot of people after graduation. The people working the grill were commenting about how many "old" people were in there when we were. Eh, after Thanksgiving, the town seemed filled with alumnae. The Mister and I both lived in South Quad, a dorm located only a block away from Blimpy's and frequented this simple restaurant regularly when undergrads.

You walk in, between tables, and queue up. The menu is on the wall behind the tray line (click to enlarge and read).

You grab a tray and tell the cook your order. Then you watch it being made. The beef is ground daily, set up as a ball of meat in single, double, triple and quad packs, and slapped down on the grill to cook and seasoned with a salt/pepper mix. If you are getting fried items, you order from the fry cook…finished sandwich items are

topped to your wishes (ketchup, mustard, mayo, lettuce, tomato, pickles, raw onions, relish, yellow peppers) and wrapped at the end of the line … you pay and find a seat.

Mine. Double. Provolone. Fried egg. Mayo. Tomato. Onion. Pickle. ($2.85 plus 55 cents for the egg)

His. Triple. Blue cheese. Everything but onion. ($3.95)

Small mixed fried veggies. ($3.45) We sat at 2 of the 5 barstools looking out the front window, onto South Division, as we had many years ago. Enjoyed every last bite.

Oh, the burgers are juicy, flavorful and absolutely the best you will ever have. It has been said you can feel your arteries hardening with each bite. The mixed fries are plentiful, lightly crispy, not too greasy..a mix of onions, zucchini, cauliflower, mushrooms-no potatoes…perfect. We cleaned our tray and left…already awaiting the next visit. It is cheaper than food…and so good.

We ate more today, but I will just add it to tomorrow's post…

Cracker Barrel website. Numerous locations.

MD Bagel Fragel (734)332-1020 North Campus (Plymouth Road)

Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger 551 S. Division, Ann Arbor 48104 (734)663-4590

***Krazy Jim's closed on August 15, 2013 after 60 years. It should be re-opening and the date and location will be announced on its Web Page

JV’s Mexican Food

November 26, 2007 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops

First off, my apologies…..I’m sure after eating more calories in a few days, than you would in a month, the last thing you’d want is to have me waving a burrito in your face. But with a small backlog, I decided to start the post-Thanksgiving diet with a very popular taco shop. When we lived in the area JV’s was a regular stop, in those days we thought they made a pretty good burrito. So not having eaten at JV’s in 4-5 years or so, I was wondering how my tastes had changed, if at all, and recently paid a visit to JV’s.

One of the reasons I enjoyed grabbing a bite from JV’s was that service was very quick, and the crew at JV’s were almost always friendly…….

In fact, the attitudes are almost as bright as the orange and yellow colors that comprise the interior…. There always seems to be a steady stream of customers.

The menu at JV’s goes beyond the usual San Diego Taco Shop fare, with items like the Del Mar Burrito(shrimp, fish, beans – $7.10), the Surf and Turf Burrito(Shrimp and Carne Asada – $7.10), the Tuna Melt Quesadilla(!!! – $4.90). On this day, I chose the Al Pastor Burrito($4.40):

For some strange reason, I always like to place my burrito next to another object when taking a photo….just for the sake of determining scale. I guess it’s just a bad habit…. The burritos at JV’s are fairly large.

This was just okay, the Al Pastor (marinated pork) was mild in flavor, though the meat was tender. I thought that the guacamole and large quantity of pico de gallo detracted from the overall flavor of the Al Pastor. In this case it was obvious that the pork wasn’t spit roasted, the hallmark of Al Pastor.

Nevertheless, the burrito did fill me up. I also like the hot sauce at JV’s, and the salsa bar stocks roasted jalapenos, marinated carrots, and the like for free.

Of course, I had to make another visit and grab the ubiquitous California Burrito($4.95):

This burrito, as with all the burritos are pretty hefty in size. The Carne Asada was pretty mundane, dry and bland, not quite what I remembered. I also wished for more french fries, and less sour cream.

Still, not bad for under 5 bucks. But not as good as I recall. These days, I’m less of a burrito guy, and more of a taco dude…..

I had thought of going back to JV’s to grab more of our favorites from not-so-way-back-when, the Red Chile Burrito($4.20), and other stuff(Lengua Plate!), but I think, that at least for now, I’ll just rely on my memories.

Still, if you’re in the mood for some "different" burritos, like the Big Chicken Philly(grilled chicken, onions, and mushrooms), perhaps JV’s is worth a try.

JV’s Mexican Food
1112 Morena Blvd
San Diego, CA 92110
619-276-0758

Open Sunday-Thursday 9am-11pm
Friday-Saturday 9am-2am

Rack of Lamb with Cilantro-Scallion Crust

November 23, 2007 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes

I hope everyone had a happy and safe Thanksgiving. The Missus has been quite busy the last few weeks, so we decided to forgo the usual feast……

So this year we had Chinese food which brought back a funny memory……a few years back, we were in Seattle over the Thanksgiving weekend. It was Thanksgiving day, and I was wondering where we’d be able to grab a bite.

Me: "I’m wondering what’s open…"

The Missus: "Chinese restaurants always open on Thanksgiving."

Me: "Why"

The Missus: "Because, wehavenothingtobethankfulfor…..he-he-he…"(She was joking….I think)

And of course we headed off to the International District, and had a nice meal in one of the Chinese restaurants in the area.

Anyway, here’s something I made this past week. It’s really easy, the whole meal can be whipped up in 45 minutes or so. Please excuse the photos, it gets dark pretty early nowadays, and the lighting in our kitchen is dreadful.

RACK OF LAMB WITH CILANTRO-SCALLION CRUST
1 Tb Canola Oil
2 Tb Olive Oil
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
4 Cloves Garlic, minced
3-4 Tb thinly sliced Scallion
3-4 Tb minced Cilantro
1/2 Cup panko
1 Rack of lamb (7 or 8 ribs) – I Frenched the rack, and trimmed much of the fat cap off – saved the fat, and used it for the brussel sprouts.
Salt
Pepper
2 Tb Mayonnaise
1/4 Cup Dijon mustard
2 Tb Soy sauce

1 – In a heat olive oil over moderate heat until it is hot but not smoking, add the red pepper flakes, stirring for 10 seconds. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 20-30 seconds. Add the scallion and the cilantro and cook the mixture, stirring, for 10 seconds. Stir in the panko, salt, and pepper. Remove the skillet from heat.
2 – Mix the mayonnaise, soy sauce and mustard in a small bowl, set aside.
3 – Season the lamb with Salt and Pepper
4 – Heat an ovenproof skillet over high heat until it is hot and brown the lamb. Turning it occasionally until the sides and the ends are browned evenly.

5 – Pour off any fat from the skillet, arrange the lamb, fat and meat side up, and brush with the mayonnaise/mustard mixture.
6 – Apply panko mixture evenly on the fat and meat on the mayo/mustard mixture.
7 – Bake the lamb in a preheated 450 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, or until a meat thermometer registers 130 degrees for medium-rare meat.
8 – Transfer the lamb to a platter, let it stand, uncovered, for 10 minutes before slicing.

It was a nice little meal…..Rack of Lamb with a Cilantro-Scallion Crust, Horseradish Mashed Potatoes, and Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Garlic, sauteed in Lamb Fat.

Road Trip-Happy Thanksgiving from Detroit

November 22, 2007 Cathy Cooking, Road Trip, What Cathy Eats!, yoso-silly

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog -a diary of food eaten- written by a bunch of friends independently of each other. This is Cathy, who is in Detroit with her family.

Good wishes to you and your family from all of us.

in the midwestern United States. Ham, with an orange marmalade/mustard glaze, cheesy potato hot dish Kielbasa, roast beef Turkey, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole..other stuff too. and three pies…mince (apples and raisin filling), black forest pie (made by my nephew) and pumpkin pie (made by my niece). Including Staples the traveling poodle (in the wind)… and Gizmo, the much traveled cat, with snow flurries on his back… I hope all of you are having a good meal with family and friends and that we all have something to be thankful for. It is a good time to reflect.

Road Trip-Day Three: Joplin, MO-Detroit, MI

November 21, 2007 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Chains, Detroit, Michigan, Road Trip, What Cathy Eats!, yoso-silly

mmm-yoso!!! is the food blog. Cathy is blogging about food and some other stuff this Thanksgiving week.

Hi. Yes the third day in the car with The Mister, one small dog and one cat. We do this. Annually. You get to peek in and see what it is like, sort of. I would like to take this time to let everyone know that XM stereo radio is the most wonderful invention, ever.

One small note. yesterday (or the day before-it is all a blur), we had passed under the World’s Largest McDonald’s, which crosses over the Will Rogers Turnpike in Oklahoma. Usually we stop- as there is fuel sold on either side- but we did not need to this time. I’ll post more on the way back. I know someone may have noticed… In the morning, we stopped at the Russell Stover/Whitman’s Chocolates "Superstore"…the adversting has changed; it used to be an "outlet" and does sell some candies in a "scratch and dent/basic box style, as we,, as items in the fancy wrapped boxes for less than list price. My brother happens to crave the butter toffee almond sticks…and I had a few of the samples offered. They also sell Blue Bunny ice cream cream in the store- not that I wanted any; it was very windy and about 50 outside..ooohhh…cold (for us from California)…. We ended up stopping at a Panera in Rolla, MO so I could post yesterday, and then driving on. Then, the outskirts of St. Louis and a Local Chain- Lion’s Choice. A simple menu and simple decor. You can have the beef on your sandwich cooked to your liking if it is available (you know, they do run out of rare at some point in the day) although you would have to wait for ‘well done’, since most of the beef is rare to medium rare… and the meat on the sandwich is topped with a seasoning salt- but it is not too salty; in this case, we asked for it to be cooked as rare as possible…and the bread is toasted and buttered….in the photo, the top is the large, bottom is a small…there is au jus available (it is not at all salty) as well as horseradish sauce….it isthe most wonderful roast beef sandwich, ever. If you see a Lion’s Choice, you should stop and partake.Oh, the small was $2.79 and large was $3.29 and that is a small fries.

Then, seemingly soon, we were in Illinois…and this sign, which we always see off the side of the road…Foot High Pies. You can see the building used to be a Stuckey’s. Most of the height is the merengue, of course. We got a slice of chocolate and one of banana- also available are coconut and lemon. $4 each slice and $14 for the whole pie… it is wonderful and so fresh. The restaurant makes great food…menu on wall in back…We will have to eat there next time….

Not much scenery for you, for now…It was a driving day… Gotta go shopping. Now. Bye!

Road Trip-Day Two: Albuquerque, NM-Joplin, MO

November 20, 2007 Cathy Albuquerque, American/New American Restaurants, Chains, Road Trip, What Cathy Eats!, yoso-silly

mmm-yoso!! s a food blog, with diversions. It is a Holiday week. Cathy is silly and blogging it. Enjoy.

Hi. It is me again, with another day of my life, with food. Online. Really. The Mister and I are driving, taking photos, downloading and sharing another day on the road, driving across America. We stopped for fuel at a Loves Truck Stop, where we have seen (forever) "Chester's Fried Chicken" being sold and decided, for the sake of the blog, to try a three piece combination (three breast strips, three potato wedges and a roll for $3.59)…wow=excellent light breading with a nice heat spice kick. We also ordered a medium fried chicken livers($3.29) Very juicy, fresh and the breading was spiced nicely. Justg a bit of heat and salty. Really. We figured this would not be good and were glad how wrong we were.

It turns out that only 30 Loves fuel stations also offer Chester's, and I think we saw them all. The closest one to San Diego is on I-10 just after you get onto it when driving from Gila Bend to Phoenix. It is *really* good fried chicken. When The Mister and I drive through Amarillo every year, w stop at a Classic American Art Installation project,Cadillac Ranch. It changes daily, by the participation of the viewers of the art. Here is a photo when we visited two years ago…

You can see there are ten older Cadillac cars buried inthe ground, and spray painted randomly. Last night, it was after sunset. There was a half moon out. The cars are a good 1/2 mile from the road. The Mister and I walked. We left, and you know we had been there…

This morning- Waffle House! A staple restaurant in Mid America. Each stand alone building has 9 booths and 5 barstools at the counter. The menus are the same. Basic breakfast served 24 hours a day, served up by efficient grill cooks and pleasant waitresses who all call you "Dear" no matter your age.

The Mister ordered a bit of everything, with a waffle, eggs over easy, hash browns with cheese and sasuage. I got the cheese scrambled eggs with grits and bacon …and, of course, raisin toast, which is served with apple jam.

And so, we are still driving….seeing the beauty of Mid America, and the changing seasons and weather… and the tourist traps from the freeway…

So, from somewhere in Missouri-this is Cathy-driving away….

Road Trip-Day One: San Diego, CA- Albuquerque, NM

November 19, 2007 Cathy Albuquerque, American/New American Restaurants, Chains, Road Trip, Stuff, What Cathy Eats!, yoso-silly

mmm-yoso is a food blog-a diary of what a bunch of friends eat. Occasionally we explain why we happen to be eating whatever, wherever. Cathy is merely blogging what she usually does at this time of the year.

Hi. Yes, you read the title correctly. This is a blogging of what The Mister and I do for Thanksgiving every year -except for last year-

because I tripped, fell, was in a cast TO MY SHOULDER for about 7 weeks, and so driving a manual transmissioned car for days at a time was out of the question.

Yes, days at a time. Because of the ability to transmit from my iBook directly to the internet, when there is a connection, you-all of you reading this- get to share in a drive almost all the way across the Continental United States, and back. With food and sights.

So, really late Sunday afternoon, The Mister and I left the house, grabbing one cat (he is diabetic and needs insulin twice a day), one dog (her 'sister' died a few weeks ago and so I am trying to pay a little bit more attention to her), my auto reload Starbucks card ( a wonderful thing; once the balance gets below $15, my AmEx credit card automatically reloads this one with another $20), a small suitcase and jumped in the car and started driving…we left 7 cats, 3 dogs and three large birdcages of parakeets, finches and canaries for my Dear Neighbor, Ms. N, to play with for a few days…and we started driving.

We didn't do much in the way of eating, except for In-N-Out in Yuma (sorry, ed) I apologize for the post looking kind of odd; I haven't ever posted using a Mac; only the PC… So, when we stopped for fuel, we saw this, leaving a gas pump: Absolutely the *coolest* dune buggy.. The scenery leaving Campo, with the electric generating windmills was beautiful. We spent the night in Camp Verde, AZ at a Quality Inn and had a simple-do it yourself breakfast I had a hard boiled egg, a toasted bagel with butter and grape jelly, an orange and some oatmeal, as well as orange juice and hot tea (Only buying coffee at Starbucks and have taken photos of each cup we bought…at four different Starbucks as of this posting. When we got to Winslow, AZ, we saw Sonic! and we had to… We each got a Brakfast sandwich- on Texas Toast. Egg, cheese and bacon for me, sausage for The Mister. Also some tots and -oh yes- the fried macaroni and cheese nuggets… Sonic is a Drive in, much like was common in the 1950's. You cannot walk inside and have to order from the menu board voice system next to where you park. Then a live person comes out with your order and takes your money and gives you change. They make great burgers, hot dogs and shakes. You'll see soon enough. Other sites we have seen today includ the Worlds Largest Kokopelli: and just beautiful scenery of the American West. Erosion is really neat. Yes, I am posting this from a Starbucks in Albuquerque. It is Monday, about 12:45 p.m. in San Diego time. We have to get to Amarillo before dark. Hope all of you are having a good short week.

Peru: Pescados Capitales – Miraflores(Lima)

November 18, 2007 mmm-yoso Lima, Peru, Seafood, Travel

Knowing how much the Missus loves Cebiche, it would have been a crime to leave Lima without another meal at a Cebicheria, restaurants specializing in seafood, especially, well what else, Cebiche! In doing research for out meal, I came across several great sources, one was of course, Peru Food, another being the restaurant reviews in klephblog, and finally, this excellent article written by Jonathan Yardley for the Washington Post. In the end, it came down to meals at either Gaston Acurio's Cebicheria, La Mar, or the highly regarded Pescados Capitales. Interestingly enough, the two restaurants are located blocks from each other, in what is slowly becoming the "Cebicheria district", Avenida La Mar. Another well regarded Cebicheria, La Red, is also located on the same street. Since we had already eaten at Astrid & Gaston the evening before, and since Pescados Capitales takes reservations, we decided on Pescados Capitales. It was a bit tough getting reservations, we could never find anyone who spoke English. Luckily, the very nice Concierge at the Marriott, made reservations for us. She did wonder how I knew about Pescados Capitales since it's according to her a "mostly a local place". Later on, when she saw me, she followed up, curious as to how we enjoyed our meal. So, after a busy morning, we flagged down a cab on Larcomar got a price (6 Soles), and headed off. The young man, who looked part Chinese, was amiable, and he humored the Missus who used her survival Spanish on him. When she mentioned taxi drivers in Lima, he made a clucking sound, and told the Missus, "taxi all loco, allll loco, in Lima!" Of course he was in the process of cutting several cars off, and making a left turn from the center lane without using the turn signal at the time…….

Avenida La Mar, is an interesting street, a mixture of auto repair shops, small industrial businesses, residential, and as mentioned before, several upscale Cebicherias. Cebicherias are strictly lunchtime eateries, so location is not such a big issue. Oh, one more thing, in Lima, lunch can mean any time between noon and 6pm! I had heard that Peruvians like to eat late, and we did notice how Astrid & Gaston got busier as the night wore on. In keeping with that, when we arrived for our 1230 reservation, the restaurant was almost totally empty:

The Missus looked at me and went, "humph, you needed reservations for this?" But by 1 pm, it looked like this:

Before we left….packed to the rafters!

Just after sitting we were brought an Amuse of uber-fresh Scallops with Bloody Mary mix:

So simple, yet so very good. The sweet, tender orbs, was like a spicy-tomatoey kiss of the ocean. When the Missus mentioned how good this was, the Server, brought Her two more!

I had read that the name of the restaurant was a play on words, "pescado" in Spanish means fish, you'd think the word "pescados" would probably be the plural of the former word. But it is not, "pescados" is translated as "sin". So using this play on words, many of the dishes at Pescados Capitales are named for the Seven Deadly Sins or the Seven Virtues. A double order of Paciencia (patience) anyone? On some days I could perhaps use a triple order…….. In addition, the Owners of Pescados Capitales are of Peruvian-Chinese descent, and there are several dishes on the menu that reflect this.

The Aji was brought to the table, and was really good, and a bit different from other versions. It had a distinct smokey flavor to it, almost as if some chipotle was in the mixture. The cancha(fried corn kernals) were nice and salty, though very dry. It was best eaten mixed with the Leche de Tigre(Tigers Milk), the cebiche marinade.

Oh, and how good that Leche de Tigre was! We started with the classic Cebiche de Leguado (sole cebiche s/30 – approx $10).

Though the fish was good, not excellent, the Leche de Tigre was the best we've ever had, just the right amounts of sour-salty that is as bracing as the spray created by waves crashing on a rocky shoreline. Mildly pungent and sweet onions, and very spicy red peppers added heat, and the camote, with the slight hint of cinnamon in the background made this a very pleasing dish. To this day, when we think of Cebiche, this is the version that comes to mind.

We also ordered the Caridad ("Charity" s/ 30, approx $10 US), and interesting Eurasian mix of flavors.

Pacific Rockfish had been lightly studded with sesame seeds, lightly dusted with togarashi, and lightly seared, giving it good texture. The reduction which I read contained mirin, dashi, lime, among several other items was much better than I thought it would be. The combination of sweet-salty-sour was quite good. It was accompanied by a nice green salad, with a mild vinaigrette. The only item we didn't care for was the parmesian cheese, the sour cheese along with very rare fish was not a combination we enjoyed.

I also wanted to try a tiradito, so I selected the Tiradito Capital(s/ 31 – approx $10.50 US):

This was one beautiful dish, and the tuna was really nice and fresh. The rest of it was a mish-mash of confusing flavors…a very strong oyster sauce reduction, that tasted like it had dijon mustard in it on top, Leche de Tigre on the bottom…too many clashing flavors, you really couldn't taste anything. Maybe this was a little bit too over the top for us. I was wishing I could just have that maguro…….. Still you can't blame them for trying.

The menu at Pescados Capitales is fairly large and diverse. Don't let our meal fool you, there are many cooked seafood dishes like "Lust" stuffed squid, grilled over coals, a very popular risotto we saw many people ordering, and a huge plate of Pulpo! I'm sure next time we're in Miraflores we'll be checking out Punta Azul, a Cebicheria we passed several times on a side street, and La Mar…..but I'd come back to Pescados Capitales in a minute!

Pescados Capitales
Avenida La Mar 1337
Miraflores, Lima, Peru

Chung Hing

November 17, 2007 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants

What the heck was I doing at a Chinese Fast Food joint on Miramar Road you may ask……

Well, over the last 2 years, I’ve received at least 5 emails extolling the high quality and flavor of the Char Siu at Chung Hing. One of them said, "don’t get anything but the BBQ pork", another perhaps less reliable person said "gotta get that BBQ pork, and really good old school Chinese stuff like egg foo yung and cream cheese won tons." Egg foo yung and cream cheese won tons? Still, when I thought about it, I don’t consider those Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings I love so much, Chinese Food, but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying them. And who knows, maybe the Char Siu at Chung Hing might be really, really, good.

The interior of Chung Hing is cramped, with tables squeezed in to maximize capacity. The offerings at Chung Hing are like an encyclopedia of Chinese Fast Food. Beef Broccoli, Egg Rolls, and yes, a hand written sign, "BBQ Pork, $7.95/lb." I walked up and ordered the pork from the lady who eyed me with some suspicion. "BBQ pork, huh?" "Yes, BBQ pork….." She brought out several steaming hunks of meat and chopped them for me. I headed home, since a large pot of rice was waiting for me.

I must say, the Char Siu was very fresh, still steaming. But, though the meat was soft and juicy, the flavors were much too mild, not sweet enough, not rich enough, not enough fat. It had the texture of a regular pork roast, and lacked the mild beaniness and the complex depth of sweetness of good char siu.

After a few bites, I decided to let the Char Siu "rest" until the next day. And yes, the next day, the flavors were better, the texture of the meat had more of the tighter texture I’m used to in Char Siu. Not bad……not great, but not bad at all. I still miss the Char Siu and Roast Pork at places like Oahu Market and for some reason Island Manapua Factory in Manoa, and several other come to mind……

Chung Hing
7160 Miramar Rd
San Diego, CA 92121

So now what to do? Well, I decided to make one of my carb-loaded easy dishes. Stir Fried Egg Noodles, with Soy Sauce and bean sprouts. Really easy stuff. The only thing I do a bit different, is that I don’t boil those noodles, they get really mushy, and the texture is all wrong. Instead, I give them a quick rinse, than steam them for 8-10 minutes before stir frying them.

Just an easy stir-fried noodles dish…..

Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot & Grill Part 1 – Not the Hot Pot

November 15, 2007 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants

We were pretty excited when we first spotted the sign for Little Sheep. Though for some reason, once the restaurant opened we just never made it. Perhaps it was the weather being a bit too hot, or maybe we were just in a rut following our return from Peru. Than came a really hectic period, I got sick, the wildfires struck, I got food poisoning, etc, etc, etc……..

Whatever the reason, we finally got our act together, and made it over to Little Sheep. And though the selection for hot pot items looked very tempting……

A FOY (friend of yoso) had sent me an email regarding the lunch specials listed on the placards at each table. We found the restaurant empty except for one other table. And after giving the regular menu sheet a quick once over, and ordering a few things, we checked out the lunch time offerings.

Cold Pork Jelly ($4.95), this was from the menu sheet. If you’re a regular reader, you already know that I enjoy "jellied meats", tender connective tissue, head cheese, et al…..

This was pretty solid and chewy, served in a little pool of a soy mixture which added just about the only discernible flavor, other than the cilantro, to the dish. The Missus said, that in most versions She’s had, the jellied meat is topped with minced garlic, which would have been a welcome addition here.

Lamb Skewers($4.95), also from the menu sheet.

The lamb meat had some chew, but wasn’t overly tough. What was lacking was flavor, not enough cumin, not enough salt killed this street food favorite. We had ordered these "spicy", but the skewers were still very, very mild.

Beef Noodle Soup with Hand Sliced Noodle (Dao Xiao Mien – $6.95).)

I had been for warned by our FOY, that the Beef Noodle Soup was very bland. But since I love Dao Xiao Mien(Knife Cut Noodles) I had to give this a try. And yes, that broth was lousy, totally devoid of flavor, it was not even salty. I added chili oil, salt, soy sauce….uh-uh, not very good. The 3 thin slices of beef were flavorless, dry, and tough. Too bad, because the noodles were not half bad, much better than the Late Jamillah Garden’s doughy version. This version had a decent chew, along with some pull, and wasn’t shaved too thick. One more thing, we couldn’t believe how much noodle was in this soup……it seemed like an endless amount. Talk about a carb fest…….noodles upon noodles.

The Cumin Lamb Stir Fry($8.95):

This should have just been called Salted Lamb Stir Fry. Again, not enough cumin, and too much salt. Not even close to the version served at Dede’s.

House Casserole($12.95)

A light, but flavorful broth, with "Thousand Layer Tofu"(aka frozen tofu) soaking up the flavor, this was by far the Missus’s favorite of the day. It tasted even better as left overs. The bean thread in the dish along with the Napa Cabbage added substance, though the meat was on the tough side. Still, I’m not quite sure this is worth almost $13…….

I’m sure we weren’t the only ones wondering how Little Sheep will survive the warm, and sometimes downright hot summers. If this is any indication, it may be tough. But for now, as it gets cooler we will enjoy the Hot Pot at Little Sheep.

Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot & Grill
4718 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

Mon-Sun 11:30am -3:00 5:30pm – 9:00pm
Fri-Sat 11:30am -3:00 5:30pm – 10:00pm
Sun 11:30am -3:00 5:30pm – 9:30pm

In Part 2 we’ll do the Hot Pot……