mmm-yoso – Page 515 – 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.

Curry House-a ch-ch-ch-chain…and, no rules- we didn’t order curry!

September 26, 2007 Cathy Japanese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Curry House has closed.

mmm-yoso!!!, the blog. About food. Cathy still blogging about food eaten around San Diego. Ed eating but not documenting in Yuma. Kirk eating and eventually documenting from Peru.

Hi. Cathy here with maybe some better photos of this meal. Lunch at Curry House. It says 'Curry and spaghetti' on the front signage.

There are plastic bowls of plastic food in the front window, and menus displayed.

There has been a coupon in the papers lately- buy one and two beverages and get the other menu item free. With a week of meals eaten out, as well as trying to have something interesting to blog about, a coupon was a nice deal. We got a hot tea, which came with a just right size pot of water to make three cups and high quality Japanese green tea bag and a coffee, which happened to be fresh brewed since The Mister apparently was the only person drinking coffee in a Japanese restaurant, and it was served with a little pitcher of real cream (each $1.75).

Then we got the menu and I wanted to try all the other items on the menu and not the curries, mainly because Kirk has already blogged (and so has Guest Commenter Vicky, who blogged a bit and moved North earlier this year) about Curry House and they must do that well, right? The restaurant is owned and run by House Foods, a major supplier of all kinds of goodies, from curries and sauces to tofu 'noodles'. So, the menu items are kind of all made from Asian Grocery Store staples, and are a selling point for the restaurant…but wow: excellent.

So, we decided to try out a bowl of corn potage($2.60)

…this is not corn chowder, but corn soup. Excellent corn soup. Whole corn niblets are in it and it is …oh…more like corn pudding in richness of flavor, but not too thick.

Then there was a hand out that came with the regular menu- a single page with new stuff on it-and photos-…

So anyhow, Seafood with yam noodles. ($9.50)

Sort of in an Alfredo sauce- but not. Thinner sauce, hint of curry heat under, but white. Excellent rich flavor. The yam 'noodles' were wide- we have had skinnier yam 'noodles' that fell apart, but these 'noodles' held up. There were squid rings, fish, mussels, shrimp and broccoli and onions in this *large* bowl. Excellent flavor, unexpected high quality of seafood. I don't know why we thought it would be not great, but this was *really* good. Not Italian seafood fettuccine, but a nice Japanese version and the menu said lower in calories that regular pasta (550 calories versus 900). Like I care about calories. It is flavor I care about.

I decided to splurge and get the crab and shrimp salad($12.75).

We had to wait a bit because they were cooking and peeling the crab and shrimp to put on top of this salad. Yes, they were warm (and sweet/fresh tasting) on top of the mixed greens, cabbage, tomatoes and radish sprouts served on the icy cold plate. While we waited, we noticed the advertising set on the table and the House salad dressing was available for sale for $3.50 and the sign said "no preservatives". We asked and the waitress said it lasts only abut 10 days. Fresh made…oh my. It was rich soy sauce, garlic and ginger flavored, deep and wonderful. I am definitely going to buy some when I hit one of my "daily must eat greens" phases, which happens every few months. The combination of flavors was really good.

I saw some side dishes that you could order, ostensibly with a curry dish, on the menu and asked if I could get a potato croquette($1.50). I usually get fresh made croquettes at Nijiya Market, in the same parking lot, but I wanted to try this one. It was a nice, plump, moist potato, lightly breaded with panko and with a light fry- delicate, yet crusty. Kind of a nice side to go with the salad, although I could have added on a cup of potage and bread for $1.50.

Also, even though Red Berry is in the same parking lot, it was dessert time and, since it was still a week-o-birthday meal,

we shared a red bean ice cream ($2.95-which was comped by the Manager once He knew it was our birthdays, via an inadvertent mention to our waitress; unexpectedly nice).

All in all, excellent non-curry food. I didn't follow my own rules to 'order what the name of the restaurant is about' and was not at all disappointed. Very pleasantly surprised. They make tasty food. There are daily lunch specials noted at the front of the building and lunch prices range from $7-$14. Not bad at all for the quality and attentive service.

Curry House San Diego 3860 Convoy (in Nijiya Center) San Diego 92111 (858)278-2454 M-F 11:30-2:30, 5:30-9:00 S-S 11:30-9:00

Sakura-Izakaya Yet another post

September 25, 2007 Cathy Japanese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso is a blog about food and Cathy is having a busy week. Kirk is somewhere and did e-mail her from "some God forsaken internet cafe in some alley in Lima". He is alive, but not able to post His vacation eatings just yet.

Hi. I have had an unusually busy week and so this is another short post. I have kind of been eating fast, or while driving (which is not an easy thing to do in a manually transmissioned vehicle) AND it is kind of a special week- The Mister and I have birthdays seven days apart and our "tradition" is to eat out every day-He gets to choose the three days including His birthday, we both agree on the middle day’s eatery and then I get the last three days, ending on my birthday. (By that point, by the way, I get really tired of going out to eat and just want a comforting bowl of chili or soup at home).

So, Sakura. My choice. Izakaya style Japanese food. There are a ton of posts here about the restaurant, but mostly about its Sushi Bar. Izakaya style is …more substantial than tapas…but are still small plates of food, prepared in various manners. Kind of a meal of large appetizers/snacks (otoushi). Actually, alcohol is a primary draw of Izakaya shops, but the last thing I need now is to sleep in on any morning this week, so none for us- hot tea is perfect with this meal.

The meal starts out with a oshibori (wet towel). These are prepackaged and kind of nice and luxurious.

These are fried squid legs($5)- we did get eight, but I forgot to take a picture of the plate.

Lightly breaded, fresh and chewy (but not too chewy) legs.

The spicy fish salad ($8). Kind of a Japanese "poke" with a variety of fish- skate, tuna, squid, halibut, salmon and something else, chopped and in a spicy and sesame oil sauce with tomatoes, thin sliced mild onions and spicy radish sprouts.

There is, of course sashimi on the menu, but we figured this way we got something cold and raw and a few vegetables…

Gosh, we can justify anything…

Soft shell crab ($6). Fried in a different batter than the squid legs.

Light batter, large and juicy crab, cut into five pieces.

Served with a warm dipping sauce and shredded daikon (radish) that I put into the sauce to add flavor.

Yakisoba ($7.50). Buckwheat noodles stir fried with beef, cabbage, carrots in a light sauce.

I always like yakisoba and this was a nice surprise, since we never had ordered it here. Earlier in this week-o-food we had a very strange sauced yakisoba, which I will comment on in a future post…

Beef in sesame sauce ($8). Wow.

A completely different flavor and tenderness level than what was in the yakisoba. Wonderful, tender, flavorful beef.

The sauce was more of a sesame paste, not at all a sesame oil, which I was expecting.

This is one you should have every time.

I wanted to try the savory pancake ($8)- fresh made bread/pancake on the bottom (more pizza crust like than a batter pancake, but you need that thickness because the toppings are heavy) topped with ‘octopus, shrimp and vegetables’.

The vegetables were mostly tomato, but there were pieces of cabbage, and of course topping of shaved (and dancing from the heat) bonito flakes. Kind of sweet; it needed that mayonnaise with some of the bites.

We knew we needed some vegetable with all of this food, so ordered a plate of spinach and mushrooms sauteed in garlic butter ($5). Oh you could taste the butter…

All in all, a very nice, quiet Monday dinner. It was not busy at all (one other table) so my photos a blurry because I did not want to use flash.

Total damage was $47 without tip. It was nice and relaxing. We enjoy the Izakaya style -in all cuisines- Oh, you’ve seen I have made a meal of appetizers elsewhere.

Don’t even ask how old we are. It is best left to your imagination that I am your age. In any case, I got carded the last few weekends when I went to Pacific Beach Bar and Grill, and I love the security people there…

Izakaya Sakura. It is on Convoy Street in that mall that has the Original Pancake house in it and there is no signage. Go to the back of the mall, next to the Military Recruiting storefront and the neon "OPEN" sign is the entrance. Really.

You can find the plethora of other posts about Sakura on this blog by scrolling in the left column and clicking onto "Japanese restaurants"

West Coast Barbecue and Catering-Good food in La Mesa

September 24, 2007 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso is the blog about food and Cathy is still doing the blogging because, you know, she is the Temp, and Kirk is in Peru, eating and taking pictures of a lot of interesting stuff to tell you about soon.

Hello. I’m back with another interesting meal. I asked The Mister to pick up something for dinner the other night and he had heard the the former owners of Bekker’s Barbecue had started a new business on Lake Murray Boulevard in La Mesa. We always liked Bekker’s and were sad when it closed, leaving us not much choice for slow smoked(Texas Style BBQ) meats in East County.

The new location is still pretty close to our place in Santee in the shopping center that has the Ross Dress for Less in La Mesa. For some reason the photo of the front will not load, but it is where the Russian Restaurant used to be.

There is a walk up window for take out, some tables outside and inside table also.

The Mister got there about 8 p.m. . Closing was at 8:30 and it was still crowded.

He ordered the Family dinner of pulled pork-

One pound of pork, 3 dinner rolls, 2 pints of sides. $15.99.

This easily was two pounds of pulled pork. (Editor’s Note: pulled pork is very slow cooked shoulder, so tender it can be pulled from the bones and does not have to be cut) I have one of those 3 pound packages of Kirkland Signature extra lean ham from Costco in the fridge, still sealed (two packages are sold together) and I cut it along the center and the single ham package weighed a lot loss that this box of pulled pork, which was smoky, tender, delicious. The bread was chewy and crust not crispy. It was not what I would call great bread, but I would not call it bad, either.

The barbecue sauce came on the side and was sweet and tangy with just enough, if maybe too little vinegar. It went well with the meat.

The Mister chose the cole slaw and baked beans as the sides. The beans had a different sweet sauce, not the same as the BBQ sauce and some meat in them and were definitely made there, not canned; not mushy. The cole slaw was good. Crispy and dressing was light. Good and fresh, not tasting flat or old.

Other sides he could have ordered were: corn, chili, potato salad, fries, baked potato (which The Mister said was huge-he saw one served to someone inside) tossed green salad and Cesar salad.

All in all, a lot of good food. It was quite good. I know someone will pipe up with their favorite BBQ place, but this one deserves a try. Bekker’s was great and also catered. The catering prices are a pretty good deal and I think worth it for this quality of food. website

West Coast Barbecue and Catering 6126 Lake Murray Boulevard La Mesa 91942 Tuesday-Sunday 4 p.m.-8:30 p.m. To Go phone (619) GO2FOOD (462-3663) Catering office hours M-F 9-5 Catering available anytime.

Cheese Shop Deli- Downtown breakfast and lunch

September 23, 2007 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Cheese, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

The restaurant and menu are the same, but the location of Cheese Shop Deli has moved to the Horton Grand Hotel on 311 Island Avenue, downtown.

mmm-yoso is the food blog and Cathy is writing while Kirk vacations and ed stays in Yuma, grading more papers.

Hi. Food blogging time. This is a short one. I have had to be in downtown San Diego fora few reasons rather regularly lately(I happen to be a registered voter and have a driver’s license; figure it out) and so I have been exploring eateries in the area.

The Mister and I used to go to The Cheese Shop downtown a lot, more than 15 years ago, when Horton Plaza first opened. It is a delicatessen as well as breakfast place and we always liked it. The physical location moved about a half block away, but the ambiance and food seems to be the same.

Except for the prices, of course.

So, I had a couple of breakfast items and will share.

The mushroom swiss omelet ($7.95) comes with that half a plate of hash browns and is made with fresh sauteed thinly sliced mushrooms. Quite full. The egg was not as fluffy/crispy as I like in omelets, but was tasty. This also came with toast.

I decided to try the breakfast sandwich ($3.75)- an egg with cheese (cheddar) and choice of ham, bacon or sausage (I got bacon) on an English muffin. Looked kind of small, and I did take one bite and then decided to ‘deconstruct’ it

and put some of the jelly that is on the table on the muffin and ate the egg and cheese and bacon with a fork and knife. Made me take my time and remember, again, that there are no rules.

On Friday, I decided to get a cheese tray for two to go. ($11.80 with tax)

Three cheeses (the proper amount- if you do more than that, tastes are muddled) Muenster, Brie and a medium cheddar, some vegetable wheat crackers and grapes. This was perfect snack for the two of us when we were working around the house Friday evening.

My favorite grilled cheese sandwich here is Havarti on pumpernickel. They serve pancakes, bagels an cereals for breakfast and hot, traditional and specialty sandwiches as well as cheese sandwiches burgers and home made soups and salads for lunch. Breakfast is served all day. You can read the menu on line.

Cheese Shop Delicatessen 627 Fourth Avenue San Diego 92101 (619)232-2303 open 7 days M-F 7 am-4pm S-S 8 am-4pm NEW LOCATION: 311 Island Avenue San Diego 92101. Check the website link, above.

2165 Avenida de la Playa La Jolla 92037 (858)459-3921

Silly Saturday- Kirk is away and Cathy will play-More Little Secrets.

September 22, 2007 mmm-yoso Sandwiches, Stuff, What Cathy Eats!, yoso-silly

mmm-yoso!!! is the blog about food. Enjoy reading and vicariously sharing in Cathy’s meals today.

Yes, Kirk is still in Peru. Ed is busy grading papers in Yuma. It is my blog for now and a dreary, rainy day in San Diego. I am not at the Red Bull Air Races, not at Street Scene or a Padre Game. I am at home with the camera and have a bunch of small notes I want to share with you. I know you are reading the blog no matter what. All of these notes have a bit to do with food. Don’t tell me you don’t understand the places I am talking about. Most of you know this McDonald’s . It is the one on Clairmont Mesa across from the San Diego Superior Court-Traffic Court,, if you are *really* familiar.

They modernized it -Big Time-I am talking the outdoor area has a waterfall. It is a work of

art, built into that wall. The permanent tables and chairs on the tile floors are sturdier and nicer than before.

Then inside- yes- you see one of the TWO flat screen televisions, each set to a different channel and with closed captioning on, in case it is noisy. There are several bar-height tables, also. Now- look- yes in the back by the rest rooms. A small library/sitting area. The books are on the Honor System. You can take them. They ask that you please bring them back. Cool. This is McDonald’s. Very nice. Menu is the same. This location also is one of the few that has $1.29 Fillet O Fish Fridays all year, not just during Lent. That is my dirty secret of what I eat at McDonald’s.

Not to be outdone, the Jack in the Box in Santee also had a complete re-doing of its interior this month. No television, but three bar stool height tables as well as a counter with permanent bar stools and new tables and chairs.

My dirty secret from Jack in the Box- those darn 2 for 99¢ tacos. I don’t know what the recipe is. The meat is mushy, finely ground, sort of like baby food, but has this addictive flavor along with lettuce, cheese, salsa and the corn tortilla is fried flat and …gosh I love those tacos.

A biggie secret, which many people have told me is this one. Yes, Hometown Buffet.

They think because I am so into eating, that I would not consider this place.

Ha. The only thing I do

not consider are ‘rules’ . There are no rules. [Remember this in all aspects of life, if nothing else. ]

I get the fried chicken here, always the fried chicken. I can’t make this at home. I also just fill a soup bowl with mashed potatoes and gravy. Salty, sticky brown flavored gravy.

I put some of the already dressed Cesar salad on the bottom of the salad plate, then spinach on top of it, then mushrooms, cucumbers, onions and beets, beets, beets and some sunflower seeds. My salad.

Then it is time for dessert. Again, no rules. Get a glass. Fill it halfway with vanilla soft serve. Get another glass. Fill that one halfway with root beer. Combine. Root beer float.

Yay! I do also like the Waldorf Salad here. Red and green apples, raisins and walnuts in a mayonnaise sauce. That is also part of my dessert.

OK. my one real sweet craving. These- and only these- cookies. Biscos Sugar Wafers. They are either on a top shelf or a bottom shelf and absolutely never on sale. There are three packages wrapped within the big package, so I can make these last a long time. They are soooo good. Delicate and not artificial tasting.

Last secret- today is the middle day between The Mister’s birthday and my birthday. We went to Anthony’s for lunch, got everything we wanted and our very nice waitress, Kathy, brought us a slice of this ice cream pie. The ice cream had almonds in it and hot fudge on top and real whipped cream and the crust was Oreo cookies with butter. Salty tasting. I ate the crust. Yum. Happy Birthday, Sweetie.

Hope you are having a nice weekend.

Da Hawaiian Grinds- Plate lunch in Santee (it used to be Shaka)

September 20, 2007 Cathy Local Kine Stuffs in San Diego, Plate Lunch, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso, the blog, is never on vacation. Cathy is posting while Kirk and Ed are not. Primarily because Kirk is in Peru and Ed is in Yuma…they have interesting lives.

Sadly, Da has closed and now the only Hawaiian food in Santee is L&L, and at my house.

Hi. Cathy here, sort of adding onto “Plate Lunch Week”..with my own ‘White Girl From Santee’ point of view…
Yes, we have a Hawaiian Restaurant in East County…

Well, actually, one day it turned into this place. Wherein they changed the name on the sign on the outside; all of the menu items inside still say “Shaka” and the paper to go menu is the old one with the other Shaka locations crossed out:

You can click onto any photo and it will enlarge. We will soon have another Hawaiian Restaurant!

So, Kirk is from Hawaii…I was born and Raised in Detroit and have never been to Hawaii. But I know what kind of food I like to eat…I paid attention to Kirk’s posts and asked him a few questions. This is because, before this place became “Da”, it was “Shaka”. The Mister and I went to Shaka in November of last year. Admittedly I was in a cast to my shoulder with my little broken wrist (I was not on any pain pills at the time, though; I got a prescription for 100 Vicodin and still have 92 in the bottle; you can check) and, well, the food from Shaka was not good. At all. I just didn’t even want to post about it….and I really did not understand what all this fuss and craving about ‘Plate Lunch’ was all about…

One day, I decided to stop and look at the signage in the window. Hmmm. Kirk was doing his “Plate Lunch Week” and I was a bit curious, so I made The Mister come here after work with me.

We got two basic things-Loco Moco ($7.99).

When we were here in November, this particular item was particularly unflavored- not bad, just…nothing. This time however, the rice was nice and sticky, the gravy rich and flavorful, the egg a nice orange yolked done over easy and the hamburger patty, although preformed, had a nice flavor. The gravy, in particular was rich and flavorful and therefore not a waste of calories.

I wanted to try the Katsu chicken and the Kahlua Pork. ($8.99)

WOW. The katsu coating was light and crispy and the chicken moist. The sauce was tangy and not sweet. It went well with the crispy coating. That Kahlua pork- oh my- such good flavor. Light smoky, deep pork flavor, not greasy. I now have cravings for it. The macaroni salad was tangy and not too sweet. I liked it. I don’t like macaroni salad usually…like never have I ever like macaroni salad…this stuff I ate up.

I went to pick up some ‘To Go’ items the other day. (There are some only listed at the cash register)The chicken curry rice plate($6) was excellent, deep flavored curry gravy and with plenty of chicken. The carrots were fresh and not mushy as were the celery and few potatoes.

The chicken wings ($4 for the plate) were so crispy fried with garlic and a light batter.

I got the Katsu Chicken and Kahlua pork again, because I could not believe the serving size in the restaurant. But there was just as much pork in the “To Go” box as on that platter. It was great.

If you notice on the door, there is a sign about “Happy Hour” , Monday-Friday from 2-6 pm. Hawaiian beer for $3. A PuPu Platter with 2 vegetable lumpia, musubi ( a block of rice wrapped with a choice of meat (Spam, Portuguese sausage, Chicken katsu or BBQ chicken) and edamame for $7 and also the boba drinks are $3 (versus $3.50 regularly).

I went one afternoon and just got two vegetable lumpia and a taro boba drink. My first taro boba ever. Not my last.

Taro is a root vegetable and is that beautiful light lavender color. It is a starch, is sort of nutty in flavor, et also like potato and so wonderfully fulfilling, sweet but not too much, even with the boba.

The lumpia were pretty standard. Fresh made and with a good amount of vegetables.

This sign is in the window also, and it is why I did not put the post up sooner. There is a Ukulele playing guy who used to come to the restaurant on Wednesdays, and when I went, one day, he wasn’t thee and he changed to Fridays and I haven’t been able to make it to get a photo. A lot of people come to hear him and eat some great food.

I don’t know if all this food is authentic, or if Kirk would approve, but I liked it and I think you will too.

Da Hawaiian Grindz 205 Town Center Parkway Santee (Backed up to the Costco Gas Station in same parking lot as Home Depot but next to Big Lots) 10:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m, 7 days

Wednesday Wackiness-Helpful hints-What I did on my Summer Vacation

September 19, 2007 Cathy Recipes, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso is the name of the blog…written mostly by Kirk and sometimes by Cathy. Today is a sometimes day, since Kirk is in Peru and all…

Hi. Since you didn’t know me a year ago at this time, we never spent a summer together. We did, but I barely mentioned it. I took pictures anyhow and thought I’d just pass along some backyard cooking tips at you can use for yourself at home, or for when you have to bring something to an outdoor party. It isn’t like we don’t have those out here all year round anyhow. Then I will appease your voyeuristic tendencies and let you know other things I have eaten this summer.

There is a new Albertsons downtown, on about 12th between Market and G streets. It is way fancy. They sell these cheese Kaiser rolls…6 for $1.99…they don’t sell these at the Albertsons in Santee. Makes everything taste better, even a plain cheese sandwich.

So, cooking a burger- push it down/make it a little thinner in the center. Then when it shrinks down, it becomes level and stays flat and round. Don’t keep flipping it over. Three times at most. Be patient. Always toast the bun, either on the grill or in a fry pan indoors. It just tastes better.

Potato salad. As many hard boiled eggs as potatoes. Real mayonnaise. Fresh dill. Salt and white pepper. (you don’t see white pepper when it’s mixed in, but you still get that touch of heat/flavor from it.) (We use white pepper in mashed potatoes also-same reason).

See these three ingredients?

Watermelon, fresh mint, frozen limeade concentrate? Memorize them and then DON’T TELL ANYONE.

Chop the watermelon. Chop the mint. Let the limeade thaw. Don’t add water, just pour the thawed concentrate on it all. Smile when someone asks you what is in it. If, for some reason, there are leftovers, make some *really nice* smoothies the next day.

Here are some photographs of a pool part we went to this past summer.

My friend, Mrs. T., had it in honor of her dad’s birthday.

She made chicken, burgers and hot dogs and we brought the rest and it was a great potluck.

Chips, bowls of home made guacamole, pots of chili, cheese, snacks. There were fresh fruit places and fresh vegetable plates too.

Cake and Ice cream, of course. Two cakes, to be more precise.

Mrs. T spent time every day making a pint or two of unique ice creams or sherbets to have to serve with the ice cream.

She used real cookies, peanut butter, candy bars, orange, lemon, and lime juice from fruit trees in her yard, fresh strawberries and just about everything you could think of. It made the party just perfect.

One of my dear friends, Mrs. B. has a back yard and and garden filled with miracles.

She gave me these citrus selections from her trees and more than these photographed tomatoes, along with a pot of fresh made tomato sauce that I took home and froze into packets. I thought you would enjoy these photos. The small green ones did eventually turn red, by the way. Every day I would snack on some and the darkest red tomatoes would be gone, but the next day…there would be more.

Some days this past summer were really hot and I did not want to cook.

We would go to In-N- Out. This is what we always get.

His is a Double Double with no onions and mine is just a Double (no cheese) with both raw and grilled onions. Fries.

Then there is Costo . In San Diego. the eating area is on the outside of the store, making it convenient on hot days. We don’t even have to walk inside.

A huge slice of cheese pizza is enough to share. (1.75)

The hot dogs and Polish dogs come with a soft drink for $1.50. I ask for a side of kraut and put deli mustard and onions on mine. Cheap, easy, plentiful. No clean up at home.

Finally, a sad commentary into proving I am not much of a Gourmand.

Sometimes I *need* to have Bugles. WITH Asahi.

and sometimes, just sometimes…oh they brought back Banana Twinkies…this box will last me all year…and the last one will taste as fresh as the first. I grew up with Banana Twinkies. That package saying they are "new" is a lie.

I hope all of you have had a nice summer. It is almost Autumn and time for ‘cold weather’ meals and baking. I can’t wait.

I’ll be back with more interesting blogging tomorrow night.

Sam Woo BBQ-Part Two- Lunch Specials!

September 18, 2007 Cathy Chinese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the blog with the Temp, Cathy, writing while the Main Guy, Kirk, is on vacation. She still writes about food. That’s why you are reading this blog, anyhow.

Hi again. Yesterday, I blogged about breakfast specials at Sam Woo, inside the 99Ranch complex. Here is a little snippet of what the lunch specials are like.

You will notice there are two sets of items- Specials #1-#55 cost $4.95 each and #56-#82 are $5.95 each. The all include rice and a bowl of the soup of the day (sometimes egg drop, sometimes hot and sour, sometimes tofu, and on this day a black bean pork soup)

Pretty much this was the best soup I have had here, in that it was unique with the salty black beans and rich pork broth. You never know what the soup will be, so I always look forward to it.

This is a combination of two dinners post, therefore more than three entrees are shown. #56- honey glazed walnut shrimp, always a favorite. Plump, juicy shrimp, fried in a light batter and then topped with Kewpie- a mayonnaise sauce- and served with those crispy wonderful not sticky honey glazed walnuts. The flavors go together . Really… and this stuff is addictive. The only vegetable served with this- lettuce shreds, which you will like to eat with some of the mayonnaise.

#78- spicy salted squid. Oh yes. You will see plates of this coming out of the kitchen all the time. Fresh squid, batter fried with the spicy salt in the batter. The squid is scored and so it curls into tubes when it is fried, making it easy to hold and eat with chopsticks. Not too hot/spicy- that comes from the only vegetable on the plate; the chili peppers and green onion tops. Still, it isn’t a bad spice or heat. It is very light.

This is #5- shrimp with black bean sauce. Usually we get the rock cod fillet with black bean sauce, but the main thing I like is the black bean sauce. Spicy, salty, onions and green peppers compliment the flavors and you can still taste the sweetness of the shrimp.

#77 spicy salted oyster. Oh my, yes. There are only four oysters on this plate. They were obviously farmed in Chernobyl. Same light salt batter and those chilis on top, along with some more lettuce. Excellent flavor.

I saw some jarred oysters inside 99Ranch across the hall that were this size, so am pretty certain of the source for this dish (you know, after being shucked in Chernobyl). The Mister likes clams, and I like oysters so this dish is pretty much only mine to eat. He will eat maybe half of one oyster, as he does enjoy the salty crispiness of the crust. heh heh…the rest are mine….

Ah, #61- scallop with XO sauce. Oh. XO. Yes.

XO sauce is quite unique. It has dried scallops, dried shrimp, dried red chiles and various other spices. Most people make their own. It is unique, spicy in a good way, kind of crunchy because of the dried small pieces of seafood and…wow…I love XO sauce. Sometimes, we order #55- fresh mushrooms with XO. A whole plate of various mushrooms slathered in XO..and, oh, it’s a vegetable! As you can see, this dish is served with onions and green peppers as well as a lot of thin sliced scallops.

Here is a photo of #11- the rock cod fillet with black bean sauce. After a bunch had been taken off the plate. The rock cod is thin and juicy and the sauce is, again, the same one as witht eh shrim. above -and I crave it. Red and green bell peppers compliment this dish in a nice way. Crunchy and refreshing, to go with the saltiness of the beans.

We usually only get hot tea when we eat here (no charge at lunch, but 30¢ for a pot at breakfast…I dunno) but one day, I had a craving (they sell more of the iced/boba drinks via the attached ‘To Go’ Sam Woo steam tray area attached to the restaurant, but store the ingredients in the glass doored refrigerators where I could see them from where we were sitting) and asked for a red and green bean iced concoction-no boba ($2) sweet red beans and sweet green (yellow) beans, ice, sweetened condensed milk and a cherry. Very nice.

If you are shopping at 99Ranch anyhow and hunger strikes, this is a great place to stop and eat. We have tried just about every item on the lunch menu, and do like the beef and chicken and pork as well as tofu dishes, as well as the deep fried whole fish and the vegetable only dishes (sometimes we get a whole veggie plate because we know there basically aren’t any vegetables with what we ordered, as we always order three plates anyhow..but they usually only give us two bowls of soup, since there are only the two of us eating). I only blogged these most recent meals.

Sam Woo BBQ 7330 Clairmont Mesa Blvd, inside the 99 Ranch mall. Lunch Specials 11 a.m.-4 p.m., 7 days.

Sam Woo BBQ Part One-Breakfast!

September 16, 2007 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, Chinese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Part Two is here

mmm-yoso!!! is the blog that was started by Kirk, an Ex-Pat Kama'aina. He is on vacation. The Temp, Cathy, a White girl from Detroit and East San Diego County is blogging for now.

Hi, again. As part of my thinking about a "regular rotation" for The Mister and I, stopping into Sam Woo inside 99Ranch Complex for something to go or to eat inside the restaurant comes to mind.

Sam Woo BBQ has breakfast ($3.20 for all items, a choice of 33 different salty wonders, with a charge of 30¢ for a pot of tea, or 30¢ each for a cup of Vietnamese coffee-which I will explain soon) and lunch specials (either $4.95 or $5.95) seven days a week. I will post about lunch tomorrow.

So, anyhow, we went to breakfast this morning.

We got the only rice dish on the menu, #33. Fried rice with Lunch meat (i.e., fake Spam). It is always satisfying, and plentiful, made with peas, carrots and egg as well as the bits of Luncheon meat. We usually take some home to have later- for lunch or dinner. Sometimes we get the #1- stir fried rice noodles with Luncheon meat-same stuff but with noodles.

This day we also got #2 on the menu- Fried rice noodles with bean sprout and soy sauce. This is a favorite- the wide rice noodles, stir fried and slightly burnt, with onions and bean sprouts and in a light, not salty tasting soy flavored sauce.

We, of course always order three dishes (one for each of us and one for the table) and this day got the #10-Won Ton Noodle soup. This is always a favorite. The whole bottom of the bowl is all egg noodles and there are some pieces of bok choy in the rich, rich pork broth that has a slight white pepper kick to it. There are always five dumplings, thin skinned and filled with a lot of great pork filling. The #11- shrimp dumpling soup is the same but the dumplings had half the amount of pork filling and a whole shrimp inside. Some days, it depends on what we want to eat.

There are 6 different porridges on the menu, but Sam Woo does not make the fried donuts that go with porridge. You have to walk across the hallway into the 99 Ranch Market and go to their steam tray area and buy the donuts for 40¢ each. I see families sitting down, ordering and then one person running out the door to get donuts all the time.

Ah, one of the perks of breakfast here. 30¢ pots of tea and 30¢ cups of Vietnamese coffee- it is made in an electric drip coffee pot and not the traditional Vietnamese slow drip pot, but is just as strong, and served with the nifty pitcher of sweetened condensed milk that will 'cut off' the thick sticky substance and works perfectly to keep that sweetened condensed milk from getting all sticky on the container. They don't do refills on the coffee, but one cup, along with the tea is just perfect for me for breakfast.

A nice, inexpensive, wonderfully salty breakfast in a sit down restaurant. It is a great way to start the day. If you have to go grocery shopping, just walk across the hall.

Sam Woo BBQ inside 99Ranch Complex 7330 Clairmont Mesa Blvd San Diego 92111 (619)505-9888 fax (619)514-8988 (The paper handouts all have the 619 area code; I am not sure if this is correct; if you are trying to call and it doesn't go through, try 858 as the area code)Breakfast 9:00 -11:00 a.m. M-F, 8:30-11:00 a.m. Sat-Sun

Sushi Hut- a local (3 store) ch-ch-chain

September 15, 2007 Cathy Japanese Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the blog and Kirk is on vacation. Here is another post of what Cathy ate one day.

Hi. I'm back with a short post. The Mister and I went to one of the locations of Sushi Hut (in Mission Valley) around March of this year and were not overly impressed. I even deleted those photos from my camera, planning to not talk about it, primarily because I didn't want to bother going back to try different dishes. Not bad food, not great food, just…food.

We were on Clairmont Mesa Boulevard the other day and saw a couple of places inside the parking lot Kitty Corner from the Rockler Store (and Cheetahs..the men reading this know where I am now, right?) and Lo and Behold, another Sushi Hut. A chain- who knew?

Well, we were hungry; there is a Mexican place and a Boba place a few doors down, but we thought we could try Sushi Hut one more time, just to see if it was still…meh…just food, or something better. We were pleasantly surprised.

The paper menu says that all photos and slogans are copy written, so I won't post a photo of the menu here, but you can look at it on the Sushi Hut website,

Basically the menu has sushi, rolls, Bento Plates, Bowls and wraps, along with some Combinations thereof. They also make some beautiful looking Party Trays.

I decided to let another wrap come into my life- second one ever – I don't know where have been, but I wanted to try this version. Teriyaki chicken, steamed vegetables and sweet rice. ($4.59)It was a Teriyaki Bowl in a tortilla, and pretty good. The chicken was all white meat, the Teriyaki sauce was not overwhelming (and I added some 'spicy teriyaki' from the condiment area after my first few bites), the vegetables were crispy/fresh steamed/not soggy and the rice was a good sticky rice. The serving was quite large for me.

The Mister tried the Bento #2 Platter ($5.29) pretty much katsu chicken cutlets, rice, two fried shrimp and seaweed salad. We recalled that on our first visit at the other location, they told us they were out of seaweed salad, which has become one of my cravings this year for some reason- I have to try the seaweed salad whenever I see it on a menu or for sale in a market. This seaweed salad was good with a few different types of seaweed and a light sesame dressing and good, fresh crunch. The chicken cutlet was lightly breaded and fried and topped with a Ponzu sauce and sesame seeds and the fried shrimp were lightly breaded with breadcrumbs and light fried so that you could taste the sweetness of the shrimp.

All in all, Sushi Hut has a good fast service and fresh food. The rolls are numerous and made fresh to order and some selections come in two sizes if maybe you just want to try a few. We were not impressed with the rolls the first time we got them at the Mission Valley location and did not want to try them on this visit. If you are in the area, stop and try a bite. (This is my subtle way of saying don't go out of your way to try it).

Sushi Hut 8058 Clairmont Mesa Blvd San Diego 92111 (858) 874-5803

5624 Mission Center Road San Diego 92108 (619) 6889214

8240 Mira Mesa Blvd San Diego 92126 (858)689-2475

Website -Click here