mmm-yoso – Page 575 – 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.

El Zarape – delici-yoso Fish Taco’s!

July 5, 2005 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops

Now I have to admit something right off the bat, we’ve been to El Zarape 3 times since I’ve started this blog about 6 weeks ago. The first time I brought the camera, but forgot all about it when it was time to eat. The second time I didn’t even bother to bring the camera, period! Well this time I made sure to bring the camera, and displaying extreme self-control, even managed to take some pictures.

This little hole in the wall, features fresh, flavorful Mexican food. In what must be one of the best bargains in San Diego, the Fish Taco’s here are just 99 cents, yes, 99 cents.

The fish tacos are always fresh with a crisp batter, and moist in the interior. Though it usually comes with a white sauce, we order it without it, and use a good amount of the smoky hot sauce. It’s a taste and texture delight that totally blows another “famous” San Diego’s chains soggy, gloppy, fish tacos out of the water! Oh, and did I say, just 99 cents every day!

Today I ordered the Shrimp Chimichanga, basically a deep fried burrito. This was filled with a generous amount of large shrimp and topped with Sour Cream and Guacamole. Very crunchy, with shrimp that had been sauteed before being rolled in the tortilla, this is a favorite of mine.

My only, slight complaint with El Zarape, is that the Guacamole is a bit “over-processed” and tends to be runny and bland, but everything else is “spot on”, and scratches all those little “gastric itches” (OK, let’s call them cravings).

We also had a shrimp quesedilla($4.99), easy on the cheese:

Crunchy on the outside, with great tasting shrimp and fillings inside, topped off with some spicy hot sauce is the definition of what mmm-yoso!!! is all about. This was alot of food, but we managed to finish everything.

El Zarape boasts a huge menu with everything from soy burritos and vegetarian offerings to “don’t tell my cardiologist” loaded carne asada fries. El Zarape is another one of those “places” with a regular spot on our rotation. I may not know much about Mexican Food, but I know what I like, and I like this place.

Parking can be an adventure, so I recommend going to the end of Park Blvd, finding a space and walking half a block. Service can be slow at peak times with a line forming out the door. So be like us and go early, and often!

El Zarape Mexican Restaurant
4642 Park Blvd
San Diego, CA 92116
(619) 692-1652
Open Daily 10 am-10 pm

Happy 4th Everyone! Time for Grillin’

July 4, 2005 mmm-yoso Cooking

We’d like to wish everyone a most Delici-yoso Independence Day; hope everyone is safe and bellies are full!

We, like many had a BBQ, and I had a chance to see how my Kalbi came out. We started out with some shrimp, lobster, and the spicy paprika sausage that Jo from Truly Thankful was kind enough to include in her Baklava care package:

The shrimp and lobster was seasoned with fresh ground pepper, sea salt, and XVOO – simplicity is best! The sausage was gone while I cooked up the Kalbi; this is the perfect food – you can hold it in one hand while turning the meat in the other. The Kalbi came out super tender, not mushy, or over tenderized, but fork tender, with some texture. The flavor was balanced, but mild. Next time I’ll keep the sugar content the same and add 1/4 cup of Malt Syrup, which did give the meat a slightly "glazed" look. Add in some cherry smoked corn, and this was an delici-yoso 4th of July meal.

Zion Market – Kalbi Time

July 3, 2005 mmm-yoso Cooking, Markets & Grocers, Recipes

***** I'm sure you already know that Zion Market has moved

After sharing a Kalbi recipe on Elmo's Site – Monster Munching, I became motivated and decided to do a batch of ribs for myself. So this entailed a trip to Zion Market:

Zion Market is a huge Korean Grocer with a wonderful selection of produce, meat, and various Korean grocery items. Today I picked up some very fragrant Donut Peaches at $1.49/lb. I also picked up some other miscellaneous grocery items, that I'll go into later. There is also a large selection of pan-chan – I call it the "Great Wall of Kimchee" as well as marinated meats. The quality and selection in the meat department can be mind boggling; for example, 3 "grades" of cross sliced short ribs and 4 grades of sliced rib eye. Maybe someone can explain the difference between 'A', 'B' and '10 up' sliced rib eye – some cuts look thinner and some are more marbled. The prices are also very reasonable $2.59/lb for short ribs is a bargain!

There is also a small "food court" and a fresh seafood counter, and a bakery within the Marketplace.

Zion Marketplace
4611 Mercury St
San Diego, CA 92111
Between Engineer Rd and Dagget St

When I got home I started on the Kalbi.

Here's my standard recipe:

2-3lbs Short Ribs
2/3c Soy sauce
1 c Water
1/2c Sugar
2 Tb grated, pureed or minced garlic
2 Tb grated, pureed or minced onion
2 Tb pureed ripe papaya or Asian pear
1/2 tsp pepper
1 large stalk green onion chopped
1 Tb sesame oil (optional)

I added a few twists – There were no ripe papaya's, and the Asian Pears looked horrible – so I decided to use kiwi. Now I had heard that marinating with kiwi can be a bit dicey as it has a tendency to over-tenderize the meat, but I thought I'd give it a try. So scratch the papaya or Asian pear, and replace with 2TB pureed kiwi. I had also heard that Malt Syrup gave kalbi a nice distinctive sweet flavor and gave kalbi a lacquered appearance, so I found and purchased a bottle. The Malt Syrup is amber in color, and tastes basically just like corn syrup. I replaced 1/2cup of sugar with 1/4 cup of malt syrup and 1/4 cup of sugar. I mixed the marinade, added the meat, and went to sleep. We'll see what happens tomorrow when I fire up the grill.

Local Kine Stuffs in San Diego – Redondo’s

July 2, 2005 mmm-yoso Local Kine Stuffs in San Diego, Markets & Grocers, yoso-silly

I had been told of this a while back – you can actually get Portuguese Sausage (Da’ Hawaii Kine – OK!) here in San Diego. Though it’s not Purity Brand, which is my favorite; in a pinch Redondo’s will do. For those that don’t know, back "home" in Hawaii, this is a staple – even them "Golden Arches" places sell Portuguese Sausage, Eggs, and Rice!

Orient Bowl Market on Convoy; formerly First Korean Market, stocks Redondo Portuguese Sausage ($3.99) and Hot Dogs ($3.79).

I know, that’s kind of expensive, but if you need it, you need it!

This is the same strip mall North of Jasmine Restaurant, that Dumpling Inn is located in. I’ve also seen S & S Saimin on a previous visit. All items are frozen, but I’ve had the Portuguese Sausage and it tasted ok.

Orient Bowl Market
4625 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Baklava! and a Wok on da’ Wild Side…

July 1, 2005 mmm-yoso Cooking, yoso-silly

I've had my "crew" on Baklava Watch over the last few days.

Well today, Jo's package arrived, and my oh, my! Not only did it contain her wonderful Baklava, but smoked bacon, paprika sausages, and pepperoni that never made it past the "unpacking" stage! The Baklava was excellent, there were two types, and both were yummy. Thanks Jo, you made my 4th weekend! Can't wait to try the sausages – they look fab!

I also decided to take The Big Kahuna Burner for a "test" drive. I first took a half pound of beans sprouts and did a quick stir fry with only salt, pepper, and soy sauce. Man this thing can rip!!! I turned it on at full blast and the stir fry was done in about 15 seconds. The Bean sprouts were fully cooked yet crunchy, and very tasty. The second dish was Chicken with Thai Basil. I had my "mise", and everything else ready. But it became obvious I wasn't ready for this. Everything happened so quickly, that the chicken became somewhat over-cooked! The chicken was still tender, really super tender, but some pieces were a bit scorched! I need to control temperature a little better next time. The dish was done in less than 5 minutes! This is the "real deal"….

Chicken with Thai Basil
2/3 Lb Boneless Skinless Chicken breasts cut into strips
3 Tb Oil
3 Cloves Garlic Minced
4 kaffir lime leaves cut into strips (remove center stalk)
2/3 Cup Straw Mushroom
1/2 Cup Bamboo Shoots Sliced
3 Dried Chili's
20 Leaves Thai Basil
1/2 Cup Oyster Sauce

Heat wok, add oil and sear chili's, add garlic and kaffir lime leaves. Add chicken and stir fry for 2 minutes (or less on wok stove). Add bamboo shoots and straw mushrooms and stir fry until chicken is cooked. Add oyster sauce and mix well. Remove from heat and add Thai Basil.

yoso-greedy:Eastman Outdoors Big Kahuna Burner

June 30, 2005 mmm-yoso Cooking, Stuff

I had a package waiting this afternoon; no it wasn't the Baklava from Jo, it was the Eastman Big Kahuna Burner that I ordered from Amazon.

I'd been waiting for this for a while. It's basically a heavy duty wok ring. Supposedly able to handle up to 50 lbs, and heat up to 55,000 BTU's, I'd be able to finally cook using high heat, perfect for Chinese cooking and other stir fry dishes. In other words the "I can't get the wok hot enough" excuse wouldn't "fly" anymore.

So I opened the box and uh-oh, the dreaded words "assembly required", along with an instruction manual; this was big trouble. So I read the instructions, and amazingly, I put it together in about 15 minutes. And guess what? No leftover pieces! I hooked up the propane and did the "soap test", then turned the control valve on both the Big Kahuna and propane on and lit it and – KA-BOOM!!! Just kidding! It lit up and I cranked it up, and my god it was hot, I could feel it 15 feet away! I was still surprised that a notorious "brok-chanic" like me could actually do this so quickly. So my initial impression? Very sturdy, easy assembly, good price ($49.95 + free delivery), and hot as heck. Too bad we already had dinner; the virgin stir-fry would have to wait. But this is the 4th of July weekend, so I'm sure I can come up with something………

Bale Linda Vista – Completing the Banh Mi Tri-fecta

June 29, 2005 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

*** Ba Le Linda Vista has closed.

To complete the Banh Mi "tri-fecta" I stopped by the old dependable Ba-Le Sandwich shop in Linda Vista. I say dependable mainly for the simple reason that I had been a regular customer of Ba-le back "home" in Honolulu. As a matter of fact, the first Banh Mi I had ever had was from Ba-Le.

This franchise of Ba-Le had changed hands over the last year or so, and the new owners have made alot of improvements, including an upgrade of the menu, and a renovation of both the storefront as well as interior. Of course to pay for this prices have risen, though a 25-50 cent increase on something that costs two-bucks isn't really that bad. The one thing that I do lament is that I'm unable to order extra veggies or meat anymore. Today I purchased the Banh Mi Dac Biet – or Deluxe Sandwich as well as some spring rolls. The damage all told – $5.25.

The interesting thing about Banh Mi is that I've found, no two are the same. This version's roll was basically "all crust", almost as if the bread portion had been torn out, "po' boy style". The roll was decently crusty, the meat was very thinly sliced, tasty, but a bit dry. The "veggies" were flavored well, but the cilantro was a bit of a problem. In this case the stems of cilantro were included, and you'd basically have all the cilantro pulled out by the fibrous stems during the first two bites. The peppers included in the sandwich were not very spicy, but the sandwich was still a bargain at $2.75! All other sandwiches, including an "egg" sandwich are priced right at $2.25. If I read the sign right; you buy 9 you get the tenth free. So far no really bad Banh Mi, and there are a few more to try! I think in the end I'll do a comparison chart for the Banh Mi in San Diego, as they vary so much in size, taste, and even bread! I'm looking for recommendations…..BTW the spring rolls were OK, the ones in Viet Dong are better IMHO, but that's another story!

The Other Two: Cafe Dore' and A' Chau.

Bale French Sandwich Shop
6937 Linda Vista Rd
San Diego, CA 92111
858) 565-8057

Cafe Dore’ – Banh Mi Amore’

June 28, 2005 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Caffeine Fix, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

***** Cafe Dore has closed

Since my Wor Won Ton Mein quest had pretty much been a wash-out, I focused my attention on my Banh Mi craving that had been hovering in the background waiting for a chance to break-out.

I decided to ask the Gal at the Dry Cleaners for a recommendation, and I listed off the Banh Mi places I've been to, all of which met with a slight negative nod, after which She told me to try Cafe Dore', saying "they are kind of slow, but do a good job". Which means, you might wait a while but it's worth it. She gave me instructions, and I found Cafe Dore', in (another) strip mall in City Heights, located next to a Vietnamese "Deli" and coin laundry.

There was a group of Vietnamese men having coffee and chatting. I drew alot of stares as I passed them. I entered the cafe and there were 4 tough looking Vietnamese guys sitting around watching the television. One of them stood up and simply said "yes?", they obviously thought that I took a "wrong turn" somewhere. I mentioned that I had been told that they make a really good Banh Mi; there were instant smiles all around….and the Gentleman pointed to a small flyer listing 5 sandwiches all ranging from $2.00-$2.50 under a piece of glass on the counter – this was the only "menu" in the whole place! I finally figured that this was actually a Vietnamese Coffee Shop, not really a restaurant.

After a short wait he handed me a package with my sandwich ($2.50) in it.

To say that this was a heck-of-a-sandwich is an understatement. The baguette was crunchy and fresh, the pate, BBQ pork, and "ham" combined with the veggies to create a very tasty and balanced flavor. The cilantro and cucumber was palate cleansing. My only (small) gripe is that they went easy on the hot green peppers – maybe going a little bit "easy" on me. This was easily the best Banh Mi I've had in San Diego so far!

The location is on the corner of Marlborough Ave and University Ave. Cafe Dore' has no English signs in it, no menu, except for the sandwich list under the glass counter, so I don't know what else they serve, but will find out. The strip mall also has a Vietnamese BBQ, a Seafood Shop, a Market, among other things. Might be a nice place for the adventurous to explore! This was one heck of a Banh Mi!

Cafe Dore
4135 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92105
(619) 563-3525

Between Marlborough Ave and 41st St

View Larger Map

Roasted Beef Tenderloin

June 26, 2005 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes

Today I had to take care of 2 birthdays – of my two "Boyz"….

Every year we celebrate both their birthdays with a cake from Paw Pleasers, and usually a filet mignon. This year though we wanted our share. So I got up this morning and drove over to Iowa Meat Farms. Now I can’t say enough good things about this place! Great service, great meat, and a knowledgeable staff. The cutter actually showed me a whole tenderloin, asking how many I would be feeding ( I didn’t tell them about the boyz…) . He than trimmed, tied, and cut me a 2 1/2lb Tenderloin, man this was a work of art!!! Now I didn’t want to be spending the whole morning, drool dripping down my chin, waiting for the tenderloin to finish roasting. So I cut it in half and seasoned very generously with Alae’a, fresh cracked pepper, granulated garlic, and a small amount of dried oregano.

I heated a pan to till smoking, and seared the tenderloin on all sides, than placed in a 350 degree oven.

While the tenderloin roasted I caramelized some onions:

Caramelized Onions
2 large onions sliced
1/3 – 1/2 cup mirin
1 – 2 Tb Sugar
Salt
Pepper
1/2 Tb Butter

Place sliced onions in a non-stick pan. Using medium heat, allow onions to "sweat". Once onions start to soften season with salt and pepper and 1 Tb Sugar. Stir onions, when onions start to caramelize, pour in half of the mirin, and allow to reduce, stirring periodically. Add butter and saute until onions are golden brown. Add additional mirin and sugar if onions are not sweet enough. Sweetness will vary based on the type of onions used.

Horseradish Sauce
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
3 Tb Prepared Horseradish
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt and Pepper.

Mix all ingredients until smooth. Chill.

When the internal temp of the roast hit 125, I removed and rested. The roast was so soft I could cut it with a fork. And the seasoning was "right on" I probably could’ve eaten the butcher’s twine and not think twice about it!

So what to do with leftovers? On a nicely toasted French Dip roll, 2Tb Horseradish sauce, 4 slices beef tenderloin, caramelized onions, Roasted Mushrooms, and Arugula!!! delici-yoso!!!

Oh, yes, "da boyz" enjoyed their share as well….Happy Birthday Sammy & Frankie!!!

Roasted Mushrooms – Now What?

June 25, 2005 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes

I've decided to actually do some cooking during the upcoming week. Problem is, I'm not quite sure what to make?

So while aimlessly wandering down the isles of Trader Joe's I grabbed a couple of packages of sliced mushrooms. I usually purchase whole mushrooms and slice them myself, but I had decided to make roasted mushrooms, so the pre-sliced crimini and white mushrooms would do.

Whenever I really can't figure what to do I'll go for one of my "ingredients". These roasted mushrooms can be used many ways, for pasta sauces, they can be pureed and used as a thickener for soups, as sandwich topping (ice cream topping???, guess not), and dips.

Any type of mushroom can be used, I've used enoki's, portabellos, shiitakes, oyster( be sure to remove stems, need to be careful with these they tend to liquidize). I decided to go with plain buttons and crimini's. I think the recipe is originally from Charlie Trotter – I don't have the original, but as with most recipes, I made adjustments to accommodate my taste, and have added ingredients (soy sauce, red wine) as well.

Roasted Mushrooms:
1 1/2 – 2 lbs Mushrooms Sliced
1 Medium Onion Finely Chopped
4 Cloves Garlic Minced
1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Water
1/4 Cup Red Wine
1 Tb Soy Sauce
2 tsp Kosher/Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper
1/2 tsp Dried Oregano
1/2 tsp Dried Basil

Place all ingredients in a baking pan, mix together, cover well, and roast at 325 degrees for 45 minutes. Cool in liquid and refrigerate, mushrooms will last up to 1 week in a covered container.

Now what am I going to do with this? Stay Tuned……..