Closed – Page 105

Dao Son Noodle House – Hot Dishes from the ‘Hot Chef’

“Ok, that’s an order of Yakisoba and Chicken with Lemongrass – be about 15 minutes”. Now normally when I hear something like this; I’d be afraid, very afraid. The kind of fear that is associated with signs that say ‘Authentic Cantonese, Szechuan, and Mandarin Cuisine’. Except in this case I overheard this at Dao Son Noodle House on El Cajon Blvd. Dao Son, I’m told literally means ‘Hot Chef’, and he’s not kidding. There’s even a little neon sign above the restaurant sign that say ‘Hot Chef’.

The spartan interior could be dropped into any number of Asian restaurants, but the aroma, ooh the aroma, garlic, chilies, “shoot me now and put me out of my misery…” The service was friendly, and the Chef himself let us in the front door. We looked over the menu and placed our order, and an entire carafe of water was placed on our table.

Our first dish was the Special; Fried Catfish with Eggplant – ordered medium-hot ($6.99):

This dish was a winner! The catfish was battered and fried perfectly. Crunchy on the outside, moist and tender on the inside. The eggplant seared on the outside, with a wonderful molten, creamy interior. The sauce was nice and spicy, and the peanuts added a nice textural component to the dish. This was the best dish of the night.

The next dish was the Garlic Chicken – ordered medium hot (5.99). Boneless, Dark Meat chicken was marinated, than battered and fried and served with a nice and spicy garlic/chili sauce, and is topped with scallions and tempura “bits”. The chicken was tasty, and the sauce (seems like it was sambal based) was hot enough to bring sweat to my brow. The scallions and tempura bits added a nice counter-point to the whole meal. The only gripe I had about this dish was that the chicken pieces were pretty large and we only had chopsticks so there were some problems managing the pieces. Also, the batter was very savory and crisp, but very hard, almost like a shell, I’m thinking that this was a corn-starch based batter. All of this is relatively minor. If the chicken were smaller and bite-sized, the crunchy texture would be viewed as a positive attribute.

The last dish was Garlic Fish – also ordered medium hot ($5.99). I had thought that this would be the same as the chicken dish, but was pleasantly surprised. First off, the fish was coated with bread crumbs, and there was the distinct taste of lemon grass all through the dish. Other than the addition of lemon grass this was essentially the same as the chicken dish. The fish was prepared well, though the fish was relatively bland, the toppings and sauce made up for any deficiencies.

We left Dao Son, satiated, and looking forward to another meal. The flavors had been unique and distinctive, and the food well prepared.

So tonight we did Dao Son part 2, this time we did take-out, and decided to order a few other dishes. We ordered the Red Chicken ($5.50) medium hot. This is almost a perfect dish! Chicken stir fried over high heat, in a spicy “red” sauce that is both sweet and spicy, with tomatoes, red peppers and chili. This dish is a keeper! On a whim we ordered the Yakisoba ($4.95). This dish was not bad, flavorful, with the distinct taste of sesame oil, and well prepared, but unremarkable except for one thing; the noodles. The noodles were great, they had a nice crunch and reminded me of “fried saimin” Daoson12 . The last dish was Shrimp w/Lemon Grass and Garlic sauce ($5.99). Basically the same sauce as the Garlic Fish, but this was one spicy dish, nose bleeding hot! There’s no slow-burn here, it’s in your face!

Dao Son, has interesting, and very well prepared, flavorful food. The price is also right! We’ve added Dao Son to our “rotation” and will be going back often. The menu is varied with everything from Yakitori and Yakisoba, to Sate Chicken and Lemongrass Shrimp. This range of dishes would usually scare me away, but in this case, the “Hot Chef” does a good job with preparing all the dishes that we’ve had so far. The service is fast – I was unable to get through on the phone for my take-out order, so walked in and ordered. I was told it would take 15 minutes???? Now the restaurant was half-full, and the phone was ringing off the hook. I got my food in 10 minutes, and all the tables were also being served. Impressive.

The bottom line? Good hot and spicy food from the “Hot Chef”.

Dao Don Noodle House

2322 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92103
(619)291-5051
Lunch:
Mon-Fri 11:00am-2:00pm
Dinner:
Sun-Thurs 5:00pm-9:00pm
Fri-Sat: 5:00pm-10:00pm

Mardi Gras Cafe & Market Place

July 7, 2005 mmm-yoso Cajun, Southern, and Soul Food, Markets & Grocers, Sandwiches

**** Mardi Gras Cafe has closed.

I’ve driven by this place several times, so finally decided to stop by and see what this place was all about. This tiny “Cafe” and Market is located on Midway Drive near the Sports Arena.

What got my attention was the sign “New Orleans Muffulettas”. So like any sucker(?) I decided to give it a try. As I walked in the there was a huge “Wall of Fire over 300 Hot Sauces” sign, this immediately tripped all of the tourist trap alarms in my head. But by that time I had walked into the store and committed myself; retreat was not an option. The menu on the wall listed about a dozen sandwiches, Po’ Boys, Jambalaya, Gumbo, Shrimp Creole, and Crawfish Etouffe among other items. I stepped up and ordered the large “Specialty New Orleans Muffuletta” ($10.99). The counter help is very friendly, but S-L-O-W, so while waiting for my sandwich, I had a chance to look around and saw this sign; at least I know where to go if I have a sudden craving for Alligator Filets; it might be a long time coming though. There is also a healthy stock of Cafe Du Monde Beignet Mix and Coffee, Pecan Rolls, Pralines, and Zapp’s Potato Chips. As I looked over the menu/flyer, I had a little chuckle – it claimed the “Wall of Fire” had over 400 hot sauces, so that means sometime between the time the flyer was produced and when I placed my order, something had happened to “over 100 hot sauces”. About that time my sandwich was ready, I grabbed the bag and almost fell over, but righted myself and headed home. At home I unloaded the sub, it had been cut into four pieces, so I put them back together and took a picture; the darn thing was the size of a small pizza! What I did next was get some info on the muffuletta, not knowing what the “real thing” was like. Than I proceeded to eat. First of all I noticed that this sandwich suffered from TMB (Too Much Bread) Syndrome, and thought it would have no flavor. I was wrong, as the olive spread and the salami gave it a nice taste. I did not taste any capers, celery, or onions in the olive spread, but the taste of the sandwich was not bad. Also, there was regular ham in the sandwich instead of Cappicola. The bread was also a bit stale, which didn’t help the sandwich too much. But to put everything into perspective, this sandwich is easily two meals, and is more tasty than I thought it would be. So I haven’t ruled out another trip. The Alligator Sausage Sub($7.99) has gotten my attention, so I may give it another try. What has happened though, is that I’ve resolved to get to New Orleans soon to try the “real deal”.

MARDI GRAS Cafe & Marketplace
3185 Midway Dr Ste E
San Diego, CA 92110-4542
(619) 223-5501

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

Bambu Bistro – A Big Bu Bu

June 21, 2005 mmm-yoso Blog

*** Hi everyone, I appreciate all the comments, and respect all of your opinions. I have always enjoyed the "real time" comments and interaction, and do my best to respect everyone’s opinions, that is why I don’t have moderation turned on, and other than a few "rules", I don’t delete comments. But in the last few minutes, I’ve had to delete a few profanity laced comments. With that in mind, I’ve decided to close comments on this post and I thought I’d let "Chef Alexandria" have the last word/comment. So let’s get back to eating, shall we? Thanks again for taking the time out to read, and comment on my humble little blog. And all of the really kind Emails. I really have no "agenda", maybe that is why many of my posts are not polished, I’m really just looking for a good meal(s), and the result is pretty much my food diary, and I’m always honored to have you visit.

One last item, a few quotes from an Email I received from a San Diego restaurant owner, that I think are insightful:

"this is a tough business and you can work yourself to the bone and still have the food not come out good…but of course they’re totally wrong to bash you for blogging your opinion. "

"it’s a brutal business which doesn’t always bring out the best in people."

So true……………

Our office is located in the basement, so we never really have a true bearing of what’s going on in the world around us unless we step out and into the building’s courtyard or rise like blinking moles into the sun. So during lunch today I became obsessed with having a Wor Won Ton Mein. I don’t know why, but I had to have one! So I left the office in the 80 degree heat and started walking to Hong Kong Restaurant in the blazing sun to get a Wor Won Ton Mein. Needless to say, by the time I hit 4th and University I had a pretty good sweat going on, and that Won Ton Mein didn’t look quite as appetizing. But by this time I had also passed all the "regulars" in Hillcrest; now I thought about Bread and Cie, but I could see that it was packed and I didn’t want to deal with that, so I turned around and saw Bambu Bistro:

So against my better judgment I stepped into this place, and up to the counter. there was a chalkboard with various lunch specials. The very "chipper" gal at the counter recommended the "Thai Burrito" so I ordered it. The funny thing was that there were no prices written on the board – turned out the lunch special was $8.00 – for this:

Notice the bright colors of the plate, the tablecloth, take notice of the bright and sunny store-front. Take notice of the brown-grey looking "burrito" and peanut sauce. The menu stated that the burrito was wrapped in a cilantro tortilla – does it look like a cilantro tortilla to you? Also, no scallions, as also stated in the menu. Oh well, taste will always prevail IMHO, so I took a bite of the burrito without the peanut sauce, and "BLANK", I mean truly a "blank", very bland, tasted like can chicken stir-fried with bean sprouts, there obviously was some kind of sauce in there, because my burrito "self-destructed" on the very first bite. The peanut sauce seemed just to be pureed peanut and some hot sauce like sambal….. Well, enough of that. the only other person in the restaurant during this time was eating a bowl of "pho’", very loosely defined as pho’. Was kinda small, and I checked the price $7.00! Posted on the counter was a picture of a Banh Mi, with the heading that was something like "The newest thing, blah, blah…". I’m afraid of what might happen to a Banh Mi (I didn’t see it on the menu) in the hands of a restaurant like this. And how much would they charge? like $7.00? Scary thought………

At that point I called it quits, the service had been good and friendly, but the food really needs alot of work if this place is to survive. To me this was the perfect example of "Con-Fusion" cuisine, tasteless and pointless. If somebody has been there, and there’s something I’m missing, by all means let me know. I usually will try a restaurant twice; but in this case it would seem to be pointless.

Bambu Bistro
3882 4th Ave.
San Diego, CA 92103

Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour

June 20, 2005 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Desserts, Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt

*** I think most San Diego residents know from the press coverage, that as of July 31st 2006, Farrell’s has closed it’s doors. A sad day for all…..

Caution, the following post may bring on severe side effects associated with a case of terminal nostalgia!

I don’t think that you could’ve grown up in Honolulu in the 70’s and early 80’s without having gone to Farrell’s at least once! Bright, loud, and rollicking, the pounding of the drums, and the siren going off when a "zoo" was being delivered! Farrell’s is very near and dear to the hearts of those raised during that era.

Then, it seems like overnight they all started closing one by one, until I walked by the location of my favorite in Kahala Mall, and found they were gone……

Until today that is. I had read that one of the last two Farrell’s(the other is in Santa Clarita) in existence is located in Mira Mesa just about 12 miles North; but I had never made the effort to go there. After all they say "you can never really go back home again"…. But I made mention of Farrell’s on Ono Kine Grindz, and man if we didn’t start waxing nostalgic! So of course, a trip was in order…..

The Farrell’s in Mira Mesa is located in a mall across from a Target store, next to a Domino’s pizza. The location looked really plain and we almost missed it, how so "Un-Farrell’s" – like :

As we walked in, all of the "classic" kitsch-y, faux 90’s Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour decor was on display. From the booths to the tiffany lamps, to the red and gold wallpaper, to the player piano, it was all there. The old Farrell’s spirit and excitement was missing however. It was unusually dark, and Adults out-numbered children 5 to 1, and it was very quiet. Maybe because it was Father’s day, who knows! There were three what looked like Middle-Aged Siblings with a Gentleman who was obviously their dad having lunch and ice cream. We were seated and handed the classic Farrell’s Newsprint Menu! With great joy I turned to the back and saw that The Zoo, Volcano, and Pig’s Trough, were still on the menu! In fact most of the ice cream desserts that I remembered were still on the menu. On the downside, no Gastronomicaldelicatessenepicurean’s Delight, bummer! And in deference to the location there was stuff like Pot Stickers, Asian Chicken Strips, and Tempura Vegetables, on the menu. Very strange. The classic Patty Melt and Whing Ding Hot Dog are still on the menu however.

We ordered a "Crunchy Burger" (not a classic I know) and a Banana Royale (a classic). The burger was pretty good, tasty, well cooked, as good as I remember. The Banana Royale was also good, no frills vanilla ice cream, real good thick fudge, and nuts. The Missus kept asking me why the fudge was so thick, and I had to explain that this is not the thin, runny, squeeze bottled stuff. I eventually showed Her the fudge warmer.

So what’s the verdict? I actually enjoyed my burger enough to return. Farrell’s is a little worse for wear, and alot of the atmosphere is gone, but those memories are still there. There’s a site with an exhaustive history of Farrell’s.

Here’s to the memories!

Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour
10606 Camino Ruiz
Mira Mesa, CA 92126

Kabul Market – Chapli & Kabobs

June 18, 2005 mmm-yoso Afghan, Markets & Grocers

*** Update – Kabul Market has closed.

For dinner last night we dropped by another place on our regular rotation; Kabul Market.

Within the market is the House of Kabob a nice little gem on Convoy St. in the Clairemont Mesa area. Here you’ll find some very tasty and reasonably priced Afghan food. In all honesty, I have no idea what Afghan food is. But I can truly say the food here is tasty. Today we had the Chapli Kabob (below) and the Chicken Kabob plate.

From what I can tell Chapli is basically (local standards) a Afghan Hamburger Steak very liberally flavored with various herbs and spices. It served with a green salad with a very tangy and tasty yogurt (again I’m guessing) dressing, rice pilaf seasoned with Sumac, Afghan Bread (Naan??), and a Chatni. All for $5.99!!!! Now I had no idea what Sumac is but here’s a good description of it, we now have it at home it’s an excellent additions to dressings, but like furikake’ also really good on a nice bowl of rice! (Sorry, but I’m ready to “bust-out” the Chaw-wan at the earliest sign of starch!)

The Chicken Kabob is also really good, and today it was in fine form! Soooo tasty, spicy, a little tangy, a little herbaceous.

Now service may be a little slow, but this is a Mom and Pop operation. So place your order, and shop around the market. All meat are prepared in accordance with The House of Halal, and there are many pastries, herbs, and other provisions available.

Kabul Market
4425 Convoy Street, San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 514-8682

Uh-oh…Food Coma…….

Osaka Kitchen – like Night and Day

June 15, 2005 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants

*** Osaka Kitchen has closed yet again.

*** Osaka Kitchen has reopened in the same location. A post can be found ~~here.~~

*** Osaka Kitchen has closed and has been replaced by (another) Sushi Deli location……

Ever been to a restaurant who's character is vastly divergent from day (lunch) to night (dinner?). Osaka Kitchen is one of those restaurants. Located in a very nondescript strip mall next to a Mexican Restaurant and around the corner from Denny's on Kearney Villa Rd, all you see is the sign JAPANESE FOOD, with the little yellow sign Osaka Kitchen next to it. Blink and you've driven right past it.

Having heard some nice remarks about the City-Style Japanese Food and Izakaya Type dishes at Osaka Kitchen we decided to give it a try. The first thing you notice about the restaurant is how small the dining area really is. 6 plain tables lined up along the window area and a small eating bar area with 6-7 chairs is all it is; the place looks alot larger from the outside. We arrived at 530pm on the dot and were seated and handed an 8 page menu – one side in Japanese, the other in English. The first two pages listed 51 items from Uni-Pasta(???) to Noodle Soups to Combination Plates ranging from $6.50 – $19.00. On another page is the drink menu with a decent selection of sakes such a Otokoyama and Kikusui, Shochu, Beer, Wine, and soft drinks.

The last page was the most interesting (click to enlarge) this listed the Izakaya type items. We ordered the Japanese Meatloaf with Demiglace ($9.00) and Ten Don ($7.50), both meals came with a salad and miso soup. The salad was just iceberg lettuce with some shredded carrots and cabbage, and worst of all, lying on top of the salad was a dressing that had the distinct taste of the "Miracle Whip" of Japanese food, Kewpie Mayo, not among my favorite things. The miso soup on the other hand was superb and probably among the best I've had served as a "side" with this type of meal. I usually will not consume the miso soup that's served as part of a lunch or dinner, it's usually watered down, or even worse that instant stuff – yuck! In many instances the miso soup will have "stuff" added, most of it to hide the terrible quality. But this miso soup was great, not too thick (believe it or not I once had miso soup so thick it was like a bisque), not watered down, with nice oceany overtones. Very simply served with a few tiny pieces of tofu and kelp, delici-yoso! The Ten-Don arrived first, again, very plain, no garnishes, just 3 pieces of shrimp over rice covered with tempura sauce. The shrimp was totally saturated, but that's the way the Missus likes it! (She even requested extra sauce). Though the batter basically fell of the shrimp, it was perfectly cooked! Soft and tender, not rubbery and overcooked as is often the case. The tempura sauce was too mild and not sweet enough for our tastes.

The "Meatloaf" arrived on a plate along with a bowl of rice, smashed potato salad, and it had garnishes! Two pieces of red & green bell pepper and a piece of steamed broccoli. The salad was flat, lacking any real flavor. The Meatloaf was actually more of a hamburger steak lying in demiglace. The Meatloaf was cooked perfectly and had a nice taste along when mixed with the demi. This was nice and tasty, but not worth $9.00 in my mind. Still, this was interesting and worth another try. The clientele were mostly Japanese speaking and the restaurant was starting to fill up as we left.

Today I went for lunch, and thought I'd entered a different restaurant! First of all the menu was about 1 sheet of paper with 30 or so items, most of them teriyaki chicken, teriyaki beef, and "bowls". The clientele was totally different, most of the customers looked like they worked nearby! Looks like this little restaurant has found it's niche for lunch as well as dinner with quick bowls and teriyaki combination plates for lunch. I ordered the Chicken Katsu Curry ($6.25) and a side order of the miso soup ($.85). The Curry came with the green salad (mayo-time!) which I didn't really touch and a drink, and I chose the really good tea that they make here! The curry was simply (get the common thread) served over Chicken Katsu, with a good amount of rice! At least twice the amount of rice I had with the Meatloaf for dinner, enough to make an Ex-Pat Kama'aina happy! The Katsu was cooked and seasoned perfectly, with a nice texture, the curry was alot darker than I'm used to, even for Japanese Curry, and a little too sweet for my tastes, though I liked the "heat", there were only a few pieces of meat in the curry and nothing else – again simplicity! Happily the miso soup was every bit as good as the one I had for dinner!

I'll probably be back again, especially if I find someone brave enough to try Miso Tongue with me! Osaka Kitchen serves well prepared and cooked food, served without embellishment. Though the portions (for dinner at least) are rather small for the prices charged, and some of the flavors were not to my taste, I think this place is worth a try.

Osaka Kitchen
5447 Kearny Villa Rd
San Diego, CA 92123
(858) 467-0722

Caffeine Fix – San Diego Trolley Stop Coffee

June 10, 2005 mmm-yoso Caffeine Fix

In need of some cash I headed to the nearest local ATM – only to find that the entire bank had moved! As I walked back to my car I noticed this across the street:

My curiosity piqued, I drove across the street, and lo’ and behold it was a real, running, operating trolley-coffee shop on wheels – called San Diego Trolley Stop Coffee! Naturally, I had to stop and have a cup. Today, the trolley was less busy, so I was able to ask John (the owner) a few questions which he happily answered; yes, he did buy the trolley and converted it to a Coffee Cart on Wheels, it took him about 9 months (6 months full-time) to complete the conversion. Yes, it does run, and yes, that is a coffee "degree" from The Seattle Barista Academy!!! So John actually went to school to learn how to make coffee.

Located in the same mall as Save-On on Sandrock Rd in Serra Mesa, John makes a good cup a’ Joe. You may want to drop by and ogle the Trolley. And based on his Certification, John probably makes a mean latte as well!

Ba Ren

June 6, 2005 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

*** Ba Ren has closed

*** Updated and additional posts on Ba Ren – Post#201, an update 06/06/2006, the Huo Guo post, the seasonal menu on 01/02/2008, and other silliness. Sheesh, do you think we eat here enough????

"Forgive me Kitchen God for I have sinned; it's been 3 weeks since I've been to Ba Ren….."

When we first moved to San Diego, we used to make periodic pilgrimages to Chung King in Monterey Park for Szechwan. We lamented the lack of a good Szechwan restaurant in San Diego. We tried a few, but they were utter disappointments, so we would end up behind a steering wheel driving to LA for our Fuqi Feipian fix.

Than in 2003, we turned down Diane Ave, and saw this sign:

It seemed interesting and several days later we visited Ba Ren and haven't stopped since. Some weeks it seemed like we'd be there 2-3 times during the week mostly for take-out. In a few months we had pretty much worked our way down the menu as well as the all important placard:

The last two dishes on this placard, are probably some of the best Ba Ren has to offer; the second to the last dish is Dry Fried Beef Slivers(Gan Bian Niu Rou Si? -12.99) and the last is the Twice Cooked Fish(9.99) that everyone on Chowhound.com raves about. We also got to know Wendy, one of the owners very well, and she would guide us toward new and interesting items. In August, I went ahead and with Wendy and Bill's(one of the other Partners) help set up a Chowhound get together for a 17 course Szechwan "feast" that turned out really well. San Diego Chowhounds at Ba Ren.

We had been busy over the last three weeks or so, and hadn't had time to visit Ba Ren. So having an open evening we dropped by. Being a Monday at 5pm it was really quiet. I also noticed that the infamous Chinese placard now had a second side and even more dishes. So in the end we decided to order two new dishes and two of our favorites – Rice Crust with Sliced Chicken (9.99) and Hot Pepper Prawns (12.99).

Squares of crisp rice is brought out, than the toppings, in this case sliced chicken, cloud ears, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, sauce, and other veggies is poured on the rice crust creating a sizzling sound. We enjoy the chicken version of this dish the best because the sauce has a nice condensed chicken taste. I think Ed from Yuma describes what makes this dish so good when he says "as the sauce and the rice crisps interact, the rice becomes softer, so the dish's textures change as it's eaten". Yes, every bite of this dish is different!

The next dish was from the placard. Fish with soft jelly noodles(9.99). This was fantastic, not quite a soup, not quite a casserole; perfectly marinated and prepared fish with Konnyaku-like Noodles, red peppers, ginger, lily buds, and pickled vegetables. The taste was hot and sour, imagine the most prefect Hot and Sour soup, peppery, with good sour overtones! Delici-yoso!

The Hot Pepper Prawns were next. This is the prawn version of the Chung King Style Chili with Chicken. Battered and fried prawns covered with fried dried red chili's, you'd think that this would literally blow your head off, but the subtle sweet and salty taste made this highly addictive.

The last dish was Dry-Cooked Lamb (12.99), that is lamb slices cooked without broth or water. This dish was a good example of layers of heat, the chili pepper hit the front of your tongue, the chili oil the middle, and the black pepper the back. This dish can be a bit overwhelming, but the herbaceous taste keeps you eating more! This dish also features Chinese celery, shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced garlic, and what was my favorite part of the dish – the mung bean sprouts. The meal was finished off with a bowl of Eight Treasure Black Rice Porridge to cleanse and clear your palate and stomach.

On the placard the Fish dish is the sixth one down. The Lamb is the second. If you want the dish with chicken it's the first one, if it's beef you want prepared in this manner it's the third; frog is the fourth. All in all another successful visit to our favorite restaurant!

Some notes on Ba Ren – Mandarin is the main language spoken, but don't let that dissuade you. I don't speak any Mandarin and am able to do fine! The staff is very helpful and friendly! The chef from Ba Ren originally was a Chef at a Four Star hotel in Chongqing and was one of the original Chefs at Chung King in Monterey Park (wow, the original chef from our favorite LA restaurant, what a coincidence!!!) and has over 30 years of cooking experience with this type of cuisine.

Ba Ren
4957 Diane Ave
San Diego, CA 92117