Closed – Page 12

TJ Dumplings – Almost Gou Bu Li (and no “TJ” does not stand for Tijuana)

March 10, 2020 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Xiao Long Bao

**** TJ Dumplings has been replaced by Tenkatori.

It's been a busy couple of weeks, so not much time to have lunch. I headed out to grab a sandwich and noticed a new business in the former location of Lai Chen and BT Chinese Kitchen, so I headed into the parking lot.

TJ Dumplings????? Even though the sign said they open at 1130; it was 11 and the place was open, so I decided to head in.

The menu was quite small; Xiao Long Bao, Baozi, Guotie, Jiaozi, and stuff like Pineapple Fried Rice and Kung Pao Chicken? No Chinese, all in English.

I asked the nice gentleman behind the counter about the name and was told; "it's our hometown". To which I asked "Tianjin?" He immediately brightened up and let out a sigh; "I know, we didn't think when we named the place….people think we mean Tijuana!" I was also told that they had just opened two weeks prior.

I immediately asked if the steamed bun was "Gou Bu Li" (the famous baozi of Tianjin) and he smiled and said; "it is based on Guo Bu Li; even the amount of folds!" So, of course, how could I resist. I got an order of the steamed buns and potstickers to go. I liked that the baozi took about 15-20 minutes, it meant they were steamed to order. I was happy that they packed Chinese black vinegar with my order.

When I got back to the office, I noticed that Calvin had finished his lunch, but still seemed hungry, so I shared some of this with him. It was too much for me. The bun was decent; it was slightly fragrant and fluffy, the filling by the book; moist, porky, good savory tones (slight ginger/scallion), fairly tender. Not bad at all…..no, it's not the best I've had, but perfectly fine for lunch.

The baozi had 15-18 folds which puts it in gou bu li territory.

I didn't enjoy the guotie much though.

It was mostly about the wrapper and cooking technique than the filling; which was basically the same as the baozi. The wrapper was too thick; chewy, and it had a certain greasiness to it that I didn't particularly care for. Call me spoiled by QingDao Guotie….yes, I've been indoctrinated.

Still; those baozi were pretty good. So, on one of the days where I was able to get away and Calvin had a meeting running thru noon, I headed back over to TJ Dumplings for baozi. Upon entering I quickly noticed all the "Peach" insulated bags on the tables and seats.

So, I guess delivered food is a big part of the business here.

I got the baozi, jiaozi, and Calvin was really curious about the Xiao Long Bao, so I ordered that as well.

First things first; the baozi on this visit was better than on my previous visit. The dough fluffier, though it also had a bit of sweetness this time; not sure if they are stilling trying to get their formula right. The filling tasted the same; but there was a bit of "soup" in the baozi making it very moist. Also, the meat in the baozi wasn't formed as tightly, making it very tender.

The jiaozi was just ok…..here's one I'm not going to order take-out in the future as the wrappers stuck to the take-out container. The wrapper were fine, a bit more doughy-chewy than I prefer.

While not even close to being my favorite or my MIL's, this would have been decent home-made jiaozi. One funny note; the lady working asked me how I knew the Chinese names of the dishes and I told her the Missus is from Qingdao. As I took my package to go she told me; "sorry, no pounded garlic for you." Which cracked me up. Pounded garlic with black vinegar is the signature accompaniment to jiaozi in Qingdao.

As for the XLB.

I was surprised they made it back to the office intact. The wrapper is thinner than most; but a bit too brittle and lacking in a nice pillowy pull.

The filling was basically the same as the jiaozi, but with a tad more sweetness and just a few drops of soup in them.

This wasn't bad; I've had worse, but it's definitely not the headliner here. For me, it's the baozi.

Which is not bad. A solid version.

And so, I'll try to drop by and actually eat in the place when things slow down a bit.

So there you go; it's "TJ" as in Tianjin, not Tijuana. And almost Gou Bu Li.

TJ Dumplings
6780 Miramar Rd.
San Diego, CA 92121

Pupuseria Salvadoreña & Mexican Food (El Cajon)(revisit)

February 15, 2020 Cathy Mexican Restaurants, Salvadoran Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is written by Cathy today; Kirk (and His Missus) are enjoying a three day weekend.

Ever since The Mister and I stopped at Silvia Pupuseria in December, He has been on the prowl for Salvadorean foods (especially pupusas). Revisits to our 'local' Pupuseria, which I wrote about in 2009 and again in 2010 have occurred.
Not much has changed, other than the prices.
Freshly prepared curtido is brought to the table when you order pupusas. Also, a plain tomato sauce is an accompaniment. There is a house made a chili based hot sauce (usually used with the Mexican side of the menu) which I requested.
You can hear the corn based dough being prepared for stuffing as your order is prepared. The plate of freshly grilled and stuffed flatbread is beautiful.
A cross section photo of the stuffed dough doesn't quite do it justice. The calabaza (zucchini squash) with cheese was light and refreshing. The revuleta (beans, cheese and chicharron) was almost too 'bacon-y' in flavor. The spinach and cheese filled pupusa is wonderful.
Of course there is Mexican food on the menu. We tried the carne guisado con arroz y salad (beef stew with rice and salad) ($9.99) and it was wonderful!- large pieces of beef, potato and carrot (along with the required olive)in a thick yet smooth gravy. The rice along with the cucumbers and tomato on top of some lettuce are perfect accompaniments. (Those are not pupusas, but fresh hand made thick corn tortillas on the side). There are photographs of meals on the walls. The Mister and I pointed to one and ordered it. Chicken soup ($8.99) which arrived with this wonderfully fried quarter of a chicken on the side, a bowl of rich chicken broth filled with vegetables and the sides of rice and salad (and tortillas) as well as onion, jalapeño and lime wedges. After eating the chicken skin and trying some of the vegetable filled broth, shredded chicken was added to the soup and gave the meal another great flavor combination. We will order this again.

There are tamales on the menu; this one is pork ($2.50) and it was particularly good; the masa has lard in it. The banana leaf wrap seems to add a different dimension from the corn husk/traditional wrap. We plan to order some for the holidays later this year.

Pupuseria Salvadoreña 1207 East Main Street El Cajon 92021 (619) 447-2501 Mon-Sat 9-9, Sun 10-9

In winter, we enjoy the atole de elote, a hot corn and masa based beverage ($2.50) made fresh here.

A Collection of Dishes from A-Bowl

February 11, 2020 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Xiao Long Bao

**** A-Bowl has closed

Cathy did a post on A-Bowl a few months back and over the last couple of months, both "YZ" who is from Shanghai and Calvin joined for multiple meals at A-Bowl. We had a nice smapling of the menu and some of the dishes multiple times.

So here's a collection of dishes; from the picks to pans….

Favorites:

So, YZ's favorite dish at A-Bowl hands down is the Crispy Fish Fillet with Seaweed. One of her friends (and folks on Weichat) recommended we order this dish. I've had it three times so far.

It's been crisp, light, the fish moist all three times I've had this. It's mild in flavor so the nori adds a nice oceany-savoriness. It's lightly salted and seasoned and not a bad dish at all.

Calvin's favorite dish is an easy pick. He wanted it on our first visit, but was told it would take 20-30 minutes to prepare and we didn't have the time. So on a day where it seemed all our meetings were cancelled we headed over….and as we walked in the door, Calvin ordered it; even before we got our menus. Yes, he was determined to have this… yes, we waited for the Pork "Elbow" with House Sauce.

And it was pretty good. Not overly sweet, the skin held form but was nice and gelatinously gooey. The flesh was fork/chopstick tender. Nice pork flavor, moist, not overly salty…..a pretty good job on this!

Speaking of pork; I actually enjoyed the "Crystal Pork Jelly".

I enjoyed this version of jellied pork; it had a good amount of fat to pork and was pretty tender, but not falling apart. Loved the crown of "aspic", nice swiney notes. I really enjoyed the sauce as it was salty-sour-pungent-sweet; nice amount of garlic and black vinegar and quite to my taste.

Inconsistent But Will Try Again:

There were a couple of dishes I had twice and were good on one visit and not so good on another.

The Mei Cai Kou Rou was pretty good the first time I had it.

On the first visit; the pork was a luxuriously fatty, melt-in-the mouth tender. The sauce while being quite rich, had a decent soy sauce-sweet-acidic balance, and the preserved vegetable, which looked mushy, actually had a nice, mild crunch to it.

The next time we had it; it was too salty and pork was drier and tougher.

The Shanghai Marinated Duck also followed the same pattern.

On the first visit; the color of the duck wasn't great, but this worked out fine as the duck was tender, full of flavor, and the sauce just sang in harmony….it elevated the dish. The second time around, the duck was tougher, the sauce way too sweet and sticky….it was trying to be the star of the show and just over-shadowed the duck.

Perhaps Will Try Again:

On that visit where we couldn't wait for the Pork Knuckle, the really nice young lady working recommended we order the House Special Pig Feet.

This was not bad; but the skin was a tad on the chewy side and the sauce way too sweet.

The Deep Fried Corn with Salted Egg Yolk was nice and crunchy.

But the salted egg yolk flavor was muted, making this a bit on the sweet side. Still, I really enjoyed the crunchiness.

Probably One and Done:

Minced Cumin Lamb with Pancake.

While this definitely had enough cumin for me; I missed the palate cleansing flavor of cilantro. This was also salty and I wasn't a fan of the lamb used; it lacked the nice gaminess and had a mealy-chewy texture to it. I think I'll try the regular cumin lamb out.

While the Sheng Jian Bao was better than the version down the street at Tasty Noodle House, it wasn't even close to those served at Tasty Noodle House in Hacienda Heights….which by the way, isn't even close to my favorite pan fried baozi being served at a Tasty Noodle House.

While the bottoms were decently crisp, the rest of the baozi was doughy and wet…it lacked any fluffiness. The filling was on the sweet side, but kind of tough.

I might try this again, but am not sure.

One and Done:

The Xiao Long Bao was a disappointment.

I can sum this up quickly; no soup, wrappers too thick and rubbery, folds hard and chewy…..I'll stop there.

The Beef Noodle Soup wasn't to my taste.

Actually not to Calvin's either. We shared this and after one spoonful of broth and a bite of the mush noodles we both were silent….then we cracked up. The broth was very one-dimensional with some spice; but that's it. No beefiness and a certain greasy tongue feel; not even the preserved vegetable helped. The beef was very tough as well. This was just not an enjoyable soup.

And yet, I thought the Chao Nian Gao was even worse than the NRM.

I'm not sure what happened to the wok skills of the chef on this one. The Nian Gao were mushy, there was very little flavor….not enough vegetable. The pork was tough, chewy, and had no taste. There was a strange greasiness to the dish; as if it wasn't stir-fried at the right temperature.

So there you go; a collection of dishes from A-Bowl. I'm sure the folks from work will want to return; they enjoy this place way more than Tasty Noodle House. So pork knuckle here we come……

Check out Kirbie's and Faye's posts on A-Bowl as well.

A-Bowl
4690 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111

Mikami Revolving Sushi and Bar-a first look (Clairmont Mesa)

January 17, 2020 Cathy Japanese Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping to read mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Cathy is writing today while Kirk stays busy at work.

Another revolving sushi bar has opened in San Diego. Located at the South West corner of Clairmont Mesa at Ruffner, in the same mall as PT Eatery, Katsu Cafe, one of the original Lolita locations, the Tea Station location I write about. The corner across Ruffner Street has the Original Tommy's. The other corner, across Clairmont Mesa Boulevard, has Ajisen Ramen. The parking area is plentiful and free (compared to the parking area by the other San Diego revolving sushi restaurant, Kura).

The Mister and I were here on a weekday (and Mikami is still in the 'Soft Opening' stage) and only one Conveyor was open. The second photo is looking into the Bar area, which has no conveyors, but where appetizers, entrees and 'buckets' can be ordered.
The rolling conveyor (kaiten) had a good variety of choices, although a good 1/3 were salmon based (The Mister doesn't really like salmon), each group of plates proceeded by a plate with a description on one side and number on the other. All conveyor plates are $2.80. Beverages are $2.85 (and the hot tea is really good).
As always, we like to try the salad offerings. This was plentiful and filling. Fresh vegetables as well as good quality krab along with avocado.
We got all wild and crazy and chose a 'Las Vegas Roll' from the rolling belt. The breaded fried roll had a filling including real crab and cream cheese. It was fresh and tasty. We also shared this half and half (tuna and salmon with cucumber filling) roll, which was also fresh and well made.

Then we set our eyes on the touch pad ordering system. Pretty simple to navigate; we did order one item at a time. First we decided to try the fried calamari rings ($7).

The smooth running wood railed trolly delivery system was pretty much silent. Once you take your order off the rocket ship, you can send it back by pushing the button on the table or it will eventually automatically go back to the kitchen.
The sea salt topped (where else does salt come from?) fried calamari rings were quite nice, well fried, not greasy, and served with a slightly spicy dipping sauce.
We also ordered a Blue Crab hand roll ($2.80) which was quite large and fresh made (the rice was still warm). Really nice quality.
The soy wrapped spicy scallop hand roll (also $2.80) was wonderful and also much larger than expected. I would much rather have this than three smaller spicy scallop rolls from the conveyor for the same price.
We didn't see any soft shell crab on the conveyor nor on the menu, however when we asked, found out it's the 'Spider Roll' (again, $2.80) and wow, we will order two of these next time! Perfectly fried half of a soft shell crab.

A nice alternative in a good location.

Mikami Revolving Sushi and Bar 7319 Clairmont Mesa Boulevard San Diego 92111 Sun-Thurs 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri-Sat 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m.

Ordering From (the shrinking) Guatemalan Menu at Casa Castillo

January 13, 2020 mmm-yoso Guatemalan Food

**** Casa Castillo has closed

While driving back from Liberty Station after checking out a place for an upcoming "croissant files" post, I noticed that the restaurant attached to the Howard Johnson's on Rosecrans had changed (yet again). I had always meant to visit this somewhat oddly located restaurant when it was the pseudo Guamanian-Mexican place named Tio Chino. Then for a blink of an eye it was New York Restaurant….now it was something called Casa Castillo, which I took to be yet another Mexican joint….until I looked a bit closer and the signage read "Mexican and Guatemalan Dining"! Which really got my attention. So when I had a chance I decided to drop by for lunch.

I must admit that my hopes were elevated when I saw the Santa Catalina Arch rendered in the logo of the restaurant. I had really enjoyed Guatemala….and man, has it been 10 years since we visited! Walking into the doorway and then up the rather oddly located stairs, I had visions of Ensalda Remolacha, Pepian, Hilachas, and Estofado de Cordero dancing in my head.

I walked into the restaurant which was completely empty…..on a weekend, during lunch. There's a nice patio area with a view of Rosecrans and the interior dining room; which had a fairly generic Mexican Restaurant-Sports Bar kind of look.

A very friendly young lady came out of the kitchen area and warmly greeted me. I had a seat and took a look at the menu….unfortunately, there were no Guatemalan Stews on the breakfast and lunch menu. They did however; have Guatemalan Enchiladas and Pupusas. I ordered one of each.

A basket of chips and salsa made its way to my table.

It may seem confusing; in Guatemala, the enchiladas are made on tostadas and classically have remolacha, a wonderful beet salad, ground or chopped beef, boiled eggs, and sprinkling of queso. I was wondering what would be arriving at my table and was pleased with what I got.

From the lettuce, to the sweet with a hint of citrus ensalada remolacha (beet salad), to what I called the typical "mystery meat" ground beef topping, boiled eggs, and cheese, this had all the hallmarks of a Guatemalan Enchilada (tostada). The tostada was a bit thinner than what I had enjoyed in Guatemala, the boiled eggs over-cooked, but this did the job. Not bad at all.

I approached the pupusa with caution; I hadn't enjoyed the version I had in Antigua. But this was a fairly good Pupusa de Chicharron.

These were a bit more doughy than Salvodorean pupusas; though the chicharron had a very nice texture and were quite porky. I love encurtido of all types and this one, while not the typical bright red version I was used to; had a nice crunch, the bright sour flavors cut the richness of the chicharron.

This wasn't a bad lunch, it cost me $7.75, and I left satisfied. I was even more happy when I was told that the dishes I was looking for was on the dinner menu…..and dinner was served from 3pm! So, the following weekend; the Missus was working late and I headed to Casa Castillo…arriving around 430pm. Again, the place was empty.

I was greeted by a wonderful smiling young lady….I believe Hannah is her name. And was given a menu. And wouldn't you know it…….they did have Pepian and Hilachas on the menu.

Pepian is probably the national dish of Guatemala; a wonderful recados (stew), made with dried chilies, pumpkin seeds, a slew of veggies, and meat. It is complex, almost like a mole. Hilachas is a shredded beef stew.

When Hannah returned, I ordered the Pepian and was told, "I'm so sorry, the chef just revised the menu and pepian is no longer on the menu." So I went with the Hilachas and was told that was also no longer on the menu. I mean, I didn't expect Subanik or Kac-Ik, but to not have Pepian….man, that was a bummer. Hannah recommended the Jocon – Pollo en Jocon a green chicken stew. So I ordered it.

The bowl of green stew came with some rather dry rice, avocado, and perfectly serviceable corn tortillas.

From what I read in my Guatemalan Cookbooks, chicken is first simmered in water and the cooking liquid is set aside to make the stew. Once the tomatillo and cilantro is pureed, the chicken cooking liquid is readded to the mixture, it is thickened with pumpkin seeds, and the chicken is returned to cook until tender. I think the last step was missed since the chicken was barely lukewarm, dry, tasteless, and tough.

The red potatoes weren't tender enough for me….I think everything had been par cooked, set aside and then put into the broth when ordered. I enjoyed the texture of the tomatillo "stew", it was just thick enough and coated my tongue nicely. I do think it was quite mild….especially for something that uses tomatillos and cilantro as a base.

Sometimes, when having a dish, a meal, I'm transported to a place or time….sorry to say, that wasn't the case with this meal. This is where I wish it took me….

I do understand it's a business….this is a Hotel/Motel restaurant; this is Midway, locals and I would think many visitors know the Mexican dishes, perhaps they just want some crane asada fries, beer, or maybe a margarita, and watch the game at the bar….and have no idea or care what Hilachas is. This doesn't make me any less disappointed though.

I was told that the owners are Guatemalan, but the kitchen staff is Mexican, perhaps that has something to do with things as well. I must say, the two young ladies who waited upon me were fantastic; the prices are quite reasonable, but there were no customers to be found on either visit. I'm hoping whatever changes they put into place work out and they do well. And perhaps; if business picks up, I'll be able to get my Pepian or Hilachas here one day.

Casa Castillo
3334 Rosecrans St.
San Diego, CA 92110
Hours:
Sun – Thurs 8am – 9pm
Fri – Sat 8am – 10pm

Circling Back to Sab E Lee (Santee)

January 5, 2020 mmm-yoso Thai Restaurants

**** This location of Sab E Lee has closed

We’ve just torn the last page out of the 2019 calendar….it’s 2020. 2020……man, can you believe that if we’re still posting in May of this year; it will make 15 years? Sheesh….. I was recently wool gathering and looking at some older posts and I realize that there are tons of places that I haven’t revisited in years.

Some of them used to be favorites of ours…….Sab E Lee was one of them right from they opened in 2008. Over the years, they’ve opened a location in PQ, moved the original shop to a larger location down the street, and opened another, more Thai comfort food based restaurant in the old location. And of course, there’s the Sab E Lee location in Santee, which I used to call SEL2. The original owner of TOSEL sold the place to the cooks and opened up a location in Santee back in 2009. The food wasn’t truly Issan like TOSEL, but some of the dishes were quite good. I looked at my post from 2012 and realized I hadn’t been back there in over 7 years! Also, the Missus has been wanting Salted Fish Fried Rice; something that TOSEL and Thai Papaya took off their menu a few years back. Looking at the online menu for the place; I noticed that they still had it on the menu…..in Santee! I hoped.

So, this past weekend, I made the drive out to Santee to see what was going on at that location of SEL.

The place looks pretty much the same as I recalled…..though for some reason, it just seemed much darker inside.

Two really nice young ladies were working…so friendly. And yes, there it was….the salted fish fried rice on he menu. When I ordered it; the nice young lady made sure to let me know that they use fermented fish….not “fresh” fish, which made me laugh…..I’m guessing perhaps there have been some folks surprised when they actually caught a whiff of that fried rice?

Anyway; it was the first dish to arrive.

Nicely stir-fried; some wok hay going on….not as much salted fish as I recalled…the dish was not very pungent. Enjoyed the texture and this wasn’t overly salty. Most of went home for the Missus who said it was “kind of bland”……She’d expected something much more pungent. Still, not bad.

I also ordered the Duck Larb…..and was shocked when it arrived at the table hot.

The temperature really dulled the sharp flavors and the dish tasted better after spending some time in the fridge. At heat level 7, this was quite wimpy……..just not enough heat…..the duck was pretty gamey though. This was just mediocre, not made with any real finesse.

I also ordered the Khai Jeaw; a classic Thai street food dish. Basically eggs with ground pork and fish sauce.

The eggs were pretty well done; nice and fluffy, savory, and while not quite as good as what I’d had here in the past; this was my favorite dish. This did better with Nam Pla Prik – the savory fish sauce with chilies than the Sriracha that was served with the dish. Still, I missed the version they used to make here.

For your reference….from back in 2009, when SEL2 really tried stepping up their game.

I understand the economics of things….the prices here are very reasonable and I’m fairly certain that concessions have to be made for the area. This did seem like a totally different restaurant than the version of Sab E Lee I ate at in 2012. And I can’t help but wonder what Kobey; the former owner of SEL would think if he shared this meal with me.

Sab E Lee
9159 Mission Gorge Road
Santee, CA 92071

FireBirds Chicken

December 26, 2019 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Sandwiches

**** Firebirds Chicken has closed.

Almost a quarter century ago….though it seems even longer than that; I was in Nashville. I'd heard about Hot Chicken and on my first of two nights in the city, I sought it out. I was told that the place to try was Prince's Hot Chicken Shack, so with map in hand (Smartphones wouldn't be around for another almost another decade), I headed out and found Prince's, braved the line, got a leg quarter XHot….which was more than enough, served on a slice of white bread, which soaked up all of that lardy goodness that dripped off the chicken, and soothed my pain with coleslaw and potato salad. It was surprisingly crisp, moist, with some straight forward burning heat, slightly smokey, the dark meat had great flavor……it was without a doubt memorable. So when Dennis mentioned he was going to Nashville a few years back, I told he had to try some hot chicken, preferably from Prince's. You can read his post here (man, it's been eight years! Dennis, we miss you!).

So, when read that a Nashville Hot Chicken place was opening, I was intrigued. But, after looking at the photos….which, by the way, didn't look like Nashville Hot Chicken to me, I decided to wait until I got back from my trip before making my way to FireBirds.

If the location looks a bit familiar, it's because this is where Asmara was for many years and where Pho Saigon Alley was for a blink of an eye.

I arrived at right about 11am…..the place was empty. The set-up looks rather temporary and sparse.

The system is like most fast-casual/fast-foodish places; you order and pay at the counter, take a number….though since I was the only customer in the place, they didn't need to give me one. Service was pleasant. There's one big difference with regards to the "fast" casual concept though…..there's nothing really "fast" about the place; at least on my visits. Wait time for my food was at over 25 minutes during each visit. At least everything is supposed to be made fresh.

I ordered the Big 'ol Chicken, with a single piece ($9.99). Not quite sure how the spice was, I went with medium.

Which was a mistake since this wasn't the least bit spicy….at…all. The fries were more spicy than the chicken. At Prince's I really enjoyed the fact that there was a dark meat option….even the quarter breast had the wing attached. And since it wasn't a "sandwich" per se….you got slices of white bread to sop up all the goodness oozing from the chicken. Here it looked like a typical Sysco fairly dry, boneless chicken breast. The batter was mushy and bland, the sandwich had coleslaw which added texture to the chicken breast. The mayo based sauce really detracted from any flavor the chicken would have. Pickles are always a nice touch for spicy food; but since this wasn't spicy……heck; I think even KFC's (no not that kind of KFC)Hot Chicken is spicier, crisp, and has more flavor than this.

The roll had a mild brioche sweetness to it; but was definitely not what I'd call a "Hawaiian Roll".

Like I mentioned earlier; the fries were spicier than the chicken; the dusting of cayenne assured that. Sadly, it either not fried at the right temp, or not long enough as it lacked crispness and was really dry.

And since it didn't seem to be salted at all; I had to add salt form the shakers on the table.

Well, that was that……it wasn't Nashville Hot Chicken as I recalled….though even if it wasn't close, if the flavors, prep, and cooking had been good, I'd be all for it.

Still I left wondering how spicy the "Hot" would be so I decided to return and this time went with the "sliders" ($10.99). These came with four "sliders" each with a good sized half tender in them.

I actually enjoyed this a bit more…..it was spicier; though still not even a Nashville Hot Chicken "mild" in my mind. While the tenders were on the dry side; at least the batter was a bit more crisp; though I think there's just way too much mayo on these. Just having coleslaw should do it……. The mild sweetness of the rolls helped.

The fries were more crisp; though still needed salt added at the table to balance things out.

On this visit the place was two-thirds full and folks seemed to be enjoying Instagramming their food, if not thoroughly enjoying their meal. Such is the current state of things. To quote Billy Crystal quoting Fernando Lamas:

“It's more important to look good than to feel good."

As a whole, okay prices, lower level fast-casual prep, quality, and flavor. As for being happy that we have something that is at least Hot Chicken……sorry; I just can't call it Nashville Hot Chicken….. You know how it goes with me. I'm not happy to "just to have something" available……

FireBirds Chicken
4155 University Ave.
San Diego, CA 92105
Hours:
Tues – Thurs 1030am – 930pm
Fri – Sun 1030am – 1030pm
Closed on Mondays

Noodling Around City Heights – Tan Ky Mi Gia

December 22, 2019 mmm-yoso Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Tan Ky Mi Gia has closed

For my next "noodling around" post, I decided to start on ECB and move West from 54th. The first place from there is the discreetly located Tan Ky Mi Gia; which used to be Hinh Ky Mi Gia, which used to be Tan Ky Mi Gia….if you're keeping score. The menu still says Hinh Ky Mi Gia……

I mentioned during the post on my last visit, that it seemed the placed hadn't aged too well.

During this visit, I noticed that the light for half the restaurant weren't even turned on.

Instead of ordering what I usually would here; I recalled that the Missus actually enjoyed the duck when this place was still Hinh Ky and I promised to try the duck again during my previous visit, so I went with the Egg Noodle with Flavor Duck; which is steamed rather than roasted. To be perfectly honest; that duck looked pretty spooky; due to the almost totally black color when it arrived.

But it was not bad; I expected really salty, but it had a strong anise-five spice flavor and was tender. It did a fairly strong offal-gamey flavor.

The simple broth was better than what I'd had previously; not so much MSG this time, decent richness, with a mild savory-seafood finish.

The rather generous portion of noodles were firm, with a slight "crunch" to them.

During my visit there were no less than five take-out orders and some guys from the, ahem, "coffee shop" next door came in for soup as I was leaving, so I'm guessing they are doing ok business. The owner; is same from my visits over a decade ago; so it seems they just keep rolling along.

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

Golden City (yes, more visits)

December 11, 2019 Cathy Chinese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is still blogging about food. Today, Cathy is back at Golden City, a favorite (and underrated) Chinese restaurant located at the SouthEast Corner of the 163 and Clairmont Mesa Boulevard. Kirk is adjusting to the time zone.

Kirk's latest post about this wonderful restaurant was in January, where he linked back to his first post in 2005. My latest post was in May of 2018, so it's about time for an update. Here are two lunch visits. {The Lunch menu is available from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and again after 9 p.m.} {The Late Night menu does not include soup or rice with the meal; rice is $1 per bowl at that time}

Same location, some of the interior has been updated since 2005. Consistency. Always fresh tablecloths. Always friendly service.
Seafood Noodle Soup ($9.50)
Filled with shrimp, squid and fish as well as bok choy, carrots and plenty of eggy noodles, this chicken-broth-based soup is satisfying on many levels. Of course the flavors as well as textures and freshness make this a very satisfying meal on its own.
Fish Filet with Black Bean Sauce ($9.95). Plenty of fish, fresh and moist. Large pieces of sweet onion and a variety of bell peppers along with the saltiness of black bean sauce make this one of my cravings. The lunch meals (not the soup bowls) include egg rolls and a choice of egg drop or hot and sour soup as well as those magical 'crunchies' and plum sauce. Rice is included and hot tea is still free here; I like that it is made with loose tea leaves.
The egg rolls are cooked fresh and vegetable filled.
Fish with Lemongrass ($9.95) Breaded and properly fried, this is an indulgence. The lemony sauce, mixed with basil and spicy peppers make a great flavor combination.
Kung Pao Three ingredients ($10.95) is not too spicy. There are chilis and onion stir fried with the beef, chicken and shrimp. The peanuts mixed in help 'neutralize' any real spiciness you might encounter. Again, a mix of flavors (you can taste each ingredient) and textures and just a satisfying meal.

Golden City Chinese Cuisine 5375 Kearny Villa Road San Diego, CA 92123 (858) 565-6682 open Mon-Th 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Fri-Sat-Sun 11 a.m.-midnight

Sichuan City (Mira Mesa)

December 2, 2019 Cathy Chinese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! welcomes you back after the long Thanksgiving weekend. Kirk and His Missus are still enjoying their country hopping vacation and Cathy is holding down the fort here in San Diego.

In the first San Diego H-Mart location, the north end of the parking lot has been home to three restaurants; one has changed names a few times recently. It had been Golden State Seafood (where Faye used to go with family) for more than 20 years and then in early 2018 the owners sold and it changed to Spicy Hut, which abruptly changed the name in May of 2018 to Sichuan City (it's the same owner).

As with all Szechuan restaurants, there's an area of Cold Dishes to choose from, located in the dining area. A plate is $7 with up to three choices.
On this visit, we chose only two- the smoked chicken and smacked cucumbers. We munched on the flavorful smoked chicken and tried a few cucumbers while waiting for our order. The garlic-y crisp cucumbers were saved to accompany the meal.
On another visit, we shared an onion pancake ($3.99) with our meal. Wonderfully layered and light crispiness complimented that meal and the onion flavor was not overpowering. Juicy Dumplings ($8.99) were fresh made and did have a thin skin, with only one losing it's soup filling when I accidentally tore it when lifting from the papered steam basket. The soup filling itself was flavorful and the pork filling was meaty; a good sized bite. The single cooked noodle soup (rice noodle) ($7.99) was a good choice one chilly day. Ground pork, pickled vegetables, fresh cilantro and green onion along with a rich flavorful broth rounded out the bowl, complimented by the round and thick chewy noodles.
The fish filet in garlic brown sauce ($12.99) included tofu and mushrooms as well as carrot and onion. A filling plate of garlic goodness. We did order a side of rice ($1.50) to go with this (well, to go with the sauce) and the plate was a meal in itself.
Shredded pork with pickled vegetable ($10.99) was not quite what we expected, but it was good. (I had expected pickled vegetables like those on top of the noodle soup, above). The pork, by itself…I could taste the flavors, including ginger, and it was a good stir fry of pork. Those fresh chilis…good (and sweet/spicy) on their own, but when combined with a bite of pork, overwhelmed all other flavors. Not really a complaint (the menu did show two chilis indicating heat) but the fresh chilis were a surprise. We did take home leftovers and separated the chilis from the pork and the heat level was just right for a second meal.