Closed – Page 19

Fools and Kings

**** Fools and Kings has closed

One evening a few months back, I was looking for a place to grab an early dinner with the Missus. She wanted something different. I returned to the menu at Fools and Kings, a fairly eclectic collection of small plates….with dishes from some of our favorite places; Spain, Peru, and heck even North Africa. Over the next month or so we visited this quaint and rather discreet little eatery in Mission Hills.

Come to think of it; we've always had a table on the little patio out front….I don't think we've stepped into the dining room!

The menu is a fairly tight one, not too many dishes, but the range, at least in geographic terms is vast. The menu is broken up into five sections; Salads, Bocaditos (appetizers), Crudo, Flat Breads, and A la Carte items. All items are meant to be shared.

Funny thing; I'm not much of a Sangria person, but I did enjoy the White Sangria, especially during the hot spell we had a few months back. While it edged toward the sweeter side; I think the lychee and cinnamon gave it a nice refreshing and "clean" taste.

On our three visits, we were basically the only people eating at Fools and Kings, of course it was early in the week and for dinner; like 430-5pm or so.

Each meal started with some Canchita, which always made us smile as it reminded us of our favorite little place in Miraflores.

Anyway, just like other posts of the same ilk. Here are our picks and pans.

Our favorite here is the Stuffed Piquillo Peppers ($10).

The peppers are stuffed with crab and goat cheese, a nice, rich combination….creamy, savory, sweet, milky, a tad of mild heat from the peppers. Served on a toasted and pressed, yeasty and light bread, it was very much a "Montedito". This was by far our favorite dish and we had it on every visit. The simply dressed greens added a nice bitterness and "green" flavor to temper things a bit. In fact, we thought the greens in most of the dishes were nice and simple.

We both also enjoyed the Lamb Sausage ($14).

This reminded us of Merguez, a bit more meatier, but it still had those nice spices that reminded us a bit of what we had during almost every meal in Tunisia.

The Missus enjoyed the Lentil and Burrata Salad ($8).

Of course, She loves puy lentils and corn…and Balsamic Vinegar. The burrata had a light milkiness, a mild acidity, and was very soft, but not runny. I actually enjoyed the yeasty bread, as I thought this salad was like something I make at home.

I really didn't care much for the Sauteed Wild Mushroom with Burrata ($10).

For some reason, I didn't care for the milky-acidity of the burrata, along with the texture of the cheese combined with the earth flavors of the mushrooms. It was a bit to much with the truffle oil; even for me a truffle oil lover. I mainly enjoyed the greens and the bread.

Sadly, our two "pans" were both of the Crudo we had.

We gladly waited the 20 minutes or so for the Cebiche ($14), you know how much the Missus loves Her cebiche. And this would have been pretty good; that leche de tigre was nice and bright in flavor, great acidity, I even asked for another spoon to eat my canchita in the leche de tigre.

The problem was that the fish was still partially frozen; we bit into ice crystals with every bite. It had also spent a bit too long in the leche de tigre. The camote, sweet potato had very little flavor was quite mushy.

On our next visit we tried the Tuna Carpaccio ($15). I dunno about combining Extra Virgin Olive Oil with Soy Sauce….like that Yellowtail with Olive Oil and Soy Sauce in in my previous post on Sushi Noguchi; I find the flavors really clash.

The fish was decent quality, but also on the mushy side….I believe they mix duck pate in with this? It was just a strange mish-mash of flavors and textures for us.

Overall the service was friendly and relaxed. Our dishes did take a while, but we were in no rush. Prices aren't bad….but this might sound a bit strange based on the wide geographic swath of the various dishes. But the menu just seems a bit limiting for us; there isn't that two or three dishes we want to return for. At least not for a while. Maybe when the weather turns warmer that White Sangria will call to me. Until then I might just "wander very far, Very far, over land and sea….." Yeah, go ahead and call me Nature Boy:

"And then one day
A magic day he passed my way
And while we spoke of many things
Fools and kings
This he said to me
The greatest thing you'll ever learn
Is just to love and be loved in return"

Fools and Kings
4015 Goldfinch St
San Diego, CA 92103
Hours:
Tues – Fri 430pm – 10pm
Sat – Sun 10am – 2pm, 430pm – 10pm

Ramen Menma – Basso Drillman Oceanside

October 9, 2018 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

**** Ramen Menma – Basso Drillman Oceanside has closed

Now here's a ramen spot with origins in Japan that I had read about several years back. Ikebukuro's Basso Drill-Man ramen is fairly well known by ramen junkies, mainly for the Tsukemen and Abura Soba; basically "oil noodles" in which thick and hefty noodles are coated in "oil" in many cases rendered pork fat with various seasonings. I was quite happy that another ramen shop with a true ramen background was opening up. The catch; Ramen Menma – Basso Drillman was opening in Oceanside. Oceanside!

So, when Eater announced the opening of the shop in June; I just knew I had to check it out. It was just a matter of having the time and making the 30-plus mile drive up to Oceanside.

I find the location interesting, it's not quite Convoy or even Mira Mesa as the restaurant, which has a rather spartan interior is basically across the street from Swami's.

I arrived just as the open sign was turned on and lead over to the bar area. I recall being told that this used to be an Americanized sushi bar. The two women working were quite nice and friendly.

Ordering for me was a no-brainer; being a lover of Sichuan Liang Mian and still make my version of "Oil Noodles"; I just had to try the Abura Soba, which they call Aburasso here. I ordered the "deluxe" version, not cheap at $15.75.

I'm glad I also got the Chicken Karaage, which at $4.25 for four pieces was not cheap. But let me tell you; this is the best karaage I've had in a while. And I got five pieces instead of four.

The coating was so crisp and lightly crunchy, and the dark meat chicken was so moist that it basically exploded when I bit into it…..it was more juicy than the recent XLB I had at Din Tai Fung. It had been marinating for a while as there was a deep soy flavor; perhaps edging on being too salty, with a definite lightly acidic tone, I'm fairly certain they use shio koji or something similar. There was a slight hint of ginger as well. This was quite good.

The Aburasso was soon passed to the Server who brought it over to me. I had seen the medium-thick noodles being mixed with the oil base. I had also seen one of the egg yolks fall out of the white and the poor fellow wrestle with getting it back into place.

The noodles were topped with the afore mentioned egg; nicely flavored, and for once, not served cold as it was nice and warm. The chashu had a very nice soy-slightly sweet flavor and while nice and fatty was on the more chewy side. Not sure about the blanched cabbage, as it brought nothing to the dish.

The flavored oil was on the bland side, with a hint of spice and smokiness. I was looking for a more intense, maybe porky essence. But this wasn't bad at all and several levels above the Abura Soba at hipsterish Nozaru Ramen.

It did a great job of coating the noodles though. And those noodles….you'll either love them or hate them. I enjoyed the wonderful toothsome chewiness….these were noodles with heft and would obviously be great if they were also used in the Tsukemen. Very nice noodles, it looks like you won't have to worry about the noodles being mushy here!

As much as I was looking forward to he ramen here, it was the karaage that fueled my return the following weekend.

The karaage this time around was even better than on my previous visit. A bit lighter, less salty, but still with a deep soy flavor.

So crunchy and moist, it was a joy to eat.

I had thought of going with the Tsukemen, but in the end, I chose the Deluxe Shoyu Ramen ($14.75). And while my main motivation was to see how the broth was at Menma, I regretted not getting the Tsukemen as this was less than satisfying.

While the egg and chashu was better this time around, both in terms of texture and flavor, I'm not a fan of the thinner noodles here as it lacks the springiness and toothsomeness of the thicker noodles.

The broth was very one-dimensional, it just seemed dashi heavy and salty, lacking any real savory tones. And while it appeared rich enough it strangely lacked that wonderful tongue coating "aaah" appeal.

My favorite component was strangely the menma, the bamboo shoots were initially crunchy, with an almost meaty finish, making it very satisfying to eat.

The two women working on both visits were very pleasant. And man, that karaage. But all of this comes with an investment for someone living within San Diego. Think of it as being about thirty-five bucks if you include gas and tip. And I was eating solo.

And yet, that karaage beckons me…….and perhaps that tsukemen…….just to see how it compares to Rokurinsha.

Ramen Menma – Basso Drillman Oceanside
509 Mission Ave
Oceanside, CA 92054
Hours:
Tues – Sun 1130am – 230pm, 5pm – 9pm

Al Pastor Authentic Mexican Grill Revisited

October 8, 2018 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants

**** Al Pastor has changed back to Aqui es Texcoco

When I did my original post on Al Pastor back in June I mentioned waiting a couple of months before checking in with "Al Pastor". It just so happens that a month or so ago, the Missus wanted breakfast from Talavera Azul. we were running late and by the time we drove down to Chula Vista there was a long line outside the restaurant. It was just before 10am so I suggested checking out Al Pastor. The Missus enjoyed Her meal and we've returned a few times since. The menu at the restaurant is humongous, like generic Vietnamese Restaurant menu sized. We've tried a few items on the menu and here's the rundown.

The Missus loves the simplicity of the Guacamole here. There is always a glowing freshness to it.

It's a nice base, a palette of sorts to which the Missus can add various salsas, cilantro, onions, and a squeeze of lime to suit Her taste and mood for the day.

It also goes nicely when a little dollop is added to the Al Pastor Alambres……you have your choice of meat, but it's the savory-sweet flavor of the Al Pastor that goes well with this riff of the traditional grilled beef-bacon-green peppers dish. She usually forgoes the queso.

And of course there's the Al Pastor, pork of course. Here I tried the Chuleta Ahumada, smoked pork chop, which didn't bring much flavor to the table.

Love the mixture of thin slices of pork and the caramelized "crispy bits" of Al Pastor, the pineapple adds a nice fruity-acidic touch. I'm usually not a big fan of fruit in savory dishes, but it works here. I didn't care much for the texture of the Chuleta Ahumada as it was weirdly "mushy" and it just didn't have enough smokiness, richness, nor pork flavor to make it really shine in a taco.

As much as we enjoy the Al Pastor; there have been occasions when it's been cut too thick, the spices have been pasty and gummy, and perhaps, thinking we're not worthy gringos, there were no nice, crisp pieces added to our tacos. When that happens, like below, the Al Pastor tacos really don't stand out from what I can get elsewhere.

The Chorizo Tacos are a nice "plan B", except we really didn't enjoy the radioactive looking Chorizo Verde – green chorizo. We actually didn't order that Green Chorizo…more on that later.

Usually made with green chilies; beyond the shock of the color…..green and meat (ecxept in a stew) are not something I think humans gravitate towards, the chorizo had a weird texture and while it is traditionally made with Serrano and Poblano Chilies; there was basically no spice in this, just that green-chlorophyllic flavor. The regular chorizo has that combination of spice-saltiness-slight smokiness that folks would be familiar with.

Some other items. On a whim I ordered the Nopales Asados….because we both love Nopales. We received a plate of stir fried nopales and cebollas.

Which very plain…….you'll need tortillas for these. Those aren't provided.

Ditto the Frijoles Charros, which was too salty, and was quite thin while still having a greasy mouthfeel. And yet; if it were thicker and you were provided tortillas, this would maybe be passable.

Still, when the Al Pastor is on….or anytime the Missus is craving those Alambres, the time on the griddle brings out the best in the Al Pastor, we'll be headed back over to Al Pastor. Service has always been friendly, though sometimes a bit…well, spacey? We had ordered Alambres, with Chorizo, but somehow got the Chorizo Verde taco, go figure?

Al Pastor Authentic Mexican Grill
520 Broadway
Chula Vista, CA 91910
Hours:
Sun – Thurs 10am – 1am
Fri – Sat 10am – 2am

Breakfast of Champions – Lucky’s Golden Phenix

October 7, 2018 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Diner

**** Sadly Lucky Wong passed away at the end of 2024

After a particularly brutal week, I recently revisited a place that holds a special place in my heart. It had been a few years since I'd eaten and even longer since I last posted on Lucky's, that little former Chinese restaurant, cum diner, cum greasy spoon, to me a steady, dependable beacon in the ever changing North Park scene.

Once you enter; you know….this ain't hipster central.

From the rather tacky, now considered "retro" Chinese restaurant décor, to various bits and pieces of the history of Lucky's, which in turn is probably the history of North Park, the place has grown on me.

Just sitting for a breakfast on this morning; the customers were like characters from central casting….a young couple, a hipster in his 'hat with 'tats", two older guys grumbling about how the bus is always late. Like I said in my first post a decade ago, "I'm sure thousands of stories have echoed off the walls" of Lucky's.

And the prices? Yes, this is North Park, where you can get a $17 bowl of pho a few blocks away. And yes, this is 2018.

Four bucks for two eggs with bacon, hashbrowns, and toast. Don't forget to finish your toast….Lucky doesn't like waste. Lucky sees everything. If he sees that you've finished your toast, he'll ask if you want more.

The coffee….well, it's "authentic"……100% Folgers. Still under a buck.

This is a one man show, Lucky has no wasted motion, he moves with deceptive efficiency and my breakfast is on the table within minutes.

The eggs are a perfect easy over, the toast is great for sopping up all the drippy egg yolk……the hash browns are SYSCO heavenly and the bacon crisp. This cost me $4.10 mind you. Also notice the bottle of Tabasco. I recently went to Island Style Café and just like Leilani's Café they didn't have Tabasco. Except that instead of telling me they didn't have Tabasco, when I asked for it, they just silently dropped off a bottle of Sriracha.

I mentioned having Tabasco to Lucky, who told me that even though he could get a gallon of Tapatio for the same price of a couple of bottles of Tabasco, things just wouldn't be right without it. I like that; it just "wouldn't be right".

Eating at Lucky's always remind me of the places Mom took me to, we didn't have much money and didn't eat out much. It was always a treat. To me, eating at Lucky's is a treat.

And then there are always Lucky's "words of wisdom"….not too much on this day; though he did encourage the young lady to butter her toast since butter was "good for your complexion".

And to file under the "Lucky sees more than you realize". After I paid my bill; Lucky always rounds things off, he told me "you haven't been here in a while" and handed me this.

World Peace & Happiness…….in recent months, I've heard, folks at work, and even some friends of mine surprisingly spout some of the most hateful and resentful rhetoric. We could use some peace and happiness….as usual Lucky has hit it on the nose.

As for the fortune cookie?

I hope so……

Lucky’s Golden Phenix
3804 Grim Ave
San Diego, CA 92104
Hours:
Mon – Sat 730am – Noon

You can read a wonderful post on Lucky in Eater.

Happy Sunday!

El Jardin

September 25, 2018 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants

**** El Jardin has closed

We were a bit fascinated when El Jardin opened in Liberty Station a few months back. The Missus is starting to enjoy Mezcal, so that was a draw. The menu seemed quite diverse; El Jardin literally means "the garden", which seemed interesting. In the various posts in Eater San Diego, there's one thing that caught my attention, the Chef's definition of the menu as "Grandma Chic". The product of travel through seven regions of Mexico with locally sourced products and ingredients.

Well, we decided to visit, and to this day, El Jardin is basically a monthly treat for us.

And while the dining area is perfectly fine; we've only eaten inside once.

We prefer the al fresco, outdoor area….even with the recent cooler weather. The only major issue is the darn planes flying over every 20-30 minutes, which drowns out all conversation.

We will often go early; the bar area opens at 430. We get on the list for a table, usually sitting outside; often in our favorite Server's area. His name is Ille and is the friendliest, gracious, Server you could ever want. He also got on the Missus's good side on our first visit by recommending the Bozal Ensamble, a wonderfully smokey Mezcal which was served in a pretty Copita. On a revisit with my good friends, MrQ really took to this as well. Like my post on Soi 30th; I'm not going to reference that visit, since it was just about good times.

One of the main reasons we visit El Jardin are for the cocktails. They make a mean Mezcal Old Fashioned. The Missus loves the Mazateca Swizzle (to the right) with a nice smokey Mezcal instead of the Rum. The folks manning the bar are usually very good and the drinks aren't too sweet or watered down. They're priced competitively at $11-13.

They've also made me a pretty good Mezcal Negroni a few times as well; which I prefer to the traditional Negroni. Yes, even more than a Negroni in Florence where the drink was created.

I also enjoy the Plaza Sesamo; which uses Toki Japanese Whiskey, Black Sesame, Mole Bitters, as a base.

When it was a zillion degrees out….like this past summer; I'd often just get a nice Michelada.

The menu at El Jardin is constantly changing, which is a mixed blessing because once in a while you'll find a dish you love and then it'll vanish, never to be seen again. El Jardin is also not cheap; we never get out for less than eighty bucks or so, but of course we'd rather spend it here for an interesting dinner with cocktails to our taste than, say Cloak & Petal.

So here's a run down of dishes; from our favorites, to stuff we really didn't care for.

But first, a few words about the supporting cast. Of all the salsas, we enjoy the smokey and spicy salsa made with chili de arbol. It seems to have peanuts or something like that in it that just ups everything. The tortillas a decent, but we've definitely had better. The tostadas are amazing, light and crisp, with a texture like a perfect chicharron…..

Da' Winnahs:

Octopus Tikin Chic ($28) - Yes octopus. Holy smoke, this was fork tender, and the seasoning, an amazing recado rojo, slightly sweet ("like char siu" said the Missus), citrusy, with a nice touch of spice.

The soul of the flavor took me back to a certain dinner we had in Flores, Guatemala. The, what seemed to be something like an almost cheesy celriac puree was great at tempering the flavors of the octopus. Yes, this octopus might even be better than our favorite restaurant in Chania.

The Yucatan Style Castacan ($29) was another winnah!

Nice pork belly; crisp outside, tender and moist inside. The Sikil Pak, pumpkin seed salsa was delicious, nutty, with a nice kick. Ille told us that they use some habanero in this version. The green beans were super firm and crisp, with a nice "green" flavor and a mild sweet finish. Unfortunately, we only saw this once on the menu.

Another item that we came across only once; albeit as a appetizer special was the fried smelt.

If you read our blog regularly, you know the Missus loves Her shishamo. This was so crisp, clean, and light; which just a touch of rich brininess; like we were eating the crisp soul of the smelt. We actually had two orders of this.

A regular on the menu; the Res en Salsa Verde ($23), pairs a confit of beef belly, with confit of beef tongue….talk about a combination of beefy flavors!

The salsa verde isn't too sour and bracing. And the Missus really enjoys the very firm, frijoles de olla….very beany.

Dependable Standbys:

Jalisco Style Pozole Rojo ($17).

The bowl with the beans, pork, corn, radish, avocado, et al; is served first, then the broth is poured over at the table. This is hearty and all the various textures come through.

Carne Apache ($17); rib eye tartare.

I didn't care for the sloppy pile of raw meat on the plate….and I love beef tartare! I missed the silken textures of an egg or something similar. This was fine; the beef a bit too chewy, the ancho mayo distracted from a nice, clean, finish.

The Missus loves the Albondigas de Chipotle ($26).

The meatballs are slightly smokey and very tender. Those things that look like mushrooms are actually chochoyotes, wonderful dumplings of masa, so full of corn flavor. My main issue with this dish is that the two times we've had it; it arrived at the table less than lukewarm. It didn't stop the Missus from scarfing it all down.

Another nice appetizer; Totopos Emmolados ($10); basically tortilla chips, in this case super crunchy, freshly fried, thick tortilla chips topped with a mole negro.

I loved the fact that the mole wasn't overly sweet; it just had a nice balance of sweet-salty-mild spice. That cheese was interesting; it was mild in flavor, with a texture of yogurt. we were told it was Cashew Cheese. This was actually a pretty large portion size.

Not Our Favorites (perhaps we'll try them again):

Carne en su Jugo ($26). The brisket was a bit too fatty and that "beef dashi" was kinda watery, with a strange flavor.

Not Having Again:

The Cazuela de Chilorio ($26) featured dry and stringy pork shoulder in a Chili Colorado sauce that was on the cold side making it greasy.

The beans were also on the colder side as well. Pass.

The Vuelve a la Vida ($19) is also something we won't have again.

First off; this was a really tiny portion. Second, the trout roe was too salty, third the uni tasted a bit "off", and unlike the other octopus dish, in this it was quite tough.

And our least favorite dish; which seems like a regular item on the menu. The impressive looking Barbacoa Lamb Shank ($26).

This was just unpleasantly sweet for us…….to the point that you really couldn't taste the beans, nor enjoy the lamb shank.

In case you're wondering; there is a "garden" at El Jardin.

So for us; the strategy is simple.

Go early, grab a cocktail (or two), get a table outside…explore the garden a bit while waiting on your food. Enjoy the amiable, yet professional service. Pause your conversation between planes flying over.

Just enjoy….life is too short.

El Jardin
2885 Perry Rd
San Diego, CA 92106
Hours:
Mon – Thurs 5pm – 9pm
Fri – Sun 1030am – 3pm, 5pm – 10pm

Revisits – Bann Cutlet & Teriyaki and Sarap Filipino Kitchen

September 24, 2018 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Chicken Wings, Filipino Restaurants, Korean Restaurants

A couple of revisits to places on Miramar Road that I posted on rather recently.

Bann Cutlet & Teriyaki:

**** Bann in the H Mart Food Court has closed

**** Bann has moved to the H Mart Food Court

I think the freshly prepared food at Bann is a decent choice; the prices aren't bad, and while it's not outstanding, you do get what you pay for. During one of my recent revisits; I recalled that while I've tried the Chicken Cutlet here (nicely fried, but the sauce is not to my taste); I hadn't tried the Teriyaki. So why not? Also, the two young ladies who work here are really nice. And (maybe) because I waited for my Teriyaki Chicken so long, they gave me a fried egg for no additional charge.

Whatever the motive for the gratis egg was; I appreciated it. As you can tell; this is a fairly hefty lunch….man, so much rice. As I posted on earlier; I do enjoy the salad, and that mandu was still crisp when I got back to the office.

The chicken was on the rubbery side, but not bad.

Not a big fan of the teriyaki sauce; it's too sweet for my taste and texture is really gloppy. The rice was perfectly cooked; the bok choy (along with the salad) made sure I got my veggies.

Though it was too much food. I'll stick with a "bowl" next time which is still more than enough for me. Like the kimchi fried rice bowl…….

Bann Cutlet & Teriyaki
9506 Miramar Rd
San Diego, CA 92126

Sarap Filipino Kitchen:

**** Sarap is now Gaya Gaya

After our visits to Sarap; the gang at work couldn't wait to revisit. And so; with one of the folks having a birthday, even though there were only four of us, we headed back to Sarap.

We ordered the Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings again.

While these were ok; they weren't as crisp as on my previous visits. Still, not bad. Also, not seasoned as much either.

The Lechon Kawale. I wanted to try this again after having a terrible version earlier.

The skin was much better this time around; though the pork belly was on the dry side, and the leaner portions were rather tough. I enjoy the lechon sauce here; it's on the fairly mellow side, with a nice balanced flavor.

Crispy Pata (of course):

This time around; the pata was chopped up; the meat taken off the bone and the two ends, with the nice gelatinous parts laying at each end. It was still good, perhaps a bit drier, but the skin was wonderfully crisp; the porkiness of the leg coming through nicely. It was also a bit smaller than last time as well.

Daniel from Georgia loved the Sinigang and the Bagoong Fried Rice (sorry no photo).

Not a huge portion; but the tamarind based broth was rich, had a nice sourness, and man; the okra (I do love my "neba-neba") was gooey goodness. The pork was moist and tender and this had that nice "aaah" appeal. I'd gladly have this again.

We ordered some white rice with this……but hardly touched a quarter of it……

So, there you go….still a mixed bag; but still closer than Villa Manila which I think is better. They also need to staff better….it's go early, or wait a while for your food.

I also heard that they have started serving breakfast on the weekends now.

We'll see how things go here.

Sarap Filipino Kitchen
7580 Miramar Rd
San Diego, CA 92126

Pho Duoi Bo from Royal Garden

September 9, 2018 mmm-yoso Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Royal Garden has closed

I found myself back in City Heights this past weekend and decided to drop by Royal Garden to see what was going on.

I believe there was some kind of event going on later in the day as chairs were arranged, though all the tables near the window were occupied. Seems like they are doing some decent business these days.

I hadn't had a bowl of pho in a while and I recall thinking it was pretty good on one of my previous visits. So I ordered the Pho Duoi Bo – oxtail pho.

The sprouts were really fresh; though the basil was just starting to turn color. No ngo gai (cilantro) on this visit.

The bowl that arrived was quite huge.

There was one very large piece of oxtail and three smaller pieces. The texture of the meat was perfect; tender enough to be able to remove from the bone with chopsticks, but not falling to pieces. It was obviously cooked in some other liquid since it had a nice slightly sweet, winey-soy flavor, with a hint of ginger, edging almost toward a pork braise. There was also some decent slices of flank and brisket in the bowl; but it really was all about the oxtail.

The broth was darker this time around and more beefy with hints of anise…..it was also a bit on the sweeter side, but not overly salty. It wasn't quite as clear as on my previous visits either. Still; at least there was some beef flavor.

The noodles were cooked perfectly, but for some reason, there was a bunch of smaller pieces of noodles…..I'm thinking I got the "bottom of the package".

Regardless, this was a decent bowl. Looks like I found another place to get my "pho fix". And of course, like I mentioned in my previous post; there's much more to explore on the two different menus.

Royal Garden
4201 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92105
Hours:
Wed – Mon 9am – 9pm
Closed Tuesdays

Rice Noodle King (Hunan) (Kearny Mesa)

September 2, 2018 Cathy Chinese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog with almost daily posts. While Kirk is enjoying a three day weekend, Cathy is writing.

I lightly glossed over a factoid about The Mister a while ago. He's been undergoing some medical issues since 2014 and periodically receives adjustments or changes in medications. For some reason, the primary side effect on Him is a craving for spicy food. One day we were headed for (another) lunch at Little Sheep and passed this (new to us) signage, so popped a U turn and stopped to read the menu. (It has been open since March).

A simple menu, reasonable prices and the same owners as Sizzling Pot King, which I posted about in April.
Clean, a refrigerator of appetizers, pitcher of water on every table. Condiments on each table are chili oil, white pepper and black vinegar.
We decided to go simple for a first visit and ordered the cucumber salad ($4.99). This looked terrible and I (who never sends anything back) was prepared to, because of the slimy appearance. Looks are deceiving. Apparently this is what "Smacked Cucumbers" means to the chef here (not to be confused with Kirk's extremely meticulous (and spicy) recipe). The crispy, garlic-y, seedless, wonderfully random cut cucumbers were addictive in flavor and complimented our meal. The serving/bowl is deep and quite large.
We ordered the first soup on the menu (it only has one chili amount of heat)- Beef Stew Noodle (large, $10.99) with flat noodles. This was an excellent choice. There isn't much soup broth, the amount of heat is enough to keep the flavors of the (considerable amount, tender, deep flavored) beef, bok choy and noodles interesting. Would order again.
The fried pot stickers ($5.99) were also a good addition to the meal.
A nice, thin skin, lightly crispy and with a plentiful (flavorful) pork and cabbage filling.

This was a great find for a random stop and we will return to try more of the menu.

Rice Noodle King 8046 Clairmont Mesa Blvd San Diego 92111 (858)598-5182 Open daily 11 am-3 pm and 5 pm-9:45 pm

JoYee’s (Chinese breakfast, Jian Bing and cafe) (inside original 99Ranch complex)

August 30, 2018 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, Chinese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog. Cathy is writing today; Kirk is starting a long weekend of relaxing; He's earned it.

A few months ago, E and Drink, located inside the Original 99Ranch complex, closed. Finally new signage came up and The Mister and I were curious.

We read the menu one morning, but decided to go across the hall to Sam Woo for breakfast. When we left there was a line of people ordering and waiting for 'to go' orders and tables. (Click and enlarge this photo to read the menu)
We returned on a weekday morning. You order, pay, get a buzzer and find a seat. For a first visit, we decided to try a soybean milk (no sugar)(warm) ($1.69) and a donut ($1.99). I really liked the soybean milk, the donut was fresh made, very hot and it was oily. Nevertheless, I liked it and tore pieces to put into the soybean milk as well as some of our other breakfast selections.

It was around 10 a.m. and we figured a tea egg ($0.99) would be a nice snack. The egg was hot when brought to the table, but it was pitiful; no tea markings or flavor…a hard boiled egg.

We also decided to try the millet porridge ($2.69) which desperately needed some flavor, although it was not to mushy and quite tasty in a fresh millet sort of way. Fortunately the tabletop condiments helped.

Also on the breakfast menu, a Laver and Egg Soup ($2.69) was ordered and this needed no additions. After we were finished we noticed wontons on the breakfast menu and made a mental note to try those next time…with the mung bean and rice porridge, thereby completing the breakfast menu.

We returned a few days later. The cucumber salad appetizer ($2.99) was a natural choice. It was great to have alone and with the rest of our order as a 'palate cleanser'.
We also ordered the Noodle with Wood Ear and Pork ($8.99) from the far right side of the menu. This was a large serving with some pretty good, stretchy (but clumped) noodles topped with wood ear mushrooms, pork, tofu, carrots and cucumber. The flavor combination was excellent. Near the end, we added soy and chili sauce, just to jazz up the flavors.

When you first see the menu, the far left column is Jian Bing ($5.49, the base price). A savory egg crepe, Jian Bing is usually a breakfast item, but served all day here.
There is a nice lady in the back making the crepes for all to watch (the rest of the kitchen is behind).
The crepe is made with two eggs, green onion, sesame seeds, a 'biscuit' and a homemade chili sauce (I asked for light chili; the chili sauce on the table is different than the sauce inside the Jian Bing. )

The 'biscuit' is that crispy wonton skin. The combination of flavors and textures in this snack was wonderful. You can add on to the Jian Bing: dry meat, spicy beef, lunch meat and/or a Chinese donut. I don't think any of the add ons were necessary, but many people around us did have a big ol' Chinese donut stuffed into their order. You might have noticed on the menu board that the beverages are Buy One Get One during the Grand Opening period. We ordered Liji Matcha with Cheese Foam ($4.75). I've read about cheese foam drinks and wanted to try this. The matcha milk tea was a good quality matcha (I asked for low sugar) with some tannin notes. The cheese foam top was a treat in itself-like light whipped cream cheese topped with matcha powder. The cups are reusable, with interesting lids which I've not seen elsewhere (if you read the article, one Instagrammer (sp?) recommended to not use a straw and let the foam of the cheese blend with the tea.)

All in all, quite nice. We will go back to try more of the menu.

Who else has been here? Kirbie was here in early August (she didn't like the Jian Bing, but I don't know any better and thought it was tasty).

JoYee's 7330 Clairmont Mesa Blvd San Diego 92111 (858) 302-9394 Open Daily 9 a.m.-3 p.m., 5 p.m.-9 p.m.

Chicken Wing Wednesday – Gala Chicken

August 22, 2018 mmm-yoso Chicken Wings, Korean Restaurants

**** Zion Market has moved and Gala did not make the move with the market

I had to drop by Zion Market to pick some stuff up….mainly beef knee bones. Yep, beef knee bones. At the end of my "smoke session" I'll do the knee bones and give them out as gifts to folks who have dogs……the pooches really love the stuff.

Anyway, it nearing lunch time and I decided to grab something to eat. Gala Chicken had moved from their original location in the market, to the spot that Myung In had before they recently closed.

I decided to order the Chicken Wing combination….though in retrospect; maybe I should have just ordered wings.

In terms of wings; this might have been the best I've had at Gala. I'm glad they don't cut into the chicken anymore to test doneness and the batter wasn't too crumbly; like I've had here twice. The chicken was very moist; though it wasn't evenly coated in batter….it was also slightly greasy, but not in a bad way. In terms of seasoning; I still like some hot sauce on the wings….though not the overly sweet stuff that's provided.

Overall; all that rice seemed like overkill to me; they were quite heavy handed with the vinegar in the mac salad; but it was nicely chilled and along with the shredded cabbage helped to cut any greasy tones and richness. And the shredded cabbage made me feel like I was actually getting some vegetables…….along with cutting the richness, it helped to cut the guilt as well.

Not the best wings; but still decent, and better than I'd had here in the past.

Gala Chicken
7655 Clairemont Mesa Blvd (In the Zion Market Food Court)
San Diego, CA 92111
Hours:
Tues – Sat 11am – 730pm
Sunday 11am – 630pm