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Lunches at Fish Attack

July 22, 2014 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants

**** Fish Attack has closed

Fish Attack….yes, I actually ate a place called Fish Attack. I thought Playa Azul which used to be in this location was pretty good; perhaps not as good as La Playita, which is also now gone, but a nice place for some mariscos and perhaps a beer. It closed back in 2010 and Fish Attack took the place of the "Blue Beach".

I really wasn't motivated to eat here however, a couple of folks I know like the place…..not for the "California Sushi", which they said was better than Sushi Deli, not exactly a glowing recommendation, but for the lunch specials…….

So there I was, waiting for my Fish Attack……

To be perfectly honest, the Servers here on my two visits were just wonderful….very nice, efficient, on top of things. It looks like a roll heavy neighborhood sushi place, which is really nice if you go for that kind of thing.

The lunch menu features various combos, about 10 or so in all….though I was kind of surprised that the 4 piece nigiri bento was $9.95….you can get a good 8 piece nigiri lunch from Kokoro for $15.

A nice touch with lunch is that a bowl of edamame is brought to your table.

This was fine, a nice touch, and we'll leave it at that…..after all, just the color of the edamame tells all.

I went with the Chicken Katsu Bento ($8.95).

Which came with some bare bones miso soup, which was not bad, it had flavor, and wasn't too diluted.

I was kind of wondering if there was dressing on the salad as it didn't seem so…….tasting like plain packaged greens.

The chicken katsu was thigh meat, which I kind of liked, it was moist, had more fat, flavor, and was fried quite well. This was pretty good…..

So when was the last time I had a California Roll? Probably somewhere around 2008. There's a no substitution rule….and frankly, I'm trying to think what I'd be able to substitute for this. In all honesty, the "surimi and mayo" to rice ratio was edging on the "krab" end. Still, it's not my thing……. hopefully, I'll have another reprieve until like 2020? You get your choice of spicy tuna or this….. but really, saku fish in Sriracha mayo versus this? Like I said, it's just not my thing.

Well, that katsu did have an effect on me, so I decided to return to try the Chicken Karaage ($7.95).

This was a mixed bag….the salad was better than the last time… I could taste the dressing.

Not a big fan of the karaage; I enjoy crisp and light. This was dense and gummy. The rice was also mushy this time around.

But….the folks here were really nice. So I thought I'd come back to try something once again. Until I thought about this; because the folks were really nice, I tip about $3 each time, which makes this an $11-$12 lunch. For under nine bucks, I get this at Kayaba.

And while I tip the gals doing the cleaning a buck, it's still under ten……I mean really, which would you choose?

Fish Attack
4575 Clairemont Dr
San Diego, CA 92117

Belgian Independence Day at Brabant

July 19, 2014 mmm-yoso Belgian Cuisine and Restaurants

*** Brabant has closed

Well, technically Belgian Independence Day isn't until June 21st…..but having a couple of Sours and stuff like this on Saturday is much better than Monday, right?

The Missus and I decided to head over to indulge a bit. There were a couple of specials for BID.

That's a Frikandel, an Angus Beef version of the hot dog like sausage….and yes, it is deep fried. With frites, of course…..

And a Boudin Blanc de Fowl, a chicken a duck fat white sausage….this one is wrapped in pastry.

The usual suspects are available as well……the Missus still believes the stoemp here is better than anything She had in Belgium.

So if you're in the mood for anything like that…..or perhaps this……

They're serving this stuff until closing today. Which I think is midnight…….it's all Belgian style beers on tap and 20% off bottles.

The Missus and I need a nap now…..

Brabant Bar & Cafe
2310 30th St
San Diego, CA 92104

AJ’s Fish Merchant (San Carlos area of San Diego)

July 15, 2014 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Seafood, What Cathy Eats!

AJ's has closed. Some of their food items will still be around: the Santee, El Cajon and Allied Gardens Farmer Markets and perhaps other venues. Look for "AJ's Haute Cuisine".

Thanks for stopping by mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Kirk got really busy and so did Ed(from Yuma), so Cathy is writing today's post.

Late last year, one of our favorite seafood restaurants, the Fish Bucket Grill, closed abruptly due to the death of its owner. We had liked the Fish Bucket Grill because it was just as good as The Fish Merchant, their 30 year family owned restaurant, which had been located in the area and had been closed for about two years.

In the middle of May, we heard this location was re-opening and were very happy to once again have access to seafood near home.

We didn't know how good it would be, so stopped by one early evening to try a few items.

It turns out the menus change almost daily, due to availability of fresh items. This section from the website mentions that the seafood is sourced from Catalina Offshore and the produce from Specialty; both open to the public selling quality items.

The interior is about the same. There are 13 tables and no bar area. We saw several people bringing in their own wine to accompany their meals.

We were asked if we'd like some complimentary bread after we placed our order and these two pieces were brought out: cheese topped white and a very nice squaw type served with unsalted butter. Both fresh, with crispy crusts and chewy interiors.

We were curious about the "California Clam Chowder" and ordered a cup to share ($4). The flavor was uniquely familiar.

If you read the link from the website provided above, you would notice Chef Bennett was trained at North Carolina's Johnson and Wales culinary college. This clam chowder tastes like a version of She-Crab Soup, a common, favorite soup we enjoyed during the years The Mister and I lived in Tidewater Virginia. Such good memories…not as much cream as regular chowder, a mirepoix along with potatoes, plenty of clam, a touch of sherry (or maybe white wine; you can taste it)…unexpected perfection.

Above, the small Captain's salad ($10), which is large enough to share. Fresh mixed greens topped with shrimp, crab, lobster, artichoke hearts, organic egg, tomato and a house made mustard-poppy seed dressing. Really good.

Above, the crab cakes appetizer ($12)- perfectly lightly crispy fried. As you can see, very little filler…it's just crab and enough complimentary spices with a panko-like breading. Served with a small side of mixed greens on top of a house made remoulade sauce, this is a meal in itself.

AJ's Fish Merchant 7407 Jackson Drive San Diego 92119 (619)462-FISH Website Mon-Thurs: 11-9, Fri, Sat: 11-10; Sun 4-9

Turo Turo Tuesday: Erlinda’s Filipino Cuisine & Ice Cream Parlor

July 8, 2014 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants, Sisig

**** Erlinda's has closed

I hadn't been down to National City in a while, at least it seemed that way. So this past weekend I headed down with no real plans, I actually was taking one of my scenic drives….you might like evergreens, giant redwoods, an ocean view…….for me, well, it's seeing a new turo-turo shop and the smell of sisig in the morning!

This one was a surprise; I was taking the 8th Street drive from the 5 and was shocked to see Conching was gone! After how many years? It was now something called Erlinda's Filipino Cuisine and Ice Cream Parlor.

Well, the interior looked the same, the food looked the same…….I decided to have a two item combo.

Now, I've cut down severely on my rice intake in recent years. I even asked them to go easy on the garlic rice….I didn't need too much. I guess this is going easy on the rice?

In retrospect, I should have just gotten pancit or nothing at all since the rice was terrible; mushy, the garlic burnt and bitter, and in dire need of seasoning…….

As you can see; it was pork adobo and sisig.

Once upon a time, Conching made one of my favorite versions of sisig, though it was terrible and disappointing the last time I had it. This version was good, not as good as the best I've had at Conching, but it was pretty close…it was still on the mushy side, but at least there was enough sour-salt-spice to make it enjoyable.

The adobo needed more vinegar and black pepper flavor and a ton less sodium as it was unpleasantly salty. In terms of texture it was fine, a couple of tough pieces, but adequately tender. It was just much too salty…..

I haven't been a real regular at Conching's over the years so I'm not sure if the cooks and staff are the same….based on the sisig, I'd venture that some if not most of the folks here are still the same Conching folks.

Anyway, there you have it……. RIP Conching.

Erlinda's Filipino Cuisine & Ice Cream Parlor
3400 E 8th St.Ste 115
National City, CA 91950

Carnitas El Botanero (Lemon Grove)

June 30, 2014 Cathy Mexican Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a blog about food. Today, Kirk is busy with work as well as eating and photographing his meals, Ed(from Yuma) is busy with retirement and eating and photographing his meals and Cathy is writing, because she is finally not busy and has time to write and organize her photos.

It's the once every four years FIFA World Cup (Federation Internationale de Football Association) time of year, and going to most restaurants with televisions has been a challenge. The Mister and I try to go in between games or on days off, since the entire series of games started June 12 and won't end until July 13.

One of our favorite 'close by' restaurants is in Lemon Grove. It used to be the original location of Carnitas Uruapan, which moved to a smaller location after the original owner died. Still, it specializes in carnitas and has some other interesting menu items, in addition to breakfast and lunch specials:
The interior has remained unchanged from the Uruapan days. (Yes, that is a rerun of the morning World Cup match on the television).Even the old juke box is still here. The Mister and I both enjoy the chile based salsas, made fresh here daily. You can see the many ingredients. Above, the lunch green salad with carne asada ($7.75), which was a nice, light lunch a few weeks ago. The carne here is very good. The carnitas plate for one ($7.95), is (more than) a 1/2 pound of excellent carnitas, served with rice, beans (wonderful), cilantro, onions, corn tortillas and the salsa fresca.The slow cooked beef barbacoa plate ($8.50) here is served in the above manner – the lengthy steaming makes the meat tender and fork-ably easy to shred. It's served in/with the cooking sauce/juice, which is slightly salty and nicely smokey. The saltiness 'calms down' with the addition of onions, cilantro and pieces of corn tortillas. This is very comforting and excellent.

The shrimp ceviche tostada ($3.95) is quite large. It's made when you order. Part of the marinade is fresh oregano which compliments but does not overwhelm the quite large shrimp. I get cravings for this particular ceviche version.

The carnitas taquitos ($5.45) is part of the lunch special menu and the fried corn tortillas are just so delicate and thin/crispy; you can taste the meat. Topped with a considerable amount of sour cream, fresh made guacamole and a sort of salad, these four rolled tacos and accompaniments are a meal.

Carnitas Botanero 8035 Broadway Lemon Grove 91945 (619)462-3020 Mon-Thurs 8-8, Fri-Sat 8-10, Sun 8-9

In case you are following the World Cup, here's a great visual of the official logo and Groups participating. It's printed on an official FIFA souvenier grocery bag I purchased at Vallarta Supermarket ($2.99) a few weeks ago.

Sunday Sandwiches: Mama’s Grill

June 29, 2014 mmm-yoso Sandwiches

** Update: Mama's Grill has Closed

I keep finding little sandwich places I never knew existed…….this shop is pretty close to work, in the same strip mall as Jersey Mike's and Sieu Sieu BBQ. I'm not quite sure why I missed this place, I guess it's overshadowed by the chains….Carl's Jr, Rubio's Test Kitchen, Jersey Mike's…..not places I usually frequent.

If I recall, this place used to be Sima's Grill? Which sadly, I never had the chance to try either.

I wasn't going to let this place go without checking it out. I'd finished up some meetings and had a late lunch…late for me is like 130pm, I usually like to eat at 11….things are less crazy on "the Mesa" at 11.

The placed looked like any of a number of sandwich shops scattered throughout San Diego. The meat is Boar's Head…and like I said in my post on Crossroads Deli; Boar's Head, is Boar's Head. I like to see what interesting items are on the menu. Well, there's no shortage of that here, some of it, like the 1 pound "T-Rex" is a bit over-the-top.

I decided on the "Surf and Turf"($9.95). I didn't expect the hefty sandwich that I got.

This was a two-fisted sandwich. In fact, i only finished half of it. The beef, as expected was on the chewy side and kind of bland. I was surprised how many shrimp were in the sandwich. I like the finely shredded lettuce on this….it gave even more texture to sandwich. For me, what really made this thing tick was the cilantro pesto and the chipotle (I know it's everywhere – but it worked here) sauce. It just gave everything that little umph it needed.

I couple of days later I tried Ma's Muffuletta ($8.95). This I was less impressed with.

The sandwich was basically a pressed panini, the bread toasted a bit too hard. There was a generous portion of capicola, prosciutto (low grad and very salty), and supposedly mortadella…which I couldn't make out. The pressing had rendered a lot of the fat making this kind of greasy…..there wasn't enough bread or anything to balance out the amount of salt in the olive spread and meat. Again, I could only finish half the sandwich, but for a different reason……

Another day of meetings, another late lunch. I decided to stop at Mama's and take something back to the office. I quickly ordered Ma's Veggie ($7.55).

First off, I like the way the bread was "pressed/griddles", it really provided some nice texture. I was also surprised at the amount of avocado in this sandwich. For some reason, the cream cheese seemed like overkill…perhaps if the sandwich also had some sprouts and shredded lettuce to add more contrasting textures and interest.

Still, this wasn't a bad sandwich by any means….in fact I was told they'd make anything anyway I want it….sounds like a veggie minus the cream cheese with lettuce, cilantro and chipotle sauce, doesn't it?

Mama’s Grill
7420 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111
Hours:
Mon – Fri 830am – 5pm
Sat 9am – 330pm
Sun 1030am – 230pm

Pho DaKao and Grill

June 23, 2014 mmm-yoso Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Pho DaKao has closed

It seems that I'm finally getting back into some semblance of a routine and I finally got back over to City Heights/Rolando for a look see. It's probably been about 2 months since I was last around here. Turning on University from 54th I quickly noticed that Pho Tay Do was gone, replaced by a very familiar name.

Dakao….wow. I'm not sure of the whole backstory of Dakao, but I do understand that it is one of those treasured "brands/names" that evokes reactions. The neighborhoof of Đa Kao in Vietnam is reknown for the Pho Ga – chicken noodle soup. In fact, the last time I had a decent bowl of Pho Ga was at DaKao in Little Saigon…it was quite good, I believe the place even had it's own poultry shop on Bolsa.

So, no brainer right?

The interior has been pared down and looks even more spartan that Tay Do.

Of course I got the Pho Da Dakao (small $5.95).

This is a basic bowl of white and dark meat chicken with some offal thrown in for good measure.

The white meat chicken was surprisngly tender if lacking in flavor.

The broth was much too light, falling short with regards to having a nice poultry flavor, and was super salty……and I like salt and MSG, but in appropriate amounts. This one made my feet swell after just a couple of sips.

If I recall, it's normal to get a version of a sweet chili sauce for your chicken with pho ga. What I had here was a remnant of Pho Tay Do, the garlic-ginger sauce.

The noodles were horrendous, really mushy, not very pleasant to eat at all.

The young lady serving me was very nice as was the young lady working the cash register. I was on the fence about coming back, but I try to do my due diligence with places like this so I decided to return.

This time around I paid a bit more attention to things and noticed something on the front cover of the menu….apparently, this location of Dakao is a franchise that looks like is from Texas….so nhbilly, know anything about these guys?

Since I thought the chicken in the Pho Ga was okay, why not go for the Com Ga Hai Nam…..Hainan Chicken Rice ($6.25). It's actually a pretty good looking dish.

The chicken was very moist, of course it was bony, it's a leg after all, so it was a bit ponderous eating it. The flavor was pretty straight forward and lacking any flavoring from aromatics. It was nicely poached though.

The rice was a tragedy, it was hard, dry, and worst of all, lacking in the true flavor of the rice that should be served with this dish…..there was a faint chicken flavor…very faint. Usually the rice is cooked with the poaching liquid of the chicken, along with some chicken fat, then garlic, ginger, shallots, and sometimes lemongrass is added for depth. This had none of the above.

That was pretty sad because I consider the rice to be just as important as the chicken in this dish.

So I don't know……I'll probably drop by again in maybe a couple of months? It's slim pickins with regards to pho ga in San Diego. But as you know, I'm not the kind of guy who is "just happy to have it"…… Hopefully, things will get better…there's potential, so we'll see. Will it remain one of those places with untapped potential as Pho Tay Do did?

Pho Dakao And Grill
5296 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92105
Hours:
Open Daily 8am – 9pm

Troy’s Family Restaurant

June 20, 2014 mmm-yoso Diner, Greek Food

**** Sadly Troy's has closed

I have a special place in my heart for those pseudo-diners I grew up eating in….places like Like Like Drive In…you know, no pretense, good unhealthy grub. A couple of months ago I was lamenting the lack of diners that served that type of grub in our area……sorry folks, Denny's, IHOP don't count and I tried Country Waffles a couple of times when we first moved to the area and had some terrible meals. When Troy's Family Restaurant came up in the conversation…..yikes, I'd totally forgotten about the place. I'm not sure why, perhaps it's the location in Clairemont Square next to the Von's we never shop at…..

So I headed over for lunch one day.

The place looked very old-school, in fact all the customers were at least a decade older than I was….the Servers seemed to know them all.

The style of service is also a blast form the past…..they ask if you want coffee the minute you sit down, you pay at the register, the waitresses….yes, here I'll call them waitresses call you "sweetie", "hon", and other terms of endearment. They move with little wasted motion….you'll get an old school handwritten paper check placed on your table when you're nearly done with your meal…you pay at the register. No muss, no fuss…..

Every once in a while I really like a Club Sandwich….or as my "local" friends back home call it….Da Clubhouse ($7.95).

Processed turkey, American cheese, perfect bacon……and I really liked it. This did take me back to "small kid time". Good amount of mayo, dinner fries, bottle of ketchup, bread (white of course) toasted adequately. There are no airs in this shop and the food shows that as well.

A couple of weeks later I returned. One of my guilty pleasures is a nice open faced turkey sandwich.

On the good side, the turkey wasn't that processed stuff they put in their sandwiches, on the bad side…it was dry as the Grand Erg Oriental, that would be the Sahara. That chicken gravy was bland and gluey, tasting just the way you'd think based on the photo. There's a reason this is just $6.45.

So here we were, two down, should I go for three? I asked for a recommendation and was given the Souvlaki ($7.45).

Man, this just didn't hit the spot. The pork was really tough and dry, the "garlic bread" dry and crumbly. The seasoning was really subpar.

I do get why people come here; service is relatively friendly, all my food came out quickly, the prices are very reasonable, the portions hearty. The term, "you get what you pay for" is very true here. I'm thinking breakfast here might be pretty good. Still, rather than feeling satisfied and nostalgic about the dishes, I felt the whole thing was dated. There is something to say about having "your" neighborhood place, where they know what you want, where you like to sit, how you take your coffee, that's great. This ain't "that place" for me.

Troy’s Family Restaurant & Coffee Shop
4827 Clairemont Dr
San Diego, CA 92117

Happy Family (Korean food)(inside Hana Mart)

June 18, 2014 Cathy Korean Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! Food blog. Kirk and Ed(from Yuma) are busily researching subjects for posts. Cathy is posting results of her research.

A few weeks ago, driving to U Mart for some weekly groceries, we noticed a change in the exterior signage.

The Mister and I had been here (the building was the original San Diego location of Zion supermarket) several times since UMart had opened in December and noticed construction going on inside each time. We were told there was a new owner of the building who wanted the name change.There are now cash registers facing each doorway and the 'hallway' of other stores has been widened. As Kirk mentioned in February, Happy Family reopened.

The Mister and I try to grab a bite to eat before each shopping trip and this day was a perfect chance to have another meal at Happy Family.

The menu has been simplified further, with ten total offerings.

The Mapo Tofu ($7.99) is always a favorite. It comes with the red pepper paste soup as well as the pickled sides and the black bean paste.

There were a few ounces of ground pork, some wood ear fungus and a lot of very good tofu in this dish. The flavors were not Americanized at all -the way we like it- with a few numbing peppercorns used in the sauce.

The pepper paste soup was made with onions and zucchini and the broth seemed to have a saltiness to it (no condiments were needed with this meal other than what was served).

We also shared an order of fried dumpling ($5.99). These gunmandu were made fresh here (not frozen) and fried to a very crispy (yet still chewy level). The dumpling skins were a bit thick in a good way; there was no leakage of the filling.

The filling, mostly chives with some ground pork: so fresh and the chive greens still crispy. The right amount to balance the fried dumpling dough. These were the nicest version we've ever had. A great way to start our shopping trip.

Happy Family inside Hana Mart 4611 Mercury Street San Diego 92111 (858)279-8713 Open 10-8 Tues-Sunday

Sunday Sandwiches: V Bakery

June 15, 2014 mmm-yoso Bakery, Sandwiches

*** V Bakery has closed

I was driving on Comvoy the day after returning from our trip. For some reason I glanced on over to the strip mall that houses Izakaya Sakura, Tsuruhashi, and Koubou and noticed that Viet Bakery and Pho had loss a couple of letters and was now just V Bakery. I wondered if this was just another iteration of the legacy shop which changed and morphed and in the end just couldn't gain any traction.

I saw "sandwiches" on the grand opening sign….and based on the history immediately thought Banh Mi.

I could not have been more wrong. I returned during the work week for lunch….the name of this shop is V French Bakery & Cafe.

Ah yes, another bakery in Kearney Mesa…. with the ubiquitous selection of macaroons and such. I did like the spartan set-up and the folks running the place were very friendly.

So I decided to stick around and get a panini……a Turkey and Avocado Panini ($7.95).

The bread was pressed and toasted well; crisp and light. The turkey seemed like tpyical processed stuff and the cheese really didn't have enough milkiness or umph, to really make a difference. I would have appreciated a bit more avocado, the slices I did run into added a nice creaminess to the sandwich.

I really enjoyed the acid from the tomatoes and especially the sun dried tomato dressing used for the sandwich. The price seemed a bit on the high side, but the addition of a free drink brought it back into balance.

I returned a few days later and decided to try the Meat Lover's Panini ($8.95), which in retrospect is a dubious choice on my part. Add to the fact that the bacon that was supposed to be on the sandwich was "not ready", this ham-turkey combination, even with the addition of the tomato and onion missed the mark for me. It probably would have been better with bacon.

I totally like the approach of going simple with these type of sandwiches. Last year, during our stay in Malta, the Missus and I ran into a little shop that did just salads and pressed flat bread sandwiches called "Piadina". All the piadina were just three ingredients; but all those items were of decent quality and went well together; like prosciutto – grana padano cheese – arugula…… It looked like this:

And at 4 Euroes ($5.40), was a bargain as well as being both satisfying and delicious…..

That's kind of what I'm looking for…..

Though I'm guessing the folks here are really pushing the bakery angle from the looks of the "sample" wedding cakes and such. Seeing that I don't have much of a sweet tooth, I'll let other folks tell me how the bakery items are.

The folks here are very friendly, just nice folks overall. I hope they find their niche and do well.

V French Bakery & Cafe
3904 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111
Hours:
Mon – Fri 1000am – 2pm
5pm – 9pm
Sat – Sun 7am – 9pm