Closed – Page 44

Van Hoa Vietnamese Restaurant (City Heights)(underrated)

June 1, 2014 Cathy Vietnamese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping by to read mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Kirk is adjusting to having to be somewhere at a certain time and ed (from Yuma) is adjusting to not having to be anywhere at a certain time. Cathy is writing this post.

At the Northwest corner of University Avenue and 54th Street is a small shopping center anchored by Vien Dong IV, the incorrectly numbered Vietnamese Grocery (Vien Dong III no longer exists). Kirk wrote a two part post about Van Hoa more than six years ago (FYI-the Banh Mi are the same (really good, but now $3.25, with the Special Dac Biet now $3.75 and there is a "buy five get one free" deal)), and it's a regular stop for The Mister and I when in this part of town, usually for a meal before our foray into shopping.

The simple decor and condiment trays, early opening (just like Vien Dong IV) and always fresh food (I believe it's a short walk to get their supply of fresh produce and meats) make the meals here simultaneously not pretentious, convenient and delicious.

You may have seen "Van Hoa" labels on grab and go items (spring rolls and desserts) sold at 99Ranch Market, Thuan Phat and World Foods. If you get here early enough, you'll see the trays being filled and loaded into trucks for early morning delivery to those markets.

As we are being seated and handed menus, I always order a Banh Xeo ($6.25) since it takes a bit of time to be prepared. The Van Hoa version of traditional crispy turmeric flavored Vietnamese crepe, filled with bean sprouts, pork and shrimp, served with lettuce, mint and fish sauce dip is my favorite. (Those small 'dots' of pale yellow you see inside are a type of soft lentil mung bean).

The Spring Rolls here are only one type: shrimp with BBQ pork. ($3.25). The Van Hoa version is heavy; solidly and tightly packed with lettuce, mint and sprouts and a sprig of cilantro sticking out one end. It's served with the thick and not too sweet peanut sauce. Again, my favorite (this brand is the only one I purchase at grab and go).

Then there are the Stir Fried noodle dishes, this one is shrimp with crispy noodle ($7.50). You can see the light, airy, crispy noodles topped with freshly stir fried carrot, broccoli, mushroom and some baby corn. The gravy is light and has great flavor without being all salty or MSG-ish. Again, this is my favorite version.

The prices are not low-low; they are fair. The quality here is superb.

Van Hoa 4016 54th San Diego, Ca 92105 Website (619)582-2642 Open Mon-Sat 6-8, Sun 6-7

Chic-Boy (Filipino sit down fast food) (National City)

May 28, 2014 Cathy Filipino Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Here you are, back at reading mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Today's adventure takes us to National City, because that's where Cathy drove. Kirk is still on vacation and Ed(from Yuma) is still clearing out his office.

So, let's get some things cleared up right now. A) Baboy is Tagalog for pig/pork. The name of this restaurant is a shortened version of Chicken-Baboy, or Chicken-Pig, which are two of the primary items served here. There also is fish on the menu (Isda in Tagalog), but that word doesn't fit the signage in a non-double entendre way. {I'll wait while you go through the possible combinations in your head} 2. There are three tables (with a total of eight chairs) to sit at inside this tiny shop, so if you are here and can't find a place to sit and eat, don't be surprised. Located in a a mall anchored by Popeye's and Starbucks, across the way from a McDonald's, Chic-Boy is one of more than eight Filipino owned businesses in this mall near the South East corner of 805 at Plaza Boulevard. Despite my tendency to blog about places and food items that nobody else has blogged about, I was happy to find Faye did blog about Chic-Boy last year. Now I don't feel too far out of the loop and am glad to share one of her (an my) (and cc's) snack food favorites with you (hint: last photo of this post).

Yep, that's pretty much the entire menu on the wall (there is a sandwich board out front, listing some specials) and the other three photos are the entire counter, showing items available. We were here early, so everything was available.Above is a "BBQ Pork Stick Combo"($3.78)[The combo includes a choice of canned beverage]. The rice is jasmine and very good, the BBQ pork stick is moist and has good flavors (there is vinegar in the marinade, making it not so sweet, which I like).

Above , the BBQ chicken breakfast bowl ($4.99). The BBQ chicken stick, is also moist and not overly sweet. This is also served with a good amount of jasmine rice, some stir fried bok choy (the only vegetable I've ever seen here) and an over-medium egg. Just a perfect mesh of ingredients for a hearty meal. Those greasy bags to the left in the glassed in area? Fried dilis (anchovy), fried bulaklak (pork intestines) and, above, fried chicken skins(the snack of choice by both Faye and myself). Each priced the same, ($8.99/lb) and served with a cup of garlic infused vinegar, a perfect, tasty, non-carb snack.

This is a great place to stop for good, fresh food.

Chic-Boy 2220 E. Plaza Blvd, Suite T National City, CA 91950 (619)472-2449

De Mi Cafe Cafe- Breakfast

May 27, 2014 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a San Diego based food blog. Writers here include Kirk, Ed(from Yuma) and Cathy. Everyone but Cathy is busy today, so here's a post she wrote.

I've passed by this corner of Friars Road at Via Las Cumbres countless times in the past year, always noticing a dear favorite, Mr. Peabody's, always seeing the 'new' signage for De Mi Cafe Cafe and then continuing on to wherever I was headed. Finally one weekday morning, The Mister and I stopped here.

As with any Cafe, you walk up, order, pay and your food is brought to you. It turns out the owner, Michal, was also our cashier and the barista that morning. He is a very nice, interesting person and quite efficient.

Of course, there is an espresso machine (and most people were ordering espresso based beverages), but we decided on a 'regular' coffee to share. One of the condiments offered at the counter was organic half and half.

Whiile waiting (and after perusing the various refrigerated treat offerings), I noticed the glass topped chest freezer to the side, filled with some delightful items, which we will be returning to try very soon.

The Mister chose a De Mi egg sandwich ($5). It's served on a choice of breads-this is on white toast, and it is a good, hearty white bread. Made with ham, scrambled egg and cheddar (choice of cheddar or provolone) cheese, this was surprisingly flavorful and filling.

I chose the De Mi Breakfast Plate ($6.50) with the wheat toast (again, a very hearty bread). Served with Italian salami, the cheddar and provolone, a large pat of good, unsalted butter and the tomatoes (as well as unseeded grapes), this was another filling and wonderful breakfast.

Oh- and that croissant on the first plate- chocolate ($2.50). Made here. Still warm. Wonderful.

This was a wonderful, European style breakfast right in the midst of Mission Valley.

De Mi Cafe Cafe 6110 Friars Road, Suite 102 San Diego, CA 92108 (619)246-0968 M-Th 6am-4pm, Fri-Sat 7-7, Sun 8-7 Website

New Places, New Snacks (Donut Panic, Old Street Food and Paris Baguette)

May 23, 2014 Cathy Bakery, Korean Restaurants, Stuff, What Cathy Eats!, yoso-silly

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog written by three friends: Kirk, who is not on this continent, Ed(from Yuma), who is not in this state and Cathy, who is right here right now.

A couple of new places and a few new menu items have entered my life within the past couple of weeks and I thought I'd share, before writing a complete post…you know, in case you might want to try something new over this three day weekend.

The signage isn't up yet. The name really is "Donut Panic" and it's a small shop in the mall anchored by Souplantation on Mission Gorge at Vandever (near the 'other' Kaiser) run by a daughter and her father. The 'regular' daily donuts are always fresh and good, BUT on Saturday and Sunday around 9 a.m. and on Wednesday after 6 p.m.— Vegan Donuts come out of the kitchen. You read that right- no eggs or dairy go into these-the magic ingredient is potato- and each is topped with wonderful, imaginative, fancy flavors and sold at reasonable prices ($1.50 each). Above is a cross section of one with orange almond icing. The texture is light, crispy. The photo of four (clockwise, from bottom left) has the flavors of earl grey tea, vanilla (yes, I know it's pink), chocolate espresso almond and the maple "bacon". (The 'bacon' is unsweetened coconut dipped in soy sauce and flavored with liquid smoke has the right texture and flavor). There are other fancy flavors offered: saffron cardamom, green tea and quite a few others. There are also some filled offerings ($2 each).

I found out about this place from good friend and fellow blogger, cc (there's a link to her first post at the bottom of that link). On Friday, there are fresh vegan cupcakes..a post will be up soon.

Donut Panic 6171 Mission Gorge Road San Diego, CA 92120 (619) 280-1894

The only English on the sign (that isn't a menu item) is "Old Street Food", so I'm assuming that's the name, since I don't read Korean. Located in the center of Zion Supermarket, by the Fruits and Vegetables. Open on Monday, when Gala Chicken, the other shop in that center area is closed, we had to stop, look and order.

You order, then the once fried items are taken to the back stove and fried again.

This solid packed box with squid legs, octopus, purple sweet potato and pumpkin was $6 and still fresh and crispy when we got home. We could have eaten at the counter here, but were full…because

We saw this when we walked into the Zion complex and had to stop.

There are five flavors, three sizes.

Here's a photo of a small ($3.75) green tea shaved ice (excellent flavor of green tea) topped with sweet beans, mochi, sweetened condensed milk and some peanut powder. We saw a large bowl being brought out to a couple and it was HUGE!

Paris Baguette (inside Zion Marketplace) 7655 Clairmont Mesa Blvd. San Diego 92111 (858)650-0404 website

I hope everyone is having a nice and safe three day weekend. Have a good Memorial Day weekend.

St. Tropez Bakery & Bistro (Encinitas)

May 20, 2014 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, Desserts, French Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, the title of a blog about food. Kirk is enjoying his vacation of hearty meals, Ed (from Yuma) is enjoying the end of an exuberant era and Cathy is sharing her enjoyment of a genuinely good little restaurant.

Well, time to get back to some normalcy. The weather has cooled down, the winds have slowed down and the fires are contained.

A few months ago, I met a client for an exchange of paperwork. She suggested St. Tropez Bakery and Bistro, the original location, inside The Lumberyard shopping center, located in downtown Encinitas. Turns out there are now four San Diego locations and two are franchises.

We had coffee, shared a pastry and when I was getting ready to leave, she asked me to wait and went inside, came out and presented me with a bag of what were to become a few meals and snacks.

The packaging contained two of each of the above items- ham quiche, veggie quiche, raisin swirled pastry and an apricot topped pastry. Each item was superb, fresh and of high quality. The crusts, cheesy custard and fillings of the quiches were excellent. I really enjoyed the raisin only (no cinnamon) puff pastry and the custard and crust under the torched, glazed, flavorful apricots were standouts.

Here's a photo of one meal at home. (Parisian Salad mix from Costco).

A few weeks later, I took The Mister for the drive North, so we could try more menu items. You order, pay and have a seat.

The chicken curry croissant ($9.25) (includes the salad, topped with my choice of balsamic vinaigrette- there are several vinaigrette flavors to choose from). A whole grilled (just right; juicy) chicken breast with Swiss cheese covered with a creamy European curry (not a hot curry; more of a sweet mix of flavors-there's cumin and tomato, turmeric, paprika and some garlic flavor. Have you ever had currywurst?) all on a fresh baked croissant. This unique blend of flavors, textures and freshness was excellent.

The classic Croque Madame ($9.75)(with grilled potatoes and fruit) Grilled ham and Swiss with a Bechamel (flour and butter cooked in milk) sauce, topped with a lightly cooked egg all on a hearty toasted white bread. (Croque Monsieur is the same sandwich, but without the egg. Think of a lady wearing a hat made of egg- that's Madame.)

We decided to share an order of Nutella crepes($5.95). The plate was covered with a dark chocolate sauce, real whipped cream on the side and these were wonderful. The familiar chocolate-hazelnut filling hit the spot with a cup of coffee.

All in all, excellent, tasty food. We'll be back to try more of the menu.

St. Tropez Bistro and Bakery 947 S. Coast Highway 101, Suite 103D (next to Starbucks) Encinitas 92024 (760)633-0084 Website Open daily 7 a.m.-8 p.m.

Slides-all sliders all the time. (La Mesa)

May 15, 2014 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Burgers, What Cathy Eats!

Slides has closed. It will be missed.

mmm-yoso!!! is a blog. Food is the primary subject. Kirk is vacationing on another continent, Ed(from Yuma) is working in another State and Cathy is in San Diego County, hanging close to home and being vigilant while adding words to photos.

I hope everyone is safe and keeping cool. The last few days have been horrible around here, both with heat and fires. As a diversion, here's a post about some quick visits to a small restaurant that's been open since October.

Located in a bend in strip mall (anchored by Subway and 24 Hour Fitness) on University Avenue between Pomona and Lowell (two blocks East of Yale), Slides is easy to miss.

Once you walk inside, you'll see it's decorated in the colors of SDSU and has a small menu on the wall.

Here it is. I think the oddball pricing has to do with some sort of lucky numbers or really is random, because it doesn't make the addition of sales tax result in even numbers.

The other side of the menu, with crucial factoids: daily fresh baked buns; house made pickles; 'secret' Asian seasoning.

At this meal, we shared an order of mixed (regular and sweet potato) fries ($1.98)(really good-both flavors; properly fried) and a Three-Pack of sliders ($5.47)(plus 28 cents for mild Cheddar cheese on the beef slider) {Total with tax was $8.41…oddball prices plus tax does not result in less loose change AND they don't accept tips!}. ANYHOW the color coded sticks are to tell you which flavor is which.

This is the fish slider. The fish is swai. It's half baked, then mixed with finely chopped onion and a 'secret' Asian sauce, some egg white then baked: no grease, no binder. Great flavor. This was a favorite of mine during Lent (and it still is). The photo makes it look kind of large, because it is kind of large. The fresh baked bun, lettuce, tomato, house made pickle and onions make a single Slide with a few fries enough as a meal.

Here's a blurry photo of the lean burger, topped with mild Cheddar and everything (as above), with a better photo of those wonderful slightly sweet/salty, crispy/crunchy house made pickles. Again, quite large enough as a meal. The beef is very lean and the beef flavor did not stand out on this Slide. There is a lot of meat, but I think the Cheddar is overwhelming (see last photo and description).

The veggie Slide (it's eggplant).

A lot of eggplant, sauteed perfectly and surprisingly flavorful. Seriously good.

The shakes ($2.76) are all made with the same vanilla base with a syrup added in and then mixed. As you can see, this one stopped just short of having its coffee syrup mixed in. The shakes are a good flavor and thickness, but a tad too sweet for me.

There is either a chicken or a turkey Slide centered in this photo. You can tell the difference when you taste (the turkey is dryer; both have good flavor). You can also see the 'secret' sauce in this picture.

Here's a double beef burger(additional 74 cents) topped with Monterey Jack cheese (28 cents additional). I think the cheese was not as overpowering a flavor, because the beef flavor really was shining in this serving of burger.

All in all, really good, fresh food, prepared to order, yet served quickly, by very nice people. This is one place I wish did have a Tip Jar.

Slides 7406 University Avenue La Mesa 91942 (619)461-4462 Website open 11-8 daily

Golden City Restaurant- (underrated) Chinese Cuisine

May 13, 2014 Cathy Chinese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog, has most posts originating in sunny San Diego. Today is going to be a scorcher. Cathy is writing a short post.

When I woke today, the temperature outside was 59 and the weather report says it will hit 95 before noon. I try to get all of my work around the house done before the heat starts to set in and then plan my day around either staying inside the house or going to air conditioned businesses. Here's where we went a few weeks ago, during the last heat wave…

On the South East corner of 163 and Clairmont Mesa, Golden City has been a mainstay since 2005, getting new management in July 2006. Kirk has written many posts about individual food items, mostly revisits, with each emphasizing the authenticity and quality of food. As you can see, there is a 'Special' lunch menu offered.

The Mister and I have visited this quite large restaurant many times; just haven't posted.

When you order hot tea, it is brewed for you, using loose tea leaves, not bags. A good quality fresh tea, I always enjoy it with my meal.

As part of our orders, we were asked if we wanted egg drop or hot and sour soup (included with the 'Regular', not the 'Special' lunch menu){ Side note, the 'Regular' lunch menu is the same after 9 p.m. each evening, it's called the 'Late Menu' then} We chose both soups. Each is high quality, flavorful and comforting.

Also part of the 'regular' lunch menu, vegetarian egg rolls are included. Fresh, crispy, always pleasant.

From the 'Special' menu, wonton noodle soup ($3.99). Really good soup broth, meaty (shrimp and pork) wontons and very tasty, non-clumpy egg noodles, along with some fresh baby bok choy make this a meal in itself.

Ma Po tofu ($6.99). We try this menu item just about everywhere, because every restaurant makes it differently using the same primary ingredients: soft tofu, ground pork, spicy sauce-and the variation here is wonderful. The smooth sauce here is medium hot (just right, I think). A sizeable portion. With some steamed rice, this is also comforting.

A dish at this restaurant I was introduced to (by Kirk) a few years ago-you know what it is. The menu calls it Deep Fried Pork Chittlins ($7.50) and I really like the quality of fry (crispy and not greasy) as well as the portion size and general flavor point (a bit salty).

An excellent, comforting meal served in air conditioned comfort. Hope your day goes well.

Golden City Restaurant 5375 Kearney Mesa Road San Diego, 92111 (858)565-6682 website

House Burger and Farm Fresh Market (Nestor)

May 10, 2014 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Burgers, Markets & Grocers

House Burger has closed.

Thanks for stopping by to read mmm-yoso!!!, our food blog. Kirk is excessively busy today, Ed(from Yuma) is immensely overwhelmed with his work and Cathy is indeed not without unreasonable overscheduling, but she is doing the writing for this post.

One beautiful day, The Mister and I found ourselves in the South Bay area of San Diego, driving about pretty aimlessly. We spied this small corner signage-"House Burger",

attached to the same building housing this small market. Both looked interesting, so we stopped.

Despite this signage hanging near the door, it seems House Burger has been here since at least June of 2012. (Here is a LINK to a post, written by cc that October (she didn't like it)-same sign.).

A very basic, limited menu. An open kitchen. We ordered, watched and waited.

Cheeseburger ($2.99) Free formed, very, very good coarse ground meat with the char from the grill. The bun was extremely soft/fresh as were the toppings. Turns out the meat, toppings and baked items all are from the Market next door…

Cheesesteak sandwich ($4.99). Thin sliced beef, griddled with onion, bell pepper and fresh mushrooms as well as cheese, all served on a soft, fresh baked, sub shaped roll. This version was large and *very* good. Again, the ingredients are all from the market next door.

The $1.59 side of onion rings. Whole (not chopped) onions in a crispy breading, fried properly. These were also unexpectedly freshly made. When we were finished, we had to go to the market next door, to see why it seemed so busy (and, you know, check out the prices).

It has many Mexican items, is not too large. The meat counter greets you when you walk in.

Good prices.There is a steam tray/to go area straight ahead with many interesting offerings and good prices (we will be back).

It's right next to the Produce area…

Notice the glass…The bakery, where tortillas are being made.

All next to a small (three doors wide, but quite tall) area of fresh baked goods. Everything we bought here that day was very fresh and very good quality. What a great find!

Hope you're having a good start to the weekend.

House Burger 1873 Palm Avenue San Diego 92154 (619)429-1195

Farm Fresh Market 1879 Palm Avenue 92154 (619)424-6779

Social Life Neapolitan Pizza (SDSU area)

May 8, 2014 Cathy Pizza, What Cathy Eats!

Social Life has closed

mmm-yoso!!!, the food blog, is an almost daily posting by a few friends (Kirk, Ed(from Yuma) and Cathy) who share their food-centric experiences with you. Today, Kirk is busy, as is Ed(from Yuma) and Cathy has a bit of time on her hands, so she's writing.

I've noticed a plethora (more than six) of businesses around the County featuring 'design your own pizza and we'll bake it for you very quickly' and have concluded that there must be an amazing ROI (return of investment) on this particular type of operation, possibly based on the business model of Little Caesars. One day, The Mister and I decided to see what this was all about and stopped at the nearest location to home. Social Life is a franchise and the only other location is inside the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas.

This is the view from the parking lot- you can see El Cajon Boulevard to the left in the back of this photo.

When you walk in, you're asked if you've ever been here before and if not, a quick explanation of how it all works is given. There's the menu of suggested ingredient topping mixes and then at the far right, a 'crafted by you' option, all pies are basically the same price (unless you choose premium toppings).

You can see the dough being made and portioned (that shiny object to the right is the machine that flattens the dough to the perfect thickness)

You can see the San Felice "00" Pizza Flour bags- it's a blend of American, European and Italian wheat and I do notice an excellent flavor, chew and light crunch in the crust here.

Some of the toppings available…

You watch as your pie is assembled.

Then it's placed into the wood fired oven for about three minutes.

You can pay and have a seat. Or stare and take a photo. Not a long wait.

They use flavorful San Marzano tomatoes…

Here's a view from the cash register. Pay attention to those orange pots to the left. That's (imported from Italy) oregano to the right, in the packages.

Above, #5-Carne. San Marzano crushed tomatoes, mozzarella, pepperoni, sausage and salami. ($7.50). The imported dried oregano, brushed off of branches was scattered over the pie before it went into the oven. The crust is remarkable in that it is very much in the Naples/Neopolitan style (BTDT)-it's light, crunchy and still chewy (not too thin and cracker-like)-see the overhanging shape of the slice? The meat mix combined with the crushed tomatoes is wonderful.

The Mozzarella Salad($7.50), mini mozzarella balls on top of freshly tossed greens, tomatoes, basil and oregano with olive oil and placed on top of a freshly baked olive oil and oregano topped crust. This was very refreshing and a way to get a salad with a lot of fresh lightly crisp bread.

The Gorgonzola Salad ($4) is also refreshing. Mixed greens mixed with olive oil and then with gorgonzola, dried cranberries and caramelized walnuts. Quite a large serving and very good.

In those orange glazed pots (seen in the forefront of the tenth photo) are home made Italian meatballs and marinara sauce (2 meatballs with sauce for $3.50). These are quite large and very flavorful, made with a finely ground meat mix (beef, pork and veal I think). The marinara sauce is lightly seasoned (and not the same as the crushed tomatoes on the pizza).

The #6-Pesto Pizza. Pesto (pine nut and basil) sauce topped with fresh mozzarella, spinach, mushrooms and fresh tomatoes (they were out of sun dried tomatoes on this visit). This was excellent also. It's difficult for me to say which sauce I liked better. The crust is just wonderful- thin and just on the edge of being crackery, but it's not…and it is so flavorful.

There are several televisions in the eating area and a great beer and wine selection.

The self serve area (including to go boxes) is quite organized.

You may have peeked at the menu and notice a "cannoli pizza" ($6) as a dessert. We had to. The crust was lightly baked just through, is crispy and is not browned. Topped with a sweet Ricotta blend (I think Ricotta and condensed milk) and then mini chocolate chips are added, topped with chocolate sauce, powdered sugar and those wonderful, favorite snacks of mine, maraschino cherries. It is sweet: one slice is enough. Know that it is still good later in the day and the next morning…

Social Life Neapolitan Pizza El Cajon Blvd 92115 (619) 265-2700 Website

Chef Zhu

May 6, 2014 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants

**** Chef Zhu is now a location of Chin's

*** A short revisit post can be found here.

So one night when the Missus was busy at work, I asked Candice if she'd like to check out Chef Zhu. She had only been there once since they opened, so she was curious as well.

Yes, the English sign still says "Double Happiness"(the former ABCDE – American Born Chinese Dining Establishment name of the place), but it's easy enough to tell you've arrived at the right place.

There's an interesting mix of customers, forks adorn the tables and are removed when Chinese customers (or at least Chinese by marriage customers) are seated. Remember when Shanghai City had the ABCDE $5.99 lunch buffet? We were lucky enough to get a few tips from Candice's Dad on ordering from the menu.

Candice loves Ma Lan Tou and having had the wonderful vegetable in Suzhou and Hangzhou, I thought it made a nice start to the meal.

This was a decent version of the dish….you really can't get fresh ma lan tou here. I've seen it frozen at T&L and figure it's pretty much the same product everyone uses, but at least they didn't kill whatever flavor was left. In case you're wondering Ma Lan Tou is commonly known as Indian Aster and the vegetable is a staple of "Su Cai" – Jiangsu Cuisine, one of the Eight Great Traditional Cuisines of China.

We also got the Chao Nian Gao.

You have to be careful when ordering this; the standard version is drenched in soy sauce, which kind of detracts from the nice flavor of this dish. Shanghai City had a habit of overcooking the rice cakes and adding too much sesame oil. This was spot on. Loved the chew, the slight bitter from the vegetables……

Candice's Dad recommended the Yin Doo Xin, a very Shanghai style soup made from pork and chicken stock, and flavored with preserved pork (think ham), lovely bean curd knots, and crunchy winter bamboo shoots.

I believe it's called something like "Shanghai Soup Pot" on the menu. This had good flavor and that "aaah" factor that I find comforting, simple, yet hints of smokiness and saltiness from the pork added to the flavor. I took the leftovers home and it tasted even better the next day! I've been back to order this twice for take-out, eating a day after.

The Pork Pump looked pretty impressive……. A quick note, if you've got a bunch of customers ordering "orange chicken" around you and want to make a splash order this……you'll get folks asking you what this is, but in terms of this dish…..

But I've had much better, this was on the tough side and that sauce is too thick, almost like glue which was a rather unpleasant texture for me. It also tasted amazingly under flavored for a dish like this.

I thought the Xiao Long Bao at Shanghai City was passable, so why not, right?

This reminded me of the rather terrible XLB from The Dragon's Den, too thick wrappers, not enough soup. Chef Zhu was a partner in that business with the owner of Dumpling Inn for a while….I think the XLB rubbed off and not in a good way.

Most of the dinner was decent, that soup really hit the spot, and the company, as always was superb! So I decided to return and try some other things on the menu.

Starting with the "Shanghai Duck" ($6.95).

I'm a big fan of Su Cai cold dishes…..I'm not particularly fond of this rendition. That glaze is much too thick….the texture of caramel is great on ice cream, it ain't so great here. It was also slightly unpleasantly bitter. Lots of duck with not much flavor. I took the leftovers home and the Missus had one bite…..

I always thought that Shanghai City made a decent Niu Rou Mian….I mean, it wasn't Dai Ho, but it did hit the spot, so you know I had to try it here.

As a whole, I didn't enjoy this. I preferred the thicker, more doughy Shanghai Noodle that Shanghai City used to use. The noodles were also overcooked. The meat was on the tough side, thought the flavor was okay. At Shanghai City, the broth tended to be on the anise-heavy side, but there was just enough beefiness in it to balance the scales. Here it wasn't so, too much anise, not enough beed flavor, not rich enough either.

And yet, not to be denied, I returned on a very hot day, going Paleo all the way…..hey TFD, aren't you proud?

I started with a favorite of mine, the Jellied Pork – I believe it's something like "Salted Pork" ($6.95) on the menu.

And while I prefer a bit more aspic, on the dish usually called "jellied pork", I loved the fat to meat ratio. The texture was excellent, think of that wonderful piece of cold ham, except nice and meaty. The sodium level was on the high side, which I also enjoyed.

I didn't enjoy the Jellyfish Salad ($6.95) quite as much.

This wasn't terrible by any means, but it basically fulfilled the bare minimum, like a student just trying to get a passing grade. The jellyfish had a nice crunch, was cold, and didn't have that telltale sign of poor preparation; the acetone flavor. It was however, very bland, the (supposed) sauce just watered down, like this was rinsed and not drained well, sauced, and thrown on a plate….it was very bland.

By this time, I'd come here, what, five times (twice for take-out soup), so why not a sixth. And why not go for the gusto and order the Steamed Pork with Preserved Vegetable?

This was a decent dish; the pork a bit more crumbly, than the rather nice waxiness I prefer, but it wasn't too sweet, the sauce didn't kill the flavor of the pork, and yet it was salty enough to for me to eat way more rice than I'm used too (take that TFD!). I actually only ate three slices of the pork and some preserved vegetable; I was pretty much done after that. Still, a decent dish, one I'd have again.

So what to say? For someone who eats on Convoy, perhaps Chef Chin's makes some dishes better….but if I lived in, say, University City, I could make this a rather regular stop….at least for the Yin Doo Xin. Plus, I get a kick out of some of the Server's here. One of them is a hoot……she doesn't understand how someone of Japanese ancestry can be happily married to a mainland Chinese, so I explained it to her. "Everyday is a battle, but the peace treaties make it all worthwhile"!

Please read Kirbie's and Faye's posts on Chef Zhu.

Chef Zhu
1011 Camino Del Mar
Del Mar, CA 92014