Krab Bros-Boiled Seafood (and another meal at Zion Market Food Court)

mmm-yoso!!! is being written (again) by Cathy, while Kirk is not writing, but is, instead, researching.

I wrote about every eatery in the Zion Food Court in a July 2021 post.  There were changes in July and again in August of 2022.  Here's another one.

4D4DB503-AA06-4403-A05C-9730FB0EE91F In the far corner, the former Sinjeon Food Sys (prior it was CDD Tofu and Grill) has turned into Krab Bros- a boiled seafood restaurant. 
EDEA8CA9-9181-41EB-968E-8C51A21D6A24 A simple menu is always appreciated. 
FCA67FA5-52B6-438B-AADA-BFF724E5A3F5 The lunch shrimp platter ($14.99) with chosen flavors of original butter, garlic parmesan and Bros Cajun was an excellent choice.  This platter has ten shrimp, a boiled egg, sausage, corn and tiny whole potatoes, all coated in the chosen flavors.  The shrimp were quite large, very plump and had good flavor when I tasted a bit without any flavor coating.  I liked the sausage, egg and corn and especially the small, skin-on potatoes; it was a well balanced meal and quite enough to share.

Krab Bros website Closed daily between 3-4

B2609096-9E0B-49C1-91D0-84F1D5807CD8 I walked over to Boba Bar and ordered a mango slush ($5) for us to share.  We had already shopped inside the Zion Grocery store.
95960BC9-75A0-4744-A7E5-AFEA2959921C 209BD05D-9FC5-417E-B136-49153758A9A1209BD05D-9FC5-417E-B136-49153758A9A1209BD05D-9FC5-417E-B136-49153758A9A1209BD05D-9FC5-417E-B136-49153758A9A1

We had chosen some 'snacks', from the heat trays at the back of the market between the meat and fish counters.  (There were leftovers, which would become dinner).

Batter fried squid; always good.  Mushroom pancake; eggy.  Light battered fish filets.  Pickled radishes.  In total it was a bit less than $20- the prepared food is sold by the pound.  When you are paying at the checkout, the cashiers have chopsticks and napkins. 

Zion Market 7655 Clairmont Mesa Boulevard San Diego 92111
53CDE409-1732-49E7-B876-3D3A8197DC61 Now, the piano as well as the teddy bear are gone from the Food Court platform.  Damn Covid-19!

HitH – Farmers Table (Bay Park) Revisited

**** This location of Farmers Table has closed

So, there I was minding my own business…..when I noticed some comments on a post from back in 2019 on the Bay Park Farmers Table location from "FK". To be perfectly honest, I rarely receive comments on older posts. And to be even more honest, I (we) had never been compelled to return after our last set of visits. I had not however, tried the flatbreads at FT. So there's that. Plus, this location of FT is like less than three blocks from our house, so it wouldn't be hard to just take a walk on over to the place and return after three years, right?

I guess it was about time for me to do some H(anging) i(n) t(he) H(ood), right?

HITH FT Rev 01

The place was pretty mellow during my visit; which I liked.

HITH FT Rev 03

I must say, I found the service much more friendly and efficient that on my previous visits. I did notice a big difference when I received my menu. It seems all the dishes I've tried before are no longer available here.

HITH FT Rev 02

When I did a quick check, some of those items, like the beef tartare are available at other locations. So, I'm guessing that BP customers don't like stuff like that? Well, I was here for the Truffle Flatbread anyway. Which I ordered ($20).

HITH FT Rev 04 HITH FT Rev 05  Man, this was pretty big. Crust was nicely charred. Though the first two bites gave things away. The slices weren't cut all the way thru and the resulting dough was tough and saturated and not in a good, Neopolitan Pizza way. Nice truffle fragrance, but no truffle flavor. There was a ton of tasteless mozzarella. The crust, while nicely charred wasn't very yeasty, but was too salty. I liked the bacon, that almost had a flavor of jamon, which gave the pizza almost all it's flavor, but there just wasn't enough of that to overcome all that cheese. Too little radicchio or carmelized onion to make much of a difference.

HITH FT Rev 06

I still think the food here is quite "corporate" and some folks like it that way. The service has definitely improved, though I still don't think the food is to my taste.

Farmer's Table (Bay Park)
3055 Clairemont Dr.
San Diego, CA 92117

One good thing that came out of this visit. There are places within walking distance that I haven't posted on in ages. The Missus wants me walking more, so one of my New Years resolutions? More time to "Hang in the Hood". So you'll hopefully see a couple of those posts coming your way.

SuperNatural Sandwiches (Miramar) Back in Business Under New Ownership

**** SuperNatural Sandwiches has closed

SuperNatural Sandwiches had been a fairly regular stop for me for ages. Since their beginnings at the now defunct San Diego Public Market. So, I was sad and in all honesty rather shocked at the somewhat sudden closure of their remaining shop on Miramar. I understand that all the changes in dining and rising costs have really affected businesses over the last two years. So many places with a long history in San Diego and many favorites that have closed in the last 1,010 days….you remember that day, right?

But I was just as surprised to get a text from "JeffP" while I was on vacation telling me that SuperNatural had reopened; albeit under new ownership! Thanks for letting me know Jeff!

So, one of the first places I went to check out when I returned was……

SuperNatural New 01

I arrived just at opening; 11 am and walked in and automatically headed right to the counter…..and whoops….

SuperNatural New 02

There is the set-up for a sushi bar in that area now. The area where the beer bar is located is where you place your orders these days. I also noticed that prices had gone up quite a bit (again) since my last visit in June.

SuperNatural New 03

My usual, the "Siren", is now $14.95 and adding a side of Garlic Fries is another $5.95. Back in June, two months before they closed it was $13.25 and $4.75 respectively. So a sandwich and fries, with tax was over $22 now!

I placed my order and the young lady working confirmed that the place would start serving sushi soon. Hmmm……not sure about that one.

Anyway, this how my sandwich looked when I got home.

SuperNatural New 04  SuperNatural New 05 It looked pretty much the same and I'll say that the fries where just as good, slightly crisp, with a creamy interior as it used to be.

I took the sandwich out of the container; the bread looked the same and it was evenly toasted. I actually liked the fact that it had a bit less sauce than it used to.

SuperNatural New 06 SuperNatural New 08  So I took a bite and…got all bread? What the heck. It seemed like about half the sandwich was all bread. Strange. I'm thinking either they are still getting used to cutting the bread in the correct manner or they are using less ingredients. Anyway, the shrimp didn't seem of the same quality and seemed overcooked and rubbery; it also looked smaller than before, see the photo below.  That's the cap from the little container of sauce for the fries.

SuperNatural New 07

There is a part of me that wonders if I'm just enhancing my memories of the "old" SuperNatural?

So perhaps some of you can set me straight. Let me know what you think if you visit the "new" SuperNatural? I know "FOY" Junichi mentioned the reopening in the comments of this post, so maybe he'll let me know what he thinks. Or maybe "FOY" Loren whom I know enjoyed this place.

For now, over $22 for a sandwich and fries means it'll take a while before I return.

SuperNatural New 09

SuperNatural Sandwiches
7094 Miramar Rd
San Diego, CA 92121

Chicken Wing Thang – Katzya Revisited (H Mart Food Court)

**** Katzya has closed

One of the things about being on a trip for over a month; the fridge and pantry gets pretty bare. I spent last week and weekend catching up, restocking, and believe it or not; the Missus has been missing my cooking! Go figure. One of the stops was H Mart. It was just a tad after 11 and I was getting a bit hungry. I had enjoyed the Chicken Wings from Katzya on previous visits and the wings did well on my takeout visit, plus I'd last had wings from the recently opened Pelicana Chicken, so I decided to go for it.

Katzya Rev 01

Katzya Rev 02

I recalled that the Soy Garlic Wings were pretty good, so I went with that. When I last visited, the price of $14.99 for 7 wings seemed really high, and while still pricey, it feels less so these days with all the inflation.

I got the wings home and opened up the container and oh my…..

Katzya Rev 03 Katzya Rev 06  These wings were just drenched in sauce. There was a huge pool of sauce at the bottom of the box. The two or three pieces on the top, while over sauced held up fine, but the pieces on the bottom were a soggy mess.

The texture of the meat was fine, moist, tender, lacking in any discolored spots, but it was just swimming in too much sauce, making this overly sweet.

Katzya Rev 05

For you reference, here's what I got back in 2019.

Katzya 04  Katzya Rev 04  Doesn't even look like it's from the same place, does it?

Another thing that was different was the the Mul Kimchi. But this change was an improvement, at least to me. The radish was not as sweet as on previous visits, making this somewhat refreshing. Though nothing could overcome the sticky sweet sauce overload.

Katzya Rev 07

Bummer, because I think the quality and size to batter ratio of the wings here are to my liking. I guess I'm back to just the fried wings here.

Katzya
(In the H Mart Food Court)
7725 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92111

We’re Back! Dinner on BA and our First Meal Back from Sizzling Pot King

Whoa…well, after spending a month in France I’m having a bit of a time of it getting adjusted to San Diego time again. And that journey home; we stayed at CDG overnight with a 7am flight to LHR, which helps as we don’t have to get up early. But then there’s the 5 1/2 layover at Heathrow and then the 11 hour flight home. Which is why we fly business class. Though we didn’t account for the fussy baby in the seat behind us, these things happen….so even with the lie flat seats…well, I got maybe an hours sleep?

On the positive side; I’d say that the meals on BA have returned to pre-Covid quality. And it’s always been much better flying back to San Diego, than flying from SD to LHR. This was pretty good.

IMG_5078
IMG_5078
IMG_5078

One of the things with leaving for a month is…well, the fridge and pantry were cleaned out before we left. We arrived home at around 6pm; it was already dark. In need of something convenient with a little zip, I did a takeout order from Sizzling Pot King. Funny thing; it was in the high 20’s when we left Paris, so weather here in the 40’s didn’t bother me much, it was basically short sleeve weather, so I got some looks when I waltzed into Sizzling Pot King; seeing all those folks bundled up looking at me like I’m some nut wearing a t-shirt. Even the young man who knows my order looked at me strangely.

Anyway, we had the usual for dinner.

IMG_5093

It was nice and decently spicy; with a mild “numbing” from the Sichuan Peppercorns…but I’m not sure if it was all the Sichuan we had in Paris; but this seemed to be missing something. Oh well, at the least it did the job.

*** Sizzling Pot King is now Zhang Liang Malatang

Sizzling Pot King
8058 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111

And I quickly reverted back to my wimpy “San Diego weather” self……though for some strange reason, I feel somewhat out of sorts with regards to manners, pacing, and such.

I’m working on getting my act together and will have posts done.

Meanwhile…..even after a month….this is still on my mind!

IMG_4217

Thanks for stopping by!

Fifty 9 Fifty Local Eatery (Tierrasanta)

 Welcome back to mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog.  Kirk and His Missus are currently in the same Time Zone (Pacific) and 'catching up'.  Cathy is writing.

In April, 2019, I saw that this new restaurant had opened on Santo Road at the 52.  Unfortunately things got busy and I forgot to follow through in 2019…then it was 2020 and, you know.  So many businesses in this mall have changed over the years, and Kirk's April 2022 post reminded me  to check it ut again. The Mister and I really like Peruvian food and stopped in a few times, passing Fifty 9 Fifty.  Finally we had a chance to stop in. 2C2E4C86-FABC-4A5C-B432-09C17B26B1D6
45BD1448-43DF-4F4C-92D4-5AB11D7F3DC0 A sort of 'Gastropub' atmosphere with about 20 beers on tap, various seating sections (including covered outdoors), we were given a bottle of chilled water along with chilled glasses with our menu.
1A8BD247-86A0-40A2-9B04-D15C1CD6645C1A8BD247-86A0-40A2-9B04-D15C1CD6645C A simple menu-and there is a Monday-Friday Happy Hour, too (from 4-6:30)
B3A4697F-9F76-4D45-BB2B-3E4D8706D457 We decided to try the Cheese Curds ($12). Wisconsin cheese, breaded and fried.  If you bite into a hot one, it does indeed 'squeak'..but otherwise it's just a good bunch of piece of breaded fried cheese, served with a very nice homemade Ranch.
B3A4697F-9F76-4D45-BB2B-3E4D8706D457 The Stuffed Jumbo Portobello mushroom ($15) can be a meal.  Cream cheese, mozzarella and parmesan topped with a panko crust and placed in balsamic syrup…Oh my!
3A7A8202-1EA8-4671-B123-4C66A69971423A7A8202-1EA8-4671-B123-4C66A6997142 Cross section shows how many flavors you can get in a bite. 

B3A4697F-9F76-4D45-BB2B-3E4D8706D457 We also ordered a Cobb Salad ($14).  This tasted really good, very fresh ingredients (egg, bacon, avocado, tomato, gorgonzola and a nice Blue Cheese dressing.  The presentation…eh. 

A nice addition to this little neighborhood which withstood Covid-19.

Fifty 9 Fifty Local Eatery  5950 Santo Road San Diego 92124 (858)737-4665 open daily 11:30-9 website
8AFEE746-A4F3-4455-9105-EA864EF6FA93

Tofu House Mira Mesa (again)

mmm-yoso!!! is back again on this chilly day.  Kirk is busy with His Missus on another continent and Cathy is writing another post.  

My last post about Tofu House was in 2020 when we had to eat outside, because, you know, Covid-19. 23BC8BC5-F22F-4F42-8BDD-B60FE0747351  B7A83FE1-B264-480B-8E07-B619DDE18F34 The menu is on the wall, or you can scan a QR code and read the menu on your phone. 

A6AE1AD1-6C02-4842-BA6D-B59DCADC67DD68ACF122-3F3E-4F7E-989C-E79136C8ABDD The Mister wanted Boiled Tofu, and it was furiously boiling when brought to the table!  He had ordered the 'Chef's Special' ($13) which included shrimp, pollack roe, clam, oyster, mushroom and kimchi.  (white rice is included, but the multigrain rice option is an extra $2; get it).  Great, fresh seafood and smooth, satisfying tofu.
A6AE1AD1-6C02-4842-BA6D-B59DCADC67DD I've been craving something from a hot stone pot (because crispy rice).  Ordering the "Chef's Special Hot Stone" ($20) was just the flavor filled melange I wanted.  Marinated beef rib eye as well as beef short ribs over the sizzling rice, topped with plump shrimp and small but flavorful scallops really hit the spot. 

A flavor filled, warming and satisfying lunch.  This location has a better parking situation than the Convoy Street location.

Tofu House 9089 Mira Mesa Boulevard San Diego 92126 (858) 860-5296 Open daily 11-8 website
5B80A4B5-AE28-4EE7-B9CE-2016C9120236 Your condiments are brought to the table after ordering. 

Andres Restaurant Closes After 40 Years

About two weeks ago "ST" sent me an email, which I didn't get to for a while. In the email ST mentioned that Andres Restaurant was planning to close. Because of all our travels, I didn't get to that email for a while. Then yesterday, our good friend "Alle" sent me a text saying that this was Andres last dinner service and they were closing as of the 24th. I checked Andres website which confirmed that Andres was closing after 40 years in business.

Earlier this morning, I drove on over to Bird Rock on Morena for some coffee and then crossed the street to check out what was up with Andres.

IMG_2209 IMG_2211  Things looked pretty much the same with no large notices or signs. Until I took a look at the note on the door.

It looks like the restaurant is closing, while the market will remain open. It's a bit strange that I last visited Andres Market three weeks ago, but hadn't a clue about what was going on.

Both ST and Alle mentioned some family tragedy that prompted this rather sudden decision.

Regardless, I know of many folks who enjoy Andres; and many who grew up eating there. It's sad that over the last couple of years we've lost some much beloved eateries that had served their respective neighborhoods for years. I first posted on Andres in 2005!

Sad news.

1235 Morena Blvd
San Diego, CA 92110 

IMG_2212

Adalynes Chicken Shack (La Mesa)

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog which has been around since 2005.  Kirk usually writes the posts, but right now, He and His Missus are vacationing and Cathy is writing. 

Back in February, I saw this building going up on University just East of the Kroc Salvation Army Center in La Mesa.3D52C112-49FF-4FF5-A8E2-3CA3159F3CB0 A mental note was made and misplaced.  As fate would have it, The Mister and I were driving by while looking for lunch.  Adalynes opened in March 2022.
3D52C112-49FF-4FF5-A8E2-3CA3159F3CB0 Walk in and step to the right; seating for 40 (along with four big screen televisions) is to the left.  Order and pay- a menu board is above and the open kitchen behind it is quite large.   The "Fish Market" display case was not filled but the price list was available and if you made a purchase and wanted your fish fried, it is an additional $2 per pound.  
87F0ECCA-C27C-4B30-9A53-6383FA6C6BBC87F0ECCA-C27C-4B30-9A53-6383FA6C6BBC A simple menu.
DEB79525-EE9B-48DD-9A39-42B8F9E871B6 B012C7BF-2FAB-4781-8AC2-1654DEC1B5E9 An appetizer order of calamari ($9.99) included tentacles, not all rings.  We asked for the batter to be 'mild' since there were several selections of spicy side dips.  The calamari was tender, the batter was a proper fry; light and crisp.  This is a large serving.
DEB79525-EE9B-48DD-9A39-42B8F9E871B6 We decided to try the Combo meal ($15.99) of three pieces of chicken strips and six shrimp.  We chose our one side to be sweet potato.  Again, we asked for no spice in the batter.  The shrimp were plump and large, had a very light coating and were nicely fried.  The sweet potato side came in the form of 'tots' and were really good.   The chicken-three large pieces of breast meat with just a light coating which was thin, crisped and tasty. 
31B9F518-D3CE-4F9E-8726-3DC3E25B3604 The chicken was not dry at all. 
31B9F518-D3CE-4F9E-8726-3DC3E25B3604 These four sauces were brought out with our food (cocktail sauce, "special" sauce (it has jalapeño juice and bits of jalapeño), a BBQ based sauce and a chipotle/smoky sauce.  There's a counter by the tables which has condiment pumps of hot sauce, ranch and catsup.  

A nice place that is doing a steady business serving quality fried foods. 

Adalynes Chicken Shack 6903 University Ave La Mesa 91942 (619) 232-5963 Open Mon-Sat 11-9, Closed Sunday

197A8037-27C0-4B4C-9244-ACA77961ACA7

Holey Donuts (El Cajon)

Thanks for stopping to read this food blog, mmm-yoso!!! Kirk and His Missus are winding down their vacation while Cathy remains writing another post about a local place.  

In the corner of the strip mall anchored by Boot Barn and Turners Outdoorsman Shop as well as Ami Sushi, one block East of Parkway Plaza, this nondescript signage popped up in April of 2020. 85E7DC0C-C700-434A-8761-A790A6AA119B
9F84EB29-95B2-4993-81D8-0CE6E686E02A Depending on the time of day, the shelves may be filled with fresh donuts or not.  
BBE6C659-98DD-4E73-87BF-A856BF38F30A A Raised Crumb and an Old Fashioned ($1.50 each) along with a large up of coffee ($2.49) is a nice treat.
1A679335-8A5A-4F02-ADD1-1F35FF011A91 A9FFC44A-245B-4B4C-B8F7-1EB67B4420BF The owner offered us a slice of 'bread pudding', a sort of experimental item which might be offered someday.  It was wonderful, rich and milky and topped (as well as filled) with butterscotch chips.  I would buy this.  But, what kind of bread?
A9FFC44A-245B-4B4C-B8F7-1EB67B4420BF The croissants which are made here, of course!
3EEE5355-296D-4512-AA64-97BACBA84C1A When you walk in, the Coffee Bar is in front of you.
AE6DF02A-DA9D-46D4-BDB2-B39D45F9DD50 Also when walking in, the window art lets you know there are more than donuts sold here. 

80DEB273-20AA-461D-9DAF-B6518A5CAB6480DEB273-20AA-461D-9DAF-B6518A5CAB64 These menus are displayed straight ahead.

We decided to share the Steak Sandwich ($13.75)

While paying, the chef walked by.  We were asked if we wanted fries, onion rings or mashed potato with the sandwich and we were hesitating.  We decided on onion rings and then chef asked if we were sharing…"yes", I answered…and then He said, 'well, I'll put the sandwich on two plates, he wants the rings, what do you want?' and I happily answered "mashed"…  
FD4050A5-D4DA-43F8-952D-319F0DC09899 And so that's what we were served!  
FD4050A5-D4DA-43F8-952D-319F0DC09899 I must say, the sandwich had to be cut anyhow to fit onto one plate. 
E0B94AFE-2DDD-4EE7-AD32-32107C0C3C26
This is a steak sandwich, tender, melt in your mouth, pieces of steak (not the frozen, pre-sliced thin stuff) with a house made garlic aioli, grilled onion and mushrooms on a toasted roll.  The mashed potatoes were twice baked, with bacon bits and skins.  The rings were whole onions, lightly battered.  (Yes, slightly dark but not burned). 

Completely unexpected and so very good.  Such service, such great food quality, such nice people working here.

Why hadn't I found this sooner?  How did I finally decide to stop by?
4B590C78-4334-4DDC-BFDF-53C9075BFFCC4B590C78-4334-4DDC-BFDF-53C9075BFFCC4B590C78-4334-4DDC-BFDF-53C9075BFFCC4B590C78-4334-4DDC-BFDF-53C9075BFFCC The Toyota dealership, where I took in the car for service in July.  Free coffee and free donuts.  

I've not seen any other advertising.  Holey Donuts really survived Covid.

Holey Donuts 795 Arnele Ave El Cajon 92020 (619) 536-4747 Open Tues-Sun 6 a.m.-2 p.m. Closed Monday 
549B2AFE-F095-4B30-A338-1032EB463B87