Closed – Page 56

Vista: Spicy King

August 26, 2012 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants

**** Spicy King has closed

It's always great to hear from folks who have new recommendations and such….I don't think I'd still be around if not for the many emails and suggestions I get. A couple of weeks ago, "Big Ron", an avid Chowhound and I guess reader of our blog sent me an email asking me to try Spicy King, which had just opened up in Vista. Now I'd heard a bit about Spicy King, but not a whole lot….I as told that the folks behind Spicy City are somehow involved in the whole deal. Also, my dear FOY (Friend of Yoso), The Food Detective and her husband MrC had eaten there two weeks previous. The place sounded interesting, but when I quizzed TFD, she was less than enthused telling me the place was "decent", the "portions large", but overall a step behind Dede's and Spicy City in her mind. Still, we were missing Sichuan food and having been to every other Sichuan place many times over, why not make the 75 mile round trip, right?

As you can tell by the banner, the restaurant is fairly new and located in a pretty quiet corner of one of the mall complexes anchored by an Albertson's.

hadn't I been explicitly looking for the place, I'd have never known it was here….it would be hard to tell the place was open if not for the "Open" sign.

The place is quite nice, rather simple but tasteful. The young women working….the Missus told me they're all related were friendly and also from Chongqing based on their accents.

The menu is large and all the photos can lead you into overload with over 115 dishes, excluding the…ahem, "classics", items like Cashew Chicken, Beef Broccoli, and such which are hidden on the back of the menu.

The natural way to start one of these meals is with some cold appetizers(3 for $5.99)…..

The best item was the almost Jiangnan ("South of the Yangtze" – Suzhou/Shanghai/Hangzhou) style fish, almost like Xun Yu. It was slighty sweet, bony, but had nice flavor. The spicy bean curd was extremely salty and the Fu Qi Fei Pian, while perfect in texture lacked the buzz of Sichuan peppercorns and a decent amount of heat.

One of the two dishes I truly miss from Ba Ren is the ChongQing Kou Shui Ji 重庆口水鸡 – the mouthwatering (saliva) chicken. So we ordered the Chungking cold chopped chicken with Hot Sauce ($9.99). And good god, this huge bowl arrived….there seemed to be over half a chicken in it.

It did look quite good…..but was fairly flat and surprisingly not very spicy. It really lacked any real depth of flavor…..anything, black vinegar, sesame paste, perhaps a little garlic, mild sweetness….strangely, I took most of this home, the leftovers became almost a whole meal a day later, and this was still not very spicy.

Next up was the Shrimp with Explosive Chili Pepper ($12.99).

I don't think the oil was at the right temp for this as the batter was gummy and the dish was on the greasy side……not oily (oil is the pathway to flavor in Sichuan cuisine), greasy. The shrimp were severely overcooked and rubbery. Not enough Sichuan peppercorn for my taste….especially for ChongQing style Sichuan. Decent heat from the scalded chilies though.

Next up was the Twice Cooked Fish with Hot Pepper ($10.99). God almighty, this was a huuuuge amount of fish. The batter looked the same as the one used for the shrimp, but this time it was lighter and crisp. The fish was nicely cooked, tender and moist.

There was a decent amount of peppercorn in this, the garlic and even the slices of ginger added to the dish. The photo on the right is after the Missus had eaten two pieces and I had eaten three….it's like we hadn't put a dent in this. About this time, the Missus overheard two of the young ladies, one was telling the other, "they are not even from Sichuan and are ordering all spicy…."

We also noticed that other customers didn't seem to be ordering much of the spicy stuff……

Next up was the Pork Intestine with Pickled Chili Pepper (Pa Jiao – $9.99):

The intestines were very "clean" and this was mild with regards to funkiness. The dish was much sweeter than it was spicy. In fact, I had the leftovers three days later, at which time it had become nice and spicy. Not a bad dish.

The Missus ordered something called "Megamillions fish fillet" ($12.99), which was Her favorite dish of the day.

This was Her favorite dish of the day. It put some nice layers of flavor together….the minced ginger, the pickled peppers, the fish was perfect, the tofu added a nice symmetry to the dish. Tasting this, I thought it to be the most balanced in terms of "suan-tian-ku-la-xian", the sour-sweet-bitter-spicy-salty metaphor that Chinese use to compare food to life.

One funny moment occurred during our visit….three of the staff started having a typical "discussion" over the A/C……it started as some chatter and got louder and louder until they seemed to be yelling at each other. Folks in the restaurant put their chopsticks down and seemed to be waiting for the "gloves to come off". I even stopped eating to watch….at which time the Missus reminded me, "you know they are just having a normal discussion over the A/C right……" as She just kept eating. Goodness, I'd forgotten!

In the end, what to say….the food was decent, though not quite worth the 75 mile round trip. The portions are huge and the service very friendly. when the Missus mentioned how big the servings were the young lady said, "oh no, the plates just make everything look so big!" You gotta love that. It's really good to see diversity of cuisine spreading, albeit slowly all over San Diego. It's taking awhile, but it's many miles from how things were when we moved here!

Spicy King
1233 East Vista Way
Vista, CA 92084

Thanks for your recommendation Big Ron! I hope here from you again in the future!

Fusion or Con-Fusion Part 2: Jiggle Jiggle Korean Grill

August 6, 2012 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Korean Restaurants

*** Update: This restaurant has closed.

Yes, i'm finally getting around to doing this one…..which I promised with "part 1" on fuze. I had actually stopped and looked over the menu when JJ first open, some Korean standards, fad following Korean tacos……a carne asada fries knock-off, which is kind of redundant because CAFs are a knock-off itself….so what is a copy off something that's a copy? My friend Candice even mentioned the place in a text, to which I replied, the "the name and the menu makes me giggle giggle".

And yet, there were a couple of folks I knew who liked the place. My usual query would be the one where I asked whether it was a location thing (Midway) or not. Several folks assured me that wasn't the reason. They also told me the Korean tacos were ,"the bomb". And even faced with the fast-food looking facade who am I to judge. If this place could be half as good as….say Gina's BBQ in Honolulu, I would be happy. Sorry to say, it ain't quite that……so if you decide to stop reading here, I wouldn't hold it against you.

On my first visit, I did order "the trio" ($8), one each of the kalbi, dak bulgogi, and daeji bulgogi.

It was a bomb all right; a gut bomb, a lettuce and spicy mayo-fest. I gotta say, if it's pure capacity you're trying to fill, then these might do it. The tortillas were the worst this side of El Pollo Loco, as they just fell to bits and had almost no flavor. I tasted each protein separately and the kalbi was by far the worst, pale, flavorless, and really tough "LA Kalbi" type shortribs. The pork was tough, but at least it had some heat, but all was really lost in the wilderness of lettuce. The chicken bulgogi was probably the best of the trio, decent, but again just covered with "stuff". Let me say however, if you're looking to fill yourself up….this might do it.

So I figured that would be pretty much it……but, the folks running the place were really nice, so I decided to visit one more time. This time I started with the Yaki Mandu ($4).

I really liked the way these were fried….light and crisp. The dipping sauce was a bit watered down and the filling really bland, otherwise this would have been a winner.

My curiosity got the better of me and I decided to try the Korean Fries, which, priced at $5.50 are really worth it. But man, this was a mess……

On the good side, I enjoyed the interplay of the kimchi and the fries. On the bad side kimchi and nacho cheese…..that's a bad partnership. I did wonder why the menu said Spicy Mayo and Korean Aioli, which seems to be somewhat redundant. Too much mayo and cheese for my taste and the bulgogi….well you could see it, but not really taste it. Though I did have sort of an epiphany while trying to eat this….if we had a category on the blog for "stoner food", this would be right up there! After all, it was salty, tons of fat, interesting textures…..hmmmm…

To me, the food at fuze is executed better, with higher quality ingredients. Still, the prices here are reasonable and if anyone could give me a recommendation that's not kalbi, spicy pork, bulgogi, chicken bulgogi, or mandu oriented, I may just check them out again. Though I might recommend Jiggle Jiggle to you at the end of a hard night of drinking a la "grease-berto's"….but JJ closes at 9 during the week and 10 on Friday and Saturday.

Jiggle Jiggle Korean Grill
3146 Midway Drive
San Diego, CA 92110

Sea Rocket Bistro: A Dinner

July 18, 2012 ed fromyuma American/New American Restaurants, Seafood, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

Kirk has been hosting mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog, for over 7 years now. Amazing. Sometimes he lets Cathy post about her culinary adventures. And every once in a long while ed (from Yuma) posts about his. Today is one of those days. Thanks Kirk!

Sea Rocket Bistro is no longer in business.

Unlike our largely unplanned visit to the Kensington Grill, Tina and I had made a reservation at the Sea Rocket Bistro so that we could get together with some old friends of ours visiting from Monterey, Steve and Helen. None of us had eaten at the restaurant previously, but I had heard some good reports on it and it looked interesting online, featuring fresh seafood and local ingredients.

Finding parking anywhere close to the corner of 30th St. and Upas proved to be difficult, so we were a few minutes late for the reservation, and I forgot to take a photo of the exterior. As soon as we entered, Tina and I were overwhelmed by the loud crowd packed two and three deep at the bar – this is a picture from our table:

Clearly happy hour is a big deal at Sea Rocket, but maybe the name of the place should be changed to Sea Racket because IT WAS EXTREMELY NOISY. I am tolerant of most restaurants’ ambience since I am primarily interested in the food, but still, it was difficult to have a conversation with our friends even though we were sitting as far away from the bar as could be arranged.

Looking at the appetizer side of the menu – which we were told had just been printed – we selected the watermelon salad and the local steamers. Before any of our dishes arrived, a nice plate of sliced artisan bread, accompanied by herbed honey butter, showed up at our table:

This was a very promising start the meal. The bread had a nice, light and crunchy crust and a smooth and flavorful crumb. We all liked the slightly sweet slightly herby flavor of the spread.

The bistro had an extensive beer and wine list – in fact, more beers seemed listed than wines. Since it was a Wednesday, all bottles were 20% off. I was amazed to see an Albariño from Edna Valley on this wine list as well, and having been so pleased with a similar wine at Kensington grill, we selected a different Albariño to accompany our meal:

Although this wine is more expensive (by winery list price) than the version from Tangent, neither Tina nor I thought it was quite as good as that wine, lacking the peach and tropical fruit salad finish. On the other hand, particularly with 20% off, the wine was priced very well in the restaurant ($38.40 after discount).

The first course to arrive was the watermelon and goat cheese salad ($10):

Large chunks of yellow and red melon accompanied a small round of goat cheese – all topped with roasted pumpkin seeds, a little frisee, a baby lettuce leaf, and a white balsamic dressing. Very nicely done. Good flavors and a well presented dish.

The next course were the steamers ($14), presented with slivered leeks, in a white wine sauce strongly flavored by the "yellowtail bacon”:

At first, I was a little surprised because in my neck of the woods (or I should say, my old neck of the woods) steamers were automatically clams, not any shellfish, and obviously, I had not read the menu carefully. On the other hand, the dish had a lot going for it. The salty winey broth was very flavorful and complemented both the shellfish and the surrounding slices of bread well. Every slice of bread was dipped and eaten. Nonetheless, the dish also reminded me why neither mussels nor clams are a major part of the San Diego fishing industry. While fresh, the ones in this appetizer were not especially succulent or plump. Nor were they plentiful.

At this point, I need to pause and address one of the more unusual aspects of our meal. Having once waited tables (a long long time ago), I am very tolerant of servers. In both San Diego – and especially Yuma – superb servers are not common; nonetheless, our experience this evening was truly unique. For example, we asked our friendly server about the smoky salty fish with the steamers – as we no longer had our menus to look at. She replied, “It’s just fish, some kind or another," and then added. "We call it fish sausage on the menu, but it's just fish." But of course, it was called "yellowtail bacon" not fish sausage, and it definitely was smoky and salty in flavor. She also mentioned that she was sometimes clumsy, or maybe she said klutzy, and then as if to prove that point, she actually broke a wine glass (fortunately with no wine in it) while serving us. That was a first in my dining career. And then there was the problem with the fish that Helen and I had both ordered, the sculpin. We overheard a different server explain to an adjacent table that the kitchen had run out of sculpin, so we wondered what we were getting. When we asked our server about the fish, she first accused the other server of being new and really being a hostess, not a server. Then of course she had to later explain to us that we weren't getting sculpin – maybe – she wasn't sure – but that they had not run out, they just didn't have any sculpin that evening, she thought, but maybe we would get black cod instead. “Really just about the same fish.” Of course, that made me wonder why the sculpin was listed on the supposedly freshly printed menu. In any case, the server was still unsure what we were getting when she brought Helen and me black cod ($18 on our bill, though still called sculpin there):

The fish was perfectly grilled fresh black cod. It was lightly seasoned, allowing the flavor of the fish to shine through every taste, though black cod can also be quite good when marinated (as in this recipe of Kirk’s).

Tina had ordered the La Jolla sea bass ($20):

This was also perfectly cooked. The fish was moist and yet it flaked nicely. Notice that both fishes were perched on the same pile of diced firm waxy potatoes, rainbow chard, mushrooms, and anaheim pepper strips. Underneath the veggies was a creamy and flavorful horseradish sauce. While I prefer restaurants that accompany their fish choices with different sides, flavorings that complement each type of fish perfectly, I had to agree with Tina that this particular vegetable/potato combination had a nice flavor and texture. Its simplicity was a good match to the lightly seasoned fish. Each of the various vegetables was cooked well. And a good variety of tastes and textures.

Steve had ordered the seafood stew ($18). When it first arrived, we all thought that he had received another appetizer plate of steamers. The same clams and mussels, the same slices of good bread, and the same shredded leek topping:

Further investigation, however, showed that the few chunks of fish were not smoked or salted, and the broth was different, lacking the bacony tastes of the appetizer, but having a smoother and less assertive tomato/pepper flavor. The menu called it a piperade sauce, but I noticed little capsicum heat.

I felt kind of bad for Steve even though he said the stew was okay overall, because it was much more of a replay of the appetizer than we had expected. To some extent, that is my fault because I did not read the menu carefully enough and the decision to have steamers as an appetizer was probably mine (once we decided that uni would not suit everybody at the table). However, I think we were all surprised by how similar the dishes were, particularly the bread slices and the slivered leeks. While I cannot fault the server entirely, a truly skilled waitperson might have pointed out how similar the stew was to the appetizer and perhaps suggested a different appetizer. But it is clear that our server was not having a good evening overall.

Sometimes, you get real lucky. That's how Tina and I felt after our meal at the Kensington Grill. Sometimes, not so much. That's how we felt about Sea Rocket Bistro. Not to say we didn’t have a good time; it was great eating with Steve and Helen. And by no means was this a disastrous meal. Many items were well-prepared and tasty. Prices were very fair. If I go back to the restaurant, I will probably start with a bottle of some excellent local brew at happy hour and then settle in for some simple grilled fish or a grass fed burger with bacon jam. That sounds like a better plan.

Sea Rocket Bistro, 3382 30th St, San Diego, CA 92104, (619) 255-7049, Open 5 -10 pm daily.

Moby Dick Fish Market & Grill

July 16, 2012 mmm-yoso Seafood

**** Moby Dick has closed

I'm still not quite sure why they named this place Moby Dick and of course there's the irony of the location….it used to be a "gentleman's club".

Yet, after doing a bit of research, I found that te owner of Moby Dick is the same guy that used to own Convoy sushi and Fish Market , not too great in the sushi department, but the place had some nicely priced cooked items. He also used to own North Park Sushi and Fish Market. Word is that the guy really enjoys planning and opening restaurants and selling seafood. And since he still owns Ocean Harvest, a seafood wholesale company, they should be selling some decent product, right?

Actually, the whole customer process up to the point of receiving your food is a bit confusing and complicated. It all starts by trying to find the. You need to follow the arrows and you'll find the dooorway. Which opens to a humongous space…….

The dining room is pslit into two parts….I'm thinking this place can easily seat over a hundred easy….plus there's even outside seating. What's up with the forest scene……Moby Dick of the jungle…yikes…I don't even want to go there.

That's Kazumi's area in the back, which I mentioned in a previous post. If you want to find out how Kazumi's doing now, you should read Kirbie's post.

Back to confusing….you enter and see a fish counter, a smaller bar looking area, and finally figure out that the cashier area is where you should order.

Then the funs really begins, there are about 13-14 different seafood offerings…you can choose whether you want a sandwich, wrap, salad, plate, taco….now depending what you order, you then have to look at the right of the menu and figure out what other things you have to choose…..fish plate or salad….you need to choose a sauce, dressing, potato salad, rice, or fries…salad a dressing…not too bad. But hold on, you can also order other items on the menu, fish tacos, fish & chips, soft shell crab sandwiches, burgers, misozuke plates, soups….and how about some sides!!! Oh, let's not forget the specials, some of which come with their own specific question(s). You want a drink with that??? Strange, but I actually felt like I was being given some kind of verbal exam when the Missus and I first visited.

The Missus and I started with some poke ($4.50), just to get a gauge on the quality of the fish.

Not a particularly big portion and on the "dry" side with regards to poke. Also, we got a couple of pieces with tough connective tissue as well. The fish was decently fresh, but this isn't sushi grade if that's what you expect. Ahi is a bit stronger in flavor than maguro and I think the Missus isn't used to that flavor anymore.

The best thing I've tasted to date was the Chilean Seabass Miszuke ($20). Not cheap, but it was a wonderfully moist and fresh cut.

The flavor imparted by the miso was mild but decent and the fish was "toaster-ovened" nicely. What was a bit strange was the salad…..mainly the feta cheese sprinkled on the salad….the ginger mayo dressing was mostly mayo and clashed with the olives, pepperocini, and the feta. It made the whole dish seem kind of odd.

I had the Mahi Mahi in salad form ($13).

It's really easy to tell when Mahi is starting to get past its prime….it tends to literally sour. This was a nice piece of fish, though it was overcooked and underseasoned. That creamy dijon that I got with the fish had very little flavor and added nothing. The "ranch dressing" had too much mayo. Still, the fish was of good quality, which I appreciated. But this just seemed to be missing….

I returned later that week and tried the Ono in plate form ($15):

Man, this was a load of food….and I have to wonder, why the bread, the plate already had standard steak fries on it? The Ono was even less seasoned than the Mahi Mahi, but not overcooked. That parsley garlic sauce tasted like industrial fake butter with a hint of garlic in it…..pretty nasty. It was kind of frustrating, the fish was decent quality, but again things just seemed to be missing the mark…….just.

So I came back and ordered the Fish Tacos Baja Style ($6):

If this was the first thing I had here, I would have not returned. The portion of fish was quite good, but the batter was a bit gummy and basically peeled off, the fish was dry as well. As a fish taco this also missed the mark; the tortillas fell apart immediately and were of poor quality and the crema tasted of just mayo.

Funny thing was, I was set to meet one of my favorite fellow food bloggers, Canine Cologne here in a couple of days……. but I also knew, it would be a fun time regardless!

It was really nice seeing her as it had been like 3 years…..21 years in Canine time!!!! I'd really like you to read her post here. Mainly because I get a kick of reading my name two sentences after she uses the phrase, "Hey, wanna see my THIRD leg?" Now how's that for original.

Instead of the regular fish and chips, I went with the Monkfish & Chips($9):

The steak fries were standard…the fish was very fresh and moist. Though perhaps selecting monkdish was a mistake as it was too dense……but this wasn't bad at all. A nice plus, malt vinegar was provided. I guess I'm kind of easy that way. I think the fish was a bit too cold when battered as the crust just fell of to the touch, but that's kind of nitpicky.

It was just great to see "CC", who generously gave me a bag of goodies which I'll cover in a later post.

I'm going to give Moby a rest for now……the food has potential, but just seems a bit slapped together and misses the mark. I'm thinking the guy who owns the place really has a passion for opening and running restaurants, but when diverging from the simple cheap fried stuff he used to make at the old Convoy shop, I think there should be a bit more effort in creating more professional, coherant, dishes……

Moby Dick Fish Market & Grill
4805 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Open daily 11am – 9pm

Dinner at Kensington Grill

July 3, 2012 ed fromyuma American/New American Restaurants, Fine Dining, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

mmm-yoso!!! is Kirk's foodblog, and he posts about all things food in San Diego and the world; sometimes Cathy shares meals with us here too; but today, ed (from Yuma) is posting about Kensington Grill (in San Diego).

Kensington Grill has also closed. if this keeps happening, I may not be allowed in some establishments in the future.

Sometimes bad luck is good luck in disguise. Case in point – Tina and I had arrived in San Diego for a brief vacation in the latter half of June. Of course, I had a list of restaurants with locations and phone numbers etc., but we knew we would only be able to make it to a few of the places on the list. Anyway, the first place we wanted to go to didn't have its regular menu on that Monday night. The next place was closed because it was Monday, and I had not read the website carefully. By this point, we were ravenous, and only one other restaurant in the area was on my list. That is how we ended up at Kensington Grill:

The restaurant is moderately large with an attractive bar occupying the central area:

Tina and I were both impressed by the tasteful and understated dining areas. This is a view from our table:

I really had no idea what kind of food to expect, and the menu was full of various choices listed in categories like Soups and Salads, Boards, Bites/Sides, Bowls, Small Plates, Large Plates, and Hog Bar. My mind boggles pretty easily when faced with the unusual (and at my age, there is a lot of unusual in this world). So Tina and I spent some time going over the menu trying to figure out a dinner plan.

Eventually, we decided to choose a wine and then select a range of dishes that would complement the vino and show off the cuisine of the restaurant. I was intrigued by the Tangent Albariño ($36) – a white wine from Edna Valley in Santa Barbara County – so we ordered a bottle:

This was certainly a fine way to begin a meal. Albariño is the best white wine grape in Spain, but I have seen or tasted very few bottles from California. In the glass, the wine had an intriguing floral aroma, and in the mouth, the initial dryness on the palate became lush and rich and complex and fruity. Flavors exploded on the palate. Unexpectedly good. And a good value in a restaurant wine.

Our server, Edson (no relation), had described the soup of the day ($8.50) so well that Tina and I were determined to split a bowl:

The predominant ingredient in this chilled soup was ripe creamy California avocado, its natural sweetness set off with a slight sour (citrus?) note. The avocado was matched by intense fennel flavors. I had never imagined those two things combined, but like experienced lovers, they danced together beautifully. The chunks of crab added some texture and proved again that the inventor of California rolls understood flavor pairings. The fresh herbs and drizzle of chili oil completed the dish.

Our server also recommended the calamari salad – called kg calamari on the menu ($10):

The tender calamari had been lightly breaded and fried and then tossed with shredded cabbages, sliced sweet peppers, bean sprouts, chopped cilantro, crushed peanuts, and sweet chili sauce. Altogether like some Southeast Asian salad. Crisp and refreshing. A very nice contrast with the soup, and Tina and I loved it.

We felt like we should try something from the Boards category – a customer's selection of three ($14), four ($18), or five ($21) different bruschettas, each cut into three pieces and all presented on a wooden paddle:

One was somewhat Mediterranean/traditional with tomato, cucumber, artichoke, and feta cheese:

As you would expect, the taste focused on those fresh ingredients, but instead of the standard artichoke hearts I was expecting, puréed marinated artichoke was spread across the bruschetta before the chopped fresh ingredients were added.

Completely different, the crabapple and brie bruschetta with carmelized onion jam featured the smooth, rich, melted cheese contrasting with the crunchy bread and subdued sweet flavors of the fruit:

In the middle bruschetta, a sweet fig/date spread covered the crunchy bread, all of which was topped with bits of speck and lardo:

Rich intense tastes. Sweet, salty, smoky, crunchy. Reminded me of childhood, when I would dip my breakfast bacon in pancake syrup.

In retrospect, we had already eaten enough food for a normal dinner. However, we had placed our entire order at the beginning of the meal, so more food kept arriving.

Earlier that day Tina had mentioned a place in Phoenix that specializes in chicken and waffles, so when I saw shrimp waffle ($13) as a small plate on the menu, I had to have it:

Weird as it sounded, this was tasty. The waffle had standard waffle flavors enhanced with jack cheese and scallions. The shrimp were fresh, perfectly cooked, and flavorful. The buttery creole sauce, with slices of shallot and red fresno pepper, brought the whole thing together. Good and rich. More memories of childhood breakfasts – but also like no waffle dish I’d ever tasted before.

The last item was from the Bowls section of the menu – the sautéed mussels ($12):

This was a difficult dish to photograph, as is evident by the picture. The plump and fresh flavored mussels were served in a black frying pan (so little light and minimal color contrast for the mussels). The bivalves were bathing in a standout spicy green curry sauce with abundant kaffir lime and creamy coconut milk. The slices of toasted bread were perfect for soaking up sauce. Unfortunately, neither Tina nor I had much room left at this point. So we fished out the tasty mussels, appreciated the flavorful broth, and ate almost none the crispy toasted bread slices.

All in all, we got lucky and had a good time. The chef skillfully brought together techniques and flavors from around the world. The setting was pleasant, the service good, and the timing of the meal excellent. The only problem was that we ordered too much. Honestly, I am surprised that there doesn't seem to be a lot of buzz about Kensington Grill. Perhaps the menu or head chef are new. In any case, Both Tina and I are eager to eat here again.

Kensington Grill, 4055 Adams Ave., 619-281-4014. Open for dinner 5-9:30 on Monday through Thursday and from 5-10 on Friday and Saturday evenings.

E & Drink- mini Hot Pot, Tea, Coffee and More- inside the 99Ranch building

July 2, 2012 Cathy Caffeine Fix, Taiwanese Food and Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

E & Drink has closed

Click here to link to a more recent visit

Hi. You've found mmm-yoso!!! the food blog. Kirk, ed(from Yuma) and Cathy usually write about food and things related to food. Today's post is about food and Cathy is writing because Kirk and ed(from Yuma) are busy.

This is the Clairmont Mesa Boulevard entrance to 99Ranch Market. The 'back' parking area is closer for me, since I exit from the 52 at Convoy Street, but the other day I decided to get out of my comfort zone and did things a bit differently. The fountain, with its oxidation, is quite beautiful.

99Ranch Market has undergone renovations recently and is a regular stop for groceries (and, like most other markets The Mister and I frequent, has an eat in area-there will be an updated post soon). Once inside the building, you are in a long hallway which has several businesses along with the Market. Three of those businesses are are sit down restaurants.

Yes, three. At the North end ('my' parking lot entrance), across from Sam Woo in the former Video Store space, E & Drink has popped up.

The Mister and I had passed E & Drink several times in the past two weeks, checking out the menu at the entrance and making mental notes to stop in. They seem to specialize in Taiwanese Hot Pot and boba-like drinks and snacks. It finally was time. (See that orange rice cooker in the above photo? Tea eggs are being sold for $1 as a grab and go snack.)

Once we were seated, we were given both a beverage menu and a food menu. The lady behind this counter is making beverages. I like the idea of a dual level additional seating bar area. There are about 20 two person tables that can be reconfigured for groups in the rest of the eating area.

The decoration is modern, with one television and overhead music, which was on pretty loud until someone complained. We were here at lunch, but the menu remains the same all day with one small difference.

The Hot Pot Lunch Special includes green or black tea (hot or cold); no beverage is included with the Hot Pot Dinner. That's the black tea on the right. It is slightly sweet and has a nice tannin 'bite' to it. I did not order the Lunch Special, so no beverage came with and ordered my usual, (because I can't decide) a coffee milk tea ($3.55). The beverage selection is extensive and I have plans to try other items. Add-ins, like boba and sago are 25¢ and I think the prices are reasonable, especially for the size. The coffee milk tea tastes of all three flavors-very refreshing.

When we first sat down, two small plates of a sort of appetizer were brought out- cucumbers and cabbage, both lightly pickled. A nice salty accompaniment which we 'saved' to use with our meals; there are no condiments on the tables. Our utensils, small plate and napkin were also brought out.

We had also decided to try a tea egg appetizer ($2.50 for two)

This was really good. The egg white took on the flavors of anise/five spice and the egg yolk took on the tea flavor. (As a side note, the eggs in the rice cooker at the entrance are in there longer and have more flavor that the ones from the kitchen, at least if you come in to eat closer to opening time. In any case, all are good.)

Since The Mister had ordered a Hot pot, he was given a choice of five sauces to go with and chose the peanut and the spicy bean sauces (the ones he did not choose were soy, hot chili and bar-b-que sauce). Not knowing what was in his pot, he added on a side of cuttlefish dumplings for $2.25. Below is the menu page of add- ons for the Hot Pots.

Oh. His hot pot?

The seafood. Served in a mini wok on top of a nice stand which held a sort of sterno heat source which was lighted at the table, this didn't need any add ins and in fact, the dumplings could not be added in right away because the pot was filled. There were several pieces of a flaky white fish, some squid rings, two head on shrimp, fresh tofu, several types of mushrooms, fish cake, krab and an egg along with broccoli and bok choy. All in a very rich seafood broth which was not salty. There were also clear rice noodles on the bottom of the pot AND a choice of rice or noodles came with the pot. (The Mister chose the (very good) sticky rice) .

At first, I was going to try a few items from the "Small Dish" menu, then at the bottom, I saw the "E & Drink House Special" and had to for this first visit.

Quite a large serving of marinated pigs ears, marinated tofu, marinated seaweed and (raw) peanuts.($7.99) Wonderful! The marinade had sesame oil as well as the traditional marinade which includes cinnamon, anise, soy, pepper and garlic. This was a wonderful combination of flavors, a very large portion and in combination with the hot pot, a *lot* of food.

We will be back- to try other hot pots (there were about ten to choose from) and some of the fried items…

E & Drink 7330 Clairmont Mesa Boulevard San Diego 92111 *Cash Only* open 10:30 a.m.-midnight, seven days

COMC: Chinese Breakfast at Chin’s Miramar

July 1, 2012 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Chinese Restaurants

**** This location of Chin's has closed

I realize that my last two posts were pretty wordy, combing for almost 3000 words….a bit too much. So I decided that it was time for a COMC (Clearing out the memory card) post.

Just about all photos here. Since Ba Ren closed, this is just about the only place we go to for Chinese in San Diego. Not always the best, but I do enjoy several dishes on the breakfast menu…..not a real big fan of dinner, though. One thing that's really nice for folks who were worried about having to deal with a Chinese only menu….which for me is a non-issue since most folks here are nice and helpful. They now have a handy dandy photo based menu…….

For more info, I guess you can read my previous posts, including the stuff from way back in 2006.

Only photos from here……..

Chin's Seafood & Grill
9355 Kearny Mesa Rd
San Diego, CA 92126

Breakfast from 930am to 230pm Saturday and Sunday

Fusion or Con-fusion Part 1: fuze restaurant & lounge

June 25, 2012 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Korean Restaurants

*** Update: This place has closed

I'd gotten a couple of recommendations for this place, but really hadn't given it much thought. The menu seemed, well bulgogi sliders and kalbi tacos, it just smacked of a fad-following restaurant. Heck, I really never bought into the food truck thing (has anyone seen Roy Choi actually in one of his trucks recently?)….I mean, I love loncheras and all, but most of them seemed more hype than hope. So I really didn't get too excited when a couple of places opened up selling kalbi tacos and such. Still, after reading FOY (Friend of Yoso) and super food blogger Kirbie's post on fuze (yep, that's how they spell it….little 'f'), I thought why not? Heck, I'd even make it a twosome and do a second part on the other place that folks had mentioned to me……"Jiggle Jiggle". After all, I can claim to have eaten kalbi tacos back in the late 90's….of course, it was Alan Wong making those tacos……

If I recall, this place used to be Mr Wasabi, right?

The interior is still rather spartan.

There was no one around when I first visited and the young man was very nice. In fact, on both visits I thought the service was decent and the guys quite friendly. The menu seems an amalgamation of straight ahead dishes Kalbi Jjim, Pajun, and Kimchi Jjigae. Combined with some fusion-ny dishes, Fuze Pajun, Bulgogi Philly Cheesesteak, Dduk Bok ki?

I decided to start things out with the "Fuze Pajun"($7.95), supposedly a riff on the traditional Korean savory pancake.

Overall, a mixed bag. The mayo, katsuobushi(bonito flakes), and sauce made this seem more like okonomiyaki, which suites me fine, since okonomi pretty much means "as you like it". The pancake itself could have been browned a bit more, it was pretty gummy. I believe there were three shrimp in the whole thing….but in a really gutsy move, this was a pretty sneaky pajun/okonomiyaki. There were strips of roasted jalapeno in it, giving it a bit of a sneaky heat….you never knew what you'd be getting in your next bite.

I also ordered the Kalbi Tacos ($7.95).

So, of course the first thing I did was fish out the kalbi to see how it tasted. It actually had some flavor….what we in Hawaii call "local kalbi", more sweet and closer to teriyaki than kalbi. Of course at this price point it was "LA Kalbi", cross cut beef ribs and on the tough side.

Didn't care much for the tortillas which were I believe were white corn. They had been either grilled and griddled, but with no fat attaining a rather dried cardboard like texture. The kochujong based aioli was mild, but did no harm, ditto the tasteless and toothpaste textured guacamole.

The fact of the matter was that I could still taste the kalbi, even though there didn't seem to be much of it present.

The cabbage provided what I thought to be a decent counter-point.

The meal turned out to be decent….enough so, that I decided to return, just to see…..

On this visit I went with the dish that Kirbie enjoyed the most, the Bulgogi Sliders ($9.95). Just a word of warning; if you're expecting a meat-fest, this ain't it. The sliders are two (or perhaps even one for some of you out there) bite deals. The amount of fries dwarfs them……

But I'll tell you what, the beef is very tender……still tending to the sweeter side, but very tasty. The scallions add a very mild pungency, the aioli, well, I could just do with a good mayo. The rolls are typical store bought deals and ended up getting kinda soggy.

If I were to have this again (and I very well may), I'd tell them to pass on the crumbled dry herbs…I believe it's thyme, which just adds to much to the flavor of some perfectly decent natural fries. As for the ten buck price tag….I'll let you decide on that one.

Speaking of price tag, I also could not resist ordering the Chicken Wings ($8.95), the sweet and spicy version.

Well, let's just say, Kyochon this ain't…though at over a buck a wing (8), they sure are charging that way! Heck, this ain't even the napalm like wings from BBQ Chicken. Compared to those two….this would be, well, almost bland. The batter was also a bit less crunchy than I would have desired. It seemed dipped into sweet chili sauce with a bit too much sesame oil for my taste.

Overall, my impression of fuze is a fairly positive one. I didn't expect haute, or even great food, but a couple of the items were fairly good.

The kalbi may be beat suited for tacos because it is on the tougher side, though I may want to just have the bulgogi straight up. The young men were quite nice…..but of course my meals were during slow periods, but they seemed like pleasant guys.

So fusion or confusion? One thing I'm pretty sure of, the person heading up the kitchen can cook, though I'm thinking some of the dishes were kind of "just thought up". The price point for lunch may be high, but if you're having drinks and pub grub this might do the trick.

fuze restaurant and lounge
9379 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

Hours:
Monday – Friday: 11am – 11pm
Sat – Sunday: 11am – midnight

You can also check out Mary's post here.

Stay tuned for part 2…..do I giggle giggle at Jiggle Jiggle!

Sammoon-another visit

June 12, 2012 Cathy Iraqi Food and Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Sammoon has closed.

This is mmm-yoso!!! It's a food blog. Kirk is still adjusting to the time zone and not blogging. ed (from Yuma) is adjusting to not having to be at work early each day and is not blogging. Cathy appears to be adjusted and this is a short blog post.

It does seem that my blog posts are about return visits to a bunch of places. This is because when The Mister and I go to eat out, we like to patronize local businesses close to home which are relatively inexpensive and serve really good food. When I first posted about Sammoon, it was after only a few visits. The business is run by recent Iraqi immigrants who make really good food and Sammoon is part of our "regular rotation".

Sammoon is located within walking distance from the El Cajon Courthouse as well as the new El Cajon Police Headquarters and ends up being quite crowded around lunchtime on days when court is in session. However, on Fridays and weekends, business is steadier without the 'rush' and that's when we like to go out for lunch. The owner, takes great pride in putting out a good product and there is a wait for most food orders, because items are prepared fresh.

The oven over there along the wall is where the Sammoon bread and all the sweets are made, daily. You can see the two rotating upright spits of schawarma (beef and chicken) along the other wall. Sammoon bread is shaped in its unique way and is a heartier type of bread, almost the texture of Ciabatta.

The oven is also where this wonderous cheese bread is made. Listed on the wall menu by the cash register, this is only $1. You can see how much cheese is on the fresh baked bread by looking at the cross section with a bite taken out…Fresh baked bread, still hot. The cheese, mixed with parsley does not melt much, but browns. It is firmer than Mozzarella and it has a good flavor- like Feta in texture, but less salty. We've never asked what kind, just ordered.

This is the chicken schawarma salad ($7.99). Yes, it is large. There is lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, onion and Feta and a nice oil and vinegar dressing on the side to pour over all of that freshly cooked thinly sliced chicken. The salads are served with fresh Sammoon bread.

Here is a better photo of the Sammoon bread with my blackened salmon salad ($8.99). The salmon is rubbed in Za'atr- a mix of finely ground oregano and sesame seeds and the flavor is amazing. This is not as much protein as on the chicken salad, but just as satisfying.

Anyhow, glad I could share another meal. Hope everyone is having a good week.

Sammoon 190 Magnolia Avenue, Suite 103 El Cajon 92020 (619) 441-2823 Open 10-10 Sun-Thurs and 10-midnight on Friday & Saturday

North East San Diego County Road Trip: Amerient-Country Cooking & Oriental Cuisine (Ramona) and a drive to Julian

May 21, 2012 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Chinese Restaurants, Road Trip, What Cathy Eats!

You are reading the blog named mmm-yoso!!! It’s about food. Not just a description of what, but also the where, sometimes the why and, occasionally how and who. Kirk usually takes care of those pronouns and sometimes ed(from Yuma) writes in a way outlining his posts using the interrogatives. Today, Cathy is using her grammar skills to share a day.

Hi. Last week, on a particularly foggy weekday morning, The Mister and I decided we’d like to take a drive North, to Julian. Originally we wanted to try Jeremy’s on The Hill, which ed (from Yuma) had posted about earlier this year, but on checking, realized it was not open for breakfast. However, figuring that people everywhere have to eat, we got in the car started the drive up Highway 67 and while on the lovely main street through Ramona, (cleverly named Main Street, just before it turns into Highway 78), I spotted this building, signage and decided this was where we should stop.

Perhaps you can’t read the signage on the building. I had heard of Amerient years ago but never had even noticed it when passing through town on my way to and from other errands.

We were greeted, seated and handed the leather bound combination menu. I noticed a lady in the corner booth rolling egg rolls and asked if I could order from the “oriental” part of the menu, even though it was barely 9 a.m., and was told that I could. (While we were there, several other people ordered other-than ‘country cooking’ items).

The wall decor and table condiments reflect both cuisines offered here.

The Mister decided on the Daily Special ($5.99, $2 off the regular menu price). On this day, it was Country Fried steak, which came with two eggs (poached), home fries (thin sliced and crispy fried)…

Here is a cross section view of the tender, lightly breaded, perfectly fried steak which was topped with a *very* nice, slightly peppery sausage gravy.

The Special also came with two GIANT pancakes, butter and heated maple syrup. On the right in the above photo, you can see a partial view basket of teas to select from($1.95)

My meal came with two fresh made egg rolls.

These were more meat than filler/no cabbage and really good; properly fried and not greasy. Actually, they were more like a good lumpia,now that I think about it. The neon red sweet-tart dipping sauce with a dot of hot mustard is something I rarely see or get to taste and it was a nice memory jog to my taste buds.

Here is a cross section of my order-Vegetable Egg Foo Young ($7.25). I crave mushrooms and was silly happy to get this giant platter of goodness, with the fresh, al dente cooked mushrooms, carrots, peas, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots and -that patty- a fluffy, mostly cabbage, onion and egg delight. Actually a perfect breakfast (the gravy was not salty). Every restaurant makes egg foo young differently and this version was particularly memorable.

We plan to return, because the Saturday evening special is Ma La chicken. Spicy!

Amerient Country Cooking and Oriental Cuisine 668 Main Street, Ramona, CA 92065 (760)789-6855 website

We got in the car and continued on through the fog on the winding two lane road to Julian and were able to park on the main street, again having the clever name of Main Street. I so enjoy not having to think much. Parking on Main Street is something you can’t do during apple-picking time in Autumn. It was kind of strange to see the town, sidewalks and parking places in an uncrowded state. We walked and checked out every menu and determined that the price point for a meal started at $8, not including beverage. It’s also pretty consistent that a slice of pie with ice cream will cost $5. None of the businesses offer coupons in the local free paper nor is trying to underpricce a neighboring restaurant.

We drove just West, (Main Street turns into Farmer Road) to the cemetery, and walked around.

It was foggy and misty and peaceful.

We started to drive South, and passed Jeremy’s,which is about three miles from the center of Julian, then stopped four miles later, in the town of Santa Ysabel. Usually we stop at Dudley’s Bakery, but it’s only open Thursday-Sunday. There is a sign in the window that Dudley’s items are sold in the small IGA market next door, but since the bread would not be baked-that-day-fresh, we walked across the parking lot to the Julian Pie Company.

where a cute door handle greets you…

Choices of fresh pie slices, cookies, donuts, carmel apples and a freezer of take and bake pies and no crowds or waiting made the choice overwhelming.

So, we got one apple cider donut (75¢) and a coffee ($1.50) and a pie to go. The apple cider donut is unique in flavor…made with apple cider instead of water, it has a nice, fresh apple flavor and the light coating of cinnamon sugar was complimentary and not overwhelming. A good snack.

The pie?

The small size chicken pie. Made with the crust used for all the fruit pies. A good sized (one pound) meal for two. Baking fresh at home was perfect a few days later. The filling is almost all chicken, along with vegetables and the sauce.

San Diego County is large and every area/city/road has something interesting to do and places to eat. I hope everyone can have an adventure someday soon.

SO…yesterday, ed (from Yuma) wrote about his vacation and today I wrote about my “staycation”…whose turn is it now?

Julian Pie Company 21976 Highway 79 Santa Ysabel, CA 92070 (760)765-2400 website