Closed – Page 66

$3 Lunch Special at Sushi Yaro

November 27, 2010 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants

**** Sushi Yaro has closed

Does this photo tickle your memory?

Well, it's not quite the same rumpled "Abe" of my Convoy Sushi and Fish Market post. If you recall that post, it went over the $5 lunch specials at that now defunct restaurant. I decided to take another photo of Abe because in a bit of irony; Sushi Yaro, which is now in that location has a $3 lunch special.

To be perfectly honest, when Sam told the Missus and I that he'd be starting a three dollar lunch experiment, we had our doubts…… in this day and age what can you really serve customer for three bucks, and why would you do that? I guess the experiment has worked out pretty well, since on my last visit, Sam told me that the three dollar lunch will be served until further notice…. or as Sam told me, "until I'm broke!" Sam also told me that I should drop by during lunch and try it out for myself. So there I was…… and there it was; the $3 lunch.

I've had Sam's spicy pork, a version of Daeji Bulgogi. I was somewhat surprised that a bowl of miso soup was provided….. even though miso shiro is served with just about every lunch special; it's usually these "side dishes" that are part of the first cut when doing bargain basement specials.

So here's what my three bucks bought:

Scoop of rice, scoop of spicy pork, green salad; about the equivalent of a plate lunch stand's "mini plate"…. which I believe is closer to four buck nowadays…….

While eating, I got to thinking what I could get for three bucks lunch wise…… Banh Mi maybe? But even most of those are over three bucks…. a 6" from Subway…. basically a salad in a roll…. I'm sure there are many fast-food answers to that three-buck question. You could get one and two thirds of a taco at Tacos El Poblano or El Gordo, two fish tacos (with some change left over) at Mariscos El Pescador, and for the big bargain 3 tacos Al Pastor from Internacional 2000. In fact, for six bucks you could get two lunch specials, which will still be about the price of a sandwich at many places.

And while I have reservations with regards to Sam's sanity…….. it's nice to know that I can either this:

Or this…..

Depending on how big that hole in my pocket is…….

So what's the catch? Not much really; the three dollar special is available between 1130 and 230 seven days a week. Yes, even weekends. How long will this last? I don't know…. and I don't think Sam does either. So if you're a bit cash-strapped this holiday season, this might be something you could try. After all three bucks doesn't buy much of a lunch nowadays……

Sushi Yaro
7905 Engineer Road
San Diego, CA 92111

Aria Kabob Cafe

November 22, 2010 mmm-yoso Afghan, Hot Dogs

*** Aria Kabob Cafe is now Chaba Thai

We really haven't had any Afghan style food since Kabul Market closed a year or so ago. So I was fascinated when I noticed that an Afghan Restaurant called Aria Kabob Cafe was opening in the same strip mall as Pho Fusion. It took quite a few months for Aria Kabob Cafe to open, but a couple of weeks back it finally did.

I noticed the $3.99 breakfast and $4.95 lunch signs, wondering what the heck was going on. And was even more puzzled when I walked in and read the menu…….

Bagels? Eggs? Smoothies……. Hot Dogs?

For $4.95, you'd get a plate of rice and two items from a not so promising looking steam table (the Missus would later prove me wrong).

Looking a bit closer at the menu I noticed the type of dishes I was looking for.

I had a seat at one of the tables in the small dining area and placed my order…. and waited…and waited…. and waited. About thirty minutes later my Lamb Tika Kabob Plate ($8.99) arrived.

Looking at my plate…. well, I was a bit underwhelmed. The salad was totally mass produced packaged stuff, as was the pita. Digging in changed my opinion…… I loved the brown basmati rice…. in fact I texted the Missus telling Her that I was actually eating brown rice and enjoying it. The rice was fluffy, fragrant, and was prepared well. The tangy spicy "chatney" was good…. though I really enjoyed the yogurt based dressing on my cubes of lamb. There wasn't a ton of lamb, but it was very good. I was amazed at how well it was prepared and cooked, soft and tender, but not mushy, and seasoned with a restrained hand. The juices of the lamb had soaked into the pita which made it even more delicious. You knew you were eating lamb, but was not overwhelmed with the "flavor of the pasture" (though I do love gamey lamb). This was a very pleasant surprise……though everyone else was ordering the $4.95 lunch, salads, and the such. On my way out, the gentleman working apologized for the wait, and asked me how I enjoyed my meal. My response? "It was good, well worth the wait." Though think I'll be calling ahead during a work week lunch.

The Missus, shocked that I had actually eaten brown rice (something I've been cooking for Her for months), just had to check this place out. On our visit I told Her, "this may take a while, but you'll enjoy the food." She had the Lamb Tika Kabob and really enjoyed it. I tried one of my favorites, the Chapli Kabob, here it's very well seasoned ground beef patties ($6.99):

The patties had a nice char on the exterior, with some nice cumin-coriander hints. While eating this I noticed something…….. I wasn't using any sumac. Neither was the Missus. I guess that we both thought the seasoning was just right for our tastes…. I did use a liberal amount of the "dressing", and the Missus loved the Chatney. In spite of the wait (35 minutes this time), we both enjoyed the meal….. so we returned a couple of nights later.

The Missus started with the Borani Bonjan ($3.49), roasted eggplant in a tomato based sauce, topped with drizzles of tangy yogurt.

There was a noticeable, though subdued amount of spice, and even with all these very strong flavors you could still taste the eggplant.

The Missus noticed that the steam table was still up and running, even though it was dinner time, and went for the "two plus rice"……. Two items from the steam table.

This came with a plate of the brown basmati rice….. the Missus loved the cauliflower… a lot…..

By this time, for some reason, I became curious about the Fried Hot Dog….. it just seemed so out of place on the menu. Because of that, there seemed to be some sort of reverse-exotic mystery to it. And even though the young man replied, "well, it's a hot dog….. that's fried" when I asked about it, I still ordered it. I told the young man I'd take the Fried Hot Dog, with three toppings ( the way he'd eat it). And what I got was this……

It really was a hot dog (all beef) that had been deep fried…… in this case topped with mayo-mustard-relish, in a sesame seed roll. Yes, just a hot dog…..really.

Though the other dish I ordered was quite good, the Pakawra ($2.95):

These well spiced potato fritters were the hottest item I tried here….. they are also quite addictive if a bit on the heavy side. I enjoyed these, as the layers of flavors along with the spice kept me interested.. This time, our meal arrived pretty quickly……

A couple of days later, the Missus wanted the brown rice and cauliflower from Aria. I dropped by to see if they still had some on the steam table. Unfortunately, they weren't serving that on this day. But the gentleman working here, by the name of Mike, had a solution for me. By this time he recognized me, and told me "if you can come back in 45 minutes, we'll make it fresh for your wife." How's that for service? So I went and did some shopping, returned after 45 minutes, and the Missus got Her food.

And loved it……

You know, Mike could have just said "we don't have that today" and be done with it, but he went the extra mile for us. That along with the food, both priced right and delicious will keep us coming back.

Aria Kabob Cafe
8010 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111

Lunches at Ichiro

November 11, 2010 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants

**** Ichiro's has closed

When I first started coming to San Diego over a dozen years ago for work, one of the first places recommended to me was Ichiro. I grew up eating in little mom and pop places like Ichiro. Speaking of "mom", my Mother's favorite restaurant was one of these places, called Wisteria Restaurant, which sadly at the end of 2004. It seems that these places I refer to as Japanese-American Diners are slowly disappearing. Recently, I was in the same strip mall as the restaurant, looked over at Ichiro, and felt a bit guilty. It had been a good number of years since I visited.

In some ways, perhaps the years haven't been very good to Ichiro…. and the sign near the front door speaks volumes.

About five years ago, I noticed changes at Ichiro, starting with the addition of "kozara" (small dishes) of standard Japanese bar food fare.

Still with places like Izakaya Sakura, Okan, and even Tajima to a certain extent; Ichiro is sometimes forgotten.

Being in the area a bit more often, I decided to have a few lunches at Ichiro, just to see what was going on. Things look about the same with regards to the dining area, and the service is the same….. friendly.

All lunches start with a small dish of Tsukemono…..

And come with miso soup (watery), and a pretty routine green salad.

A couple of months back, I was told to try the "Ponzu Chicken", which is what I had on my first visit.

Actually, this was fairly disappointing. The chicken was a basic salt rubbed, grilled chicken; like something I'd make at home. It was also on the dry side. The ponzu tasted bottled, and was not of good quality. In the end, it was just sustenance.

And yet, the two women working here were so very nice, I just didn't want to leave it at that. So a week later I returned and had something I'd eaten a few years back, and thought was pretty good. The menchi katsu, this time as Menchi Katsu Curry ($7.25).

Man, that was a load of curry……. not too bad, mild spice, but nothing but onions in them. The breaded meat patty was pretty good, a bit leaner, with less filler than I remembered. It didn't have the rich flavor of the version at Izakaya Sakura, and for some reason I like my mechi katsu to have more filler.

Still, this was nicely prepared, crunchy and moist.

During one of the recent 90 degree plus days, I wanted some Zaru Soba. Instead of heading to Izakaya Sakura, I decided to return to Ichiro for lunch one more time. This time I had the Zaru Soba Tororo ($8.50).

On the good side, Ichiro includes a quail egg for the tsuyu, on the bad, the tsuyu had a super salty artificial taste to it. The soba was also undercooked and was very hard.

I didn't expect soba like I-Naba , but this was like something I'd throw together at home.

After five plus years since my last visit to Ichiro, I found that the service here is still very nice and friendly. I see that Ichiro is taking steps to try and upgrade the menu. Also, Yasu, an old time Itamae favorite of mine is working there, though only on Fridays these days. On my visits I noticed that most of the customers were either older "Gaijin", and once two elderly Japanese women who were friends with the owner. I'm still up in the air as to whether I'll check out Ichiro during the evening, or for Happy Hour…… sadly, the food just seems s bit tired and dated(and I like old-style Japanese food) to me. Perhaps you'll find it more to your liking than I did.

Ichiro Japanese Restaurant
4344 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Pacific Beach Bar and Grill- Brunch

November 8, 2010 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, Buffets, Pubs and Pub Grub, What Cathy Eats!

Today Cathy is "blogging" on mmm-yoso!!! Kirk is "working". ed(From Yuma) is "recovering".

Hi. I've posted on Pacific Beach Bar and Grill a few times. They have really good food, lots of beers on tap, televisions everywhere…

and technically, the front area is an outdoor patio, covered with a sturdy tarp.

It's been a while since we had Brunch here. It's a buffet. $7.95 on Saturday from 9 until noon and a bit more on Sunday, but then there are more items to choose from. Coffee is $1.95 and a very good French Roast. I don't take photos of people and today it was kind of busy, so only have photos of our plates.
From 12:00: Eggs Benedict, thick cut maple bacon, skin-on breakfast sausage (just the right amount of spice; really good), biscuit with gravy (the gravy needed pepper added), a potato cake (not greasy), a banana nut muffin (still warm and with vanilla in the batter), a 'spicy' burrito (it was chorizo and egg filled and very good).
The Mister had a cheese/tomato/spinach/mushroom omelet made to order and also picked up a still warm, buttery, crispy chocolate chip cookie.
(Counterclockwise from 9:00) I picked up some " scrambled eggs Florentine" which had bacon, onions and spinach in it, some "home fries" made with onion and lots of cheese and a "Jose Benedict"-slice of avocado, Hollandaise sauce, good, runny poached egg and carne asada on a biscuit.
See? Poached egg and carne asada. I could eat three of these as my breakfast. Easily.
Later (we were watching a *very long* football game), I went back and got some of the omelet add- ins and made myself a salad of spinach, tomatoes, chopped bacon and mushrooms. I also got more of the eggs Florentine and a good selection of tasty fresh fruit.
The Mister ordered a Bloody Mary ($3.50). I could taste every flavor in this- the tomato juice, the vodka, the black pepper, the Tabasco…and the olives were marinated in something. Like vodka. It was good, but very strong. I only had a few sips.
Then The Mister went back and had a waffle made to order. That strawberry topping is the frozen, sugared, memory triggering childhood strawberries-in-Winter stuff I grew up with. At least He took some pieces of fresh watermelon…

Pacific Beach Bar and Grill 860 Garnet Avenue San Diego 92109 Website (warning: LOUD! website)

Tea Garden. Fancy-ish beverages and really good snacks!

November 5, 2010 Cathy Chinese Restaurants, Stuff, What Cathy Eats!

Tea Garden has closed

Cathy is penning today's issue of mmm-yoso!!! The guys (Kirk and ed(from Yuma)) are merely writing things in their brains.

Hi. The other day, FOY(friend of Yoso), Food Detective, asked me in a comment if I had been to Tea Garden. I haven't, even though I have driven by, parked in front of it, walked past it and knew it was there. It is on Convoy, at Engineer Road, across from China Max and sometimes has parking when no place else on that street of countless amazing restaurants has parking available.

Deceptively small looking from the front, there is seating capacity for 57 inside. Of course, as is the rule for Convoy Street and its environs, parking availability does not correspond.You walk in and can grab a menu and sit on the couch next to the cash register, or just read the wall behind the register (that is just the beverage menu), or order a special straight from the whiteboard. Pay. Get a number. Find a seat. Free wifi, a shelf filled with board games, two televisions and nice surroundings. For our first visit,

We decided to try a green tea float ($4.25). Green tea, strong brewed, over ice with vanilla ice cream floating at the top. Very rich flavored. There must be matcha powder in it.
My standard Beverage of Indecision (coffee-tea-milk, no sweetener added) ($3.75)-no sweet at all. I could taste each of the three ingredients distinctively. Very nice. An appetizer of popcorn chicken ($3.99). Crispy and moist, mild thin breading flavored with fresh basil leaves (on the plate) from the fryer.
An appetizer of salt and pepper squid ($6.99) Soft squid, light breading topped with a relish of garlic, scallions and red pepper. Just enough heat.
House Special fried rice noodle ($7.99). A wonderful smoky flavor infused in the thin noodles and perfectly sauteed shrimp, beef and chicken along with green onion tops, onions, carrots, sprouts and (I think) bamboo. Maybe it was a fungus. Those brown things…they had a woody texture and not much flavor. Lots of flavor in everything else.
The other day (before this crazy heat wave happened), The Mister wanted soup. So we went back and He ordered the BBQ pork ramen ($6.99). This had a not salty, surprisingly rich broth, along with peas, carrots and cabbage as well as a few pieces of sliced BBQ pork (standard, not outstanding) and noodles which had a nice 'tooth',although not as good as the noodles at Yakyudori, my new favorite.
At lunchtime, most main courses come with a free iced black or green tea. You can ask for no sweetener (I think it is a simple syrup) and taste the tea…
I wanted to try the fried tofu ($5.59). When this came, I thought it looked like a thick, hard crust and was almost disappointed.Instead, I was pleasantly surprised at the delicate thinness of the coating and soft, soft fresh tofu inside. The dipping sauce was a very dark soy and sesame oil base and filled with chopped garlic, green onion tops and some red pepper flakes. Extremely complimentary for the tofu, and just the right amount of heat. I think if I had ordered the salt and pepper fried tofu (50¢ more), this dipping sauce would have been overpowering.

All in all, the food here has been great. A pot of hot tea is $5.95. Other items on the menu I am wanting to try include a Hot Clay Pot, fried udon, fried rice, congee, sizzling steak, other soups, brick toast, shaved ice and something called "vinaigrette soup" ($5.95), either shrimp, pork or squid. Oh and juices, smoothies and…yes, more appetizer snacks. You can easily get a meal, the plates and bowls are a very good size.

Thank you Food Detective!!! This is a great place.

Tea Garden 4685 Convoy Street, Suite 110 San Diego 92111 (858)277-8988 Website

Hours: Sun-Th 11:00 a.m.-midnight, until 1 a.m. Fri-Sat

Red Lotus. Good Mandarin and Szechuan food. Santee.

October 27, 2010 Cathy Chinese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! – that's the name of this blog. It's just food that we have enjoyed. Kirk, ed(from Yuma) and Cathy are the main bloggers, although some others occasionally participate. Today, it's Cathy's turn.

Hi. There's a new Mandarin-Szechuan restaurant in the same location as a now closed Mandarin-Szechuan restaurant in Santee. I enjoyed Flaming Wok for many years, but it closed and Red Lotus took over.
Red Lotus is an ABCDE (American Born Chinese Dining Establishment) because as soon as you sit down,
A bowl of fresh fried crunchy bits and plate of 'dipping sauce' are brought out to your table. But those are fresh fried crunchy bits and the sauce is somehow not too sweet and has some vinegar-y tartness and is quite pleasant.
The egg drop soup ($5.75), not salty, very deep flavored chicken stock and swirled with egg and not cornstarch thickener, is excellent.
A nice view from our table…while we were waiting.
Ma Po Tofu ($7.50). Very nice heat, very good pork and a good, fresh, firm tofu.
No. Not just a chicken dish.

Chicken egg foo young ($7.50). Crispy, moist, flavorful with crispy bean sprouts, onions topped with a great, not salty, un-gloppy gravy.
Of course, there are lunch combo specials, daily from 11:00-3:00.
These come with a cup of soup and the requisite fried crispies and nuclear red colored sweet thick yet somehow tasting made from scratch dipping sauce.
The spicy honey shrimp lunch special ($5.95) includes rice, egg roll, cheese wonton and this -light, crispy, fluffy batter- deep fried juicy large shrimp, glazed with a sweet-hot sauce. Really- see the shrimp to batter ratio? It's good.
The hot spicy chicken ($4.95-all shrimp dishes are $1 more) wasn't too spicy, the sauce is smooth and has plentiful white meat stir fried with a thin crisp crust which lets the chicken stay juicy yet have a pleasant light crunch of a crust. This was with fried rice.

All in all, this is a very good selection for Santee. There are many ABCDE dishes (shrimp with lobster sauce, Moo Goo Gai Pan, Double Happiness) which are all done very well. Fresh ingredients and quality cooking. I suppose it is more stereotypic Americanized Chinese, but it's really well done good food. A very short drive or long-ish walk with going uphill to get home for me.

A Plus!!! You get Fortune Cookies here, too. Really easy Chinese Word Fortune Cookies.

The Red Lotus Mandarin & Szechuan Cuisine 9888 Magnolia Avenue (At Mast, in the Albertsons Center) Santee 92071 (619)596-3749 Mon 4:30-9:30, Tues-Sun 11:00-9:30

A Cafe…um “A” Cafe…Hong Kong Style dining

October 26, 2010 Cathy Chinese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Welcome back to mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Cathy is blogging today. Kirk and ed(from Yuma) are busy with other things.

The other day, I got a frantic SMS from Mr. C. who was at work and apparently was hungry and wanted to know if there was Hong Kong style food in San Diego. As if I am my own Google.

Of course, I immediately answered with
this photo. I appeared to be organized. "A" Cafe is on Convoy Street, and part of the parking lot from hell group of restaurants.
This is the sign on the building from the parking lot side.
There is a menu in the window at the door. Yes. It says "Hong Kong Style Specialize".
You are seated quickly and asked about beverages. There are many boba/juice/2 pages of beverages on the menu, but ordered hot tea ($1.75. Each.) It is small inside (8 tables) and there is a patio area. The tea apparently is brewed and put into a cup and them more water is added to the container using the same bag. It brews a nice second cup.
We ordered two dishes to share and a good size cup of a nice, not salty egg drop soup was brought out for each of us.
Chicken fried rice ($6.99). Not bad. Not great. Chicken fried rice.
Mixed seafood chow fun (rice noodle)(no gravy) ($8.99). Lots of seafood. Not bad. Not great. I liked the noodles and onions most. The shrimp was large and flavorful, pieces of fish good, squid was tender.

Turns out that Mr. C also had not found what he was craving, some sort of noodle dish…which he says can be found at Garden Cafe in Rowland Heights, off the 60 freeway at Colima and Fullerton. Road Trip!

We were still hungry, so walked through the parking lot, to Tapioca Express.

Mr. C. had not been here before, but he was the person who introduced me to boba drinks. He was fascinated with the 'snack food' aspect of this place. We decided on just a dessert, which took less time than choosing beverages…
We each got a coffee tea milk: mine hot, his cold with boba. We shared the fried baked donut dessert, which comes with dipping sauces of whipped cream and-yes, diluted frosting. (total was ~$11)

Not a bad lunch. But not great.

A Cafe 4646 Convoy San Diego 92111 (858)874-6989 Open 7 a.m.-midnight Sun-Th (until 1 a.m. Fri- Sat)

Tapioca Express 4646 Convoy San Diego 92111 (858) 636-7889 Open 11 a.m.-midnight Sun-Th (until 1 a.m. Fri-Sat) Website

Pho-raging on Miramar Road: Vietnamese Cuisine and Seafood Island

October 22, 2010 mmm-yoso Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

*** Both of these restaurants have closed

There's an unwritten "law of Pho" that I've heard more than a few times, "one should never have said bowl of beef noodle soup, in a restaurant without Pho in it's name." It's an edict that I've kinda bought into, but still there's that small grain of doubt, that perhaps the saying isn't true, and I could be missing out on a great bowl of Pho…. in a restaurant without Pho in it's name. Really now, I've had terrible bowls in restaurants with Pho clearly written in it's name and flashing in neon lights….

Well, this Urban, or perhaps un-urbane legend was put to the test over the last couple of weeks as I had had a couple of bowls at two shops without Pho in their name. Coincidentally, both shops were on the same street…. Miramar Road.

First, it's Vietnamese Cuisine:

Yes, really, that's the name of the place Vietnamese Cuisine.

For a place with a name that covers a lot of territory, Vietnam is 127,244 square miles, the menu, not surprisingly consists of the usual suspects; Pho, Bun, Spring Rolls… the rice dishes include the basic grilled pork, grilled chicken, etc, etc….

If anything, the interior is even more generic…. I'm sure this was some kind of steam table fast food joint in it's past.

As I walked up to the counter to order, the young lady sitting there was engrossed in that task which separates us from those like Sammy and Frankie, who have no thumbs…. she was busy texting. I managed to get her attention, and placed my order.

Which ended up being the Pho Dac Biet ($6.25).

The woman who brought out the very fresh bean sprouts and basil was very nice. I rarely order rare steak, mainly for the reason I didn't like it here. Tough, and basically dry. The other cuts of meat were pretty scarce as well. The noodles were in the standard issue clump, but weren't overcooked. The broth was pretty weak and cloudy…. no scent of anise, cloves, or even beef in this one.

In the end, I was glad I didn't order a large bowl.

Vietnamese Cuisine
6780 Miramar Rd #104
San Diego, CA 92121

Then it's Seafood Island:

Which I've posted on before. Recently though, a food FOY (Friend of Yoso) who shall go unnamed, said he really enjoyed the Pho at SI, and said I should try it. Which is how I ended up at the restaurant staring at the colorful "Lunch Specials "menu.

In my meals at Seafood Island after my post, I've just kinda decided that SI pretty much specializes in serving cheap food to the masses. And boy was I looking at some pretty low prices on this menu. Even though the young lady kept pushing the rare beef, I ended up with flank and brisket…. they didn't have tendon on this day.

The lunch special comes with two Cha Gio, egg rolls, which arrived very quickly.

The lettuce and other veggies were quite good, but the inside of the Cha Gio were barely room temperature.

This had been cooked up earlier and been lying around for a while.

Soon enough my bowl of Pho arrived, which gave me pause…..

It was darker than the Bun Mam I'd had recently! It was also very scummy, and quite cloudy. And there was an even larger problem…..

Notice my bowl sitting solo…….. is something(s) missing?

Did you figure it out? Well first, there was no plate with herbs, bean spouts, and lime. Second, where's my soup spoon? I felt like I was back in Hangzhou where they expected you to drink your soup from the bowl! The funny thing was, I thought that those items were going to arrive soon….. but I waited… and waited. Which gave me time to check out the flank, which had some really tough looking fat and gristle.

I gave it ten minutes, at which time I went into the kitchen looking for the young lady whom I could hear talking to the cooks, but was nowhere to be found on the floor. This is something I could understand if the place was totally smashed, but that wasn't quite the situation here.

When I asked for a spoon and my plate of herbs and veggies, the young lady gave me a look like I was asking for the moon which was very strange because everyone here has always been very nice.

Eventually my spoon and garnishes made it to the table.

In all honesty, I should have just cut my losses, paid my six bucks, and left…….

This is a case in where photos don't lie.

I really don't know where to start….. the noodles might have been perfect at one point; but having to sit while I mistakenly thought my spoon and garnishes would arrive at any time probably killed that. The broth was scummy and unpleasant…….

The fact is, I feel guilty about leaving food uneaten; and I've never left this much Pho before….

Just as I did with that bowl of soup, I'll step away from this post, and leave it as is…..

Seafood Island Restaurant
7580 Miramar Road
San Diego, CA 92126

I still don't truly believe in that "law of Pho", but this sure does support that argument, doesn't it?

Chinese Kitchen (Chi Tu Thanh Nha Hang) Revisited – This time it’s Banh Canh

October 19, 2010 mmm-yoso Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Chinese Kitchen has closed

You know, I had one of the young ladies who works at the dry cleaners flummoxed…. she just couldn't figure me out. I'd run into her twice at Que Huong, once picking up a sandwich at Cafe Dore, once while eating at the now defunct Huynh Hoa Tuu. She knows I live nowhere near those places, and yet we're there eating…… She knows I'm not Vietnamese, but there I am tucking into Bun Oc. I think she finally figured out that I just love to eat when she saw me getting something to eat at Chinese Kitchen. I guess in her mind, I must really love to eat, if I'd make the effort to head out to "Chi Tu Thanh Nha Hang" for soup. All of this led to a conversation one day about Chinese Kitchen. I mentioned to her that I'd been going there since 2006, when you were served from an actual little hole-in-the-wall from this actual hole-in-the-wall. I also told her that all I get there is the Bun Mang Vit…… the young lady told me that I needed to try some different things, and recommended the Banh Canh, a soup with noodles made from rice flour and tapioca flour that reminds me of udon.

And this weekend's rainy weather seemed just perfect for a nice bowl of Banh Canh, so I headed out to Rolando, and Chinese Kitchen.

I hadn't been back here since May of last year, and it seems that on every visit there's a change or two made to the place. This time it was the bright blue signs.

All that Chinese fast food stuff is still served here, but it's what's on the smaller menu on the side wall that matters. Prices have gone up a mere 50 cents in a year and a half, but it's still pretty cheap.

The mustard yellow paint job, that seemed so sparkly and new is starting to fade a bit…. but I've never come here for the ambiance.

Things move here at a relatively measured pace…. which for some reason made me think of Laos. After ringing the bell out front, placing my order, and having a seat, waiting about 15 minutes, my Banh Canh Tom Cua ($5.50) arrived.

The soup seemed a little light, but it had a nice clean flavor, wasn't too salty, and the addition of a squeeze of lime really lifted it. It was also piping hot, something I look for in my soups. The noodles were prepared to a perfect slippery al dente.

And yes, there were actually a couple of pieces of real crab (not surumi) in the soup.

Not a whole lot of crab, but hey, when was the last time you actually saw real crab in a soup that's five bucks and change in San Diego? For some reason this really took me back to a stand we called "same-same" in Luang Prabang.

The nice woman also brought me out a little pot of tea (gratis), and asked me the inevitable question, one she's asked me before; "are you Chinese?"

When I finished eating, she actually brought me a toothpick dispenser! No tax either…… she simply told me "Five-fifty….."

Though the Bun Mang Vit is still my favorite here, another customer told me to order the Chao (rice porridge) here next time…. so maybe I will.

Chinese Kitchen (Chi Tu Thanh Nha Hang)
6160 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92115

Postscript: As for the girl at the dry cleaners. I once dropped off a menu for The Original Sab E Lee. Guess who I've seen twice while waiting for takeout at TOSEL??? It is indeed a small world…….

Pacific Beach Bar and Grill- a little lunch

October 9, 2010 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Pubs and Pub Grub, What Cathy Eats!

Welcome back to mmm-yoso!!!, the food blog. Kirk is taking a short vacation, ed(from Yuma) is enjoying his weekend (in Yuma) and Cathy is writing a little bit today.

Hi. I wrote about the Pacific Beach Bar & Grill about three years ago, so it's time for a revisit-for you. We were back again last week for a light shared lunch.

..and some football. Beers on tap are $2.75 during Saturday games, Pear Cider is $5.50. If you care. Yes, there are about 30 taps…
Nut crusted brie, served with an apricot and mango chutney (lots of red peppers and cilantro) and olive oil herbed crusty baguette is regular $8.50, but $3 off all appetizers during College football games.
The Brie is warm and oozing….very good.
We ordered the Seafood Louie salad ($10.50), told our waitress we were going to share and it was brought out on two plates (no extra charge). ..so this is a photo of a half salad. The shrimp are very large and flavorful, the crab meat was also very fresh and tasted good, without the need to add condiments.
We also ordered a bowl of French Onion Soup ($3.25)(only 50¢ more than a cup, and considerably larger), which was made with a good, rich, not salty beef broth, sweet, not mushy onions and topped with croutons and slices of Swiss cheese, melted just right.

The food here isn't quite 'bar food' and is very good. There are sliders and nachoes and that type of thing on the menu, all kind of high end. PBB&G has weekday specials and a very good Brunch. More information is on the website (which has music attached, so if you click on the link, you may want to turn down the sound). It's good.

Pacific Beach Bar and Grill 860 Garnet, San Diego 92109 (858) 272-1242 Website