Closed – Page 7

Iron Pig – A Takeout Revisit

June 22, 2022 mmm-yoso BBQ, Chicken Wings, Salads

**** Iron Pig has closed

The recent warm weather had the Missus craving takeout from Iron Pig. So I dropped by, placed an order, and then went to do a quick visit to Trader Joe's. My takeout was ready when I returned to Iron Pig. I had found parking nearby and everything just seemed hunky dory.

On my last post, I noted that the wings were dry and tough. Unfortunately, these were basically the same.

Iron Pig TO 01_02

Large, meaty wings, but super dry and tough, and the large size meant that it was somewhat lacking in enough smokiness.

I also got the Rib Tips and specifically asked for sauce on the side. Sadly, this must have been lost in the translation.

Iron Pig TO 02_02

Over-sauced and very salty……

Our favorite menu item over the years is the Man Salad…make that the Gender Neutral Salad. Which looked mighty appetizing.

Iron Pig TO 03_02

Until we started eating….and started noticing something…hidden underneath all those fries and brisket.

All those brown and discolored greens. Sigh…….

I take no pleasure in typing this out and it's kind of sad to get a meal like this from a place that's been a favorite over the years. We understand that times are tough and are trying to support local businesses, but it seems like the appreciation is not being returned? Not quite sure what to make of this meal…..

Iron Pig Alehouse
1520 Garnet Ave
San Diego, CA 92109

Himalayan Palace Restaurant (Sports Arena)

April 28, 2022 Cathy Indian Restaurants, Nepalese/Himalayan Food, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping by to read mmm-yoso!!!, a blog about food. Cathy is writing today.

In February, The Mister and I found ourselves in the Sports Arena area of town and pulled into the parking lot between Phil's BBQ and Red Lobster. In the back of that parking lot, we saw cars parked in front of this longstanding establishment and decided to try it for lunch. We have returned. (Prices have changed; I will list current approximate prices).
The colorful interior (look at that ceiling!) is happy.

The menu is small, one sheet printed on both sides.
The Paneer Pakora ($7) is paneer cheese wrapped in chickpea batter and deep fried. The little pockets are served with a tamarind dip and a mint chutney. This was a wonderful choice of both textures and flavors.
The keema naan (ground lamb filled bread)($8) was also an excellent choice. Fresh made bread filled with ground lamb which was cooked with various herbs. Satisfying and tasty.
The Muligatawny soup ($7) was absolutely mesemerizing with the lentils and chicken and (mild) curry along with a bit of 'sweet' (apple). On the most recent visit, the mulligatawny was not on the menu, but mushroom soup ($7) was a choice. Creamy, garlic-y minced mushrooms blended with cumin and a few other spices, with a touch of (black?) pepper 'heat' in the background. A good size serving.

Chicken Biryani ($14) is served in this deceptively deep bowl. Basmati rice and shredded carrots with boneless chicken, ghee and whole spices (we chewed on some cardamom pods along with mustard seeds and fennel seeds; there were more) and fresh mint and cilantro. So many flavors!

On our first visit, we saw this window signage. The price has increased to $11.95. Worth it.
This is the 'non-vegetable' Thali. Rice and papadum (dough made with lentils or black beans, rolled very thin and deep fried) at the top (clockwise) Tandoori chicken, pickled vegetables, chicken tikka masala. In the center is kheer (rice pudding). The vegetable Thali plate with rice and papadum , Navaratna Korma (onion, ginger, cashews, garlic and sesame seeds blended with coconut milk to make a sauce) along with carrot, onion, peas, raisins, almonds and paneer. Pickled vegetables. Saag (spinach) paneer (really good). Again, kheer in the center dessert area.
The lunch specials include butter naan.

All in all, this longstanding (32 years) restaurant survived the Pandemic for a reason; quality. The friendly, informative staff and plethora of 'regulars' along with the remarkable fresh and flavorful choices make this a wonderful place for a meal.

Himalayan Palace Restaurant 3760 Sports Arena Blvd San Diego 92110 (619) 510-4966 Fax: (619) 510-4968 Open daily 11-3, 4-9 Website

A cooling mango lassi (yogurt-mango beverage) ($5)

Verbena Kitchen – A Quick Look

April 25, 2022 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants

*** Verbena Kitchen has closed

*** As we continue our "quick look" series – be aware that these posts are based on single visits

After dining at Wolf in the Woods and Black Radish, the Missus implored me to find yet another new place to have an early, not-crowded or outdoor dining place to try. I recalled that a restaurant named Verbena Kitchen had opened in the spot where Splash Wine Lounge used to be. I sent a the Missus a link to the website and She just didn't seem interested!!! I then sent Her the link to the Happy Hour menu….which starts at 4pm, which for us, in these times where we really don't want to be around too many people sounded perfect. So I made reservations for an outdoor table at 4pm.

We arrived exactly at 4pm and was met with the most friendly, gracious guy whose name I believe is Dallas. He was wonderful to deal with. And since it was a bit windy on this day, he even saved us a table indoors in case we didn't want to eat outdoors. But we found an outdoor table in the corner, where sun still shone on us that we liked. Even though the outdoor seating is located street side and the traffic light meant buses and cars stopped right next to us; we enjoyed watching all the pooches walking by and the staff were so very nice.

And he was quick to tell us about the Happy Hour menu.

The Missus had a sangria which She enjoyed….in fact She had a second one!

The Missus enjoys Deviled Eggs so we got 5 at $2 a piece for HH, versus $15 on the regular menu.

The Missus cracked up at the micro cilantro…..if you've seen any of the soups I make, you'll notice that we use a heck of a lot of micro cilantro these days. This was our favorite dish of the evening. Even though the crab on the deviled eggs were pretty much an afterthought we loved the mustard forward flavor of the egg yolk mixture which was texturally nice and creamy. The whites were cooked nicely as well.

The Oysters were our least favorite dish on the evening $1/each HH, versus $18 for a half dozen regular menu.

If you've ever read any of my posts where we eat raw oysters, you'll know that I don't put a lot of "stuff" on my oyster. I prefer at most, a touch of lemon and really savor the "finish" of the raw oyster. These Baja oysters were super briny, almost salty, without the nice "cucumbery" or "briny raw beef" finish. It just seemed to lack nuance. Still, at six bucks……

We also got the Peruvian Shrimp Ceviche $14HH, $17 regular price.

So, while this didn't use a "leche de tigre" for the cebiche as they would do in Peru; it was not bad. The aji amarillo was quite mild and this wasn't overly acidic. I did like the combination of Inka Corn, Furikake, tomato, red onion, and the aji. For some reason, I really liked it matched up with those sweet potato chips…perhaps I was channeling camote? The one thing we didn't care for was that the shrimp was fully cooked….not in lime juice, but actually fully cooked, rubbery, and tasteless. Heck, I could have just had everything but the shrimp and be perfectly happy.

We weren't sure about the Wagyu Beef Tartare ($18) when it arrived at our table.

It seemed drenched in mayo, which turned out to be a decently flavored Dijon based aioli. We liked the grated cured egg yolk, which tasted like good salted egg yolk. We weren't sure about the fermented mushrooms, but they were very meaty in texture, and the capers really, well "capped" off the dish. The beef was cut a bit too coarse, but this was a pretty good dish overall. The slices of cucumber seemed to have had rice vinegar drizzled on it. I'd have this again.

Overall, a decent meal, for a very nice price, the most inexpensive of these "quick look" dinners. A big plus was the friendly and gracious staff. "Dallas" told us to return on a Thursday when it's Happy Hour prices all evening. I do think we'll return.

Verbena Kitchen
3043 University Ave.
San Diego, CA 92104
Current Hours:
Wed – Thurs 4pm – 9pm
Friday 4pm – 10pm
Saturday 10am – 10pm
Sunday 10am – 230pm
Happy Hour from 4pm – 6pm and all evening Thursdays

Tuetano Taqueria and Mar Rustico – Old Town

April 12, 2022 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Seafood, Taco Shops

**** Tuetano moved to Chula Vista, but is now closed

I was quite excited to hear the news that Michelin recognized Tacos Tuetano was opening in Old Town. For me, this marks what could possibly be a long overdue revitalization of Old Town eateries for locals. I had visited the location in San Ysidro once, but hadn't returned in ages before they moved and shuttered.

I/we have visited Tuetano about a dozen times since they've opened in Old Town and this post is long overdue.

I guess that one of the reasons I've taken so long on this post is that every couple of visits there's something new.

First was the addition of Mar Rustico; a Mariscos Place.

Then the shops in the back; of which we haven't partaken yet.

During the last two visits; the wine shop next door has opened, but were closed during our visits.

Also, the ordering can be confusing….on certain days you would have to go down the side of the dining area to order the birria and tuetano, then to Mar Rustica counter to get Mariscos, then off to the drink station to order drinks. The last couple of times we've gone on slow days (i.e. Monday) and at off hours and would then order from the drinks counter. You get a one of those buzzer things and sometimes you pick up your order and sometimes they'll bring it to you……

It's interesting when you do order from all three places and try to get things in a cohesive manner.

We love the al fresco dining when the weather is pleasant….though it's not as much fun when it is chilly or windy. Of course this is San Diego…….

I think the one thing that really got my attention having been to the San Ysidro location were the prices; at the old location a birria taco + bone marrow was $6.75. Here…well, it's $11….call it the Old Town mark-up if you will.

Since we've tried a bunch of items here; I thought I'd list out our picks and pans…..

Favorites:

During the recent cooler weather, I would usually order the consomme with birria ($9) with a side of bone marrow ($7). This is not your side order-after thought birria consomme as there's a good amount of birria in the nicely flavored broth. Also a good quantity of onions and cilantro and the broth is well seasoned with a pleasant amount of acidity. My drill consists of picking out the bone marrow and using that to top the tacos I make with the nicely soaked birria and then pouring all the rendered beef fat/marrow liquid into the soup. Be still my heart…literally. I will say the on one occasion I had a bone with less than a teaspoon of marrow in it and when Tuetano first opened the birria had a tendency to be on the tough side. But not on recent visits.

The Missus loves the Smoked Marlin Burrito ($16), though they've often out of it.

The wonderfully smoked fish is moist and seasoned nicely and we've never experienced any "off flavors". The Missus loves that the tortillas have been nicely griddled on the comal. As you can tell; these aren't huge, but they are mighty tasty with a squeeze of lime.

And of course the reason most people come here….the Birria Tuetano ($11).

Yes, $11 is pretty steep, but when it's good, it's very good. I will say, I've had this a few times when the birria was too tough, but recently it seems they've got things right. A nice bit of spice, onions and cilantro to cut the richness, and bone marrow to add that decadent beefy-richness back in…a squeeze of lime. The Missus likes the simple chili de arbol "salsa", but it detracts from the enjoyment to me.

It doesn't get much better than this….

Decent:

If I'm hungry I'll get the Birria Torta…..the price differs depending on the day; I've had it for $18 and for $16……

The bollilo roll on both occasions was toasted perfectly and held up for the entire meal. That griddled queso, while being a bit mild in flavor was a nice touch. The birria in the torta is on the drier and chewier side. The pickled onions adds pungency and there's always a ton of cilantro to add even more citrusy-pungent tones to the torta. On one occasion, I added in a side of bone marrow a rich – buttery addition to the torta.

We tried the Quesa-Taco once and thought it was ok.

The birria was dry and too chewy on this visit; though we loved the griddled tortilla with the cheese to protect it from getting soggy. I guess we missed the bone marrow? Or maybe we just should have ordered a side of it with this?

Pans:

The two items we didn't care for came from Mar Rustica. We tried both twice.

The Ceviche ($21) was very inconsistent. While it always looked good; once it was super salty and had too much lime juice; the fish was over marinated and rubbery. And once it lacked enough lime and was really bland.

The Fish Tacos were even more disappointing. For $16 for two tacos de pescado we expect perfection. On both occasions the fish was over-fried. As you see below.

The fish had dried out on both visits. Not sure what fish they were using on one of the visits but it tasted fairly muddy. Not very good and you can get better elsewhere for half the price or less.

As you can tell; there are items we keep coming back for at Tuetano. Though there can be some "unevenness" at times and you're paying the "Old Town premium", when it's good it is quite good. And though we've had better Tuetano in Mexico….that consomme with a side of marrow is quite nice on a chilly day.

And we hope that this is just the beginning for Old Town.

Parking can be a bit of a challenge, though because of that and since we don't want crowds were usually go during the week and at off hours.

Tuetano Taqueria/Mar Rustico
2548 Congress St.
San Diego, CA 92110
Hours:
Sun – Wed 11am – 7pm
Thurs – Sat 11am – 8pm

A GyroGrill Price Check

April 11, 2022 mmm-yoso Greek Food

**** GryoGrill has closed

Since “FOY” ST asked about this visit in the comments of my previous post; I thought I’d just go ahead and do this.

I’m sure that everyone who reading this blog in the US have noticed the rise in prices over the last two years…..it’s hard not to notice. My dollar and I’m sure your dollar does not go as far these days as it used to, though in some cases (definitely not gas prices) the change might seem more subtle. Though in other cases it’s quite obvious and perhaps a bit disturbing as well. As I mentioned in my previous post on GyroGrill, I was a bit shocked at how prices had risen since they opened back in October of 2020.

Now, I’m not doing this post as a condemnation, nor am I in anyway angry at GG. I believe that they are trying, as many other businesses are to survive. But, for some reason the prices at GG just seem to be an indicator of rising prices for me. I’m sure we all have that “internal price gauge” for certain thigs.

So, just last week I headed over to see how things were at GyroGrill and to see if the sign for Tenkatori, which is opening in the same strip mall had gone up (it hasn’t). I walked into GyroGrill to place my usual order for the Gyro Combo – this is the current price.

Whoa, it’s now $14! To think that when GG opened in October of 2020, a mere nineteen months ago, the combo was a mere $7.99 To be perfectly honest, perhaps it was under priced. In August of 2021 it was $8.99, still a bargain in my mind. It October of 2021, a year after they opened, it was $10.99, a 27% increase in a year. When I visited in January of this year, it was $12.99 a 15% increase in three months. And now, less than three months later it’s $14…….

The food; well it’s pretty much the same.

A bit less potatoes and I noticed no tzatziki included anymore; though that might have just been overlooked. The gyros were even drier, gummy, and lacking in seasoning than I recalled on my last visit. It was also barely warmed through…..as it had been pre-sliced and set out in a hotel pan. At least the potatoes were still crisp and crunchy and the pita was quite full of pork; albeit dry and kinda tough pork.

Now, if the gyros here were as good as Zgara (I think their lunch Gyro special still hovers around ten bucks – but you gotta figure how location affects prices) I might be ok with that. But in my opinion it’s not.

Like I said in the beginning, this is not a condemnation of GG; they are doing what they need to do to survive. It is, at least to me, an illustration of inflation and the economy. The Consumer Price Index for February rose by 7.9% over the last 12 months, the largest increase since January of 1982. I’m hoping the effects of all the disruptions and inflation start tailing down soon.

And then it’ll be interesting to see if places start actually lowering their prices.

Gyrogrill
6780 Miramar Rd.
San Diego, CA 92121

Tell me, has the increase in prices affected your eating/grocery shopping habits yet? And what is your “internal price gauge” item?

Chicken Wing Wednesday, the Food Court Edition – Revisits to Krispy Krunchy Chicken, Katzya, and Gala Chicken

April 6, 2022 mmm-yoso Chicken Wings

My recent visits to bb.q Chicken got me back into a "chicken wing thang". So the quickest way out of those cravings was to; well, just some wings, right? I decided to revisit three food court chicken locations and see what was up. So here goes.

Krispy Krunchy Chicken:

**** Krispy Krunchy Chicken is now a location of Cluck n Sip

I have to admit, KKC is the easiest target for me; since the location, in 99 Ranch Market on Balboa is never crowded and there's always parking. Though without folks in the office these days; I can't order the 10 wing minimum that's necessary for it to be cooked to order…..and these days; there's just no way I can finish 10 wings without qualifying for bypass surgery. So, just like the last takeout order from KKC, man, that was like July of 2020; I'd be just going for the five piece with potato wedges.

Sorry for the dated photo above; but I basically ordered and went shopping in 99 Ranch, so I forgot to take a photo of the place.

As for the chicken; well they do have a consistently C(K)rispy, C(K)runchy product in my opinion.

My timing must have been pretty good as the wings were still hot and pretty juicy when I arrived home. Yes, crunchy, moist, and these were the saltiest of the three places I tried, but not too bad. I still automatically think of Popeyes whenever I have these, though I do think they are better than that chain now. I always either get the Louisiana style hot sauce at KKC or if I'm eating at home, the bottle of Crystal comes in handy….to help cut thru the fryolated saltiness.

Unlike the chicken; the potato wedges were dry and starting to get soggy.

Krispy Krunchy Chicken
5950 Balboa Ave (In the 99 Ranch Market Food Court)
San Diego, CA 92111

Katzya:

**** Katzya has closed

It had been a couple of years since I'd been to Katzya. So, after my visit to KKC; I thought it would be good to do a revisit.

The specter of Covid dies hard…..things had always seemed to be at rather close quarters in the H Mart food court. Even though I arrived right when the place opened; it got crowded quickly. I placed my order and decided to wait by the front door of H Mart as my wings were fried.

In order to compare to the chicken from KKC, I went with the regular fried chicken wings.

This would turn out to be my favorite of the three set of wings I had. The wings were still crisp and pleasantly (not overly) crunchy (or crumbly) when I got home. Moist and decently seasoned…balanced in a way….as I didn't need to add anything to cut salt, richness……and not greasy in the least. The chicken was much better than I recalled.

I did think the Mul Kimchi here was a bit too sweet for my taste.

The only hesitation I have is the price – $14.99 for 7 wings…….

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

Now this was going to be it….except, I wondered if Gala Chicken had wings back in stock. If you recall on my previous visit Gala was out of wings and I was told they weren't sure of when, or even if they'd have wings again. Still, I decided to head on over to check.

Gala Chicken:

**** Zion Market has moved and Gala did not make the move with the market

And guess what; wings were back on the menu. So, I went ahead and ordered the wings to go. The wait here was the longest, almost 30 minutes, but at least they'd be cooked to order, right?

I really like the gentleman who works here; he seems to be very nice.

Eventually, my wings were ready….I actually should have gone and done some shopping while I waited; but I really didn't need anything from Zion.

I got home and opened the container ASAP.

It would turn out that this would be my least favorite of the three places I visited. First off; the batter was getting soggy by the time I got home; it was unevenly battered, and for some reason the chicken was on the greasy side. I mean things were bad enough when Gala first opened and they used to cut into the chicken with a knife to check doneness; but this just wasn't very good in my opinion.

I will say that I prefer the Mul Kimchi here to the version at Katzya.

Gala Chicken (Inside of Zion Market Food Court)
7655 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

Hope you're having a good Wednesday; whether you're having chicken wings or not!

Hoxton Manor – A Quick Look

April 5, 2022 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion

**** Hoxton Manor has closed

So, I thought I'd better get around to to this one….this is the visit that had me wondering if I should do these "quick look" posts. Hoxton Manor seemed to make a bit of a splash when it opened; mainly on the name of chef Ryan Costanza, who opened acclaimed Dija Mara in Oceanside. And so I thought it might be worth a visit. I went and let the Missus preview the menu and She was all in.

This visit was just before the Omicron surge….we hadn't dined indoors in San Diego for ages and the Missus was really excited to try this discreet, signless restaurant in the former location of the North Park Breakfast Company. So I made reservations for the earliest possible time.

The interior look nicely styled, though the hard surfaces really amplified the sound in the restaurant and the music was very loud during our visit.

The menu looked wonderful; with seemingly reinvented-modern renditions of classic Asian dishes. As is our MO we stuck with apps and starters so we could get a wide ranging set of dishes.

First up was the Duck Confit & Oyster Mushroom Imperial Roll.

This fancy Cha Gio was quite beautiful. However, with all the "stuffs" garnishing it a key component was lost……the wrapper was not crisp/crunchy; more chewy and hard. Good amount of oyster mushrooms, which presented with a nice earthiness but made the whole spring roll overly chewy and we could not make out any flavor from the duck confit.

The Marinated Hamachi was waaaaay too sour.

Man, if done right, the shiso would have added a wonderful anise brightness to the dish; but there was way too much of it, which seemed like a bit of a waste and the pickled cucumber and marinade for the super thin slices of yellowtail just overwhelmed the dish.

We saw some yakitori type items on the menu and were intrigued; so we ordered the Pork Meatball and the Oyster Mushroom Skewers.

The oyster mushrooms were really tough and rubbery and was super salty. I expected a bit more smokiness; as in the "touch of binchotan", but that was lacking as well.

I just had to order the pork meatballs……after all I've often said that whether in San Diego or in Japan (this is the original Yakyuudori in Nagoya); I tend to judge the skill of the cook by the Tsukune (here's one of our favorites from Torito in Kyoto). And even though this was pork not chicken there's the combining of the meat and fat at the appropriate ratios along with how it is mixed…….to make it moist, tender, and almost airy that appeals to me. And adding the perfect amount of salt and tare to create a nice caramelization and crisp exterior as well. I had wondered if Hoxton would be able to do this with pork….and sadly; this was super tough; the tare of nuoc mam might have worked; but this was just too tough and dry.

The best dish of the evening was the Taiwanese Fried Chicken.

The chicken was crisp and light, perfectly seasoned, tender, just a joy to eat. It paired well with the basil; but the pickled cucumbers; sort of like kyuri amazu-ae detracted from the dish.

The last item out was the "Vietnamese Crepe" a version of Banh Xeo. Much like the version of Cha Gio; this was quite over wrought.

It really didn't need an overdose of perilla leaf (Tia To). Also the crepe was not light and crisp, but just hard and rubbery. The pork was very salty and this was just hard for us to enjoy….so hard that we just had to leave most of it.

To say this was a disappointing meal…well……we had not eaten in a restaurant for ages at this point in time and were really looking forward to this meal. The presentations were interesting; but the combinations just didn't seem to work for us. Aspects of certain dishes (the "soul") had been lost. It just seemed more "con-fusion", then fusion, this coming from a kid from Hawaii…you know, the home of Hawaii Regional Cuisine???

You see why I was torn when trying to figure out if I should do these posts based on one visit. In the days before Covid; based on price and the experience we would never have returned and this post would never had seen the light of day and the photos would have been sent to the recycle folder.

Tell me what you think?

The Missus and I always look forward to our dinners out and the pandemic has just magnified how much we missed dining out. We and our pocketbook take no joy when we have disappointing meals.

Hoxton Manor
3131 University Ave.
San Diego, CA 92104

Blossom de Cafe (Poway)

January 31, 2022 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix, Desserts, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

Blossom de Cafe has closed. It will be missed.

mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog, is being written by Cathy today. Kirk is busy.

The Mister and I were driving on Poway Road, looking for a breakfast spot. Across the street from the North Park Produce location, we saw this signage and stopped. Formerly a Bank, the large interior with what looks like former offices with doors and windows removed has open rooms and areas which could be set up for a small, private party as well as a playroom for children. The interior space is efficiently used and (since the building had been a bank) there is a drive through window.

After we were home, I did some research. Blossom de Cafe is locally owned, family run and opened in February 2020. This is another survivor of Covid.

There are menus outside, inside and behind the counter. We were here at breakfast time. The mention of "Croffle" had us curious. We ordered two.
An almond croffle ($5.80) A croissant toasted in a waffle maker topped with sliced almonds! Why hadn't I thought of this?!! Simple, delightful and a refreshing change. The maple croffle ($4.80). Simply toasted with maple syrup. A great breakfast idea.
We also ordered a bacon omelet sandwich (8.99). A better quality, thick white bread filled with a cheesy omelet/scramble and plenty of bacon made this an easily shareable sandwich.
There are coffees, teas, boba drinks, lattes, a great selection of beverages along with (Bingsu) desserts. Bowls and other lunch choices are also available-we will be trying out more of the menu. Soon.

Blossom de Cafe 12305 Poway Road Poway, CA 92064 (858) 842-2211 Open M,W,Th 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Fri and Sat 7-7 Tuesday 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Website

Yang Rou Pao Mo to go from Shann Xi Magic Kitchen

January 17, 2022 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants

**** This location of Shann Xi Magic Kitchen has closed.

My apologies for the lack of posts. The last two weeks have been super busy for me. After finishing up work, I'd just be so fried that the last thing I really wanted to do was sit down at the PC (again, after having it in front of me the whole day). I finally actually had some time to rest this weekend….so hopefully, things will start getting better in the upcoming weeks.

Though getting this text yesterday morning did put me in that "good lord, what next" kinda mood.

Anyway, I was doing some shopping at 99 Ranch Market; the Missus was working and I decided to get something for dinner at the food court to take home with me for dinner. After taking a quick look; I decided to trying some Yang Rou Pao Mo from Shann Xi Magic Kitchen. After all, I hadn't visited since before the pandemic. Plus, after a couple of days of unseasonal warm weather – we hadn't had temps in the 70's since November, things had cooled off and we even got some drizzles….so it was good weather for some soup.

As always, the young ladies working seem to not really want to be here, but I guess I expected that. The menu now seems skewed to Sichuan dishes rather than Shanxi (Jin) dishes…hmmm….. Still I went and ordered the Yang Rou Pao Mo ($12.99) and went shopping. When I returned, I waited and asked a couple of times; before finding out that my order had been lying on the counter for a while…..

I unpacked the container upon arriving home; the soup was still nice and hot. And so I poured everything into a bowl.

And to be honest, this was better than what what I'd had before. I'm not going to beat that "too bad the pao mo here in San Diego is nothing like how it's supposed to be" dead horse anymore. If I ignore that; then I can easily say the lamb was super tender and gamey; there was nice amount of frozen tofu and bamboo shoots and best of all; the broth wasn't overly salty and had just the right amount of white pepper and muttony flavors. This might be the best version I've had in San Diego…perhaps I need to try the version from Green China Grill again?

What was interesting is that; even with the crazy price increases; the Yang Rou Pao Mo was just a dollar more than what I last paid for it in 2019……though now they charge you 50 cents for takeout containers.

Shann Xi Magic Kitchen
5950 Balboa Ave (In the 99 Ranch Market Food Court)
San Diego, CA 92111

Thanks for visiting; I've missed you all and it felt great doing a post again! Have a great week!

Sushi Yaro’s Last Day of Business is December 30th

December 26, 2021 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi

On December 20th I received some sad news……first from FOY "YummyYummy" who told me that Sam was calling it quits as of December 30th. Soon enough I received a couple of emails and then FOY Denver posted a comment on my last Sushi Yaro post from back at the end of March letting me know as well. So, I think I've only dined in for one dinner and perhaps one or two lunches in San Diego since I made that visit to Yaro back in March…..but…..like I've mentioned in an earlier post; I've known Sam for over 20 years. So, ok….I decided to head on over on Christmas day, right at 530, thinking that the place would be empty and it was when I got there.

I ordered some sashimi and chatted with Sam a bit.

Sam is still feeling the residual effects from his stroke and finding dependable staff and supplies and all of the things that go along with the pandemic…..well, he feels he needs an extended break. And after talking to him, I feel he needs time to take care of himself.

On this evening, it was a one man show….and in spite of it being Christmas Day, the phone kept ringing and by the time I left there were 9 more customers in the place. I asked Sam if I could wash dishes or bus tables, but he cracked up for the first time on this evening and said, "I don't have time to train you Kirk-san……"

And so, I'm hoping that Sam will take the time off to take care of himself….I've always said that the relationship from the Itamae to the regular customer is a special one. Especially since I've known him since the days at Katzra, to Sammy Sushi, to Wal Mi Do, and of course Sushi Yaro. And heck, I've even run into FOY Lynnea at Sushi Yaro!

So, if you'd like to visit before he closes his doors on the 30th, unless you go right at opening time, it might be good to call – 858-560-1782.

Yaro will be open from the 28th to the 30th of December. Posted hours are 530pm – 10; but Sam told me he closes early if things are slow.

Sushi Yaro
7905 Engineer Road
San Diego, CA 92111

Good Luck Sam and take care of yourself!