Closed – Page 70

Johnny’s R Family Restaurant

December 10, 2009 mmm-yoso Diner

**** Johnny's R has closed

Yes, it's really Johnny's R not Johnny R's…….. If you've been driving on El Cajon Boulevard, how many times have you passed this place? It's right down the steet from Rudford's which has a strange pull on the Missus. It's pretty good when in the mood for a trip to "Diners-ville". Because of that, the Missus decided that we should try Johnny's R, you know, equal time, and all that stuff……

I gotta say, Johnny's R looks a bit prettier than Rudford's, the folks are very friendly, and the attitude is very laid back.

Perhaps a bit too laid back…… we watched as three tables got their food after we placed our order completely finish their meal, pay the check, get into their cars and drive off and still no food. As you can see, the place wasn't very busy. And it's not like we ordered anything too difficult, the Missus got two eggs (over-medium), hash browns(the menu says "home fries", but this ain't that), with rye toast dry($5.50)….they didn't even have to butter the bread.

The toast was perfect, the eggs done adequately, eggs were perhaps a bit under-done for over-medium, but better for soaking up with the toast. The hash browns were terrible….have you ever tried making O'Brien or Hashbrowns in a non-stick pan? Or perhaps with just a touch of cooking spray? You'll never develop a nice crust and your potatoes would be dry as heck, which is what this was. Also, there didn't seem to be a grain of salt on anything at all.

I ordered the Hot Roast Turkey Sandwich ($8.40):

The fries were purely SYSCO, but were fried decently, but lacked salt. The gravy seemed to come from a jar, but was (barely) passable. Who doesn't love white bread soaked in gravy?

The Missus was feeling pretty sorry for Her hashbrowns and Herself, until She saw me pull out my three thin slices of "turkey". As you can tell, calling this "turkey" might be a stretch, and "roast turkey" an even bigger stretch:

Grey, bland, flaccid……. not a great combination. I was quickly wondering what species of turkey this came from. The oddest thought entered my cabeza while looking at this….you know how we're taught to cut "with the grain" or "against the grain", what do you do when there is no "grain"? It really looked like that stuff in packs selling for 79 cents in the deli section. I've had my share of processed turkey, but this was over-processed turkey…….. I rarely add salt to anything I order, mainly because I like to taste the food as served. But in this case, I had to add a ton of salt….though I couldn't bring myself to eat that "turkey". As I stared at my mystery meat, the Missus said to me, "you know, there's a Coco's right across the street….. and I know you've never set foot in a Coco's." (And the Chicken Pie Shop next door, Rudford's, and even a Denny's nearby….)

While we were having our meal, we noticed that most of the customers seemed to be regulars. It's too bad our meal didn't turn out. Even with the very slow service, the folks here are so very, very nice.

In the end, unless we get some great rec's on something from this place, Johnny's not (ou)R Family Restaurant.

Johnny's R Family Restaurant
2611 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92104

Sab-E-Lee 2, Cathy’s visits, so far

December 3, 2009 Cathy Thai Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!is a blog. About food. Written by various friends. Who don't eat out together much, if at all. We just write about our various adventures here. Today, it's Cathy doing the writing.

Hi. Things have been busy for me in the last month or so. Without getting into much detail, one entire day of my life was wasted spent doing my Civic Duty with this view and these vending machines.

On the plus side, I have at least a year until I have to do this again.

(for those of you who don't know, this is the East County Jury Duty room where you are instructed and then wait (and wait) to see if you are called to be screened for a jury).

So anyhow, Sab-E-Lee 2 has opened in my neck of the woods, Santee. It is, in fact, walking distance from my home, less than 2 miles away. It's just that it is uphill to go back, so I have so far only driven here for some meals.

I thought I would share what menu items The Mister and I have had here so far.
Pork Larb ($7.95), hot tea, sticky rice ($2.25). I got this on opening day. Kobe and the crew greeted me so warmly and it was very nice. The larb, of course, was excellent and really satisfied my cravings.

010 The next time, I went with The Mister for lunch (he has been working late and now seems to also get into work late…) and we each got a bowl of 'egg drop' soup, a chicken based soup broth (very rich) with tomatoes and onions. There was a lemon note to it and the egg part was very fine. It was not spicy, as Tom Yum Gai would be.

I got the salted fish fried rice ($8.95), which I had been craving. This also was something The Mister tasted and wanted no part of (more for me!). Perfectly fried rice intermingled with excellent salted fish (kind of anchovy- like in flavor) . This really is one of my cravings.

The Mister got one of the lunch specials- the pineapple curry with chicken ($7.95). This was something we never had had and it was very nice. Moist chicken, a rich, flavorful, coconut milk based curry. The portion size is very large, despite my wonderful illusionary photography skills.

013

On this day, we splurged and got dessert (The Mister really did not want to go in to work). The mango sticky rice ($6.95), The rice is made with coconut milk, when you order it (takes some time) and the mangoes are in season and wonderfully flavored. A seemingly simple yet so complex dessert. A very nice treat for us.

The other evening, The Mister was leaving work late and wanted to know what I had for dinner…I told him "Sab E Lee". He thought I meant take out, silly man.

This is the Prawn Tempura from the "Nibbles" section of the menu. ($7.95)

4 shrimp and carrots, onion and broccoli light dusted in rice flour and fried to a good crispness. It was served with a sweet sauce which I tried but was just as happy eating it plain. Or with the sauce from our primary course:

Fish Garlic ($12.95). This was a catfish I believe. Topped with a wonderful garlic sauce, this seemed to be delicately fried and was served on the fish shaped plate on top of cabbage and carrots. It looks like a whole fish, but was boneless- and the broccoli taking the place of the head was so cute.

The Mister had been craving papaya salad ($7.95)and we had that as our 'dessert'. Spiciness level 2. We wanted to taste the ingredients…

That's all for now.

Sab-E-Lee 2

9157 Mission Gorge Road Santee CA 92071 (619) 328-1568

Open daily 10:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m.

website

Karina’s Mexican Restaurant- Seafood- The El Cajon location

November 23, 2009 Cathy Mexican Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is just a blog, writing about food consumed. Today, Cathy consumed.

Hi. The Mister and I have been in the Rancho San Diego area of El Cajon lately and have noticed places we hadn’t previously. Karina’s is one of those places.
We finally stopped in the other day and were pleasantly surprised.
The bar area is pretty large and has two televisions and the regular seating area is nicely decorated. You can see the type of chairs in the dining area…kind of looks like we are in Mexico. But with air conditioning. Most people had a bucket of beer on their tables. We were here for the food, though.
I had to order a marlin taco ($3.75). Unfortunately, this was the disappointing part of the meal. The marlin was smoked well but it was stir fried with green peppers and onions in some sort of grease and was very salty. I found a few unadulterated chunks and those were good, but the combination of the stir fried flavors and the cheese on the corn tortilla was overwhelming. I still finished it though…
The Mister chose from the appetizer menu-the melted cheese molcajete with both steak and shrimp ($17.95). This photo is not as detailed as I would like, and you can’t see the molcajete bowl (a mortar-no pestle) that is heated and very deep. Filled with a tender, flavorful carne asada and at least 8 very large, juicy shrimp, the melted cheese laden area also was interspersed with sauteed mushrooms, fresh tomatoes and green peppers (no onions). It was well worth the price paid. Apparently you are supposed to enjoy the cheese with tortillas or chips. We did, once we got tired of everything else, but it took us a while.

I decided to at least appear to be healthy and got the mixed seafood salad ($12.50). Tomatoes, cucumbers, mixed greens, shredded red cabbage and shredded carrots along with fresh cooked octopus, tuna and shrimp (not as large as were in the molacajete, but just as flavorful and plump) topped with a light flavored citrus based creamy dressing. There was plenty of seafood hidden under the already mixed lettuces.

Everything here was very fresh and very good. We will be dropping by again soon. The lollipops that come with the bill are made in Mexico and are really good…

Karina’s Mexican Seafood Cuisine 820 Jamacha Road El Cajon 92019 (619)588-4119

Website

Village Grill – El Cajon

November 22, 2009 mmm-yoso Iraqi Food and Restaurants, Mediterranean Restaurants

**** Village Grill has closed

Over the years Cathy has mentioned that El Cajon, and Main Street El Cajon has become an enclave for Iraqi's in the US. A few months back, I was meeting two of my favorite FOYs, Candice and Howie in El Cajon for lunch. I arrived a bit early and decided to drive down El Cajon Boulevard, which turned into Main Street, and I was astounded by the amount of Middle Eastern Markets, restaurants, and snack shops. Coincidentally, I would receive an email later that evening from FOY KennethB, who also mentioned Main Street. So over the last couple of weeks, the Missus and I have been driving East to El Cajon to kinda just look around and eat a bit.

On one of our drives we noticed a small shop doing some pretty good business, and I added it to my "list". It was called "Village Grill".

On this day, we decided just to take a drive down to El Cajon and make our decision when we arrived. Little did we know that today was also the day when the annual Mother Goose Parade was held. We decided to park, and head out on foot, and just stop by somewhere……

I've got to say that walking down Main Street past places called Babylon Market, while passing marching bands, and clowns, and cowboys, and walking into Village Grill, the scent of meat grilling on the vertical spits permeating the air was somewhat surreal. The interior of Village Grill is spartan, with just a few simple tables and chairs. We looked over the one page menu, ordered and sat down at our table watching the parade go by.

One thing about these restaurants….. I don't think you'll ever leave hungry, and you'll soon see why.

First to arrive was the Baba Ghanouj (small – $3.99).

Along with one of my new favorite things in the world, the wonderful flatbread I was told is called "Khubz". The Missus thought the Baba Ghanouj had too much tahini in it. I thought it lacked that wonderful, smokey eggplant flavor. The bread was fine, but served barely warm, and wasn't quite as good as the version at Ali Baba (a post is forthcoming) up the street.

A large plate of "Turshi", various "mezze" also arrived.

I expected the usual pickled turnips, but here it was replaced with a pickled turnip and cabbage flavored with tumeric and other spices, giving it a bracing sour-curry flavor. I really enjoyed it, the Missus did not.

Knowing what I had ordered, the Missus went with one of the "Rice & Stews"; the Okra based "Bamia", this one had beef as the meat.

The stew came with a large plate of rice. We both thought the broth was excellent, rich and tangy, with large chunks of flavorful beef, that looked tough, but was fairly tender. The okra was plentiful, and this would be quite a filling meal. I really loved the whole cloves of tender garlic in the soup, sweet and pungent, it was wonderful.

Of course, this is when my order started arriving. I had ordered the "Village Grill", the mixed meat plate. At $12.99, it was one of the more expensive items on the menu. Things started with a good sized salad.

The Missus loved the salad, which She called "refreshing"….good amounts of citrus and olive oil made this very tasty.

And then my huge plate of meat arrived. This was enough for two people at the least.

The Missus's favorite was the Shawarma Beef, also called "Gus".

This was very moist, with a nice beef flavor, that the Missus said was almost "beef jerky-ish".

Most beef kabobs in these type of restaurants tend toward the tough side, and are sometimes a bit short on flavor. This one was moist with good flavor, and if a bit on the chewy side, I wouldn't call it tough, not by a longshot. It was my favorite meat item.

Of course, that's not to snub the Tekka Beef, which was very moist.

It was also quite tender, and had a decent beef flavor. The rice on the bottom really benefited from the meat drippings.

The only item that I didn't care much for was the Hummus, which again had too much tahini, and not enough lemon, nor any other flavor to carry the day.

This was quite a meal, we left with tons of leftovers, and a full belly. The young lady who works the front of house was very sweet and nice. The prices are very reasonable, and the ingredients, except for the rice are of good quality. We'll be back without a doubt. And because I know folks like RONW love menus, here's a photo of the simple menu at Village Grill:

Ooops, wrong side! (Click to enlarge)

I really think the Mixed Platter for three would probably feed 4-5. And you could always order the Kousi – a 33 pound roasted lamb stuffed with rice.

The best deal here right now is a buy one sandwich, get one free deal.

Village Grill
550 East Main St
El Cajon, CA 92020

El Cajon sure has been full of surprises for us……

Spinners- real fresh and real fast Mediterranean food

November 13, 2009 Cathy Mediterranean Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the name of the blog. A few of us write about what we ate. You read and get to enjoy, or get inspired. Today, it’s Cathy being enjoyable and/or inspirational.

The Mister and I happened to be in the Rancho San Diego area last week and drove past the newly remodeled Ralphs and in that same parking lot, saw this place on a corner..and..you know… stopped.

We ordered, paid, got our beverages, sat down and our food was brought out very quickly.

The menu is simple- chose a “Spinner- Steak (it’s schawarma), Chicken (schawarma again),
Gyros or Falafel.

Then a way of serving it- in a pita, as a sub, on a salad, as a lettuce wrap or on a plate.

This is the gyros salad. A very healthy size serving of Gyros meat, moist and with excellent flavor, served on lettuce with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, green pepper and dressing and sauce. $6.49 and we took home leftovers.

The steak plate ($7.99). A very large serving of the Schawarma, pita, hummus (fresh made and wonderful), pickled turnips and sauce. Again, we took home leftovers.

Here is a photo of the full plate not covered by the pita.

Of course we went back, less than a week later, so we could try other items…and satisfy my craving.

Below is the “Lettuce Wrap” with falafel and couscous(I could have had tabbouleh or couscous with the wrap) ($6.49).

The falafel are very good and substantial with a lightly fried crust and the insides are flavorful chickpeas and fava beans and parsley, as well as some spices.

The couscous was fresh, nicely chilled and had red and green peppers as well as a lot (at least eight) olives as part of the mix.

Bonus!!! The yellow sauce on top of the turnips is a *very* traditional falafel sauce, amba, made with mango chutney- pickled/vinegary with definite mango flavor and pieces. It is perfect with the falafel.

I have rarely seen amba served with falafel.

If you noticed the poster in the first photo- the kebab burger $5.95- this is it. A *really* flavorful piece of marinated kebab meat on a toasted sesame bun with lettuce, tomato, onion and large side of fries. Kebab is not listed as one of the “Spinners” because it is cooked on a grill when you order.

The fries were pretty standard, there looks to be a flavor coating but salt was all we tasted other than potatoes but a lot of people were ordering the “Spinner Fries” ($7.49), the other poster in the window in that first photo. A lot of fries topped with whatever meat you choose and feta, hummus (there is a jalapeno cilantro hummus offered), tomatoes and onions …pretty much one of the plates with fries instead of pita. It seemed to be the popular choice, but The Mister and I just don’t eat fires fries and left a lot of these.

Anyhow, if you are in the Rancho San Diego area and are hungry, this is a very good choice. Very fast and very fresh.

Spinners 2654 Jamacha El Cajon, 92019 (West of the Ralphs in the Kohls Center) open daily 11-9

website

Nha Hang Quoc Te

November 8, 2009 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Nha Hang Quoc Te has closed

When we moved to San Diego the Missus and I tried the two locations of Quoc Te severals times…. and had some horrendously bad meals. It ended up that the only thing I'd ever get at Quoc Te is the Banh Cuon, which is a bargain at a shade over six bucks. Over the last couple of years however, I've gotten several recommendations for the Quoc Te location on University. There were two items mentioned, the Fried Rice, and the Roast Duck. The prices at Quoc Te have always been pretty reasonable so I thought "why not"?

Not much has changed from our previous visits, except the prices which have gone up tad over the years. The dining area is a bit dated, and don't look at the carpet, and you'll be fine. The parking lot, with a very limited amount of parking stalls can be a challenge.

We decided on getting those recommended dishes, and throw in a few more Vietnamese style dishes as well.

So we started with the Papaya Salad with Dried Beef:

This was probably the best dish of the night, served ice cold, refreshing, with a good amount of herbs. The Missus has been craving this in the time since this meal, so we've been making it at home quite often.

Taking the fried rice recommendation, we went with the Shrimp Fried Rice:

This one was almost there. The shrimp was cooked perfectly, just past rare, not allowing the flesh to seize and become too chewy. The rice had a smidge of "Wok Hay" (Guo Chi), that caramelized smokey essence of the wok. On the downside, the dish was quite bland, and needed a good bit of soy sauce and white pepper to bring the flavor up to par.

Of course, I got the Banh Cuon Tay Ho ($6.25):

This was strangely bland for me as well. The only item I enjoyed was the Banh Cuon with the dried shrimp, everything else was very dull…. even the Nem Chua (fermented sausage). Even worse, the Nuoc Mam Cham tasted watered down. It sure looks like I'll have to head to Little Saigon soon for my fix, as this sure wasn't it.

And of course, the Roast Duck ($12.95 – half duck):

This was a bit of an "odd duck", no pun intended. It was very meaty, but sorely lacked a decent flavor….even the "drippings" were bland. The skin was strangely cracker-like, not the usual lacquered look and texture, but crumbly. I think this duck had been deep fried to revive it before serving. Personally, I'd take a more boney duck with good skin and great flavor.

A couple of days later, the Missus and I were chatting about Quoc Te, and how it seems that most of the dishes were just a bit off. So we decided to make another trip up to Quoc Te.

Having thought the papaya salad was pretty good last time around, we started with the Goi Xoai Tom Thit, the Green Papaya Salad with Shrimp and Pork.

Again, the fish sauce based dressing tasted watered-down. Good amount of herbs, specifically Rau Ram, the pork was tough but had decent flavor, and the shrimp was passable. Not as good as versions I've had at Seafood Island or Que Huong, but okay.

We also ordered the Stir-fried Egg Noodles with Seafood:

I thought the calamari and the shrimp were cooked to perfection. The egg noodles were a bit over-cooked. And much like the fried rice, this fell short on flavor and needed a good dose of soy sauce and white pepper.

We also decided to try the Whole Steamed Sole ($12.95). The dish that first drove us away from Quoc Te was a Catfish Hot Pot that was so heinously bad, that it still remains in my memory banks. Unfortunately, this dish would have the same effect on us five years later:

First off, apparently the oil used to top the fish had not been heated properly, and so there was no sizzle, nor wisp of steam coming off this. Thus, this caused the dish to have an excessively greasey feel to it. Also, the soy sauce was not appropriately flavored, and didn't add enough flavor. And worst of all, the oil tasted rancid…….yuck. My tongue was coated with a nasty rancidness that was really difficult to conquer. To add insult to injury, the Missus got a fish bone stuck in Her throat after the very first bite. I don't think we'll forget this dish for a while….for all the wrong reasons….

Nha Hang Quoc Te
4448-A University Ave
San Diego, CA 92105

La Abejita

November 6, 2009 mmm-yoso Sandwiches

The area East of 7th street on "C" is not the most picturesque part of Downtown San Diego. Sure enough, there are abandoned buildings, and the trolley line goes right down C. Certain parts of the area do define the term "gritty". I found myself in the area a few months back, just kinda looking around, when I saw what looked like a trio of restaurants. to the right was Rolando's Taco Shop, a ubiquitous San Diego taco shop, many of which end in 'berto's. To the left was "Lui's Restaurant" which advertised five dollar specials, gyro's, and other fairly honest fare. For some reason, I looked into the tiny shop in the middle, a clean, and colorful shop which advertised "Fresh and Healthy Food", a sign that would usually have me walking in the opposite direction. But for some reason, the shop seemed to welcome me in.

The menu is simple, a couple of sandwiches, some salads, and a ton of juices and smoothies. There was one item that caught my attention, it was the Super Torta, which is what I ordered.

After a short wait my "Super Torta" ($6.49) arrived:

The sandwich itself, is as long as my forearm, and contains two shaved slices of ham, lettuce, tomato, onion, what tasted like mild Jack Cheese, pickled jalapenos, avocado, and thin slices of "Lomo" (Roast Pork). It was dressed with a light smear of mayo. The star of the entire production was the Birote (bolillo), which was toasted to a nice crustiness, I admit that I enjoy certain toasted sandwiches. The roll was also light and airy, and heck if I didn't have flashbacks of Banh Mi in Vietnam; it was that light.

If I would have this again, I'd tell them to put the jalapenos on the side. I love pickled jalapenos, but in this sandwich they overpowered all the mild ingredients. I'd prefer to use the jalapenos as my "pickles on the side" in this instance. In this world of over-stuffed sandwiches, I found this light, crusty sandwich to be just what I needed on this day……..

I guess in the future, I'll pay more heed to those places that say they serve "Fresh and Healthy" food. And I need to finds out where they get their Birote…….

La Abejita
817 C Street
San Diego, CA 92101

Open: Mon -Fri 8am – 3pm

Sab E Lee Santee – A first look

November 4, 2009 mmm-yoso Thai Restaurants

**** This location of Sab E Lee has closed

Often times, a bit of information or a recommendation will allow me to order to the strength of a restaurant. When I first visited Sab E Lee, I was taken by the gentleman who ran the tiny restaurant. He eagerly provided me with the information I needed to order by telling me that the cooks were from “Issan” (Northeastern Thailand), and I ended up ordering to the restaurant’s strength. That was a whole fifteen months, and maybe over a hundred visits ago. Since then, I’ve gotten to know Kobe pretty well, and now with the opening of Sab E Lee 2 in Santee, it’ll be more of the same, right? Well, not so fast pilgrim……… During the past weekend when I went to check out Sab E Lee 2 and ran into Kobe, he shared the new menu with me, and information about the chef at this location. This Chef is more experienced in fine dining, having worked at several four star hotels…. I believe The Sukothai Bangkok was one of the hotels named. After looking through the menu, the Missus and I headed over, East on the 52, off at Mission Gorge, and arrived at Sab E Lee. As I mentioned in my previous post, the restaurant is maybe four times the size of the Linda Vista location, Kobe also showed me the kitchen which is about the same size as the dining area!

After we were greeted by Kobe, and several of the familiar faces, we got under way. First off, please forgive the pinkish tinged photos as the reflection of pink everywhere makes everything…. well, pink.

Kobe told me to try the Kra Thong Tong ($7.95):

You see, from what Kobe told me about the Chef, I figured that one of the streng SEL203 ths here would be what I tend to call “Royal Thai” cuisine, with it’s more intricate presentations, lighter fare, featuring many Chinese and Mon influences. And these wonderful, light, rice flour based pasty cups filled with minced prawns and chicken surely fill the bill. Royal Thai doesn’t mean dumbed down, but it presents itself with a wonderfully balanced flavors and textures. In this case a mild curry background, brought up with a cucumber relish that seems to use palm syrup. And yet, it is not overly sweet, but a very complex dish.

The Plaa Shrimp($8.95) was a good second choice:

Butterflied shrimp are quickly charred, and left in a “rare” state. The bracing and spicy lime sauce finishes off the “cooking” process. We quickly noticed that this chef uses a good bit more lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves in his dishes. The spice level was excellent, courtesy of Thai Bird Chilies, and with the slices of raw garlic and Thai Eggplant, this is a dish that would be right at home at Sab E Lee on Linda Vista.

The third dish we ordered was the Pine Cone Fish (Halibut – $16.95):

I’m sorry to say that my photos don’t do this dish justice. It is a good-sized Halibut, de-boned, crusted with panko and placed into the shape of a pine cone. The fish was fried to perfection, soft and tender. The line-chili-fish sauce dip was good if a bit salty. Kobe brought out a little dish of tangy tamarind based sauce which the Missus loved. Kobe told us that it was the sauce used for Three Flavored Fish, which is what we’ll be ordering in the future.

Overall, this was a wonderful meal….lovely presentations, well prepared food, and the prices weren’t too bad. And yes, there’s Koi Soi, Catfish Larb, and many of my other favorites on the menu. But I thought it would be good to play to the Chef’s strengths, and I think he did a great job. I’ll do my Koi Soi comparison on another day…..

Sab E Lee 2
9159 Mission Gorge Road
Santee, CA 92071

Revisiting the Rotation: Sab E Lee, plus more info on Sab E Lee 2

November 1, 2009 mmm-yoso Thai Restaurants

**** This location of Sab E Leee has closed

Yes, yet another post on Sab E Lee, though I'll keep it mainly to photos. Sab E Lee has only been open maybe 15 months, but has become a regular stop for us. As the weather gets cooler, I notice that we've started to transition from the various Larb and Beef Salads to more hearty dishes, like the Chicken with Spicy Mint Leaves:

And other stuff……

Though there are some dishes that I just won't give up, like the Spicy Raw Beef (Koi Soi):

Since we've been eating at Sab E Lee, I've never had to declare a "heat level". Kobe always knew how spicy we wanted our food to be. In the case where I was having lunch or dinner with friends, I'd always ask for things "less spicy", or in one rare case, "Lao Spicy"……. When having dinner with FOY JohnL, who told me that he could eat spicy, I ordered everything "less spicy" except for the Koi Soi, which I asked to be "the way I like it". Poor John could only eat one spoon of the Koi Soi….. Which got me wondering what level of heat was being ordered for the Missus and I. Also, since Kobe was soon to be manning Sab E Lee 2, I'll be having to tell the folks here how spicy I want my food. On one of our last visits, we asked Kobe what heat level he assigns to our dishes. The answer was surprising, most dishes are a 7, except for the Koi Soi, which is a 9!

And of course, the intimacy of Sab E Lee always means there's an interesting conversation floating through the air around you…… In this case, an over-dressed (for Sab E Lee) middle aged WASP couple, sampling some Pad Thai, Tom Yum, and Panang Curry (sigh…..Candice, Howie, and I have had conversations about this trinity). Female in a stage whisper; "this tastes really different…." Male: "yes, something's wrong, this doesn't taste anything like Taste of Thai and Thai House."

I really wanted to scream, "Amen brother, and I hope it never does……"

Sab-E-Lee Restaurant
2405 Ulric St
San Diego, CA 92111

More info on Sab E Lee 2:

Since I was in the area this morning, I decided to drop by and check out the new second location of Sab E Lee, which I posted about here.

The first thing I noticed was the size of the parking lot……..it looks like they won't be short of parking! So I snap my photo, and I hear a friendly little honk from a car to the rear of me….. and it's Kobe and his crew. I am so busted…… Kobe's all smiles, though he does look a bit tired. So I get a nice little tour of the restaurant, which is medium sized, but not large by any means. There's room for more tables and growth. Kobe told me that everything is on track, and they will opening for lunch at 11am tomorrow.

I also got a look at the menu, which is pretty hefty, with about three times the amount of dishes that Sab E Lee has. Luckily, many of our favorite dishes are on the menu (click to enlarge photos):

It does seem that some of the dishes from the Thai Restaurant at this location was kept, and the menu has a strong Bangkok Thai influence.

"Superwild Shrimp" sounds interesting, and there's Miang Kum and Kra Thong Tong.

To me, Sab E Lee is a wonderful success story. From a tiny hole-in-the-wall, to a second restaurant in fifteen months is quite an accomplishment. When we first moved to San Diego, the lack of the type Thai Food we enjoyed (non American-Thai) was a bit, well, depressing. We found a couple of places, that served a few dishes that we enjoyed. I distinctly remember a conversation with the owner of one of these restaurants. They had a few good dishes, and when I asked about some of our favorite Thai dishes using ingredients that I was used to eating in Thai Town I was told, "we could never have that on the menu. People in San Diego would never eat that, and it is economical suicide. There's no way a restaurant in San Diego could serve those dishes with Thai ingredients and survive." In a way, he is an excellent business man, as his restaurant empire has now expanded to several restaurants. But Kobe and crew has also proven him wrong…..you can get good un-Americanized Thai Food in San Diego. And I hope this is only the beginning…….

Some other info on Sab E Lee 2 – Grand opening date is Monday, November 2. Kobe also told me that during the first week, there will be a 15% discount on most dishes. So there you go…..

Sab E Lee 2
9159 Mission Gorge Road
Santee, CA 92071

Open Daily 1030 am – 930 pm

619-328-1568

Revisiting the Rotation: The Seasonal menu at Ba Ren and a Beer Week Dinner

October 28, 2009 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants

As I slowly recover from a terrible cold, I thought a nice way to get back into the swing would be a post on one of our two favorite restaurants in San Diego; Ba Ren. I know you all must be tired of my Ba Ren posts, but I promise a coupla new wrinkles, so if you'd like to come along…..

The Current Seasonal Menu at Ba Ren:

Over the years, I've tried to do posts on the changing seasonal menus at Ba Ren. I used to attempt to translate what some of the better dishes on the menu were, but no longer will have to do so.

Why? Well, turn the placard around……

And you now have English translations! But in case you're interested, we've had the chance to sample a few of the dishes……

#1 Ba Ren Fish Soup:

Though the fish was prepared to a perfect buttery soft texture, we found the broth to be a bit flat, tasting basically like Huo Guo (hot pot) broth. This was good, but not great.

#2 the Fried Spicy Lamb Ribs is a carryover and a photo can be found here.

Knowing the Missus's love of steamed eggplant; item #4 Steamed Eggplant with Chopped Red Chili was a no brainer:

The chilies on this dish are pretty potent, and different from the usual fresh chilies used in most dishes at Ba Ren. These chilies are pretty spicy, enough to turn your skin a bright red to the touch, as in a mild first degree burn. I enjoyed the garlic, soy, and the mild sweetness in the dish. The eggplant had been peeled before what I believe is a mild steaming, cooking the eggplant, but allowing for the flesh to keep its firmness. The Missus had expected something akin to the steamed eggplant I make at home, and was a bit taken aback by the dish.

#7 Dry Cooked Mixed Mushroom:

What seemed to be a great idea, fell a bit short, as we both felt it lacked "heft", and could have been a bit more savory for our tastes.

#8 Steamed Fish Filet with Green Onions and Red Chili:

This dish was a winner, and a new favorite of the Missus. The fish, as usual was prepared with skill, but those chilies, the same as on the eggplant dish was lip-burning hot. Of course, we always go for "spicy" at Ba Ren, and this one left a bright red ring around the Missus's lips. The dish wasn't just blasting hot, but also had a nice mildly sweet, soy based sauce. As a matter of fact, I really enjoyed the bean thread lying in wait, drenching up the the sauce (along with the heat from the chilies), on the bottom of the dish.

And of course, there are the old favorites………

Yes, Ba Ren is still on our rotation.

4957 Diane Ave
San Diego, CA 92117

Beer Week at Ba Ren?

A few weeks back, Josh Silberman contacted Candice and myself. Josh mentioned San Diego Beer Week, and an idea he had for doing a Beer Week "event" at Ba Ren, which he thought would be a nice change of pace amongst all the other multitude of events. First I had to find out what San Diego Beer Week was…… and after reading the "What is San Diego Beer Week?" page on the Website, you'll be pretty well informed. In a nutshell, it is 10 days of events showcasing San Diego's craft beers and breweries.

We met at Ba Ren, and went through a good number of dishes and beers, and Josh and Andy Waer matched up the favorites with various local craft brews, and we were off!

Now I'm pretty much a neophyte when it comes to local craft beer….. I mean, I enjoy a nice Ballast Point, Stone, or Alesmith brew on occasion, but hanging with these guys is a view into another world….

Andy Waer is a certified "Cicerone", which is basically beers' equivalent of a Sommelier. Which means he lives, breaths, and thinks….beer! So in case you're interested in attending, you can find more information, such as the beer and food selection here.

Tuesday, November 10th.

Of all the selections that impressed me, I think it was Andy and Josh's ability to pair a beer with the Eight Treasure Rice Pudding that surprised me the most! Beer, with dessert??? Shows you how little I know……