Closed – Page 74

Hao Vi Chinese Restaurant

August 18, 2009 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Hao Vi has closed

If you're like me this is probably the closest you've ever gotten to Hao Vi……

You just kinda zip on by while driving on University, and say to yourself, "one of these days…." Whenever we'd pass by, the Missus would always mumble, "good taste". Which is what "Hao Vi" means. Over the years, there was only one individual I knew who actually ate there. My ears perked up when he mentioned Hao Vi, and when I quizzed him about the place, I was told, "it must be a front…..they had the absolute worst Pho I've ever eaten!" Scratching my head, I said, "isn't the place one of those Chinese-Vietnamese Noodle Shops, that serve Mi?" His reply, "what's mee….hey, there's Pho on the menu, so it must be a Pho shop." Dude needs to stick to writing those "reviews" on the board who we need not name……

And so the place remained on the "one of these days…" list. Until during a conversation with two of my favorite folks, MrQ and his lovely missus YY. MrQ mentioned HaoVi in passing. Which instantly got my attention, I pushed Q and YY for more info, and they filled me in a bit on the place. Which is why I ended up opening that door and entering Hao Vi on a recent weekend morning.

To be perfectly honest, the interior of this place has seen better days, but it looks like they make an effort to keep the place as clean as possible.

The menu is tri-lingual, English, Chinese, and Vietnamese, and Hu Tieu (tapioca or rice noodles) and Mi (egg noodles) appear prominently on the menu.

Without further ado, I'll get to my favorite part of the meal at Hao Vi. Much like Cam Ky, you're served a pork broth as a starter.

Much better then the version at Cam Ky, more "porky" in flavor. You know that there's no way in the world this tastes as good without a little "help" if you know what I mean. But after a sip or two, you really don't care.

On both of my visits the pieces of pork in the soup was soft without being mushy, and hadn't had the flavor cooked out of it.

And this is the free part of the meal.

Like a few other similar restaurants, only bean sprouts and lime garnish the noodle soup dishes.

The weather was unseasonably mild on my first visit, so I decided on the Beef Sate Rice Noodle Soup (Hu Tieu Sate Bo – $5.25):

The portion size was on the smaller side. The sate broth was more like gravy, as it was thick and vicious. In fact, it was just kind of resting on top of the Hu Tieu. When I moved the noodles with my chopsticks it drained to the bottom of the bowl. The flavor was quite strong. When I order Sate Noodle Soup, I'm used to a broth with a couple of tablespoons of sate sauce in it. This tasted like it hadn't been diluted much! It was pretty spicy, and there was the presence of a powerful cinnamon like flavor. It was also quite salty. The beef was tough and forgettable, but the noodles were perfect, chewy, with a nice pull.

It wasn't bad, but the pork broth brought me back a couple of days later. This time I had the Dumpling Egg Noodle Soup ($5.25). Because it was quite hot, I ordered my soup "dry", so a sweet-soy-oyster sauce with bits of ground pork was poured over the noodles.

I gotta say, this dish really didn't do it for me. The hard dumplings had only thin slivers of cardboard like filling, which tasted exactly what it looked like. It was also one bland dish…. except for one thing, MrQ had told me that the Mi always comes out perfect at Hao Vi, and he was right. This was about as good as egg noodles could be prepared, crunchy, but not hard….. just perfect. Unfortunately, I can't say the same thing about the rest of it.

Actually, this wasn't the way I wanted to leave this post. I fully intended on returning and trying the classic Hu Tieu Nam Vang – Phnom Penh Noodle Soup, but I'm just not feeling up to it right now. Maybe one day soon, so this'll have to do until then.

A few details; street parking only, and cash only, the folks here are quiet, and on the serious side, but nice. The restaurant is not as gritty looking on the inside as it would appear from the exterior.

Hao Vi Chinese Restaurant
4451 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92105

El Titanic- Mariscos in El Cajon

August 16, 2009 Cathy Mexican Restaurants, Seafood, What Cathy Eats!

El Titianic has closed. It will be missed.

mmm-yoso!!! is a blog about food. It's written almost daily by a group of friends- Kirk, ed(from Yuma), Cathy and a few others. Here's Cathy!

Hi again. So anyhow…I have driven past this corner- 2nd and Pepper Drive- in El Cajon (Maybe a mile North on 2nd from the I-8 exit) for..um.. years now. I've seen this place. From my car.

Finally one day, I drove in to the parking lot.

Which has painted walls.

As does the interior.

The menu is extensive, with Botanas (the large platters of marinated fish), Cocteles, Coco Estilo Culican (cocteles and ceviche served in a fresh coconut), whole fish, tostadas/tacos/burritos, combination plates, soups, and platters of just fish, shrimp and octopus, served with rice, beans and salad. First, we got a basket of fresh corn chips, salsa and limes and placed our order.

Medium shrimp coctele ($10) came out first. 14 whole shrimp, marinated in lime and served in a not very tomato-y, not very chilled sauce that had cucumbers and onions. Excellent, juicy, large shrimp and topped with sliced avocado. Filling all by itself.

The fish ceviche tostada ($3.50)

came out with the coctele, made just as quickly. Very fresh, with tomato, onion and cilantro, lime juice marinade of course and topped with more sliced avocado.

The Mister and I shared those items while waiting for his shrimp platter, the "Camarones al Popeye" ($12.25) was being made. Salad with a very nice dressing, excellent refried beans and rice and 17 large shrimp, sauteed in butter that was called a cream sauce, but really was butter, and sauteed onions, bell pepper and, supposedly, spinach (making it a "Popeye", which we thought would be fun to order at a place called Titanic) all topped with melted cheese.

We didn't see any spinach, except in the salad. No complaints though. Excellent, fresh flavors of everything. Lots of food.

For some reason, the waitress asked me if I wanted anything else and without thinking, I said I wanted a marlin taco ($3.25) Marinated smoked fish, sauteed and warmed with onions and placed onto a corn tortilla that had melted cheese on it, topped with cabbage and accompanied by a very appropriate hot sauce. A huge portion. A wonderful taco. I love smoked fish. This was perfect.

We did not get any beer, which every other table seemed to be ordering. Our bill came to $31.90. Including tax.

This is part of our 'regular rotation'. 99 cent fish tacos on M-T-W. Breakfast from 10 am-2 pm daily. If you are in East County, stop. Don't just drive by.

El Titianic Seafood 1771 N2nd Street El Cajon 92021 (619) 593-0637

COMC: Stockdale’s Fine Southern Cuisine

August 11, 2009 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Cajun, Southern, and Soul Food

****Stockdale's has closed

You'll be able to tell, how long ago our visit was based on the photos, thus the "COMC" (Clearing Out the Memory Card) preface. We've been meaning to return but I don't forsee that happening in the near future, so I thought it was about time I posted. Actually, getting to Stockdale's was an interesting enough story. Stockdale's had been on my list for a while, and one day the Missus came to me asking about some of those restaurants. I mentioned Stockdale's, and told Her that the restaurant was located in the former location of Papa Doc's.The Missus told me that Stockdale's sounded like a great idea, and made plans for dinner….. without me! A couple of weeks after Her dinner with friends we made it to Stockdale's:

You can tell by the "decoration" about when this was, right? The interior didn't look like it had changed much since it was Papa Doc's.

Because the Missus had tried a bunch of things with Her friends, She was able to make some suggestions regarding the menu.

Based on Her previous visit, She had determined that the Fried Snapper was the best of the trio of fishes offered. and went with a Fried Snapper entree ($11.95):

The Missus was right, the snapper was moist, the breading well flavored, it was spot on. The Missus got Hushpuppies and Collard Greens as Her two "sides". The collard greens were bland and disappointing, and I thought the hushpuppies bland, and on the greasy side. The Missus, who has never met a hushpuppy She didn't like, thought they were fine.

I ordered the Fried Chicken ($11.95). I was told that the Chicken is cooked to order, even on buffet nights, so it would be a 20 minute wait. For piping hot fried chicken? No problem:

The chicken was delivered piping hot, and each piece was fried to a perfectly. I found the flavor to be on the bland side, and the batter to be very light, but not in an unpleasant way. I had also gotten the collard greens. I also ordered smothered red potatoes, which was pretty good. I wish the potatoes were a bit softer, as some pieces were hard. The gravy was also light, but had a nice flavor. In fact, I think smothered chicken might be the way to go.

Knowing that the Missus loves Fried Okra, I ordered some Okra as an extra side:

These were lightly battered and a bit short on the seasoning, but not bad.

We were the only customers in the place during our visit, and found the service to be very warm and welcoming….in a downhome way. Stockdale's claims to serve "Alabama style" Southern Cuisine, but I'm not quite sure what that is. The location is in the corner of a strip mall off of University with there's lots of parking. Stockdale's also offers "all you can eat" buffet nights – I believe 6-8pm Mondays is AYCE Fried Chicken and Fridays is AYCE Fried Catfish, you may want to call to verify. Overall, I thought the food ok, and perhaps we'll return, but I'm not sure when.

Stockdale's Fine Southern Cuisine
6523 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92115

(619) 265-1494

Hours: Mon, Wed-Thu 1100am – 800pm
Fri-Sat 1100am – 1000pm
Sun 1200pm – 800pm

House of Orchid- Korean and Japanese Restaurant

August 6, 2009 Cathy Korean Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is this. The Blog that you are reading. Kirk and ed (from Yuma) are busy today, so Cathy is writing.

Hi. A new place opened just behind China Max about three weeks ago and The Mister and I decided to go there for dinner the other night.

It has only been open for about three weeks now and the staff is very enthusiastic and helpful. Pretty much at all times, at least two, and sometimes three people were at our table asking if we needed anything. The owner also came over to ask us how we liked everything. Twice. The interior is neat and clean, as is the fish tank, which housed a very large, flat, monkfish when we came in. (Whole fish prices range from $75-$150).

We were first served some iced barley (or maybe it was brown rice) tea, placed our orders.

Soon, we each were given these bowls of slightly spicy vegetables and "noodles" made of acorn powder mixed with agar. See those crinkle cut things at the bottom of the bowl? It was chilled and refreshing. A nice interlude.

Soon, The Mister's 8 plates of panchan arrived.

As did my bowl of miso soup (which had a good amount of excellent tasting tofu at the bottom of the bowl).

The Mister's beef bul go ki ($11.50) was tender, well flavored, plentiful and had many onions cooked with it (which all became my onions. Yay!)(I still think someday he will change and like onions, but am getting less hopeful as the decades of marriage roll by).

My Hwe Dup Bop (Korean Chirashi) ($15 at dinner, $11 at lunch) arrived at the same time.

Five types of raw fish and fish eggs on top of some fancy lettuces, on top of some iceberg, on top of warm rice, topped with some sliced seaweed. In a VERY large bowl.

After a while, tasting all of the seafood and lettuces with the sesame oil based dressing it came with, I added the spicy hot red sauce that was placed on the table and mixed up the ingredients for a variation on thesecond half of this bowl of goodness.

We each were given small bowls of warm sweet something which had pine nuts floating in the mix. It was very refreshing and a perfect, light ending to our meals.

Service was more than attentive, with at least two (young) waitpeople coming by to ask us how we were doing and the owner coming out from the kitchen twice always asking if they could help us with anything.

The "Japanese" part of the menu seems to be sushi and rolls are 50% off. There are daily lunch box specials to go for $5.99 and daily roll specials for $4.99.

It is nice and clean, the food is fresh and good. I would not hesitate to go back to try the rest of the menu which includes many stews of kim chee, soy bean, steamed black cod,monk fish and kalbi as well as flat noodles and ox bone soup and the whole fish.

House of Orchid 4698 Convoy, San Diego 92111 (858)776-9205 (858) 277-8949 Same parking lot as China Max, behind that building.

Nazca Grill Peruvian Restaurant

August 4, 2009 mmm-yoso Peruvian Restaurants

**** Nazca Grill has closed

Lately, the Missus and I have been fondly recalling our trip to Peru. And while it's been less than two years since we've been there, we're starting to speak of our trip in that faraway tone….. Funny thing is, as much as we marvel at visiting the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, it is the moments we treasure like walking into a dirt floor shack and grabbing some Chicha de Jora, a frothy alcohol beverage made from maize. And yes, the the fermentation process is actually started by moistening the maize in the maker's mouth. And of course it was the food, from Cebiche at Pescados Captiales, a fantastic meal at Astrid y Gaston, to the meal that was the most memorable, sharing dinner of home made Cuy (guinea pig) with a warm and gracious family in Cusco. You could say we've developed quite a fondness for Peru. So of course we were thrilled when we saw the sign for Nazca Grill go up. And even more thrilled when I noticed that the place had opened.

Nazca Grill now occupies the spot that both Aji Seco and the attached Taco Shop stood. The interior has been freshened up a bit, and in the open kitchen(actually the jerry-rigged kitchen of Aji Seco) stands a rotisserie. This could only mean one thing….. Pollo a la Brasa! Peruvians love their rotisserie chicken. You can't walk a block in Lima without running into a Pollo a la Brasa shop.

And yes indeed, Pollo a la Brasa was featured on the menu, as were Peruvian standards that would make any Peruvian ex-pat's heart sing. Stuff like Papa a la Huacaina, and those "Chifa" (Peruvian Chinese dishes) like Chaufa, basically a fried rice dish, and Lomo Saltado, which is basically a beef stir fry, featuring the unique Peruvian touch by including Papas Fritas (basically french fries). What else would you expect from Peru, where potatoes originated .

Pollo a la Brasa sounded good, but I was in search of something to refresh and revive me from the heat. If this ain't Cebiche weather, I don't know what is! We started with the Ceviche de Pescado ($10.95):

The cancha (fried corn kernals) and choclo (peruvian corn) were perfect and spot on. We really would have preferred a proper Camote (sweet potato) prepared in the Peruvian way, or even some purple sweet potatoes. The fish looked, tasted, and had the mouth feel of what they call "Corvina" in Peru(white sea bass), and was prepared well, with just the right amount of "cooking" from the citrus. It was however, a bit weak in the flavor department, you could say that the "Leche de Tigre" ("Tiger's milk" – the marinade for the Cebiche) lacked claws. It was very bland, which made this much less satisfying than the version at Latin Chef.

The Missus ordered one of Her favorite dishes, Pescado a lo Macho ($10):

First off, I gotta say this place really makes some good rice. The fish was cooked well, but again this was a bit lacking in the flavor department. The Missus prefers a version with a bit more spice and tomato for a nice mildly spicy-tangy kick. It was good, but not great.

Not in the mood for anything hot, I excitedly ordered the Tiradito Nazca ($11.95). I've developed a love for this supposedly Japanese influenced Peruvian dish. Every version of Tiradito I've had has been different. So I've come to think that this dish is a great way of a Chef displaying his, or her individuality, rather than sticking to the basic rules of Cebiche. I've had some fantastic versions, and some versions that looked amazing, but were train-wrecks. But I've never been bored by a Tiradito….until now:

When the dish arrived, the first sentence out of the Missus's mouth was; "where's the rest of it"? This tasted like the Cebiche with a bit of equally bland "crema" on it. No zing, no personality…… I was excited seeing this on he menu, as on my last visit, I learned that Latin Chfe no longer makes Tiradito….bummer.

After dinner, driving home, the Missus texted Her Peruvian friend. When She inquired as to whether he had been to Nazca Grill, he replied "of course". The place had only been open a week! That Peruvian pipeline is mighty strong. When She asked what he thought about the food, he replied that we needed to try the Lomo Saltado and the Pollo a la Brasa. So of course I returned, but this time for take-out.

I started with the Causa Nazca ($4.50).

I often call Causa a "layered mashed potato cake". A layer of mashed potato is covered with a filling, the usual is a tuna-mayo filling, with another layer of mashed potatoes on the top. This was the chicken version, which was pretty good. The shredded chicken was not dressed with too much mayo, so you could still taste the chicken. And who doesn't love mashed potatoes…in cake form. It was topped with a Huacaina sauce, a mild cheese sauce, which added, but didn't subtract from the flavor. Potatoes in Peru have amazing flavor, so I didn't even try to add that to the equation. Looking at my photo, I guess you could always say that this is a mashed potato-chicken salad sandwich, with the mashed potato being the "bread". We enjoyed this.

And of course the Lomo Saltado ($10):

A few years ago, someone made fun of one of my photos of Lomo Saltado. Specifically, the papas fritas….to which I simply replied, "you've never had this before, have you?" 'Nuff said….

This version was good, the meat has a decent chew without being tough, but I thought the dish could have a bit more ooomph, perhaps a bit more tangy-sour flavor. The saltiness was perfect. Again, the rice was perfect.

And of course, I needed to get some Pollo a la Brasa. I ordered a Half Chicken ($11.95), which came with a green salad, papas fritas (of course), and some Aji Amarilla (yellow pepper sauce).

Now truth be told, this place doesn't hold a candle to the woodburning Pollo a la Brasa joints in LA, or even the Peruvian mega-chain Pardo's. And while the flavor is not quite up to the level of El Pollo Inka, it is still quite good. The meat is very moist, soft, but not mushy. The flavor is on the salty side, but in a good way. The Aji Amarilla is bland. The fries….well, who doesn't love french fries??? The salad is your basic iceberg lettuce mix.

I'd have that chicken again. Be it ever so humble, we've got Pollo A la Brasa in San Diego.

The Gentleman who runs this place is named Wilson, who is a very nice, gracious, and accommodating guy. The service is decent, in that casual Peruvian way, and the food gets to your table much faster than at Latin Chef. There are items such as Anticuchos (grilled beef heart) and Sudado, which I assume is Sudado de Pescado, a fish stew, on the menu. I hope they do well!

Nazca Grill
4310 Genesee Ave
San Diego, CA 92117

Hours: Mon-Fri 1130am-10pm
Saturday 830am-10pm
Closed Sunday

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Turo Turo Thursday: Betchay’s Pancit Lumpia & Grill

July 30, 2009 mmm-yoso Chicken Wings, Filipino Restaurants, Sisig

**** Betchay's has closed

It's Thursday, which means it is time for another installment of "Turo-Turo" (point-point) Thursday. In these posts, I'm checking out these little mom-and-pop shops serving what I call "Filipino soul food". You can almost always count on generous portions, and most of the dishes served will without a doubt stick to your ribs. Taking a different approach, I'm just trying out places outside the National City-Chula Vista area. And Betchay's in Rancho Penasquitos is about as far away from there as you can imagine. Located in the huge shopping complex off Black Mountain Road, Betchay's can be kind of difficult to find.

Whenever I visit, I always chuckle. One of the signs for Betchay's overlaps the front of the pet store next door. I'm sure this must cause some customers(and employess) a bit of consternation????

Still, the folks here, are very, very, nice. One young man in particular, is so friendly, polite, and helpful, that I just think he's amazing. In fact, he always asks me if I want some Sinigang with my plates, something that is a request item at most turo-turo joints.

If you asked me if free Sinigang tastes better, I'd say yes without hesitation!

So here's a summary of a couple of items I've had over the last couple months (years?).

There's no way I'd pass up Sisig at anywhere if I hadn't sampled it before. And Betchay's is no exception. In fact fellow pork lovers, I've just created a category for Sisig, for your heart-stopping, artery clogging, enjoyment.

The version here has a good texture, the lechon kawale is still crisp, and it's not drowned in "juice". It does a lack the nice sour punch, and for my tastes is a bit low on the heat scale. It is decent overall.

The Pork Adobo…..

The texture was good, the meat tender. It had enough salt, but was lacking in all the other categories. It was also super oily, and not in the "fei ur bu ni"(rich without greasy way). If you're a frequent reader of my posts, I don't think I'm a shrinking violet when it comes to oil, but man this was just too much……..

There are also Chicken Wings, 3 pieces for $2.25:

This should probably not sit under a heat lamp, as they were soggy and greasy. Also short on the flavor scale as well.

On one of my visits I got my combo-plate with pancit instead of rice, and enjoyed it. More "al dente" than most places, and mostly just noodles, but served as a starch, it does just fine.

As you notice above, I ordered Tocino. And on this day, the Tocino was excellent. Tocino originally is a cured pork dish, so it should be a bit chewy. This version had the perfect amount of chew for me. It was not overly dry, and had a perfect ratio of salty to sweet for my taste.

If you've been to Betchay's, you know that I've only scratched the surface. With the nice service I've had, it's really easy to like the place. On one visit, which was in the morning, I was filling up my soda, when one of the young ladies in the back, leaned out the service window. Not knowing I was there, she started singing in a very sweet voice. When she saw me, she immediately stopped, and gave me an embarassed look. I turned, and gave her a thumbs up, and she gave me the brightest smile.

It's easy to like places like that…..

Betchay's Pancit Lumpia & Grill
13223 Black Mountain Rd
San Diego, CA 92129

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Niu Rou Mania – Hunan Chinese Restaurant

July 22, 2009 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Niu Rou Mian

**** Hunan Chinese Restaurant has closed

Unfortunately, this is one of those PWTSDS (sounds like putdz) posts……. "Posts Where the Sun Don't Shine". I had thought about just deleting the photos, but I don't get up to North County very much, and I'm not sure I'd want to have the NRM here again. So my apologies in advance……

Somewhere, in the comments section of one of my posts, someone mentioned that Hunan Restaurant in Rancho Bernardo made Niu Rou Mein. Being a big fan of NRM, I made sure to drop by when I was in the area.

To be perfectly clear, there ain't anything "Hunan" about Hunan Restaurant except for the name. I had a meal here years ago, and it was totally "ABCDE" (American Born Chinese Dining Establishment). But looking at the menu board, I noticed a section that had various noodle and rice dishes which looked promising.

So I entered the restaurant, and stepped into an alien green world!

I just found the greenish hue somewhat unappetizing, but I've never let stuff like that stop me before. Since I like to keep a low profile, and never use a flash, the lighting made taking photos somewhat difficult. For a while I tried timing my photos to the opening of the front door which would let light into the place. But of course, the wait between photos would have been pretty long!

The women here are pretty nice, and I simply ordered the Niu Rou Mian, which got the lady speaking to me in Mandarin, during my entire meal……. I don't think she ever figured out that I really didn't understand what she was saying!

Soon enough the NRM ($6.95) arrived.

When my bowl arrived, all I could think was "what the Pho?" That's what the broth looked like, Pho….. Though scalding hot, it was insipid, there was just a trace of five spice flavor, and it lacked any of the richness or the beefiness of Niu Rou Mein. What the heck? The noodles were the packaged stuff I buy from 99 Ranch Market, and was cooked well. What was impressive about this bowl was the amount of meat in this bowl. There was just as much meat under the noodles as was on the top!

The meat was tender, but lacking in flavor. I think I just found a NRM for those folks who think Bun Bo Hue is all about the meat, and should taste like "spicy Pho".

An acquaintance of mine loves the ABCDE food from Hunan, so those dishes might be good. I thought the service was very nice and friendly. But I cna get Americanized Chinese in dozens of places less than 25 miles from home.

Hunan Chinese Restaurant
16719 Bernardo Center Dr
San Diego, CA 92128

Open Daily: 11am – 9pm

ABCDE – Panda Country Restaurant

July 20, 2009 mmm-yoso Chicken Wings, Chinese Restaurants

**** Panda Country has closed

About two years ago, I remember sitting and having some sushi. During the meal, I struck up a conversation with a quiet, somewhat serious, intense young man. And of course, eventually the subject of food came up. As we spoke about Chinese Restaurants in San Diego, the young man asked me, "do you know the best Chinese Restaurant in San Diego?" Now I had this guy pegged as an "ABC" (American Born Chinese), so I immediately offered up places like China Max, Jasmine, Emerald, and Golden City. The young man gave me this strange look, and I suddenly felt like a spaz who meant to scratch his eye but ended up with his finger halfway up his nostril….. "It's Panda Country." Is what he said with total conviction. Not placing the restaurant, and wondering if I've somehow overlooked some hidden treasure, I replied "Panda Country?" "Yes Panda Country, and I should know….." And then the inevitable happened, he uttered the phrase that always makes me shake my head, "because I'm Chinese." And to up the ante, he followed up with, "and I'm from New York, and WE know good food.…" Ah yes, the double whammy, "genetics and geography", I suddenly felt like I was reading a review from that "four lettered" website, full of "I know good xxxx food because I'm (fill in the blank race)." And yet, I still couldn't place Panda Country, until I was making the left turn on Genesee at Clairemont Mesa Boulevard……geeez, Panda Country, I've passed this place thousands of times. The place looked like a typical "ABCDE" ("American Born Chinese Dining Establishment" – pronounced Ab-cee-dee).

Nothing against ABCDEs, in fact I was raised eating at places called Kwok's Chop Suey, McCully Chop Suey, Hee-Hing, and Kapahulu Chop Suey. Eating stuff like Cold Ginger Chicken, Oyster Sauce Chicken, Sweet Sour Spareribs, Almond Duck, Kau Yuk, and Lemon Chicken. Not having much in the way of money growing up, meals from these places marked special occasions. And though I'm not a fan of most of what is served in San Diego at places with names like, "New Eastern Panda Dragon Pearl Garden House Cuisine", many ABCDEs serve good solid fare. And yet, for some reason I couldn't bring myself to enter through the doors of Panda Country for two years.

And of course, I waited until an evening when the Missus was tied up, and not available for dinner.

The fairly dark interior of Panda Country looked like your typical time-warp 70's Chinese Restaurant. The theme was….well Panda's of course.

While waiting for my order, watching folks come in to eat, and pick-up take-out orders, I could make out a typical customer profile. I don't want to sound to age discriminant so I'm only going to say, that there was a lot of blue hair, walkers, and canes. On the good side, I felt like a spring chicken!

And though the carvings looked more like some exotic rodent than a Panda, I really dug the chairs!!!

While waiting for my order, between serving and seating customers, I had a nice conversation with the Server who is from "Canton"……no not Ohio, but the city now known as Guangzhou. He was really nice and friendly. I was told that Panda Country has been around longer than he has, which probably put the place at around thirty years or so. When I asked where the Chef was from, I was told Hong Kong. I quickly brightened and said, "the chef trained in Hong Kong?" To which he replied; "no, the chef is from Hong Kong……" Still I really liked this Guy, and the place was fairly hopping when I left.

Somehow I had remembered what I was told to order here, and even ordered a few more for good measure.

Being a big chicken wing fan, I started with some Fried Chicken Wings ($5.50):

These weren't bad if a bit short on seasoning. Not something I'd order again, but not bad.

One of the items recommended was the "Crispy Beef" ($10.25):

The was more like "candied beef", man was it sweet. It truly hurt my teeth. I was warned about this dish being spicy, which it wasn't. I'm sure if you had eaten this at the restaurant, there would have been a bit more "crunch" to it. The beef was one the chewy side, which is perfectly fine with dishes like this.

The House Special Chicken ($10.25):

If I could rename this dish, I'd call it "General Tso Slept Here" as it resembled versions of the dish known as General Tso's Chicken. In case you're wondering about the story of that dish, you can read Fuchsia Dunlop's version either in her Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook, or read Her article from NPR here. The batter on this was pretty good, it held it's crunch on the trip home. The flavor, for such a robust looking dish was bland.

I also ordered the Shrimp in Black Bean Sauce ($11.95):

This was the best dish overall. I could have done without the frozen peas, and prefer green bell peppers and onions to the zucchini, but this was not bad. Good amount of shrimp, a tad over-cooked, but acceptable. Decent amount of black bean and garlic as well. I think that Mandarin Canton and Mandarin make better versions of this dish. The texture of the sauce wasn't overly gluey and gooey which was also a plus.

OK, before I get a ton of poison pen letters telling me I'm a Chinese Food snob, blah, blah, blah…..do me a favor, and think of something they do really well at Panda Country. And maybe, just maybe, I'll pay them another visit. Maybe not….

Panda Country
4455 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

And the next time the best reason someone can come up with regarding food is their race……think twice.

Turo Turo Thursday: Ed’s Filipino Take-out

July 16, 2009 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants

**** Ed's has closed

A bit under the weather this evening, so I'll keep this one short. Last Thursday it was Olga's in Linda Vista, this week it's a small turo-turo shop in Rolando, on Rolando Boulevard a few steps from University.

I actually first ate here in the late 90's when doing some consulting work in San Diego. I last ate here a bit after 2001, just a bit after moving to San Diego. At that time it was known as Leah's Filipino Food and made some decent Filipino eats. I had heard that "Leah" passed on in 2003, but one of Leah's relatives kept the business going.

So here I was almost eight years later, wondering what ever happened to……… An as I made the turn on Rolando Boulevard, was "Ed's Filipino Take-out", looking pretty much like Leah's. Leah's lettering still resides on the window, as if a memorial to Her. I don't recall the place only being open from Tuesday to Friday, but it is now. The interior looks a bit worn, with no tables, well, there's one sort of table that looks like doubles for a desk. Six items on the steam table, and other stuff can be cooked/heated on request. The gentleman (Ed?) was very nice, and when I ordered my two plus rice ($5.14), he asked me if I wanted the Adobo Sauce on my rice. Now that was a nice touch, which just goes to show the heart of this little shop. I chose Picadillo and Pork Adobo as my mains.

I found the Pork Adobo to be dry, a bit tough, and on the bland side.

The Picadillo was pretty good though. Filipino Picadillo is a ground beef and gravy/broth style dish, kind of homey, the stuff like mom used to make.

Not quite up to National City/Chula Vista/Mira Mesa standards, but hey, it was just a bit over five bucks. So in case you just need a "fix", and can't make it to any of those places………….

Ed's Filipino Take-Out Food
4204 Rolando Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115
(619) 582-0013

Yes, I know it's hard to compare it to stuff like this:

So let's not. I still haven't been able to finish off a plate from Tita's in one sitting……..

O’ Yea! Vietnamese Cuisine

July 6, 2009 mmm-yoso Bun Bo Hue, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** O'Yea has closed

Over a year after reading Mizducky's post on the quaintly named O Yea! we finally made it for a visit. You can read all about it in her post here. If I recall, this used to be a Thai Restaurant in a former life. The interior is rather pink…..

The one odd thing is not the color, or any of the decor. In many kitchens you'll here the "ding" of the bell when a dish is ready for pick-up. At OY, you'll hear Big Ben Chime…."ding-dong-ding-dong…..ding-dong-ding-dong"!

The menu is just a tad South of huge, with 96+ dishes ranging from Pho Ga (Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup) to full on Hot Pot Dinners (Lau), and this doesn't include the 30 or so drinks. It's enough to trigger off "Vietnamese Menu Overload".

I decided to order the combination Com Tam pictured on the tabletop ($6.50):

The first thing I always try to note is the fragrance of the broken rice; for some reason it always stimulates my appetite. Unfortunately, the aroma of 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline was lacking. It was appropriate as this dish was basically a "non-starter". The grilled pork was hard, greasy, and tough, though the "Cha" (steamed egg) was moist but bland. The "Bi" was dry, and lacked flavor.

The Missus had Her mind set on one thing from the beginning, those savory orbs of rice flour called Banh Khot ($6):

The Missus, an avowed Kanom Krok fan, had expected something similar with regards to texture; crisp exterior, light at first bite, with a still molten, custard like interior. This was already cold by the time it hit the table, and it was soggy all the way through.

Not a great meal by any stretch of the imagination. Still, I decided that I'd give the place another shot. Though the Missus decided to stay home and have leftovers.

Again, faced with the sizable menu, I was at a loss as to what to order. Not that the very nice young lady waiting for my order was pushy, when she was in fact quite nice……I think she's used to the initial state of confusion. I finally went with the Bun Bo Hue, one of my favorite noodle soups.

When the bowl arrived I was very surprised at the portion size…..it is priced at only five bucks($5):

In spite of the promising appearance, I could barely detect the scent of fish sauce. Nor could I pick up the aroma of lemongrass nor shrimp paste. Tasting the broth confirmed what my nose had not detected. The broth was very bland, annatto colored, salt water bland. The broth was also South of hot. BBH demands a scalding broth to take care of the herbs and vegetables provided. Notice I said vegetables, not garnish. For me the chopped greens are an integral part of the dish.

Too bad because the noodles were prepared well, and in spite of the lack of Cha Lua (steamed defatted pork sausage), there was meat galore in this bowl. The meat was very tender, the brisket full of flavor. The addition of Rau Ram (Vietnamese Coriander) added a nice peppery component to the bowl.

This bowl reminded me of the version at Pho Hoa Cali Express. It's Bun Bo Hue designed for Pho lovers, if you're looking for that, it's waiting for you here. I found this lacking the earthy, spicy, bright flavors of a good Bun Bo Hue.

I had really to like this restaurant; the prices are good, and I had really nice and friendly service. So maybe one of my FOYs (Friends of Yoso) out there can tell what of the 90 plus items on the menu is worth trying????

O'Yea! Vietnamese Cuisine
4660 El Cajon Blvd #102
San Diego CA 92115