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Crepe World-on Convoy, dessert crepes after a quick meal at Chopstix

August 30, 2009 Cathy Desserts, Japanese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog and today Cathy is blogging. Because Kirk and ed (from Yuma) are eating.

Hi. The other day, The Mister and I went to Chopstix and got large bowls of soup, because at 96°, with 18% humidity, it just wasn't warm enough for us. The top one is the miso ramen and the bottom one is the dumpling ramen. Each about $6.50, huge, tasty, warm. When we were done, we walked out and wanted dessert. We thought about Yogurt World and Tapioca Heaven, but this new building is closer when you walk across the street. Crepe World. (The Nice Young Lady who waited on us was wearing a Yogurt World t-shirt; I did not ask if they were owned by the same people)It is right on Convoy, so you don't have to encounter what I like to call the 'parking lot from Hell'. It was not crowded. As in, we were the only people there, our order number was 13 and it was 6:41 in the evening…I think this was the second day of it opening. A large area, lots of tables and chairs and some park benches for seating…a rather extensive menu of savory (takoyaki, various 'sandwich crepes') and sweet crepes and waffles. There is a website on the business card, but it is not set up yet. We ordered and each crepe was served up in pink paper cones. (click to see full photo)(Typepad is acting strange again) I chose the #20, red beans with custard and bananas ($4.58). It was huge and filled with all the ingredients. The crepe was light and crispy on the edges. The custard was light and eggy tasting, the red beans were sweet and tasty. The Mister chose the #15- a fruit crepe stuffed with Nutella® and fresh strawberries ($3.68). The same delightful crepe, filled with nutty, chocolate-y Nutella® and sliced juicy, flavorful strawberries.

A nice ending on another hot, but not humid, day in San Diego.

Crepe World 4646 Convoy #102 San Diego 92111 858-268-8388 Website (listed on business card)

It’s Fry-day: Imperial Fish Market

August 28, 2009 mmm-yoso Cajun, Southern, and Soul Food, Seafood

**** Imperial Fish Market is no longer

Imperial Fish Market is a favorite of a FOY (Friend of Yoso), he swears by the Fried Snapper here. I arrived at the shop located on Euclid just at opening time.

When they say, “you buy – we fry” they’re not kidding! A good variety of fish and other seafood is displayed in a large case.

I placed my order with the older gentleman at the register…. he hollers out the order, one of the young men grabs the fish I ordered and passes to another young man, who asks me “plain or spicy” (need I really say how I ordered it?), dredges the fish in what looks like a cornmeal based breading.

And I go and check out the hot sauce collection…..

And for me to file away that they carry Crystal Hot Sauce and Camellia Beans for future reference. My order was ready with a pretty quick turnaround. As I grabbed my package, the gentleman pointed to the dispensers and told me to, “make sure you get some sauce and ketchup.”

Staring at the package sitting next to me on the drive home, I wondered how our lunch would stand up after the twenty minute or so drive home. Taking the package to the dining table, I opened up the paper bag, and opened up the paper covering our lunch…. and was met with two slices of wheat bread!

Wheat bread? What was this, health food????

Nah…. after pushing aside the bread I saw my Two Piece Fried Red Snapper Basket ($8.99):

The fries were straight from SYSCO-land, not that I expected otherwise. The cornmeal breading held up well from the trip home. It was on the thick side, quite gritty, but still crisp. Even though I ordered the breading spicy, it was quite mild, and needed a good dose of hot sauce. The filet itself was dry, and tasted on the fishy side, not a good sign for a usually mild flavored fish.

I also ordered a two piece basket choosing Sand Dabs as the fish:

I haven’t seen Sand Dabs much in San Diego. The Sand Dabs were much better than the snapper, moist and mildly sweet. Of course we had to contend with bones and such, but this wasn’t bad.

I also got an order of Deep Fried Okra ($3.99):

Like the other items, the breading was very thick and gritty, not necessarily a bad thing, but the okra was underseasoned and the flavor of stale oil was prominent. Not good eats.

Next time I visit Imperial Fish Market, I’ll take a good look at the fish in the case rather than just looking up at the menu and ordering. Lesson learned…..

Imperial Fish Market
494 South Euclid Ave
San Diego, CA 92114

Mariscos Los Koras

August 27, 2009 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Seafood

**** Mariscos Los Koras is now Mariscos Altata

While on one of my "drives" I was headed for the I-805 North onramp on Market Street, when this fairly large shop caught my eye.

Instead of getting directly on the freeway, a drove a bit further and made a u-turn. The place looked promising for a few reasons; first there were five vehicles in the parking lot, which means, in addition to any "prop" cars (the cars of the employees parked out front to make the place look busy), there were at least a few customers. Significant because this was 9am on a Sunday morning. And the Coat of Arms of Nayarit, one of the Coastal States of Mexico that borders the Pacific that is well known for their seafood.

A few days later, the Missus famished, and the heat getting to me (it really doesn't take much for us San Diegans), we made our way down to 43rd and Market.

The interior is packed with tables and chairs, and is very…..green, to reflect the ocean theme I guess. The young man who greeted us at the door with a big smile, wasted no time in getting us some chips.

And a nice, slightly picante, smokey, salsa.

And the inevitable standard of most Mariscos operations, a basket of saltines…….

The chips were a good thing, because it took us quite a while to navigate the menu.

I decided to start with the Aguachile Tostada, which arrived in a few minutes.

This was nice and refreshing, with a good bit of heat to it. The shrimp still retained a nice toothsome, meaty texture, without the gumminess of "over-cooked" (by citrus) camarones. I was surprised at the amount of spice that came off this. The Missus also enjoyed this as well.

The Missus "started" with the Vuelve a la Vida, the mixed seafood coctele:

When the chalice arrived, the first thing we noticed was the lack of any tomato in the cocktail. This was a first for us, as I've always had tomato water/ juice/ clamato in versions of this previously. Maybe uber Food Blogger Masa Assassin can clarify that for us. The liquid was pleasantly citrus-y, with the flavor of seafood in the background. The fruits of the sea residing in this goblet were very fresh. The Missus and I both thought the scallops and shrimp stood out. And I enjoyed the huge freshly shucked oyster. Still, the Missus missed the presence of tomato, which leads me to our next question. The young man brought out a bottle of ketchup with our plates….were we supposed to put that in the coctele? At first I thought they were just using the ketchup bottle for their own sauce, but I squeezed out a bit onto my spoon and tasted it…. it was ketchup.

I also ordered a Marlin Taco:

The taco had been deep fried, a la pescadillos, and reached the table sizzling. The taco had reached a level of sinful greasiness, that would qualify this as a guilty pleasure. The smoked marlin had a nice, not too over-powering flavor. And though this was not on the scale of Mariscos German, it was still good.

In case your thinking that the Missus was done….well She wasn't. She also ordered the Filete Los Koras:

The fish was cooked to perfection, moist without being overcooked. I loved the sauce, a green concoction with a nutty, garlicky flavor. Also of note were the beans, which had a strong smoked flavor that I enjoyed. This was our favorite of the day. The Missus wiped almost everything out, and I finished up the sauce and the beans. We had cleaned everything up, to the amazement of the young man serving us.

As we walked out, we saw three guys destroying a whole grilled fish and fixins' (Sarandeado?)…. I don't think too many folks leave here hungry…..

Mariscos Los Koras
4297 Market St
San Diego, CA 92102

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Cooling off by turning up the heat? More from Sab E Lee

August 24, 2009 mmm-yoso Thai Restaurants

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

I've been wondering why I crave spicy foods when the mercury rises…… it's a strange thing. Eating spicy food can make you sweat, which I do more than my share of, inducing the body's cooling mechanisms. Or perhaps it's the endorphins released by capsaicin, creating that "chili -high"…. who knows. I do know that I crave certain spicy dishes when it heats up; Sichuan Hot Pot need not apply, but by all means bring on the Larb! Since Sab E Lee made our rotation, I've pretty much stopped taking photos. Really, how many Sab E Lee posts can one deal with.

However, on some recent visits, I managed to whip out the camera, so here goes. My brow is damp already…

I'm pretty sure regulars readers are just waiting to see a photos of Koi Soi/Koi Nua, the spicy raw beef salad that is probably my favorite dish at Sab E Lee. But I've decided to leave that out of this post….mainly because everyone knows Ilove the stuff, it's become kinda, well, predictable. So predictable that when some FOYs dropped by for some drinks and eats, they brought along… youguessed it Koi Soi from Sab E Lee. And not just one order, but two!

Speaking of predictable, I've long noticed that most of my photos, like this one of the excellent Catfish Larb ($6.95), all look the same. It's the eye from above look….

So here's a better shot, of the savory, salty, citrus-y, Catfish Larb. The flavors are pushed along by the roasted rice powder. There have been times when the catfish was less than stellar, but when it's on, the combination of textures is wonderful.

And of course, I just can't get away from that up from above shot, like in the case of the Bamboo Shoot Salad($6.95):

The savory fish sauce, when combined with the bright citrus flavor and crisp bamboo makes this a refreshing dish. The woodsy and mildly smoky flavor of the bamboo, I believe from the chemical para-cresol adds depth to the dish. When JohnL, a FOY (Friend of Yoso) had dinner with me one evening, he enjoyed this dish so much, went back for more the next day. Unfortunately, it was Monday, and Sab E Lee was closed. He had to wait an entire day for his fix.

I've covered our little dilemma of which beef salad to order before, but we still have the same problem. On some days, it's the Nahm Tok ($6.95):

Yes, yet another "bird's eye view". The Nahm Tok is a nice, savory, mildly sweet beef salad, the heat is slow burning, provided by dried chilies and chili paste. With nutty accents provided by the roasted rice powder. It is more suave and subtle (perhaps not the right term) than the Yum Nua, the Beef Salad ($6.95):

Fresh chilies, onions, and raw garlic give this dish some teeth! As you see, on occasion, the addition of Thai Eggplant adds a mild astringency, though it is nowhere near as bitter as Lao versions of this dish. It is upfront, in your face, and plain delicious.

And of course, you'll need an "eye in the sky" shot, right?

In the end, though my photos may be, as the Missus calls it, "boring and predictable" (I call it consistent), what Sab E Lee puts out on a daily basis is definitely not boring……

Here's a few other photos, just because:

The Salted Fish Fried rice….sooo good, but politically incorrect, don't take it back to the office with you.

Chicken with Spicy Mint Leaves:

Hope everyone had a great Monday….. I gotta go practice some new camera angles!

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

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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