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Taco Kings-where birria is the thing

August 17, 2021 Cathy Taco Shops, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, this blog about food, hopefully is a respite in your online browsing. Cathy is writing today while Kirk is busy with several assignments at work.

A 'new' place for The Mister and I to stop (in addition to our 'usual', K-n-B lunch) before shopping at Windmill Farms opened only six weeks ago. Taco Kings is at the opposite end of the storefronts in the neighborhood shopping center.

It used to be several different taco shops, so we didn't expect much. The dark wood interior with metal seating and accents is very modern.
The tacos here are 'street' size and enough for a light bite. The quesataco ($4) includes the layer of cheese in addition to the beef stew meat, cilantro and onion. It is a good beef birria, even though we do prefer goat or lamb, which are not a choice here.
We went on a Thursday and the 'birria ramen' was $6-regular $12. A very large styrofoam cup with ramen, broth/consomme and large amount of beef birria along with cilantro, onion and sliced radish. We really liked this version. I'll speak about other versions in another post.

We looked at the menu and noticed other 'daily' specials and returned on a Monday.

Birria Pizza-$12 (regular $16)
The fork is for scale. There is a tremendous amount of beef birria sandwiched between two large tortillas, easily enough meat to make three large burritos. It was our lunch and dinner.A pretty thick layer of cheese on one of the tortillas to accompany the non-brothy birria. You need a fork and knife to eat this. The three (very well made) salsas, along with limes and radish add a nice variety to the flavor to the beef. (If you've not read my prior posts; I tend to eat items as served for the first half, then try the rest with condiments at the end of the meal, which makes it a whole new meal.)

We have had other items here and those are good, too. These were just different items than most taco shops offer. It's nice to find a surprise new place.

The other daily specials are: Tuesday: two street tacos $5, one fish taco $1. Wednesday: one adobada taco $1.50 Friday: Michelada $6

Taco Kings 6358 Del Cerro Blvd San Diego, CA 92120 (619)287-8541 Open daily 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

The Rule of Three – Revisits to GyroGrill, LouZiana Food, and Smack’N Guamanian Grill

August 4, 2021 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Cajun, Southern, and Soul Food, Greek Food, Guamanian/Chamorro, Sandwiches

So, I recently started returning to places fairly close to the office and when setting up this post I noticed something about three of these places. The number three comes into play. All three places are on Miramar Road. This is my third post on these places since the pandemic started…..yes, it’s been that long. And all three are, well….take out visits. The one big difference is in my ordering mechanism.

So here goes.

GyroGrill:

**** GryoGrill has closed

Gyrogrill actually opened during the pandemic and my first post was back in October of last year.

Since service and turnaround is fairly quick at GG….a big plus is that they open at 9am so I can get our lunches at around 10 and the place is empty and the parking lot isn’t crazy. I actually order at the restaurant.

As I mentioned in my follow-up post, I….and my coworkers basically get one thing here. The pork gyros combo with handcut potatoes.

So even though the pork gyros here isn’t in the same league as Zgara, it’s sometimes a bit on the dry side and could be more aggressively seasoned, it’s way better than the ubiquitous Kronos stuff you get almost everywhere else. Decent pork flavor and everyone enjoys the crispy hand cut potatoes. And I’ve kinda gotten used to the really thick Tzatziki.

Gyrogrill
6780 Miramar Rd.
San Diego, CA 92121
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 9am – 7pm
Sat 9am – 6pm
Closed Sunday

LouZiana Food:

**** LouZiana Food has closed

I think I’m pretty good at taking direction and on my last post on LouZiana Grill back in January of this year, “FOY” Dereck wrote this in the comments:

“Kirk, I don’t know how you can get out of there without a roast beef po boy. It isn’t like the debris sandwiches from NOLA, but it sure as hell does taste good when I want a fix!”

So, ok I decided to try the roast beef po’ boy. My mechanism for ordering here (there’s no online ordering) is to call in. LZ can get a bit busy at times and I still am a bit put off by crowds. The folks working are always friendly and my order is always waiting when I arrive.

I mentioned in my previous post during the pandemic, that I’m not a big fan of the bread here. But in this framework it does real well. Because sheesh…..

Oh geez, look at all that remoulade sauce! But that bread holds up real well and is almost tailormade for all that mayo goodness. In fact, when I bit into one end of the sandwich…it basically “sharted” remoulade out the other end. Luckily, I ate over the wrappers! The sauce was fairly balanced; not too much sour-pickle juice tones, though I like my remoulade to be more garlicky and spicy this was not bad. Standard issue shredded iceberg and tomatoes. The one thing about not having and overly strong sauce is that I could actually taste the roast beef.

A messy, but pretty good sandwich. Thanks for the recommendation Dereck!

LouZiana Food
7128 Miramar Rd.
San Diego, CA 92121
Current Hours:
Daily 11am – 8pm

Smack’N Guamanian Grill:

**** Smack’N Guamanian Grill has closed

Much like GyroGrill, I pretty much get the same thing from Smack’N Guamanian Grill during my pandemic takeout visits. The Chebot Plate, the combo of BBQ Chicken and Kelaguen (I sub out an extra scoop of Kelaguen for the cabbage slaw), with Red Rice. Smack’N has online ordering which I use.

And even though on my previous two pandemic visits the chicken was “masked” (i.e covered with foil)….I guess with new CDC guidelines, masking is now optional!

Smack’N has been pretty consistent over the last couple of visits and I know what to expect. The Kelaguen is very moist, though lacking in coconut tones and spice. It’s not overly salty, has mild citrus tones, and is quite easy to take. The finedene is also fairly mild as well. I actually take the Kelaguen home and use my homemade finedene…..because, as you can tell, this a generous amount of food.

The BBQ Chicken is nicely grilled, fairly tender, and has really good salt-soy balance. It’s much better than what you get from many of those “Hawaiian BBQ” places.

The Red Rice does a fine job of soaking up the chicken drippings and is quite moist.

Smack’N Guamanian Grill
9506 Miramar Rd.
San Diego, CA 92126
Current Hours:
Mon – Sat 11am – 7pm
Closed on Sundays

You know, it’s hard to believe that I’ve now done three posts on these places during the pandemic……it just seems to go on and on. My hope is that the next time I do a post on one of these places; I’ll be eating in and the worse will be but a tiny speck in our “rearview mirror”.

Take care everyone!

Zion Market Food Court-eating in

July 22, 2021 Cathy Korean Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Today, mmm-yoso!!! is being written by Cathy.

Before The Mister and I go food shopping, we try to have a small meal. Most markets have a steam tray area or nearby restaurants with the same ethnic foods, so we get an idea of what we might buy inside the grocery store. Zion Market does have a prepared foods area, as well as a food court area (the building used to be a K-Mart and is very large). We can buy inside the market, pay, then sit at a Food Court table.

However, during Covid and all the restrictions, we chose to give our business to the storefront restaurants in the Food Court area. All of them.
  This post began in late June of 2020. As of now, just assume most every entree is around $12.

Wok Bar- Mabo Tofu. Plentiful, spicy hot and good on a rainy day. The soft tofu and ground pork, along with the creamy spicy sauce is very satisfying.
Gala Chicken (it used to be inside the Market). The three piece leg combo (or you could get wings or chicken strips) is a perfect size. The chicken is lightly breaded and crispy. The Mac salad is lightly dressed and the shredded cabbage and its dressing are just the right sides to go with the rice. $1 for the side of radishes because it tastes good.
The generically named storefront has a great version of Bibimbap.
When it was packed 'to go', it was just as tasty and plentiful as the 'for here' version.
The pork katsu is a good choice when you are craving crispy. The Mister loves the choices at Poke U.
The medium size bowl is quite large, includes four scoops of marinated seafood, a base of rice and/or salad, cucumber, seaweed and krab. There are about six sauces and eight shakers of seeds and spices you can have mixed and matched on top.    There are also Bento box options  as well as some appetizer-ish sides (takoyaki) for about $5.
  The former CDD Tofu and Grill changed hands sometime in 2020.
The bulgogi platter is quite large, very flavorful and the side of calamari ($4) made for an easily shareable meal.   The Bibimbap here is wonderful and almost always a choice… But there was this day when I thought…'hmmm, a Tuna Mayo Bowl", let's try that. Then I ordered the side of sweet potato.
Oh my! Tuna, mayonnaise, rice and lots of seaweed. Perfect, simple, wonderful. The sweet potatoes were lightly breaded and fried and just, well just all of this was a perfect meal. This place. The menu is loosely translated. Number Seven. The receipt says Tangsuyuk. Get it.
No, that isn't styrofoam. It is magic surrounding tender pork. It is addictive in texture and flavor. The vegetable dipping sauce that comes with it is warm. It's really good. The yellow things are radishes. A wonderful surprising meal.
Paris Baguette. So many choices. We have been stoppng here and picking a dessert to take home. The lemon meringue croissant is one of the seasonal choices. Get it.  The coconut cream croissant, also seasonal, also wonderful.
Everything here is good.

Sadly, Cocohodo closed in May 2021. We would stop to enjoy a small, sweet treat if we were not going to go to Paris Baguette. This was where I saw the infamous 2020 Covid Concoction, Dalgona Coffee, being sold. I never was sure I made the simple recipe correctly at home and really liked the thick version here.

Always interesting and always good. The Food Court here is unique.

Zion Market Food Court 7655 Clairmont Mesa Boulevard 92111

Our dear piano playing teddy bear has gone into isolation. Damn Covid!

Boss Bird Kitchen – B(efore)C(ovid), D(uring)C(ovid), D(uring)R(eopening)

July 14, 2021 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Chicken Wings, Sandwiches

**** Boss Bird has moved to La Mesa. This location is now Kusina

Here's a post that was 17 months in the making. Chicken Sandwiches…..especially Nashville Hot Chicken has become (yet another) fad in recent years. And back in February of 2020 Boss Bird Kitchen took over the spot that seems to be a revolving door of restaurants; being Capetown Bar & Grill, then Sarap, and finally Gaya Gaya before Boss Bird took over the spot. My first visit was in February 2020. I then did a takeout visit early in 2021. At that time, I wasn't even sure I'd be doing a post….until I decided to return last week. You can think of this as happening during three distinct phases in time, pre-Covid, during lockdown, and during reopening. It does seem to be much longer of a timespan then that as well.

The place looked essentially the same as Gaya Gaya, minus the interesting artwork.

I thought about trying the "Hot Mess" Chicken "Burger", but decided to just get the "Standard". Basically, buttermilk fried chicken breast sandwich. The size of the chicken breast filet was quite generous.

I did like the roll it was served on, which had a mild hint of yeasty sweetness and held up quite well to the sorta "secret sauce" (Thousand Island dressingish). The chicken was underseasoned for my taste and while it was quite a hunk of chicken it hadn't been evenly fried and also suffered from "chicken breast syndrome"……as it was on the dry side.

The portion of fries was also very generous; nicely seasoned, though it was also on the dry side and got rather soft quickly. Still for under ten bucks (at that time), this was a bargain.

Even though the price was right and the young lady working was so friendly, I didn't really have any intention of returning. Then came the lockdown and I was still working from the office quite a bit….I'd be driving past Boss Bird every so often and while they were open, it seemed totally dead. So, I decided to go ahead and place an online order. I didn't think the chicken sandwich and especially the fries would hold up real well on the drive back to the office, so I ordered the "Nickle Box" ($9) of wings. While driving over, I realized that it had been over a year since my initial visit.

Man, had the pandemic changed things! Things had been moved around and when I spoke (even with my mask muffling my voice) there seemed to be an echo!

My order was ready when I finally found a live human being……seems like everyone was in the boss bird "kitchen", so I cooled my heels for about 10 minutes. But all was well once the nice gentleman saw me waiting.

I wasn't overly hungry and this five piece box of wings, which came with 2 biscuits (I gave one away) was more than enough for my lunch on this day. I actually enjoyed the pickles the best.

I had ordered the Wings with Garlic Parmesan, but I think there was a "malfunction" somewhere as the wings seemed to just be plainly seasoned. Like my previous experience the chicken was unevenly fried and some of the pieces had rubbery skin and were on the dry side.

I wasn't a big fan of the biscuits which was too crumbly and not buttery enough for my taste. The person I shared the biscuit with said he could barely finish half of it……so I guess it wasn't just me.

And well, two visits in I guess I needed to get a post done, right? And on June 15th, San Diego was fully reopened, though I waited a while to return to Boss Bird. When I finally decided to return, it was just as the restaurant opened, early in the week. I had the whole place to myself.

The only other customers I saw during my stay were two customers doing takeout. And since I wasn't doing takeout; I decided to go with the "Hot Mess" ($11).

I enjoyed the chicken sandwich. This was by far the best item I've had at Boss Bird; a decent spicy rub, you can tell that this time around the chicken had been nicely fried. While it was still on the drier side, it was moist and tender enough for me. Like I said before; there's something about the pickles here I enjoy and the slaw, while quite plain really helped balance out the sandwich.

The fries were a bit thinner this time around and still nicely seasoned; though it's still on the dry and soft side for my taste.

Still, I'd have this again….one of these days.

So there you go. A post 17 months in the making.

For another view on Boss Bird, please check out Lynn's post.

Boss Bird Kitchen
7580 Miramar Rd.
San Diego, CA 92126
Current Hours:
Mon – Sat 11am – 8pm
Sunday 11am – 4pm

Eating to Beat the Heat – Takeout From Iron Pig Alehouse

July 5, 2021 mmm-yoso BBQ, Gastropub, Pubs and Pub Grub

**** Iron Pig has closed

Well, I had a pretty interesting end of last week. A sinus infection combined with the rather warm days really had me on my back! Luckily, I'm feeling much better, though it's still kinda warm out there. I wanted something with some flavor and looked back at some of our "eating to beat the heat" posts and Iron Pig Alehouse popped up! Man, has it been over 3 years since we ate there? Well, we weren't feeling like eating at Iron Pig, but I noticed that online ordering was available….so I thought what the heck, and placed an order. A combination of summertime and rush hour traffic makes it a bit of a chore, but I arrived right at the designated time and my order as ready to go….just hop back in the car and fight the traffic out of PB.

So, was this worth it?

Well, feast your eyes on this.

It's the dish formerly known as "the Man Salad". It's been renamed to the "Gender Neutral Salad"….ohhhkay……

Regardless, the Missus absolutely loved this. I ordered it with the add on of an fried egg and you know the Missus with fried eggs, right? While I'm not a fan of the brisket ala carte at IP, it's wonderful on this salad, adding a nice beefy-smokiness, that goes so well with the pickled onions, goat cheese….and of course, those french fries. The arugula adds a nice mild bitterness to things. We don't even need the dressing. The salad seemed huge, but we polished it off with no problem.

The Missus also loves the Rib Tips and She really loved this as well.

Rib tips tend to have bit more fat and porkiness in my opinion. These were much more tender than what I'm used to with rib tips. Nice smokiness, nice swine to dine flavor. A decent rub…..don't need much more. The Missus likes these straight up without BBQ Sauce….She just loves the texture and the smokiness.

I was kind of excited to get the Smoked Wings, which I hadn't had in a while.

In the past, the wings were a bit inconsistent, but when they were slightly crisp, super smokey they really hit the spot.

Sadly, these were not. It was weak in terms of smoked flavor, decently seasoned, but dry, tough, and the skin quite rubbery.

This is what the wings look like when I know they're done right…….

Still, no complaints about the meal at all……

Still, the Missus did present the question of "why didn't you get this earlier?" My answer? Pointing to Her plate: "Hey, it looks like you missed some salad there….."

The online ordering was easy, as was pick-up. I don't know if I hit the lottery on this afternoon, but I found parking close by.

So, I guess more Man Salad, ummmm, "Gender Neutral Salad" is in our future. Especially when temps rise.

Iron Pig Alehouse
1520 Garnet Ave
San Diego, CA 92109
Current Hours:
Mon – Tues 4pm – 9pm
Wed – Thurs 1130am – 9pm
Fridays 1130am – 10pm
Saturdays 10am – 10pm
Sundays 10am – 9pm

La Miche Kabobgee -lunch indoors

May 28, 2021 Cathy Lebanese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Welcome (back) to mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Kirk is enjoying time alone with His Missus while Cathy is writing about meals.

Realizing that Kirk posted about La Miche last month, I was hesitating to post about our recent visit. It was the first time in a long while The Mister and I had an unhurried meal and it was kind of perfect.

The tables are 'socially distanced' and business inside as well as 'to go' seemed steady.

Menus are under glass on the table top, making it a bit easier to keep sanitized (as well as unnecessary for a QR code). Prices seem odd, because when tax is added, the final number is round.
After ordering, a dish of fresh hummus and three hot pita breads are brought out.
The Mister chose the Combo Pita plate ($12.50). Beef and chicken shawarma and falafel in fresh pita breads, each with its own toppings (Beef shawarma with a (really good) pickled cucumber, hummus, tomatoes and tahini sauce. Grilled, moist chicken with garlic sauce, pickled cucumber and tomatoes. Lebanese falafel (garbanzo beans and seasoning, made in house from scratch) with tahini sauce, tomatoes, pickled turnips and pickled cucumber).
The Fish Kabobgee ($14). White fish sautéed in olive oil, butter, garlic and lemon juice. It is so much more difficult to have things plain and simple yet is achieved in the kitchen here. All flavors are bright and fresh and distinct yet blended perfectly.

La Miche Kabobgee 9350 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. San Diego 92123 (858) 565-1165
Current Hours: Mon – Thurs 11am – 3pm Fri 11am – 730pm Sat 4pm – 730pm Closed on Sunday Website

Charlie’s Best Breads (again)

May 26, 2021 Cathy Bakery, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! a blog about food. Kirk and His Missus are enjoying some well deserved time off and Cathy is writing today.

There has been a another post about this Charlie's location, and The Mister and I were customers long before there was any walk-in/sit down area (Charlie's has been here since 1988). We enjoy a good bakery, and the organic products used here are a plus. Pre- and post-COVID-19, Charlie's has prevailed.  There are currently a few spaced indoor tables and a nice outdoor area.

Since working from home, we have tried to make 'fancier' meals. To us, this means fresh/hot bread for sandwiches or as a side.   We've noticed a few places selling par-baked breads, but the rolls at Charlie's are our favorite. We pick up a bag at every visit ($4/dozen). The Italian bread loaf (medium, $1.80) is topped with sesame seeds and satisfies cravings for a 'nice slice of bread with butter' at breakfast. On top of the counter at the cash register, the smaller version of the Italian bread (a frenchette), simply filled with ham and Swiss ($1.99) is available as a 'grab and go' sandwich. To me, it's perfect in size and flavors.
The prosciutto with fig jam, Manchego cheese and arugula on a sourdough seeded ficelle loaf ($6.98) is easily shared and is a nice way to start the day. There are 'Toasts' on the menu and the Smoked Salmon ($9.98) on a slice of ciabatta (delicate crust; not chewy) with a Brie spread, onions, capers and a chipotle sauce (unnecessary) is also a good choice to share.  Also on the top of the counter when paying is a gluten-free seasonal choice- right now, it's an almond tart, which is sort of delicate, almost like whipped marzipan along with slivers of almonds. (I don't know and don't care about the price; it is great).

Always a nice stop with quality products.

Charlie's Best Bread 1808 Garnet Avenue San Diego, CA 92109 Open daily 7-7 Website

Rooster Rice & Noodles

May 17, 2021 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Thai Restaurants

**** Rooster Rice & Noodles is now Ju Feng Yuan

Back in the middle of April I heard about a new "Thai" place that had opened in a strip mall off Scripps Poway Parkway on the "coconut wireless". At first I thought it was Takhrai Thai, which I had been warned off of; but no, it was a place named Rooster Rice and they supposedly made Khao Man Gai. So, on a day when I had to return home from the office at around 11, I checked and found the website for Rooster Rice & Noodles, with online ordering……well, it seemed that almost all the items were using English names and there wasn't Khao Man Gai on the menu. Until I found what I'm guessing is one of their signature dishes; something called "Rooster Rice" that came with either steamed or crispy chicken with soup on the side. This seemed like the item, so I ordered it and drove up to find the shop.

Looking for the address and suite number led me to the signage for Wong's Wok; where I found the banner for Rooster Rice.

I believe that the previous place must have been a Chinese fast food joint based on the "decor".

There was a short wait for my food. I was handed a package and headed home.

I was quite interested to see what the Khao Man Gai was going to be like and I opened up the standard issue styrofoam container and…….what the heck????

Sheesh…well, looks like they made a mistake here. I even gave them my name and everything! Grand opening mistake I guess. So, I had the egg noodles with BBQ Pork – Ba Mee Moo Dang. The BBQ Pork was decent, perhaps a bit tough but not bad. The egg noodles were under flavored, though cooked nicely. Standard issue fast food steamed bok choy had no taste. Needless to say, I was disappointed……as I was expecting to get what I ordered. I thought about calling, but the place is nearly 20 miles from home. I decided to just forget about it. This would be a one-and-done and there would be no post.

Until……..a couple of weeks later, "FOY" RedDevil sent me an email asking me if I'd heard of a "New Hainanese chicken place" named Red Rooster……. I replied saying that I'd visited and ordered the Khao Man Gai but got something else by mistake.

Thinking things over; I decided to give the place one more try. I had an actual fairly normal lunch break at the office so I tried again. And again there was a short wait for my online order. This time, I took a peek at my plate and verified that there was actually chicken in it.

This was quite interesting in a couple of ways. A huge container of scalding hot chicken broth was provided, decent chicken tones, seemed to have a lot of white pepper, in need of some salt, and perhaps a bit more richness.

Secondly, the two pieces of chicken, a whole chicken quarter and drumstick was still on the bone in them, not chopped or boneless; something I'm not used to with this dish. The meat was dry, with very little flavor…..like it had just been put into a pot of water and simmered. This seemed like a mere shadow of the dish.

The sauce provided was a bit different as well…..almost no ginger….seemed more like a a peanut sauce.

I will say that the rice was not bad; a bit on the mushy side perhaps, but at least there was some ginger tones along with the "flavor of fowl".

I don't think I'd order this again.

However, when placing the order for the Khao Man Gai, I saw a couple of dishes that I decided to try. Yes, call me a glutton for punishment.

"JeffP" happened to be in the office, so I thought it would make for a decent lunch to share. I had seen Nem Khao Tod on the menu (for once not just in English –
Nam Khaow Salad $10), one of my favorite things when done well, so I ordered that and the Crispy Pork Belly Rice Bowl ($12).

On this visit; a Rooster Rice & Noodles banner had replaced the Wong's Wok sign.

And this time my food was just getting to the counter as I arrived and the nice young lady repeated my order to me….she seemed surprised I was ordering the Nem Khao.

So, how was the food this time around?

Well, there was a good amount of sour sausage and a few strands of pork skin. In terms of flavor; it was pretty straight-forward, no hints of kaffir lime leaf/lemograss/shallot/mint/peanut/etc…… The worse thing was that the rice was mushy without that wonderful contrast of crunchy-chewy textures.

The Crispy Pork Belly Rice Bowl had potential.

It came with standard issue steamed and blanched veggies and the rice was really mushy; though it had been drizzled with a sauce.

The Moo Krob was almost there in texture as it had some crispness but was a bit too soft for my taste. It was fairly bland however, it could have used more salt and seemed to be lacking in the swiney goodness I enjoy. I asked JeffP what he thought and he said about the same thing….close but no cigar. Still, this has some potential. And the portion size was quite generous for the price.

The pork would have been even better had the Nam Jim (dipping sauce) been a bite more assertive in heat and savory-sweet tones. It seemed a bit watered down.

Rooster Rice & Noodles seems to fill a niche for the area and the prices are quite good. The food seems a bit "fusiony" with quite a few accommodations made. Perhaps I'll return for that pork belly one day…..but I'm going to wait for a while.

Rooster Rice & Noodles
12265 Scripps Poway Parkway
Poway, CA 92064
(858) 397-2308
Current Hours:
Tues – Sun 1100 am – 3pm and 4pm – 9pm
Closed on Mondays

Fusion Eats

May 12, 2021 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Banh Mi, Sandwiches

**** Fusion Eats is now White Rice Morena

Back in July of last year I noticed a shop called Fusion Eats had opened off Linda Vista…..I believe it was a Vegan Vietnamese place previously. FOY "Som Tommy" mentioned in the comments of one of his posts that a couple of folks who lived in the area liked the place; especially the banh mi and wings; though I wasn't really keen on the name.

The menu had everything from "Banh Mi" to wings, to poke bowls, to "burritos", to curries, beef and broccoli, kung pao/orange chicken and fried rice……..you name it…..

Still, the place had online ordering; though the prices seemed on the high side, and it gave me a break from stewing in my home office for the entire day. So I placed an order and headed off to the strip mall on Linda Vista that houses Ballast Point, Buta Ramen, and formerly International Deli and Cafe and Da Kine's.

During my first visit, there was an outdoor dining area set-up. My bag was on the counter next to the register for pick up when I arrived. The young lady working was quite cheerful.

I ordered the Angus Beef Bulgogi "Banh Mi" ($9.95) and the Garlicky Wings ($8.95).

The banh mi looked standard issue.

And came with a side of what was described as won ton chips; but seemed more like pseudo plantain chips to me. Actually, that was my favorite thing about the dish.

In terms of a standard banh mi set-up this wasn't bad. The bread was decent standard issue, with nice yeastiness and crackly. The pickled veggies were abundant, not overly sour. Boy did this place like their cilantro, though I wasn't a fan off all the hard stems in the sandwich.

Where this didn't fare well was the "Angus Beef"; which was under marinated, and a bit too chewy for my taste.

The beef was just on the tough and bland side.

When I opened my wings, I quickly noticed globs of what appeared to be boogers fat on the greasy looking wings.

Which apparently were globs of butter? The wings were slippery and greasy. The batter was hard instead of crunchy-crispy….maybe it needed to be that way to stand up to all that garlic-butter? The flavor was kind of off as well; way too much butter, giving it kind of a rancid taste to me. The wings were decently fried and moist, but it was hard for me to get past the greasy texture and I wasn't fond of the taste.

In fact, I almost never went back…..which meant that I'd never do a post. Finally, a couple of months later, after taking into consideration how smoothly the online ordering went and how nice the young lady working was, I decided to give Fusion Eats another try.

Same drill as the last time; ordering was a breeze, my order was ready within a few minutes of arriving, and the young man working was very nice. By this time, things were open for 50% indoor dining and the outdoor area had been cleared.

This time around, I ordered the Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi (sorry, just couldn't order the Orange Chicken/Won Ton Soup….and of course not the poke bowl) and something that "ST" mentioned to me called Crispy Avocado Rolls.

The Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi ($8.95) wasn't quite as good as the Bulgogi Banh Mi.

The bread was starting to go stale. Good amount of pickled veggies and cilantro as before. The lemongrass chicken had been stir-fried and while being a bit chewy was nice and moist, but quite bland. Also, there were almost inedible pieces of lemongrass mixed in with the chicken that made the whole process of eating somewhat ponderous.

Again, my favorite item were the won ton chips.

The Crispy Avocado Rolls ($8.95) were basically Avocado Lumpia

I'm not quite sure what to think of these. Perhaps these need to be consumed right away as the oil was starting to seep through the wrappers after my less than 15 minute drive home. There was a kind of greasy mushiness to the fried avocado….I've had fried and tempura avocado before….but perhaps because it was coated in panko/batter before frying….I had enjoyed it. Here it just seemed bland and greasy. Not enough corn/black beans/cilantro to actually make a difference in flavor. Imagine an eggroll/lumpia wrapper folded over a glob of fat……then biting into it. The garlic sauce could have used more garlic as well.

The menu just seems a bit all over the place; more "con-fusion" than fusion in my opinion. Perhaps it's more suited to the palates of USD students? Or maybe I've just tried the wrong things….I did try most of the items based on recommendations. Like always, I'll depend on all of you to lead me to the best items on the menu….though don't count on me going for the Orange Chicken. While the prices seem to be on the high side; I do want to like this place as the staff is so nice and the online ordering – pick-up process has been seamless.

So, any recommendations on what to try?

Fusion Eats
5299 Linda Vista Road
San Diego, CA 92110
(858) 633-2974
Current Hours:
Tues – Thurs 1130am – 8pm
Friday 1130am – 830pm
Sat – Sun Noon – 8pm

Mister Falafel Revisited

April 19, 2021 mmm-yoso Lebanese Restaurants

**** Mister Falafel has closed

The Missus has been craving falafel like we had in Israel back at the end of 2019. I told Her that I haven't come across anything that is even remotely close….but; perhaps She should try the falafel from Mister Falafel. I thought the Falafel was decent when they had first opened; but seemed to not quite as good on subsequent visits. Still, I really like the older couple that run the place and really wanted to give them some business. So, a few weeks back I went to get some falafel for the Missus on the way home from the office.

I was happy to see that they were still open and from the packages on the table for pick-up; doing decent business.

Instead of going full bore with a falafel sandwich; I decided to get the "munchie"; basically an appetizer size falafel snack. I also got the babaganoush because I'd always thought they did a decetn version of that. Both were priced right at $5.99 and $6.99 respectively….and heck, since I was there, why not get a small garlic paste (99 cents).

Well, as expected, the falafel didn't go over too well with the Missus. It was quite dry and too gritty……to me the perfect falafel has a crisp and mildly gritty experior, that gives way to a creamy interior. This just wasn't up to the task. The Missus did like the tahini though.

It definitely didn't make the Missus forget this…..

Oh man…..these were wonderful; from a little stand a block away from our hotel called Falafel Razon…..no wonder they've been in business since 1963!

The Missus did enjoy the Babaganoush.

She loved the smokiness and told me the texture was exactly how She likes it. She enjoyed the fact that it didn't have not too much tahini or lemon juice, but had a nice earthiness to it.

I of course, always enjoy the garlic paste from Mister Falafel.

And in what has become a classic "two-fer" for us….I'll often stop for the babaganoush (and garlic paste) when I'm on the way home from La Miche.

I'm happy that we've found items we like at Mister Falafel; the folks here are so very nice.

Mister Falafel
4461 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117
(858) 490-0170
Current Hours:
Tuesday – Sunday Noon – 7pm