Closed – Page 81

Ra-Ka-De-Ka .. Sort of Thai ..sort of fast food…sort of good(if you order properly)

October 16, 2008 Cathy Thai Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is about food that Kirk, ed (from Yuma) and Cathy eat. Sometimes we eat good stuff, and sometimes it is not so good. We tell you about it in any case. Cathy is talking today.

Hi. Since we all know Kirk is in Thailand ( I have emails to prove it), I had an urge for some Thai food. The Mister and I went to Sab E Lee this past weekend and then had occasion to go to Ra Ka De Ka, a two location San Diego chain, this week. Since I had been here a few times this past summer, I had photos and thoughts already written down about the food here.

Hot Basil Beef ($7.50)

It is served this way, in the to go boxes, even when you eat in. There is a choice of jasmine or brown rice. The beef is tender, and mixed with bell peppers, onions, carrots, garlic and basil leaves. Hot as in temperature, not spiciness.

Tastes very good and fresh. Vegetables are crispy and not overcooked.

Fresh Spring Rolls-($4.95) Shrimp, tofu, carrots, lettuce and glass noodles wrapped in rice paper. Cut into nine pieces and served with hoisin, sriracha and peanuts. Enough to be a meal: fresh and tasty food.

Thai iced tea and Thai iced coffee. $1.95 each. Don't bother. Way too sweet.

Pa Ram Chicken($6.95). Grilled chicken on top of broccoli and carrots, and a peanut sauce that really was just too sweet. The ingredients were fresh…but mixing the chicken with these Spicy Noodles ($7.50) which were made with beef, basil, green peppers and egg gave the chicken and broccoli much more flavor and diluted the sweetness of the sauce.

The chicken bowl -which is an all day special- is a very good deal at $4.95-a slow cooked chicken thigh served with steamed broccoli and carrots on top of a lot of brown rice. Fresh and tasty food (the chicken thigh is very moist and flavorful), again, not particularly Thai.

The best and most authentic Thai food here is called Lettuce wraps. This really is chicken larb and if you get it medium or hot in spice level, is excellent. Diced chicken with onions, mint, cilantro and lime juice ($6.95) and excellent. A lot of food.

The panang curry is good, as are the red, yellow and green curries. The cooks are Thai and do know how to make things correctly, but you really have to ask and indicate spice level does not matter. The ingredients here are all very fresh and it almost tastes like "healthy" Thai…maybe "Thai Lite" better describes it. There is a brisk, constant business and people seem to really like it here. It does serve a purpose and isn't bad. If you think of it as good, fresh, healthy food, and not as particularly authentic Thai, the prices make it a very good deal. I don't think Kirk will come here when he has a craving though…

Ra Ka De Ka 10450 Friars Road 92120 (619)521-4810

4508 Cass Street (Cass and Garnet) 92109 (858)581-1954

website

Chopstix Too, a second time

October 15, 2008 Cathy Japanese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

You are reading mmm-yoso!!!, a little blog about food. Kirk and ed (from Yuma) and Cathy mostly write here about food they eat. Since Kirk is in Thailand and ed (from Yuma) is in Yuma, Cathy is writing today.

Hello. This place has been written about before, by Kirk and I. It was almost two years ago though, so I figure I can revisit with you. Since The Mister seems to have the flu, his taste buds are shot and he has been wanting items with strong flavors as well as texture, so here is a sampling of two meals at Chopstix too.

This is what the building looks like at about 7 p.m., when it is already dark out here.

It is in the same parking lot as Mitsuwa, Staples, the place which used to be the "Technical Bookstore" (today it was called "Book Off") and a Starbucks as well as few other businesses, across from In-N-Out in Kearny Mesa.

I always get hot tea (50¢) and it is a good, strong, brown rice based one, brewed and not made with a tea bag tossed into a pot of water.

Some of the meals include a small bowl of miso soup, with 'crunchies' (and not tofu) added.

It is a strong, not salty miso.

Some meals include a salad, which has shredded lettuces, red cabbage and shredded carrots. Dressing is brought to the table separately.

The mixed tempura appetizer ($7) includes three shrimp, two onion rings, shredded carrot, squash, broccoli and carrot and is accompanied by a fresh, warm tempura dipping sauce.

The breading is delicate and light and crunchy.

One night, I got a combination meal which included the salad, three pieces of a "crunchy roll"(tempura shrimp, avocado, fake crab inside and a spicy as well as tempura sauce and crunchies on the outside), sesame chicken (breaded and fried delicately and topped with a not too sweet teriyaki sauce) $7.50

The Mister, in his quest for flavor, got the ika curry – a lightly breaded and fried squid cutlet accompanied by a medium-hot chicken curry sauce which included potatoes and carrots as well as onions. ($6.50)

One Friday (when I don't eat meat, just in case…) we went and I got the Butter Corn Miso ($6.95)- a large bowl of vegetable-miso based broth with udon noodles topped with onions, bean sprouts, carrots, corn and that hunk of real butter seen at the top of the photo. I was pleasantly surprised at the mix of flavors and textures as well as the filling up I felt while I tried to finish the bowl.

The Mister got his "usual" -mabo ramen ($5.95). Ramen noodles topped with a pork and tofu based medium spicy mabo sauce.

Most of the time, he walks in, sits down and pretends to look at the menu for a while. He pretty much always ends up ordering the mabo ramen.

Chopstix Too 4380 Kearny Mesa Road San Diego 92111 (858) 565-1288

Big Joy Family (Bakery & Cafe) (dot com)

October 13, 2008 Cathy Bakery, Desserts, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the food blog, mostly written by Kirk, along with some friends. He is almost at His vacation destination with The Missus and has no internet access. You get to read about what Cathy eats in the interim. The title of this post has to do with their signage…

Hi. Not long ago it was the "seven days of feasting" when The Mister and I celebrate the week between our birthdays with at least one meal out a day…he gets to choose the first three days and I get to choose the last three. The middle day we have to both agree upon. So anyhow it was his turn. Again. He likes sweets. Why play games?

If you have ever been to Phuong Trang, you've seen this place. It is right next door. We would pass by, after having our fill of (middle of the road) food and look through the window. For years. We took a chance one day…and return here as often as we go to French Cake. The influences here are Japanese and Korean, an interesting mix.

If you haven't been paying attention, I do not crave chocolate. Don't expect to see any in this post. I chose this cream filled stick ($2.25) It is about 12 inches long and since we were eating in, it was served to us cut into six pieces. A non-sweet whipped fresh cream inside a light slightly bread-dy textured, faintly sweet tasting shell.

I, of course, got a hand drip coffee (large $2.95). Served with real cream and whatever that stuff in the colored packets is…

The Mister wanted a mango banana smoothie (large-$3.95) served in this very cool looking tall glass. It is made with Monin mango syrup and a real banana. He also wanted a small plain frozen yogurt ($3).

I decided I wanted to try a red bean topped flaked ice (small-$3.50) which is also topped with tapioca like cubes, small rice cakes (mochi) a red bean powder and a scoop of very nice, rich vanilla ice cream. This is more than enough for two. The large is served in the same size bowl but has two more scoops of ice cream. You can also get fresh fruit and green tea powder as optional combinations. I_dont_eat_sweetsha_005

The real reason we came…on Friday and Saturday only, the bakery makes an organic raisin walnut bread. $2.75. We ate one loaf, sliced for us and served with an *excellent* salted creamy butter. We got another loaf to go. It has a crispy crust, with a soft textured, light, non bulky wheat interior, filled with plump raisins and crispy nuts.

All of this food was less than $22 total, served to us, fresh and wonderful. We did not go out to dinner that night.

You can see other items made here on the website. The cakes are beautifully decorated. Just walk in and try something. There are comfy tables and chairs and free wifi M-F.

Big Joy Family Bakery and Cafe 4176 Convoy San Diego 92111 M-Sat 9:30 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Closed 1st and 3rd Mondays each month. (858)627-0888

Sammy Sushi says goodbye

October 6, 2008 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi

A few months ago, Sam, Owner, Itamae, and the namesake of Sammy Sushi, mentioned that he planned to put the restaurant up for sale. After 4 years and change, Sam had decided that the 24 hours a day demands that his restaurant had put on him had started wearing away at him, both physically and mentally. I don't blame him, the restaurant industry is a tough one. And so it came to pass, a few weeks ago, Sam mentioned that he had a buyer, and the end was in sight. So it is with a heavy heart that I announce that Sammy Sushi's last night of operation will be Saturday, October 11th.

So this week will be your last chance to drop by and enjoy the nice neighborhood vibe of Sammy Sushi. It appears that Sammy Sushi is going to become a Fresh Seafood Market.

Over the years Sam has become much more than my friendly neighborhood Itamae, he's become a friend. And as sad as I am knowing that Sammy's will be gone, I have great hopes for Sam's future endeavors.

Good Luck Sam!

La Playita- a return visit

October 2, 2008 Cathy Taco Shops, What Cathy Eats!

La Playita has closed

mmm-yoso!!! is a blog about food written by Kirk and a few friends. I'm one of the friends; Cathy.

Hello again. I am still just blogging about places and things I eat. Last summer, I seemed to have some specific cravings for seafood cocteles and the cravings subsided somewhat this summer…kind of.

My favorite place has 5 tables, 4 barstools and is located in this small corner of Clairmont Mesa and Limerick streets, in the same mall as the Smart N Final. La Playita. I blogged about it here last year.

It was my birthday and I got what I wanted- a large shrimp coctele ($12)- The raw shrimp was cooked in the tomato and lime juice with cucumbers, cilantro and shredded carrots…

Served with crackers and tostada corn crisps.

The fried garlic shrimp plate ($8.50) was The Mister's choice. We were told they were out of rice for the side dish and salad would be substituted…

A lovely, fresh cooked in front of us no-carb meal!

Here is a close up of the coctele and my beverage, an orange Jarritos-and some of the hot sauces available on each table.

When we were almost finished, one of the two men cooking brought us each a small cup of of seafood soup. A perfect dessert for me, someone who does not crave sweets.

Yes- this is what I wanted for my birthday. Nothing fancy, just something good.

La Playita 5185 Clairmont Mesa Blvd San Diego 92117 (858)874-6484 Open 7 days 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Website

Note: La Playita has a booth at the following Farmers Markets on these days and times: Thursday: Oceanside 8-1, Tierrasanta 3-7 Saturday: Poway 8-noon Sunday: Leucadia 9-2 Solana Beach 2-5

BBQ Express Teriyaki Hawaiian BBQ

September 14, 2008 mmm-yoso Korean Restaurants, Plate Lunch

*** BBQ Express Teriyaki has closed and is now Yakyudori Ramen and Yakitori.

BBQ Express Teriyaki Hawaiian BBQ (whew that's mouthful), recently replaced the Convoy location of Extreme Pita. My first thought was, just what we need, another Teriyaki joint in the area, or is it a Hawaiian BBQ, or maybe …..???

You've got to give them some points for creative use of a former locations sign….just check out the sign from Cathy's post on Extreme Pita. I guess it's not that far a stretch from Extreme Pita to BBQ Express Teriyaki Hawaiian BBQ (I sense some redundancy).

One quick look at the menu, the crew, and the "salads", and you'll know right away this is a Korean owned and influenced restaurant.

So what is the food here like? I walked in and ordered a Teriyaki Chicken Plate ($6.95):

The chicken was taken from a portable steam-table unit sitting on the back counter, chopped, placed on rice, and covered with a too sweet teriyaki sauce. Very mundane.

You get to choose 2 salads, and among the choices was a dangmyeon dish, reminiscent of Japchae, it was in fact the best thing about the whole meal. It also had me wishing for something along the lines of Gina's BBQ, or even a Yummy's Korean BBQ. Now that's a Korean style plate lunch!

This on the other hand…….

Still, thoughts of perhaps getting just the side dishes with rice, brought me back. And I asked if I could just get the Japchae, macaroni salad, and rice….and got a smile, and a blank stare in return. I asked again, and got the same response. I'm guessing that was a "negatory sir"…… So I splurged and ordered the BBQ Kalbi plate ($8.45):

This time the very thinly sliced cross-cut ribs were cooked to order, but I could have done without the very liberal amount of the same bad teriyaki sauce poured over the ribs before serving.

Again the Japchae was the best thing about the meal.

And though the macaroni salad was on the runny side, it wasn't terribly sweet as Korean style mac salad tends to be, and was actually not bad.

In the end, nothing really compels me to return. In spite of the long name…..BBQ Express Teriyaki Hawaiian BBQ…I felt the place fell very short. And I'm still wondering what part the Hawaiian BBQ is? To me, it's just another teriyaki joint. Maybe you'll have better luck.

BBQ Express Teriyaki Hawaiian BBQ
4898 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Sab-E-Lee – Beef Salad or the Nahm Tok Nuea?

September 1, 2008 mmm-yoso Thai Restaurants

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

That has been the question that has been driving the Missus crazy recently when ordering from Sab-E-Lee. Do I get the Beef Salad? Or do I get the Nahm Tok – Beef? Which is resolved with a simple question, "which do you prefer?" Which inevitably drives the Missus into a bout of crazed indecision….it's almost like asking if she'd prefer Sammy to Frankie, or visa versa. And from my emails, She's not the only one that's a bit confused. Yes, there is a "Beef Salad" on the menu (Yum Nuea), it's located under salads, #22. And there is Nahm Tok Nuea (basically "water-fall beef"), under "Specialties". In two of the emails I received, said individual(s) ordered the Beef Salad, and expected the Nahm Tok(I knew right away when I read, "there was no rice powder in my salad"). Not that they didn't enjoy the Beef Salad, but they had expected the Nahm Tok. This point was driven home recently, when the Missus and I had dinner at Sab-E-Lee. We met 2 really nice young men; Justin and Mark, and in the confines of the tiny restaurant, we chatted. In the course of the discussion, we were asked what the difference between the 2 salads were.

So here we go; just a short post tonight. But I'll try to describe the differences between Sab-E-Lee's version of the two dishes.

The Beef Salad($6.95):

Don't let the rather innocuous dish fool you. This is plenty spicy. The Yum Nuea utilizes heat from a good amount of fresh Thai Chilies, which is a very upfront and to the point heat. The fish sauce flavor is not as strong, and the simplicity of the salad allows for the citrus tones to come through. What I really enjoy about the salad are the slices of garlic, which seem to be slightly pickled (I could be wrong), which taste almost sweet. In this case the carrots have been mixed into the salad, along with sliced red onion and scallions. The salad is topped with a generous amount of cilantro.

The Nahm Tok Nuea($6.95):

This dish has the benefit of mint leaves and roasted rice powder, which adds a mild nuttiness to the dish. In addition, chili paste is used instead of the chopped chilies, which, at least for me, creates a slower "burn", that can sneak up on you. I find this dish to be a bit more pungent than the Beef Salad, and prefer it over the Beef Salad(don't tell that to the Missus though). I think of it as a more hearty dish, and love to eat this with sticky rice. Shredded carrot and purple cabbage, as well as the standard wedge of cabbage is also provided.

So there you go…..2 dishes that seem to be one in the same, but are quite different. So which does the Missus prefer? Well, recently, it's been dish #3…….this:

It took me a while to get Her to try it….but when She did….well, I'm kinda sorry I did. Now the Missus and I fight it out. What is it? I'll cover that in a future post!

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

My previous posts on Sab-E-Lee can be found here and here.

I hope everyone had a great long weekend!

Lightning Jack’s BBQ – Clairemont

August 30, 2008 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, BBQ, Cajun, Southern, and Soul Food

**** Lightning Jack's has closed

I'm sure you've felt this way…..totally pooped, half-way wiped out, hungry, and looking for something close to home. Which is why I ended up at Lightning Jack's, in the "food court" area of Clairemont Town Square.

I'm not quite sure why I decided to pick up dinner here…in the words of Captain Jack when I told him I bought BBQ from Lightning Jack's; "what the hell were you thinking?" Yeah, what was I thinking? I walked into the tiny restaurant, looked around, and almost decided to turn around…..but something kept me there.

And the gentleman running the place was very friendly…so I made a decision to just go for it. Looking over the menu, I noticed that the ribs were "St Louis Style", which made me understand that the type of ribs used were Spareribs. But I wondered if the sauce was St Louis style, a basic spicy-sweet tomato based sauce….sort of like what Phil's uses(more of that in a future post). A friend once gave me a bottle of Maull's which is supposed to represent that style of sauce. So I asked the Gentleman behind the counter what style of BBQ Lightning Jack's serves. His response? "Ummm…uhhh(blank look), we use a lot of liquid smoke!" Not very promising, but I ordered a half-rack($10.49), which came with a roll, and a side. I chose Baked Beans, which the Missus loves.

The ribs were dry and tough, and the only smoke I could detect was from the super liquid smoked sauce(the Guy wasn't kidding).

My eyesight is getting pretty bad, but I couldn't detect a "smoke ring". Which kinda goes against what the menu says:

I think I need to see the "pit smoker" if I ever eat there again.

The Missus enjoyed the beans, which I thought was very bland. I also ordered some Steak Cut Fries ($1.80), which was a very generous portion of thick cut fries which was probably the best thing about the meal.

I also ordered the Pulled Pork Sandwich ($5.99), which came with 1 side. I asked the Guy if I could just get some Hushpuppies with it, and being the amicable Gentleman, he said, "no problem".

Before the big sandwich reveal, let's read what the menu says:

For me that says a Hickory Smoked Pork Butt……. I haven't had North Carolina BBQ in North Carolina, but have had said style at Mike and Ed's and Country's in Columbus, Georgia, and Dusty's in Decatur, Georgia (near Emory University – Brunswick Stew….). And I can honestly tell you, this wasn't it. The pork was on the tough side, and you really could only taste the sauce……same sauce as the ribs. And no "pile of coleslaw"……

The Missus thought the Hushpuppies were okay. Since the Gentleman was nice enough to give us this instead of some other side, I'll give it a pass. I will say that I'm glad I still have my teeth after eating them.

In retrospect, perhaps I'm being a bit too harsh. But I try to be consistent….if you say you make Sichuan food, I'll expect Sichuan Peppercorns or at least something that is representative of the basic 23 flavors of Sichuan cuisine. Likewise, if you say something is North Carolina style BBQ….. If I didn't know better, perhaps my opinion would be very different.

I really don't even qualify as a novice when it comes to BBQ, and I've only eaten in 1 of those hallowed BBQ havens. I had lunch at Arthur Bryant's in Kansas City in 1997. I did have decent BBQ at a couple of places in Fort Smith, Arkansas (the only one whose name I can remember is Jerry Neel's), a couple places in Atlanta (i.e Dusty's and Fat Matt's Rib Shack), Columbus, Georgia, and one really good shack in Fayetteville, Arkansas. So take my opinion with a grain of salt. Still, I think I've come far from the kid who only had Tony Roma's while growing up in Hawaii.

As for Lightning Jack's, the service was nice and friendly, and the prices are relatively reasonable.

Lightning Jack's BBQ
4705 Clairemont Drive (In the Clairemont Town Center)
San Diego, CA 92117

Junz Teriyaki & BBQ

August 26, 2008 mmm-yoso Loco Mocos, Plate Lunch

**** Junz has closed

This one is for TanyaS who is always nice enough to let me know when She sees something "new".

It looks like North Park now has a plate lunch shop. Junz Teriyaki & BBQ opened in the beginning of July, and all it took was the mention of the word "Loco Moco" courtesy of an email from Tanya to get me in the front door of Junz.

If I recall, this was a Gyros & Fried Chicken Shop. But man, it's sure been "prettied up"(is there such a phrase?).

And, if you really need it, you can still get a Gyros or Falafel Sandwich…with a side order of Spam Musubi.

So what did I get? Well, being the consistent (a nice way of saying predictable) guy I am, I got the Loco Moco ($5.95). On the menu it's the "Loco Moco Hawaiian" which I think is kinda, well insulting…perhaps it should be the Hawaiian Style Loco Moco? This was the first of many signs that perhaps this was just another attempt at cashing in on "Hawaiian BBQ". The next indicator was when the Loco Moco arrived:

What the heck? I had not read the part that said, "Gravy Teriyaki Sauce"…..actually it was just teriyaki sauce. I did enjoy the egg, which was a very Bi-Bim-Bap-ish perfect, and for the price expected the preformed hamburger patty, which was unexpectedly cut into 4 pieces. But the rest of this was a train wreck. From the teriyaki sauce to the mixed peas, corn, and carrots mixed into the rice…to the soggy iceberg lettuce, to the mushy rice, this wasn't very good.

At least the Teriyaki Sauce wasn't overly sweet. This was just a bit strange. Just one more thing, on the menu it says "Hamburger Patties" and "Eggs". Last time I checked, those are plurals, as in "more than one".

Not that I need to do any additional damage to my cholesterol level……but perhaps this should be fixed in future editions of the menu? I'm still trying to figure out which "Island" this "Style" of Loco Moco is from. And here I thought that the Loco Moco that Kat posted about was a bit odd!

Still, that egg was mighty good, and in some very strange way I really wanted to like this place. I liked the decor, and the ladies are very nice. So I decided to give it another go. This time, because of the that egg, I thought perhaps there was some Korean roots to the food, and thought that perhaps the Spicy Chicken Teriyaki($6.95) would be a good item to try. I mean, a nice Dak Bulgogi style chicken with Kochujang for a tad of heat.

It was not to be, it was just "spiked" teriyaki sauce, on top of fast-foodish, food courtish, chicken. The 1 scoop of rice, was cooked perfectly this time, and the macaroni salad was a bit too runny, but tasted fine.

There was very little to separate this stuff from what you'd get at generic shopping mall food court…you know, the "same chicken, different sauce" syndrome. Perhaps I should have had a Spam Onigiri (Falafel Sandwich?).

It's kind of a bummer. Like I said, the ladies working here are really nice, and the place is sparkling clean and bright. As I looked at the take-out menu, I noticed that this place is run by the folks who own North Park Sushi & Grill across the street, and Hanaoka Japanese Restaurant, which I understand has been in National City forever. The menu has items like Saimin, Gyoza, Hummus(!), and Teriyaki in several forms. Maybe someone can tell me what I need to order from Junz!

Junz Teriyaki & BBQ
3010 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92104

Hours: Mon-Sat 11am – 9pm

Thanks for letting me know when you see something you think I'd be interested in Tanya!

Sab-E-Lee Part 2

August 14, 2008 mmm-yoso Thai Restaurants

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

After our first few visits to Sab-E-Lee, we knew we had a "keeper". Even if we didn't find any other dishes we enjoyed than the few had tried, we'd still be coming back for more. As I got to know Koby a bit, I learned a bit more about him, and his crew. They had worked in the kitchen of a little restaurant in Thai Town(LA), and when the place was being sold, and the previous owner retired, they decided to move on.

On to the food……

Thai Beef Jerky ($6.95):

The Beef was more tender than what I've had before. It was also fairly mild in flavor, though the fish sauce-chili dip added some decent punch. It goes well with sticky rice ($1.75). The sticky rice here is on the uneven side, some of it too dry and hard, and portions of it too mushy. The Jasmine Rice that is served has always been fragrant and cooked perfectly…though there's something to be said about grabbing a clump of rice, and using it to wrap around your food, than plopping it into your mouth.

Catfish Larb ($6.95):

The chopped catfish is so crunchy that I thought it was fried (the menu says grilled). Combined with the roasted rice powder, this dish was very nice texturally. The lime juice, mint, lemongrass, and other herbs made this a bracingly refreshing dish. It had nice spice, that wasn't overwhelming.

Pad Woon Sen with Beef ($6.25):

This was a disappointing dish. Very bland, and the "glass noodles" were a bit over-cooked and mushy.

Issan Sausage (Thai Sausage – Northeastern style. $6.95):

Though not made inhouse, this was good. This style of sausage, studded with rice, and a bit of pork skin, with a nice sour finish, is one of favorites. I've had this 3 times, and it has always been prepared perfectly.

Nahm Tok (Nahm Dtok – $6.95):

Why not Yum Nuea? This type of beef salad is a Northern Thai style beef salad, prepared much like larb, featuring a generous amount of rice powder and chili. I enjoyed that we weren't asked how spicy we wanted our food; it was prepared in the manner the cook thought was best. In this case the spice level approached incendiary! Still, I couldn't stop eating it. The name Nahm Tok means something along the lines of "water falling", referring to the meat juices that form and fall from the side of the meat away from the heat when it is being cooked. There is also a "Beef Salad" on the menu. i was told that it didn't use rice powder, and was prepared a bit differently.

Bamboo Shoot Salad (Sup Nor Mai – $5.95):

This is another Issan specialty, where the meaty texture of Bamboo Shoots is substituted for meat. In many ways similar to the Nahm Tok, except that the earthy flavor of the bamboo shoots added a nice depth to the dish. It was not quite as spicy as the Nahm Tok, which allowed for the lime flavors to come through…this is something I'll have quite often.

Of course, we just had to try the Pad Thai (with chicken – $5.95):

After the Pad Woon Sen, I had some concerns, but this turned out to be pretty good. Very tangy, the Missus loved the noodles. I thought the chicken a bit dry, but this was much better than Pad Thai twice the price. I think the Missus will order this again.

So just today, I walk into Sab-E-Lee to place a take-out order, and Koby tells me; "Kirk, I have what you want, I have it today!" What was he referring to? It was this:

It's Koi Soi (Spicy Raw Beef on the menu – $6.95). When I first inquired about the dish, Koby said he couldn't make it because he wasn't able to source the appropriate grade of meat. And having had a very good version of Koi Soi (at Lotus of Siam), which was good. And one bad version, at a restaurant in LA, that I've blocked out of my consciousness…it was that bad…take my word for it! So I wasn't about to insist on getting some Koi Soi before its time. So this evening I lucked out….Koi Soi. Now, the beef has been "cooked" a bit with the lime juice, and the quality of meat, spices, and herbs have cut out any metallic or "raw" beef flavor. In fact, if I served this to you, you probably won't even know it's raw beef. The texture is a bit firm, in fact it reminded me somewhat of Maguro(Bluefin Tuna). It was pretty spicy, but just as the Nahm Tok, I just couldn't stop eating. I'll be having this again soon, and hopefully Koby will have the Pork Tongue Jerky, I guess good pork tongue is hard to find.

The dishes at San-E-Lee tend to be more savory and spicy than the usual overly-sweet stuff that is served in San Diego. Mainly due to the Northeast Thai roots of the Owner and cooks. Even if you enjoy the standards, I think this place is worth trying, in fact I think it belongs on our rotation. The restaurant is small, and you never know who you'll run in to. I ran into Captain Jack this past evening. How was the Koi Soi CJ? San-E-Lee is a small restaurant, and sometimes there may be a wait…but you can't beat the prices, everything is under 7 bucks. Like I said before, it's not LOS or Renu Nakorn, but it's my favorite here in San Diego. You may even run into me getting my Thai food fix.

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

Part one can be found here.

Thanks again for the rec SomTommy! I owe you one.