Friday "Stuffs": Recent Updates on Sakura and Sandwich Emporium, and Other "Stuff"

Since I'm pretty sure most of us are fairly preoccupied this time of the year, I thought I'd do a post of some "stuff" I've had on the back-burner, as well as a some house-keeping miscellanea.

Back to Izakaya Sakura with Ed from Yuma:

Ed from Yuma managed to squeeze in a short visit to San Diego a couple of weeks back, and we decided to meet up at Sakura. I know I've probably posted on Sakura a couple of times already, but I brought my camera along, so I thought I'd just take a few photos during dinner. Unfortunately the photos really didn't turn out real well...so please excuse the lousy photos. So onward to dinner. Since Ed is a long time Sakura customer, the Itamae, Kazu, knows that when Ed sits at the bar, it's anything goes, and whatever is fresh. So my strategy when eating at Sakura with Ed, is to order a few small dishes, while waiting for the inevitable sashimi. I'll keep the verbiage to a minimum...since we've eaten here before.

So let's see, we started with the Buta Kakuni:

Rich and delicious slow braised pork belly! Sweet soy flavor, and soft melt in your mouth pork....

Tebashio - salted and grilled Chicken Wings:

I had been wanting to try this for a while, mainly out of curiosity since this is a standard Yakitori style dish, I'd been wondering how it would be at Sakura. Nicely salted, with a mild dusting of Shichimi Togarashi to give it some kick, the wings had a nice smokey flavor. As Ed put it, "how can something so simple, taste so good?"

In dire need of a fried item, we had the Chicken Karaage:

As good a Chicken Karaage as I've ever had, just perfectly done.

Now came a few interesting items, stuff that Kazu ordered for us. The first item was a cold fish head "salad" in a sweet-soy sauce:

Sorry, this is only half of the dish, the other half was being devoured by Ed. You see by this time I was too busy eating, that I was a bit slow on the trigger. The Pompano(Ebisu-Shiira) Head had been marinated and stewed for so long that all of it was edible. Ed can correct me, but I don't remember a single bone. This was enough to trigger a "delici-yoso dance" by Ed, the unnatural phenomenon first documented at Buga in August of 2005, where Ed closes his eyes, raises his arms to a perpendicular angle, goes "mmmmm", and sways back and forth. Delici-yoso!!!

Sazae(sea snail):

Simmered sea snail, so very tender, there were a few "gritties", but this was quite good.

And of course the Sashimi:

Excellent Aji(as always), I thought that Aji season was over, but this was great, good Maguro, excellent Hamachi, probably the best Tako I've ever had, we were wondering why Kazu had included Tako! The Ika was good as well. The one item that I'm not really fond of at Sakura is the Awabi(Abalone), it's always been really tough, and on the bitter side.

Kazu also made us a Negi-Toro Temaki(Fatty Tuna and Green Onion Handroll):

This was a rarity at Sakura, I'd never seen a handroll made here. It was very good.

And of course my favorite part, the "Senbei" made from the Aji bones:

All of that, and two large Tokkuri(sake flask) of Otokoyama, came to $140. another great meal at Sakura. I've got some lunch photos from Sakura, but don't know what folder I put them in, if I ever find them I may post on that as well.

Izakaya Sakura
3904 Convoy St #121
San Diego, CA 92111

Sandwich Emporium Redux:

I've posted on Sandwich Emporium in the past, but thought I'd give Peter and John a little more "love". After all, I'm in there about once a week, when I need something quick for dinner.

It's a nice simple menu, the sandwiches aren't fancy but are good and well made. And Peter and John (and Angela) are really good people, and have given me some nice restaurant recommendations as well..

Our favorite is the Triple Decker($5.75):

We enjoy ours on Sourdough with pepper jack, with no mayo or mustard, but with jalapenos. A nice sandwich.

Other sandwiches include an occasional special called the Spicy Julio, a spicy Roast Beef sandwich:

And when I need to up my fat intake, the "Jersey" Reuben($5.75):

I must say that the Twins have worked really hard to make Sandwich Emporium into a nice neighborhood sandwich shop. Sure beats Subway any day of the week.

Sandwich Emporium
3054 1/2 Clairemont Drive
San Diego,CA
619-275-1351

Now open seven days a week.

Orange County Food Blogs Launches.

OC Food Blogs is an ambitious collaborative effort project by the intrepid Chubbypanda covering the Orange County Food scene. So check it out, contributors include such esteemed Food Bloggers as Elmo of Monster Munching, ChristianZ of Orange County Mexican Restaurants, Rasa Malaysia, Wandering Chopsticks, and Professor Salt, among others.

A Sammy and Frankie Album.

Passionate Eater informed me that Frankie and Sammy have requested equal time. I don't know how they got in touch with Her, but PE got the message across to me, and now Sammy and Frankie have their own album. And per Frankie's and Sammy's instructions the album is dedicated to PE!

Check out the San Diego tumbleweed blowing across a parking lot in our neighborhood this past windy Wednesday.

Comments

[Columbus Foodie]

How cute! I have a Sammy and a Frankie too, but they are a pair of Siamese cats :)

[Kathy]

Happy New Years Kirk!

I like the Sammy & Frankie album! It'd be pretty cool if they met my Buddy one day :)

...Come to think of it...I don't think I've ever seen a real tumbleweed in my life! hehe

[Cathy]

One of my neighbors usually decorates His front lawn with a snowman made of tumbleweeds...and I always think of how difficult it is to run after them and find the right sizes...

[RONW]

where ever went brussel sprouts in sandwiches. Hey weren't you originally from the Sandwich Isles?

[RONW]

....oh, forgot about the tumbleweed.
There actually giant hila-hila from my experiences....before they dry and curl up.

[Reid]

Kirk,

Sorry to be gone for so long. Great looking sashimi there. I had just a little sashimi at Tokyo Tokyo and am going for more -- soon.

BTW...are you sure that's a tumbleweed and not a dried up Christmas tree? :P

[sherry]

Happy New Year Kirk!! I will be dreaming about that pork belly tonight!

[Reid]

BTW...I forgot to wish you a Happy New Year! Sorry about that!

[Chubbypanda]

Hey Kirk,

Thanks for the plug!

- Chubbypanda

[clayfu]

Kazu-san made the Negi-Toro Temaki for my friend and i about 2 weeks ago.

very tasty!

he also made a handroll with uni and the fish roe together, interesting taste .

[Kirk]

Hi Columbus Foodie - What a coincidence, how cool! Why don't you Email me a photo and I'll make sure they get equal time...

Hi Kathy - Your Buddy sure is a cutie. Happy New Year!

Hi Cathy - Tumbleweed snowman? Sounds like quite a character.

Hi RONW - LOL! Happy New Year!

Hi Reid - Welcome back, nice to hear from you again. I guress they might be some really, really, small christmas trees....;o) Happy New Year to you as well.

Hi Sherry - Happy New Year! Pleasant dreams as well.....

Hi CP - My pleasure.....I'd planned to do it earlier, but got really behind on a few things.

Hi Clayfu - See if you can get a uni - mirugai temaki! A classic combination. I'd never had a temaki at Sakura before, so it kinda threw me off....good stuff though.

[ed (from Yuma)]

Post brought back good memories. There were no problematic fish bones in the head - I noticed a few tiny edible bones. That's the second fish head I've been served there - the kampachi head was totally different but equally amazing. It was good seeing you.

Those sandwiches look good too. Happy New Year!

[Kirk]

Hi Ed - Happy New Year to you as well!

[Passionate Eater]

I tried looking at Mmm-Yoso!! while on my holiday vacation, but the dial-up internet was too slow to practically look at any high quality website with images. But what a surprise to see come home and see such a wonderful photo album of my two favorite boyz! Thank you so much for your wonderful holiday gift! (I shared it with my sister and we laughed at Sammy and Frankie's Hawaiian tee-shirts and the picture of Sammy balancing a kibble on his nose! Thank you so much Kirk! Happy New Year to the best blogger around!

[Kirk]

Hi PE - Thank you for the suggestion...I still don't know how Sammy and Frankie passed the message to you, but you got it done! Happy New Year!