mmm-yoso!!!

Pho Cali & Grill

Man was it cold enough for you last night? Geez, I almost wish we had another mutt, because it surely was a  Three Dog Night if I ever felt one.... I know us West Coasters are wimps.......

Way back in June, I noticed one of those coming soon signs in the same strip mall that houses Golden City. As the months past, there never seemed to be any progress as the place seemed frozen in time. In fact, Mignon Pho + Grill started up in August and opened at the end of October. So it was a bit of surprise to see that the place had finally opened.

 

As I entered, I noticed a certain "look" to the place.....then it clicked, and when I asked the gentleman serving me confirmed that this was owned by the same folks who own Pho Cali in Mission Valley. You know that you've been in too many of these places when you recognize differences in generic decor, sigh.... I always try to reserve judgement, but I couldn't help being a bit disappointed as I really didn't think much of the Pho there.

So I just went ahead and ordered the Dac Biet (Special - $6.59) to just cut my losses, eat and get back to work. The portion size of the garnishes is the same rather skimpy sized portion as the Mission Valley counterpart..... though I can tell you, that after recent experiences, I was rather happy to see some Ngo Gai (rather one leaf) on the plate.

 

My bowl of Pho arrived......

 

And I was rather surprised; the broth was fairly clear, the fragrance mildly beefy, little droplets of oil floating on top.... this looked pretty good. The flavor really didn't deliver; it was really salty..... way too salty. The noodles were of course, in the ever present clump on the bottom, but weren't still cold in the center as I've experienced twice at the Mission Valley location.

The rare steak was just as bad as everywhere else....though I've had even worse since (coming up in a future post). The brisket, though perhaps a little too close to disintegrating, was probably the best item.

 

The tendon is a touch too hard for my tastes, but is still better then many places I've been. Overall, this wasn't too bad.... in fact, I need to revisit the Mission Valley location, just to see, you know.....

This past weekend, FOY (Friend of Yoso) Fred, sent me an email (it's always great to hear from you.... and best wishes to the Missus). Part of the last sentence of his email cracked me up, " it doesn't seem especially different than any other Pho place." I can see where one can think that. I do believe that this place is better than Pho T Cali, though, and the service, set-up, and much of everything else does fit that generic Pho shop look. I think folks will like that the place is new, and thus looks pretty clean.

Pho Cali and Grill
5375 Kearny Villa Rd
San Diego, CA 92123

Revisiting Alforon with Friends

When the folks in our monthly "eating club" were polled as to where our next meal should be.... it was unanimous, Alforon was the only choice. so on a recent weekend night, we arrived at Alforon, looking to take on the menu.

 

Since my first post, I've been here a couple of times, and have grown to enjoy the warm colors and textures of the small dining area.

 

We started with some Labni (comes with pickles and bread - $4.25):

 

The labni was very smooth, with a texture like a thick creme fraiche, with hints of lemon, this was very nice. And this time I didn't forget to take a photo of the pickles, which I think are the best in San Diego.

 

We were all fascinated with the green item in the pickles.... it had the texture of artichoke. George one of the owners told us it was Snake Cucumber, commonly known as Armenian Cucumber in the US. It is actually a melon with cucumber like characteristics. The pickles at Alforon have a wonderful fresh briney flavor to them, and were one of the favorites during this dinner.

I also requested a small bowl of garlic paste.

 

I've really taken to this creamy and light paste, with a decent, but not overbearing garlic flavor. It is closer to an aioli then a garlic paste, and recently I've been buying 8 ounce containers to go. It would probably make cardboard delicious. Even though George told us that we should only use the garlic paste for chicken, he appreciated our enthusiasm for it...... his son did tell us that he puts on everything, so I guess we were in good company. Samia and George, the owners have such an honest enthusiasm and concern for their customers that is quite refreshing. George even told us the ingredients for his garlic paste (which is nothing like my two recipes), of course he told us the secret is in how he prepares it, not the ingredients. And nope there is no potato or mayonnaise in the recipe. I won't share the ingredients with you.... I want you to try the garlic paste, and make your own mind up.... and ask George, he'll readily share the ingredients with you.

For the meal proper, we started with Zaatar Extra ($3.25):

 

It is the organic imported Zaatar (Wild Thyme), that is rightfully the star of this. I really didn't think we even needed the "extra" (tomato, olive, and mint), as there was more than enough flavor to go around.

The Spinach and Cheese Flat Bread ($3.75):

 

Really paled in flavor after having the Zaatar..... though the Missus loves the Spinach only flat bread.

The Soujouk ($5.75) was up next:

 
I mentioned this in my previous post, and it was indeed just as good this time around. We preferred this to the Lahm Bajeen with Spicy Peppers ($3.45):

 
A classic Lebanese minced meat flat bread, this wasn't very spicy, and while quite good, it really didn't have the depth of flavor of the Soujook.

The most suprising item of the night was the Chicken Tawook ($5.75):

 
Looking like a simple white meat chicken topped flat bread, the chicken had been simply marinated and was very tasty. Of course being topped with the wonderful pickles and garlic paste (we of course added even more), this was very good. And to be perfectly honest, this was lighter, more refined, and had better prepared ingredients than what is served at Mama's. About this time George came around and told us that he prepares four different kinds of dough. And that the meat flat breads used a lighter dough, creating a thinner crust than the non-meat flat breads.

About then our Falafel arrived (Six Falafel, Tahini, and Pickles - $6.75):

 

If you like light and almost creamy Falafel, you'll love this. For me, I like mine a bit more "gritty" and substantial. FOY Jenne thought these were heavenly topped with...... you guessed it; the garlic paste, which made George laugh and shake his head. Of course, right then the young man chimed in, "yes, that's exactly how I like it".

Right then George walked away and came back with some sesame bread that he wanted us to taste with some Zataar sprinkled on it.

 

Candice commented on how this tasted almost like Shao Bing..... George told us that this is the very traditional bread they make.

Also arriving was the Feta Cheese Pie ($3.25), but by this time we were pretty stuffed.

 

The four of us shared a Aaysh Essaraya ($3.95) which finished us off.

All in all a very reasonably priced meal at under $50 for four! And we had a really nice chat with George, who told us how the refractory oven is actually the second oven. The first was bought prefabricated, but had many flaws, so he sent it back ($4200 in shipping), and had the one he uses built on site.

Alforon is quickly becoming a fixture on our rotation.... and even on this night, I had to have a container of garlic paste (8oz - $3.95) to go. As always it was wonderful to spend time eating and chatting with Howie, Jenne, and Candice..... thanks for a great time!

Alforon
5965 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

Hours:
Tuesday - Saturday 10am - 9pm
Sunday 10am - 7pm
Closed on Monday

 

Valley Foods Mediterranean Market-and a meal.

mmm-yoso!!! That's the name of this blog.  It's about food. With anecdotes tossed in.  Cathy is blogging today.  The guys aren't.

Hi.  El Cajon has a new Mediterranean Market.  It's on the South side of Main Street, just West of Second.(Next to the Rally Burger).
It's a new building, but the facade is more visible to the parking lot than on Main Street. It is not as large as Vine Ripe Market,  does sell Halal meats, fresh breads and has enough of a produce section to make this a regular stop for me. Of course, as with the other Mediterranean markets I frequent, it has an in-store eating area. With good prices. Below, the deli area (which has many choices of Feta cheeses as well as the olives and halal deli meats shown)and a sort of 'grab and go'/prepared foods area.

 

 

 
When you walk in, you will go to the left and there is a hot food counter and small eating area. On the far left of this photo, the beverage machine with red juice- that is pomegranate juice- $1.49 for a large styrofoam cup. I  get on every time I am here, but never seem to have snapped a photo. It is not from concentrate.  The sign underneath the "Seafood" sign is "You Buy We Fry".

The steam tray area has a large menu above it.  Prices are good.  Really good. Order, pay and find a seat.  

Beef shawarma sandwich ($3.95).  Yes, that is the price.  Yes, my hand is small.  It is still a very large sandwich. Usually I don't order beef shawarma, because elsewhere, it is dry.  Here at Valley Foods, the beef shawarma is moist and wonderfully flavored. The bread is one of the three main types sold in the store. Fresh. Those are turnips pickled in beet juice and onions in the sandwich, along with a garlicky hummus sauce.

 On the bottom right is a 'side' of Biryani rice ($2.99).  It's a pint.
Cooked Basmati rice, sauteed with shredded chicken, onions and some potato, along with cumin and maybe cardamom (a sweet spice, not cinnamon), this could be a meal in itself.
The falafel plate ($5.95)Seven fresh made from garbanzo beans(not powder) falafels, with a side of pickled mango , fresh made hummus (nice and with light garlic), fresh-fresh tabouleh (parsley, mint, tomatoes and bulghur wheat in a lemon-olive oil dressing) and two standard (fresh made here and warm) pita breads.
Here is a blurry photo of a cross section of the falafel.  It is fresh, fluffy and good.  

This is a good place for regular grocery shopping or a quick, good, inexpensive meal. It's worth the stop.

Valley Foods Mediterranean Market 1275 East Main Street El Cajon 92019 619-749-8355

$3 Lunch Special at Sushi Yaro

Does this photo tickle your memory?

 

Well, it's not quite the same rumpled "Abe" of my Convoy Sushi and Fish Market post. If you recall that post, it went over the $5 lunch specials at that now defunct restaurant. I decided to take another photo of Abe because in a bit of irony; Sushi Yaro, which is now in that location has a $3 lunch special.

To be perfectly honest, when Sam told the Missus and I that he'd be starting a three dollar lunch experiment, we had our doubts...... in this day and age what can you really serve customer for three bucks, and why would you do that? I guess the experiment has worked out pretty well, since on my last visit, Sam told me that the three dollar lunch will be served until further notice.... or as Sam told me, "until I'm broke!" Sam also told me that I should drop by during lunch and try it out for myself. So there I was...... and there it was; the $3 lunch.

 

I've had Sam's spicy pork, a version of Daeji Bulgogi. I was somewhat surprised that a bowl of miso soup was provided..... even though miso shiro is served with just about every lunch special; it's usually these "side dishes" that are part of the first cut when doing bargain basement specials.

So here's what my three bucks bought:

 

Scoop of rice, scoop of spicy pork, green salad; about the equivalent of a plate lunch stand's "mini plate".... which I believe is closer to four buck nowadays.......

While eating, I got to thinking what I could get for three bucks lunch wise...... Banh Mi maybe? But even most of those are over three bucks.... a 6" from Subway.... basically a salad in a roll.... I'm sure there are many fast-food answers to that three-buck question. You could get one and two thirds of a taco at Tacos El Poblano or El Gordo, two fish tacos (with some change left over) at Mariscos El Pescador, and for the big bargain 3 tacos Al Pastor from Internacional 2000. In fact, for six bucks you could get two lunch specials, which will still be about the price of a sandwich at many places.

And while I have reservations with regards to Sam's sanity........ it's nice to know that I can either this:

 
Or this.....

 

Depending on how big that hole in my pocket is.......

 So what's the catch? Not much really; the three dollar special is available between 1130 and 230 seven days a week. Yes, even weekends. How long will this last? I don't know.... and I don't think Sam does either. So if you're a bit cash-strapped this holiday season, this might be something you could try. After all three bucks doesn't buy much of a lunch nowadays......

Sushi Yaro
7905 Engineer Road
San Diego, CA 92111

Road Trip: Duck House - Monterey Park (Los Angeles)

I hope everyone had a delicious and fun Thanksgiving Day!

Like past years, the Missus had to work on Thanksgiving, again giving true meaning to what She always says about the day..... "Thanksgiving..... bah, I'm Chinese, I don't have anything to be thankful for!" All in fun of course.... I think. So the weekend before T-Day, we decided to have our own Thanksgiving. We'd always wanted to check out Lu Din Gee, which is now called simply, "Duck House".

 

Which makes ordering quite easy, right? According to such highly esteemed folks like Pulitzer Prize winning Food Critic Jonathan Gold, and heck even FOY (Friend of Yoso) Elmomonster of Monster Munching (his post on Duck House here), who has hit the big time now writing for OC Weekly, this is place the to go for Peking Duck. But isn't Duck House at it's core a Taiwanese Restaurant? According to another FOY, that's not much of an issue since, "Din Tai Fung is a Taiwanese Chain, and they make the best Xiao Long Bao...." (which I actually don't agree with, but I get the point)

And so we ended up at Duck House at just before noon on a Sunday, and snagged one of the very few parking spots in the tiny parking lot out front. The restaurant itself is tiny, and fills up fast. We had ordered our duck, three ways when the Missus made reservations the week before. According to what I've read, you're supposed to call at least an hour ahead if you're ordering Peking Duck, something which made me scratch my head a bit later on. The place fills up quickly; and every table ordered duck. We went whole hog, or perhaps I should say... full fowl, ordering the Duck Three Ways ($49.95).

The first thing to hit the table was a plate of shredded scallion and cucumber. And rather large bowl of sweet bean sauce. Now, having eaten this many times in the US, I've grown accustomed to the usual Hoisin thing. But in Beijing, each major Duck House makes their own sauce, and takes pride in it. It was no different here, as the sauce was much different than any I've had before..... but not necessarily in a good way. The sauce was very salty and beany, and tasted more like Aka Miso. It truly lacked a sweet and fruity component.

 
I also asked the Missus what the corn flake looking stuff was in the condiment jar alongside the  chili oils and mustard was. She didn't have a clue, so maybe one of you can tell me? 

When the first course of duck arrived, we made a couple of observations..... first, the skin was pretty light in color, second, that was probably the biggest pile of duck meat I've ever seen in the middle of that plate.

 

Due to the size of the restaurant, I really didn't expect to have the duck carved at my table..... though that would have been optimum. I can tell you that the meat in the center of the plate was pretty cold, leading me to believe that much of this is done ahead of time. I also must say that this was some of the blandest and dry duck I've had in a while. But honestly, one does not order Peking Duck for the meat, right? It's the skin that makes the dish...... And in this case, the skin was light, greasy (in a good way), and basically melted in your mouth. Still, it was a none starter since it had almost no flavor at all.

The pancakes provided were nice and warm.

 

But were a bit too thick for me. Filled with a combination of bean paste, skin, meat, and scallion, it did seem that the sum of the parts were better, but everything still lacked flavor. The Missus, having made these pancakes at home had a much better appreciation for them than I did.

Next up was the huge bowl of soup made from the duck bones. Usually one of our favorite things.

 

We both appreciated the color and velvety texture of the broth. It started developing a "skin" quickly as it cooled. It had been prepared with good technique except for one thing.... it lacked flavor. If there's one dish that captures the soul of the duck, it's the soup made from it's bones. This truly lacked soul, as it tasted mainly of white pepper. To be perfectly fair, as it "ripened" the broth tasted much better....three days down the line the leftover broth started tasting a bit more like what I expected.

Next up was an additional dish we ordered; the Taiwanese BBQ Eel on Sticky Rice ($19.95):

 

Like the previous dishes, this was a large quantity of food. The glutinous rice was prepared with a soy based sauce, topped with Eel and steamed on lotus leaf. The oils from the Eel had seeped onto the rice, making this a rich dish. The flavor was again a bit lacking as everything tasted like a weak "Unagi sauce" had been poured on it. Secondly, even though everything was placed upon a lotus leaf, we could not taste the the wonderful flavor that lotus leaves add to dishes. The funny thing is, this dish tastes really good with some third party unagi sauce poured on it......

Our third duck dish was duck meat stir fried with bean sprouts.

 

Now coming from a bean sprout lover..... I'd say this is good. But was it good as part of a fifty dollar dish? Well first, where's the duck meat? The Missus and I were thinking that perhaps using some of the huge quantity of duck meat served on our first plate would actually make a difference..... until we considered how bland that duck meat was. Second, when I first started learning how to use a fire ring I practiced on bean sprouts; and in all honesty, that was just as good. Third, it sure seemed that Duck House was trying to present itself as a more upscale eating establishment.... so why didn't they pick off the root and sprouts?

The Missus and I discussed this meal constantly over the week, as I really didn't want to be exceedingly harsh. I didn't want our disappointment of the overall meal to be unfair. The service we received was as good as can be expected from a understaffed restaurant whose first seating is filled to the max with everyone getting the same thing. Much of the clientele is older and demanding, or in the banquet mentality, but the folks seemed to be trying. And yet the food fell way short. A couple of weeks ago, I tried to arrange a meal here with friends, I wasn't able to get a reservation and we ended up somewhere else. Which I'm now thankful for. In the end, Duck House ain't even close to this:

 
Perhaps our visit was a fluke......... I'm sure you'll let me know.

Duck House
501 South Atlantic Blvd
Monterey Park, CA 91754

 

Aria Kabob Cafe

We really haven't had any Afghan style food since Kabul Market closed a year or so ago. So I was fascinated when I noticed that an Afghan Restaurant called Aria Kabob Cafe was opening in the same strip mall as Pho Fusion. It took quite a few months for Aria Kabob Cafe to open, but a couple of weeks back it finally did.

 

I noticed the $3.99 breakfast and $4.95 lunch signs, wondering what the heck was going on. And was even more puzzled when I walked in and read the menu.......

 

Bagels? Eggs? Smoothies....... Hot Dogs?

 

For $4.95, you'd get a plate of rice and two items from a not so promising looking steam table (the Missus would later prove me wrong).

 

Looking a bit closer at the menu I noticed the type of dishes I was looking for.

 

I had a seat at one of the tables in the small dining area and placed my order.... and waited...and waited.... and waited. About thirty minutes later my Lamb Tika Kabob Plate ($8.99) arrived.

 

Looking at my plate.... well, I was a bit underwhelmed. The salad was totally mass produced packaged stuff, as was the pita. Digging in changed my opinion...... I loved the brown basmati rice.... in fact I texted the Missus telling Her that I was actually eating brown rice and enjoying it. The rice was fluffy, fragrant, and was prepared well. The tangy spicy "chatney" was good.... though I really enjoyed the yogurt based dressing on my cubes of lamb. There wasn't a ton of lamb, but it was very good. I was amazed at how well it was prepared and cooked, soft and tender, but not mushy, and seasoned with a restrained hand. The juices of the lamb had soaked into the pita which made it even more delicious. You knew you were eating lamb, but was not overwhelmed with the "flavor of the pasture" (though I do love gamey lamb). This was a very pleasant surprise......though everyone else was ordering the $4.95 lunch, salads, and the such. On my way out, the gentleman working apologized for the wait, and asked me how I enjoyed my meal. My response? "It was good, well worth the wait." Though think I'll be calling ahead during a work week lunch.

The Missus, shocked that I had actually eaten brown rice (something I've been cooking for Her for months), just had to check this place out. On our visit I told Her, "this may take a while, but you'll enjoy the food." She had the Lamb Tika Kabob and really enjoyed it. I tried one of my favorites, the Chapli Kabob, here it's very well seasoned ground beef patties ($6.99):

 

The patties had a nice char on the exterior, with some nice cumin-coriander hints. While eating this I noticed something........ I wasn't using any sumac. Neither was the Missus. I guess that we both thought the seasoning was just right for our tastes.... I did use a liberal amount of the "dressing", and the Missus loved the Chatney. In spite of the wait (35 minutes this time), we both enjoyed the meal..... so we returned a couple of nights later.

The Missus started with the Borani Bonjan ($3.49), roasted eggplant in a tomato based sauce, topped with drizzles of tangy yogurt.

 

There was a noticeable, though subdued amount of spice, and even with all these very strong flavors you could still taste the eggplant.

The Missus noticed that the steam table was still up and running, even though it was dinner time, and went for the "two plus rice"....... Two items from the steam table.

 

This came with a plate of the brown basmati rice..... the Missus loved the cauliflower... a lot.....

By this time, for some reason, I became curious about the Fried Hot Dog..... it just seemed so out of place on the menu. Because of that, there seemed to be some sort of reverse-exotic mystery to it. And even though the young man replied, "well, it's a hot dog..... that's fried" when I asked about it, I still ordered it. I told the young man I'd take the Fried Hot Dog, with three toppings ( the way he'd eat it). And what I got was this......

 

It really was a hot dog (all beef) that had been deep fried...... in this case topped with mayo-mustard-relish, in a sesame seed roll. Yes, just a hot dog.....really.

Though the other dish I ordered was quite good, the Pakawra ($2.95):

 

These well spiced potato fritters were the hottest item I tried here..... they are also quite addictive if a bit on the heavy side. I enjoyed these, as the layers of flavors along with the spice kept me interested.. This time, our meal arrived pretty quickly......

A couple of days later, the Missus wanted the brown rice and cauliflower from Aria. I dropped by to see if they still had some on the steam table. Unfortunately, they weren't serving that on this day. But the gentleman working here, by the name of Mike, had a solution for me. By this time he recognized me, and told me "if you can come back in 45 minutes, we'll make it fresh for your wife." How's that for service? So I went and did some shopping, returned after 45 minutes, and the Missus got Her food.

 

And loved it......

You know, Mike could have just said "we don't have that today" and be done with it, but he went the extra mile for us. That along with the food, both priced right and delicious will keep us coming back.

 

 Aria Kabob Cafe
8010 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111

Hangzhou: Dinner

Waking refreshed after a short nap, the Missus decided that we should head out, and walk around a bit and perhaps grab some dinner. Traffic was pretty heavy, and the air quality started to reflect the congestion.

 

Along the way, the Missus found a fruit stand selling fresh Mangosteen........ which instantly became an obsession.

 

This stuff wasn't cheap by Chinese standards, in this case 20 Yuan per 500 grams.... close to $3 a pound. We ended up buying Mangosteen whenever we could find fresh, good quality fruits, in spite of the price.

In Hangzhou, history is everywhere.... you could be walking on a side street and find a monument.... we found this one near Xihu (Westlake).

 

This were the remanents of the original Hangzhou City Wall.

 

Fairly soon the question of dinner came up......... we wanted to try a few more Hangzhou dishes, but really didn't want to head back to Zhiweiguan again. While walking, the Missus noticed this restaurant.....

 

This little restaurant was doing some pretty good business with several large parties......

 

The young lady who waited on us was very nice and efficient....... the best service we encountered in Hangzhou. We ended up ordering quite a bit of food; I guess we didn't know how hungry we were as we finished just about everything.

I recall "Sandy" inquiring about West Lake Duck in an earlier post; I'm pretty sure she was referring to Hangzhou Jiang Ya - Hangzhou Duck. This restaurant's version looked like this:

 
I understand that there are several versions of this dish. This duck had a cured texture to it, there wasn't much meat,  but the flavor was nice, mildly gamey, with a mild "red-cooked" flavor to it.

I really didn't enjoy the Dongpo Rou at Zhiweiguan, and really wanted to try it again.

 

I really enjoyed this, the fat was silken, and the juicy meat very tender without being mushy. Though the Missus thought this was still too sweet, I enjoyed the sweetness and the rendered fat.... which tasted great over rice.... lots of rice.

 
I'm sure the photo speaks for itself.

Another dish we hadn't tried was the famous Xihu Cu Yu - Westlake Sour Fish. And since we were leaving the next morning, we had to order it.

 

Whoa...... the first thing that hit me was how sour this was. It was like someone placing a guillotine chokehold on me. A second later, the intense teeth wracking sweetness came through. It was a bit too much for us. The fish itself was excellent, moist and tender, cooked to perfection....... but man that sauce was like drinking vinegar laced with sweet syrup. We ended up removing the fish to a separate plate away from the sauce.

Arriving in Hangzhou just at the end of Bamboo Shoot season, we decided to see if they were available. The young lady told the Missus that they did have fresh bamboo shoots, but it wouldn't be as good as it was a few weeks earlier. Still we wanted to check it out.

 

When the dish arrived, I noticed the glaze looked much like the sauce used for the fish; but thankfully, it wasn't as sweet, nor as sour, and the earthy flavor of the shoots came through, as did the mild natural(thank goodness) sweetness of the shoots. This was delicious.

After dinner, the Missus needed something "sweet", I told Her She should've just had another order of that fish....... We ended up at, guess where? Yep, back at the multi-level monstrous Zhiweiguan. This time at one of the take-out windows at street level.

 

 

The Missus bought a couple of snacks.......

 

She really enjoyed this one......

 

 

The next morning we woke ready for our next city and caught a cab down to the bus station. Man, this place was busy. The ticket windows were somethings else...... doesn't it look like the betting window at the racetrack?

 

 Hangzhou's bus station looked fairly new, and was relatively clean.

 

While sitting it struck me how difficult it would be to travel via bus if you didn't read Chinese, as there were no signs in any other language.

 

Suzhou was just two hours away.......

Madison: The Old Fashioned

The Old Fashioned in downtown Madison was on my list from my previous visit. One person I ran into told me that some of the dishes served; stuff like beer soup, weisswurst, knackwurst, and creamed herring. I was also told that the prices were reasonable.... and that there was always a nice selection of local brews on tap...... need I say more?

I made my way from Chicago, checked into my hotel, and took a nice drive to downtown Madison. Since this was a Sunday evening, I didn't encounter any traffic, and found parking with minimal effort. I parked in the shadow of the Capitol, and had a chance to enjoy the autumn colors...... something we don't really encounter here in San Diego.

 

The Old Fashioned is located right across the street from the Capitol building.

 

In spite of the looks, this place was packed to the gills, so I decided to grab a stool at the bar. Unfortunately, it's basically almost pitch black dark, so this will be a "PWTSDS" ("putz" - places where the sun don't shine) so I must apologize in advance for the lousy photos. As soon as I sat, a very chipper young lady named Ashley took my order. Friendly and efficient, always striding with a purpose, I gotta say, Ashley was awesome. There were thirty different brews on tap, Ashley asked me if I like "hoppy" IPAs. She suggested I try the Tyranena Brewing Company Bitter Woman IPA, especially since it was only $2.50. It was "not a big investment". To my very uneducated palate, it was quite hoppy, but not very bitter, with a hint of citrus. It turned out to be fairly refreshing.

Since I was in Wisconsin, where Germans make up the largest ancestry group, known as home of the Bratwurst.... of course I had a Brat. I had a single Miesfield's Market Sheboygan "Grand Champion" Bratwurst ($5.95):

 

Served on a hard roll, with a nice brown mustard, onions, and pickles, this was quite good. The brat was unlike anything I've had in San Diego..... less strong herb flavors, a bit sweeter, a very balanced flavor overall.

And just because I could, I had a side of Beer Battered Cheese Curds ($3), Ashley recommended getting the Horseradish Dip (50 cents) with these......

 

These were the best battered cheese curds I've ever had... not that I've had a bunch of them in my life. It wasn't too gooey, with a hint of cheddar flavor, and even a bit of a "squeak" to them. The batter was crunchy, yet light.

In spite of watching the Chargers lose on the television; this was probably my favorite meal in Madison. I'd come here again in a second. Nothing fancy, unpretentious, great service, and relaxing in spite of the crowd, I really enjoyed this meal.

The Old Fashioned
23 North Pinckney St.
Madison, WI 53703

 

Hangzhou: Lingyin Temple and noodles at Kui Yuan Guan

Right across from Fei Lai Feng, is the Lingyin Buddhist Temple. The temple was originally built in the early fourth century, and has been rebuilt at least 16 times over time. After paying admission, we entered the very busy grounds of the temple.

 

 

Due to the crowds of tourists, all paying admission, it was easy to lose sight of the fact that Lingyin Temple is a functioning Buddhist temple. And having been to Thailand and Laos, we were a bit shocked to see young ladies wearing pumps and mini-skirts and guys wearing tank tops (one had even taken his shirt off) and shorts on temple grounds. Folks disregarded signs within the halls prohibiting photos, and even let their children climb into urns within the cultural treasury hall...... it was all a bit surreal.

And yet every so often you'd see a monk walking the grounds.

 

Or folks making offerings......

 

In spite of all the wonderful Buddhist statues and carvings it was hard for us to enjoy Lingyin Temple. The amount of noise, and the crowds made it a bit of a tiring experience.

 

We headed back to our hotel, for a nap, and to attempt to escape the humidity. As we passed this doorway, the Missus suggested trying this place out. Strangely, some noodle soup sounded pretty good.......

I would later find out that this noodle restaurant Kui Yuan Guan is very well known around China. According to the story, the restaurant was founded during the Qing Dynasty, in the late 1860's.

There was reason the place was pretty busy in spite of the heat and humidity.

 

The menu is full of various noodle soups, and there is a single phrase English description of each type of noodle soup.

 
I went with the Pork, Bamboo Shoot, and Preserved vegetable noodle soup (10 yuan - about $1.45).

 
I was to find out later that Kui Yuan Chuan is credited with creating this dish, called Pian Er Chuan, go figure.....

 

Other than the very lean and tough pork (which I expected), I really enjoyed this soup. The combination of the salty-sour tones of the preserved vegetable, with the earthy and mildly sweet flavor of the fresh bamboo shoots, and what seemed to be a mildly rich pork based broth was a great combination.

The Missus selected the Shredded Eel Noodle soup (23 yuan - about $3.20).

 

The Missus seemed to enjoy Her soup well enough. We both found the noodl es adequate, though nothing special. This restaurant also marked a first distinct occurrence we were to find several more times at noodle soup restaurants in the region. Our noodle soup arrived, but no spoons were provided. I noticed that other customers simply brought the bowl up to their face and drank their soup, and I was perfectly fine with consuming my soup that way. But for some reason, this wouldn't fly with the Missus, who, in every case would flag down one of the employees and ask for spoons....... it turned out that soup spoons were only provided upon request.

 
The shop had the A/C going pretty good, which made the soup go down well. As we stepped back out into the humidity, we still felt satiated.... and ready for a nice nap!

Guess the revisits...plus one

*** Update 11/18, 0800 - The contest is closed....... there was only one person who guessed all six restaurant correctly. Congrats to Hao! The answers are all at the end of the post. And just for laughs I gave an eCup to the person who did the worst as well.

I haven't done one of these in a while....... I'll send a Peet's eCup to the first five folks who email(link upper right) me the correct guesses of the following revisits.

For the following three, list the dish and the restaurant:

1. This one is kinda hard, but not that hard......

 
Someone once mentioned lucious eyebrows.......

 

2.. This one is the easiest.

 

How about some drippy yolk porn......

 

3. This dish used to be much better when the restaurant was under previous ownership.....

 

But things have been getting better as the folks making the food have been gaining more experience.

 

For next three, you can just name the restaurant.

4. This "little little" place used to be in a different location.

 

 5. I've never posted on exactly this dish, but guessing the restaurant should be pretty easy.

 

6. OK if you can't guess this one....... well, I'm not sure what to say.....

 

Easy, right? That's it, get those six and be one of the first five to email me the correct guesses and you'll get a Peet's eCup..... But let me ask you, are you a gambler? Would you go double or nothing? If you guess the name of this dish correctly, along with the previous six, I'll make it two eCups...... get it wrong, and you get nothin'(be accurate - as in what kind of meat etc, or the Chinese name would be even better)....... A couple of hints, it's not from a restaurant in San Diego, and it is delicious......

 

I'll let things go until the morning of 11/18

Just remember, send me the guesses via email, a valid email so if you're correct I can send youthe Peet's eCup. One guess per email address please.

Good Luck!

OK, here are the answers:

#1 - It's Beef Sate Noodle "Dry" from Tan Ky Mi Gia.

#2 - The Kaloko Moco from Island Style Cafe......

 

Everyone who played got that one right. At first, I was a bit apprehensive about a Loco Moco with a crepe as it's base..... but here it really works.

#3 - Is The Noble Chef.

 
Since the new owners have taken over, my favorite dishes have been slowly getting better, as the guy behind the wok station gains more experience.

 
Our favorite dish here in the past was the Shrimp with XO Sauce Fried Rice. It still lacks the punch it once had, and Wok Hay (spirit of the wok) is still lacking.

 
Don't get me wrong, it's a good fried rice; just not as good......

#4 - Is Sieu Sieu BBQ, which literally means "small small".....

 

I had gone to Barbecues Galore to try and purchase more Ono Kiawe Charcoal. I was told by the manager of BG, that a "well known" BBQ Manufacturer had bought the company and then took the charcoal off the market because it was competing with items in their product line. I'm not going further than that since I can't confirm this info. I may try purchasing the charcoal on the Ono Charcoal Website.

#5 - Is Yakyudori Ramen and Yakitori.

 
I'm not sure if they still serve it, but Tonkotsu style ramen was being served in limited quantities during lunch.

 

#6 - Is of course Pizzeria Bruno. Everyone who played got this correct as well.

That last dish is Mi Zheng Rou, also called Fen Zheng Rou..... rice steamed pork. More on that in a later post.

My thanks to everyone who humored me and played along!