mmm-yoso!!!

An Uni - licious Saturday - Live Uni from San Diego Kelpbed Products, Little Italy Mercato

I readily admit that I don't do a good job on keeping tabs on what is the latest, or greatest "thing" going on. But on occasion, I will read something that will grab my attention. This past Friday, I was "surfing along", when I decided to check out The Readers Food and Drink section, and lo' and behold, Ed Bedford's column was on a stand selling live uni at the Saturday Little Italy Mercato. Way to go Ed........

So this morning I headed over to Little Italy, found parking with no problem, and walked a block over to the Mercato. Traffic, both the four wheeled and two legged kind was very light, and right at the South end of the Market, I saw the booth for San Diego Kelpbed Products.

 

And yes, there it was.......wriggling quills moving with slow, pulsing, almost mechanical smoothness. Heidi explained that these were Red Sea Urchin, and than raised her hands showing me the red pigmentation that the urchin gave off. 

 

The booth is manned by Heidi and her daughter Rosemary. Heidi is treasure trove of information on Sea Urchin. Stuff like sea urchins can live a very long life(100 + years), and can keep reproducing until they are very old. As such, harvesting these keeps the population in check, which in turn does our Kelp Beds a favor. And then the magic words were spoken, "would you like a taste?"  Are you kidding me????

Rosemary set to work, and had a much too easy time cracking and cleaning the uni......she cracked with the skill derived from tons of practice.

 

 

These 'nads had a bright almost reddish-orange color, with a nice, mild sweetness, and rich, briney flavor.....call it the kiss of the ocean if you desire. The flesh was creamy without disintegrating, and the fragrance hinted of the sea. And at four bucks a pop, I bought two.......

When I arrived home, I placed my uni in some old pasta bowls I had and put them in the fridge. I had been told that the uni would live two to three days in my fridge. You can tell they're alive by touching them......the spines will move. Of course, every half hour or so, I'd open the fridge, and pet my uni......

After completing all of my chores, I finally set out to work on my urchin. I have had more than my share of uni, but I had never cracked a large one myself. Back home in Hawaii, I've eaten smaller seas urchin (called `ina ), but had not really eaten the bigger "wana" (vana). After watching Rosemary, I was sure that I could do at least, a third rate job. Rosemary worked with a small slotted spoon and a pair of kitchen shears. Unlike what one of my friends say....you don't need a "special tool" to remove the gonads from the urchins. Though I wish I had a small slotted spoon.....

Actually, cracking it was easy....first you remove it's "beak". I used my pairing knife to cut around the "mouth". Someone once told me that the Old Hawaiians would place salt around, and in the mouth of the "Wana", and let it sit overnight. Cracks would then form around the mouth, making the uni easy to crack. I was much too impatient to even think about trying this.

Mouth removed, the uni looked like this:

 

I turned the uni over and drained the kelp(and other stuff) speckled seawater into the sink. I than found two of the seams, and cut along them, splitting the uni in half. I than scooped out the orange 'nads, and placed them in a bowl of clean water. I carefully scraped all of the detritus off them. I moved the cleaned uni pieces into another bowl of clean water, just to make sure I got everything off. I dried the uni briefly on paper towels, and ate them up.....plain.....it was excellent. I won't win for style or presentation points, you can pay your extra twenty bucks for that......

As I was washing the red pigment off my fingers....I wondered why I hadn't done this before. Perhaps it was the $4 a piece price......or maybe just watching the ease with which Rosemary went about cleaning the uni.....or maybe it was just the right time.

 

Funny thing was, the other uni, which I had this evening was even better...the flesh was that reddish-orange hue....and it was just sublime. Folks say that San Diego has some of the best Uni in the world.....so why don't you try it out, and form your own opinion.

And while you're at it, enjoy the Little Italy Mercato, on Saturdays between 9am and 130pm, located on Date Street, between Kettner and Union.

I picked out some other stuff as well......

 

A Road Trip from Memory Lane

I recently took a vacation day from work. For some reason my internal clock is still a bit off, and I just needed a day of R&R(that would be rest and relaxation, not readin' and 'riting). In spite of the recent increase in fuel prices, the Missus & I decided to take a "road trip down memory lane". When we resided in LA, we had a Saturday ritual. Whenever I was in town, we'd start our day with a drive down to the Torrance Saturday Farmer's Market. I know I've posted on this before, in fact, more than once. But this Farmer's Market holds a special place in our heart; if only because we spent a good many Saturday mornings at the market.

On this morning, we made it to the market in record time. There was a significant lack of traffic. I'm  thinking it was combination of the heat, and gas prices. We arrived at about 845am, and the market was just starting to pick up. As always, there was a nice selection of a variety of fruits and vegetables. Because of the heat, all the "bug netting" was up.

With the heat and the bright sunlight, it seemed like it was already noon! We purchased a few items, walked the market, which is one of the largest in SoCal, and headed off to our next "regular stop".

On "memory road", our next stop was Marukai Gardena. And we arrived a bit after the 9am opening, and found primo parking. And though we spent a good amount of time walking the isles(and soaking up the A/C), the main reason we stopped here was to purchase fish. Even though, Marukai has opened in San Diego, one of areas where it is still deficient is with regards to fish. Though that could be said for Nijiya and Mitsuwa as well. Our little ice chest full of super fresh salmon, Karei, and Ahi, we headed on our way.

Marukai Gardena
1740 West Artesia Blvd
Gardena, CA 90248
Summer: Monday - Saturday, 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. & Sunday, 9:00 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.

My previous post can be found here.

Our next usual stop would be East on the 91, North on the 710, and either getting out on Valley, or as today, East on the 10. Today we exited on Garfield, and ended up at the place we used to call the "center of LA's Chinese universe", the intersection of Garfield and Garvey.......this was circa the 90's of course, and much has changed since then. So where did we eat? Sorry folks, but that's future post. After not one, but two meals(hey, with gas prices, who knows when I'll be back....and leftovers are always welcome), we headed off "home". Not our current "Home" in San Diego, but our old stomping grounds, Rowland Heights. The Missus had a craving for her Shaved Ice from Shau Mei, and that's where we encountered a big surprise. While the Missus was enduring severely rude service at Shau Mei, I noticed this sign.

A bit curious, we entered Hong Kong Market, and this is what greeted us.

The produce section had been removed, and now consists of boxes of items being sold......inventory liquidation. The meat and frozen food section was "taped off". You can compare it to my previous post, here.

We were shocked, we hadn't heard that they were closing. Now over the years, I've endured some horrible service at Hong Kong Market, but we shopped here frequently, sometimes 4-5 times a week, when we lived in the area. It was within walking distance. The Missus called Her Dad, who shopped here often when they lived in the area.

I guess time had caught up with this rather run down and seedy market. But we had many memories of the place.

In spite of the horrid service, I'll miss the place. In keeping with the standard service at HK Market, the Missus went over to one of the cashiers who was standing around, and inquired about the closing. The young lady gave the Missus a dirty look, and in a nasty "it's none of your business" tone, told the Missus, "there is NO reason". You gotta love it, a final kick to the crotch!

We were still talking about the closing while I was prepping dinner.  Wondering what was taking its place, and what it meant to all the other businesses in the area. We had already noticed how much lighter traffic was in the area. It was the topic of conversation as we had a "memory lane" beat-the-heat dinner; Poke' 2 ways.

The Ogo from Marukai was lousy, but man that Ahi was super-fresh. It took us back to our old "Saturday Night" meals way back when. Time moves forward, but sometimes it's really nice to taste the past.

I hope everyone managed to keep cool this weekend. Tell me, what are your "eating trips down memory lane"?

Scenes from the Hillcrest Farmers Market

I've been snowed under by a pretty nasty virus since this past Tuesday...the usual nasal headache, nasal drip, hacking cough, blah, blah, blah!

But this morning, I got up bright and early, finally feeling almost like my (ab)normal self. And lo' and behold, it was such a lovely morning! So nice that we decided to head up to the Hillcrest Certified Farmers Market. We really didn't eat or buy much, I enjoyed stretching my legs a bit, and just enjoyed getting out on such a nice morning.

I know I've posted on the Hillcrest Farmers Market before, so I'll spare you most of the commentary and let the photos speak for themselves.

There were more food vendors than I recall.....it might just be my "cold" talking.

And of course, the food vendors I distinctly remember.

The Guy cracked me up!

But who wouldn't be proud of this:

And of course all of the products of local Artisans.

The Hillcrest Farmers Market isn't particularly large...at least compared to the Torrance, Santa Monica, and Hollywood, Farmers Markets we used to frequent when we lived in LA. But what it lacks in size is surely made up for in "personality". There's also a nice variety of goods, everything from artichokes to........Rubber Duckies!

San Diego Hillcrest CFM
In the DMV Parking Lot at Lincoln and Normal
Most Sundays, 9A-1P Rain or Shine

Thanks for visiting, I'll be back tomorrow with a new restaurant post....if I don't have a relapse!

Quick Weekend in Los Angeles

Whew, just got in from a short trip to Los Angeles. Here are just a few photos of places I've posted on before.

Of course the Missus's favorite little Sushi Bar is Sushi Komasa.

The sushi at Komasa, though not spectacular, has always been consistently good, and is reasonably priced.

On this trip, the Hamachi(Yellowtail) was excellent, a creamy, melt-in-your-mouth tender. The Aji(Spanish Mackerel), was also good.

So tonight we had Ankimo, Maguro, Binnaga(Albacore), Hamachi, Aji, Hirame, Tai(Snapper), Negi-Hama, and Salmon Skin Roll, with Hot Tea, the bill came out to about $65. Not bad at all. You can check out previous posts for more info.

Sushi Komasa
352 E 2nd St
Los Angeles, CA
213-680-1792

Open Tuesday-Sunday 530pm - 11pm

Since we stayed in Torrance, we had to check out the Torrance Saturday Farmers' Market.

As I noted on my previous post, we used to make the 90 mile round trip to the TFM almost every Saturday when we lived in LA.

We loved the selection, and the low-key atmosphere. And were pleased to see things have not changed. There was still a wonderful selection of produce.

And lots of samples.

Tomatoes seem to be really popular today.

And of course the flowers.

And even Killer Snails!!!

One thing we've noticed is that the Food Court has sure expanded. Though we didn't have a chance to sample the offerings, I took a few photos.

Torrance Sat CFM
Wilson Park, 2200 Crenshaw
Sat, 8A-1P

I know, I know, you're saying, "Reruns, again?" Well stay tuned, I'll have some new posts on a few Los Angeles restaurant, including TianJin and ShenYang cuisine, and other stuff......

And as a great bonus, Cathy's also taking a road trip as well! So you'll be hearing from Her as well.

So why were we in LA? Well, maybe this helps:

Sorry, just being a bit silly. Here's the reason:

Yes, we attended the AKC National Championship. Over 3000 dogs were included in this years show. We'd never attended one of these, and thought this was a great opportunity.

Along with the P-B-G-V(Petit Basset Griffon Verdeen - won the hound group), the Glen of Imaal Terrier, Great Pyrenees, and Dandy Dinmont, we've always loved Havanese. And this was a great chance to check them out.

Hands down, one of our two favorite events was the Agility Invitational.

And it's not just the sporting dogs that compete, some of the biggest cheers were for some of the smaller breeds, like this Bichon Frise:

There were no losers.......

The other event we enjoyed was called "Meet the Breed", where every breed was represented and had a booth. We got to speak to alot of veteran dog owners/experts regarding the various attributes of specific breeds.

Of course there was the show.

As much as we enjoyed the "show" and prejudging portion, we enjoyed other aspects of the show more. Still, it was a great fun!

Sun Cafe and a Little Walking Tour

Ah, yes, another beautiful Seattle morning:

Just kidding...although the drizzly weather this past Sunday sure did remind me of Seattle.  When I'm on vacation I enjoy getting up early and watching the City "wake", I especially love going down to Stockton St in San Francisco, or Pike's Place Market in Seattle, early in the morning, and just watch the area slowly come alive. So this morning I decided to head down to our own Gaslamp District and give it the "tourist treatment". Also, I'd received this little brochure and map during one of the movies at the San Diego Asian Film Festival, and took some time to read it. I'd known that San Diego once had a "Chinatown" but didn't know that it had been declared a Historical District. There's also a Sunday Farmer's Market in the same area, so that sealed the deal.

I had no problem finding parking on this misty Sunday morning; but I'd arrived at about 830, so the Farmer's Market stalls were still getting set up. I just decided to grab some breakfast and take a short "tour". I started at the corner of  3rd and J Street, at the location of the San Diego Chinese History Museum.

The Museum is located in the former Chinese Mission Building. As I walked up the street I was fairly surprised at what I noticed; like the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association Building:

These buildings really stood out, standing beside all the downtown Condominiums and development. This area at 3rd and Island Street was the heart of Chinatown in the late 1800's and early 20th Century.

As I walked up Market Street, my stomach started growling. It was time for some grub. It was my intention to grab a bite at the The Field, my favorite Irish Pub. I'd been looking at trying one of their "boxty" breakfast's. But Sun Cafe on Market Street caught my eye:

According to what I read this building was built between 1873 and 1883, and is one of the oldest buildings in the area. The Obayashi family ran a shooting gallery and confectionary at this location, but by 1926 the soup that was served here became so popular that Sun Cafe became strictly a restaurant. The Jeong Family bought the business in 1963, and still runs the Cafe. When you enter you quickly notice the old Soda Fountain counter and the old wooden booths, it's like entering a little retro time capsule diner, circa 1950's:

I sat in one of the booths and ordered Two Eggs, Hash Browns, and Corned Beef Hash ($4.90). The food is strictly diner, and carried out in efficient form. The eggs scrambled, and there was a nice crust on the Hash. And of course, I had to have a good diner quality Cup O' Joe (70 cents):

A bit of trivia; Sun Cafe is featured in several scenes in the movie Almost Famous.

I left refreshed and ready to head over to the Farmer's Market, and so I headed back. On the way  back I noticed another Museum on the corner of  4th and Island. It was the William Hearth Davis House, a saltbox style house that was built in 1850. William Hearth Davis was one of San Diego's early pioneers; but did you know he had ties to Hawaii? Well it seems that Mr Davis was 1/4 Hawaiian, his grandmother Mahi was a ward of Kamehameha I. In fact he was known as "Kanaka" Bill. His full given name was William Hearth Ko'olaupoko Mahi-Davis. Amazing what you learn by reading brochures.

At this point, I headed back to the tiny Farmer's Market:

There really wasn't much going on, and only 2 vegetable vendors, and one flower vendor, though the Crepe booth was doing good business.  I did get some Dog Biscuits for Sammy and Frankie:

By this time it was almost 10am, and I started seeing alot more people. It was time to leave.

Isn't it amazing what a little pamphlet can provide. I'm looking at the stuff I usually discard quickly, a bit more closer in the future! (Except those that are handed to me in Vegas!)

Sun Cafe
421 Market St
San Diego, CA 92101
Open Daily 7am-230pm

San Diego Chinese Center Sunday CFM
4502 33rd St
San Diego, CA 92116

Road Trip - Torrance Farmer's Market

I decided to break up my return trip from Mountainview, and stay overnight in Torrance. Of course I had an ulterior motive - a visit to the Torrance Saturday CFM. We used to make a 90 mile round trip from Rowland Heights to Torrance every other Saturday when we lived in LA. Our first stop would be the Torrance Farmer's Market at around 8-830am. The farmer's market stretches the entire length of the Wilson Park parking lot. In our time in Los Angeles we had been to just about every farmer's market - Hollywood, Santa Monica, even the Monrovia Farmer's market. But Torrance remains our favorite. It's a no-frills, no people watching, no great chef's out looking for produce, farmer's market, but there are several vendors selling excellent Asian vegetables, and lots and lots of fruit vendors. When strawberries are in season you can smell them from a block away, even faintly (more like smoggle-berries, though) two blocks away.

Today, the star of the show were these Sugar Lady Peaches, sweet and intense in flavor; ripe and ready to eat. I also picked up some kumquats and ripe figs for the Missus. I then went hunting for vegetables and picked up some long green peppers, Asian Eggplant, and baby bok choy. Sorry no pictures; I just dived right on in and grabbed my veggies.

Once done, my usual strategy is to go back to the car, unload, and wander around and take in the sights and sounds. One of the most busiest stands is this one - they've been there since we first started going to this farmer's market in the late 90's.

There is usually a "Hawker" pushing the peaches, strawberries, or whatever; and a table of samples. After I took this picture I stepped up and had some samples (breakfast...) and a guy started sampling a bunch of nectarines. When I made the return trip he was still there, now working on the peaches! There are samples at every stand - Costcos' got nothing on this place! So you can get a nice Saturday Brunch in as well.

On this trip I noticed alot more food vendors - in addition to the old time Sausage, Crepes, and Thai stands, there's one with Peruvian food, a peanut roasting stand. I decided not to imbibe, but couldn't resist, the Kettle Corn! But who can?

It was getting hot, and it was almost 9am, so I decided to jump in the car and head to stop #2 - Marukai Gardena.

Torrance Sat CFM
Wilson Park, 2200 Crenshaw
Sat, 8A-1P

Here's a pic of Pepper at the filling station in Atascadero - ooops, not in Atascadero (inside joke) - at Atascadero.

Hillcrest Farmer's Market

Well the June gloom is in bloom - very pun-ny! But I was up early this Sunday morning so I thought I'd head up to the Hillcrest Farmer's Market. I got there right at nine and got a primo parking spot, close to the sign:

Most of the food booths were still setting up so I wandered around. And checked out the crafts and other booths. Talked to the guy in the Baba's Hummus factory booth, I'd noticed that they've closed their store on Convoy, but he assured me that business is fine and they've decided to close the restaurant side of the business, but the Hummus factory is still going strong. Also sampled some salsa and other items.

I had my marching orders, so I made sure to get a half dozen Noah Bedoah cookies from CJ's. I'm assuming that they must really be good, I really don't get a chance to eat them - they are off-limits in our household. We once had to hunt down CJ's shop in Point Loma during the middle of a Noah Bedoah attack. According to the gang at CJ's the name of the cookie comes from a recipe in an old cookbook.

Seems like Rainier Cherries are the hot item today, people are buying them by the bagful. Alot of people also lining up at the crepe stand. At the Wright's Poultry stand there's a sign saying Copper River Salmon $17/lb hmmmmm...sounds kinda scarey to me. I usually try to get most of my chicken from Wright's - free range and hormone free.

Around that time I got the scent of grilling meat, and I knew that the Kabob Guy was ready and in action:

The Kabob stand has got to be the best smelling in the whole Farmer's Market! So I ordered and paid for my Beef Kabob sandwich ($5.00), walked on over to my car, sat on the bumper and carefully maneuvered my way through the sandwich - ground beef with a nice touch of herbs and spices, some hot sauce and Tzatziki, lettuce, tomato, onion, and pepperocini on a grilled pita, no need for lunch after eating this. It doesn't get much better than this! The only problem is that you need about 10 napkins!

Seems like the weather was keeping alot of people away. This made for a relaxing morning at the Farmer's Market. Though fairly small compared to say, my favorite, the Torrance Farmer's Market, there's a good variety of produce, flowers, food, and other goods. Also a very good place for people watching.

San Diego Hillcrest CFM
In the DMV Parking Lot at Lincoln and Normal
Most Sundays, 9A-1P Rain or Shine

Time for a nap!