mmm-yoso!!!

Banbu Sushi Bar and Grill- a restaurant inside the old Movie Theater complex in La Mesa

mmm-yoso!!! is just a humble blog.  Kirk and ed (from Yuma) are busy with life today and Cathy is just blogging about yet another meal.

Hi.  I'm back again.  Remember the old Pacific Theaters on Fletcher Parkway, down the hill from Grossmont Mall?  Well, once the theaters were built right inside the mall, those by the Trolley Station were abandoned, but the building stayed...and now look at it!

Inside and outside, it is decorated beautifully- the sushi bar has 12 chairs and could accommodate a few more...there were five sushi chefs (one of them female...) working constantly, and a couple of television sets behind them. We ordered a couple of "basics", staring with the fried calamari ($6.95)...sliced thin and with a very light batter...the flavor was good, but the calamari was a bit too chewy; maybe a bit overcooked because it was sliced so thin. Still, it was tasty and a good sized portion, accompanied by the spicy Sriracha flavored dipping sauce.

The Mister ordered a lunch special, which started with a fairly large bowl of onion soup (miso is also a choice). Very rich, not salty, not too onion-y, with thinly sliced mushrooms and fried onion bits floating in it. Very nice (and different)

The shrimp and vegetable tempura lunch plate ($9.00). The portion of rice is an excellent size and quality. The California rolls were fresh and made with *real* crab. The tempura itself was very well done, not burned, not greasy, lightly crispy. There were two shrimp and two each of some of the vegetables-mushroom, broccoli, sweet potato and one each of a fresh string bean, onion and green pepper. All of the vegetables were crispy fresh and tasty- the frying did not destroy anything. Very good.

I decided to try the seafood salad ($12.50) -opposed to the $17 Chirashi Sushi-  Don't let this photo fool you: I was trying to be non-conspicuous and this was the only photo I could get. The bottom of this salad bowl was *filled* with seafood pieces; the albacore being the best of all. I liked the salmon, hamachi, ika and tuna also.  Each piece of seafood was extremely fresh and not just some thoughtless 'endpiece' tossed in there. the salad was fresh with a light garlic ginger soy dressing. Again, this was more than enough food.  The photo looks small portion but it isn't.

Oh, the hot tea was *excellent* and free.  I also noticed free refills of soda.

Banbu Sushi Bar and Grill 8555 Fletcher Parkway (between Grossmont Center Drive and Nagel) La Mesa 91942 (619)589-0071 (Closed between lunch and dinner M-Sat) Sunday open at 1 p.m. until 9 p.m.

Santouka Ramen - San Diego

I had been hearing about the possibility of a branch of Santouka Ramen opening up in San Diego for quite a while. I had heard that Santouka would be opening in the Mitsuwa Marketplace; but after Kayaba opened it's doors; or to be more precise, drew back its curtains, there was no activity for for over a year. But soon enough, word got around that Santouka was opening on April 14th. "Finally, good ramen in San Diego" was the first thought that went through my mind. And though the first few days after opening was a bit too crazy for me, it was just a matter of time before I wanted to inhale some good ramen!

I placed my order, and watched the automated green onion slicer go to work. I dunno, they had 5 people working, do they really need a machine to cut green onions? And just the fact that the Young Man running the contraption stood and fed the scallions one by one through the machine, made it seem somewhat Goldberg-ian!

I usually will just get a Shio or Shoyu Ramen, but on this day, I decided to go for the gusto and ordered the Shio Ramen - Chashu Rice set ($9.48). Which was ready in no time.

Santouka's ramen is a favorite of many food bloggers, from The Rameniac to Miss Oishii-Eats and Daily Gluttony, who made sure to attend Santouka's grand opening in West LA. Recently, "RT" doing a guest spot on The Delicious Life, called it "liquid crack". And having had a few bowls myself, albeit at the Torrance and Costa Mesa locations, I'd be more than happy to join in, singing praises.....

I approached my bowl with eagerness, and that's where the problems started.

The shio(salt) ramen, which according to Rameniac owes it's flavor to the combination of pork bones(done in the classic "Tonkotsu" style) as well as shellfish. For me, there is one key thing about the broth I enjoy; a good oil content. The shiro at Santouka is not as rich as the "good bowls" I've encountered at Daikokuya, but it usually has a nice velvety richness that will wrap itself around your tongue. Unfortunately, this bowl of ramen was served to me lukewarm, which turned it from rich, to greasy, and not as enjoyable. In fact, halfway through my bowl, I had my own little personal Exxon Valdez disaster....which marks the only time that I've never finished a bowl of ramen at Santouka.

Still, I could live with that. Why? Well, for me, it's about the noodles at Santouka, which have a nice springy, toothsome, chew to them. These were undercooked and on the hard side. And being in lukewarm broth would not help, bummer.....

 

At least the Chashu delivered, as did the boiled soy sauce eggs, an accessory that goes with the ramen at Santouka, like Marc Jacobs with the Missus.

Disappointed with my ramen, I don't even remember what the Chashu Rice tasted like, and frankly it was just an afterthought for me anyway.

 

I've had enough good bowls of ramen at the other locations of Santouka to give the San Diego  location "a pass" for now. I'll assume that they still need to get things straightened out. I'm hoping my next visit will be more successful.

Santouka Ramen
4240 Kearny Mesa Rd(In the Mitsuwa Marketplace)
San Diego, CA 92111

Sushi Porn 2: The Sequel from Sammy

Welcome to mmm-yoso!!!, Kirk's blog on the wonderful world of food from San Diego and beyond.  Sometimes, he lets one of his friends post here, and today, ed from Yuma will share some more salacious sushi pics.

A few weeks ago when I was preparing my first excursion into the fishy world of sushi pornography, I was surprised by how many of my favorite raw pictures were of items from Sammy Sushi, not Sakura.

After I thought about it for a while, I began to understand why. Ever since I first wandered into Katzra, where Sammy was then employed, on a rainy night many years ago, I have been impressed by Sammy's skills as an itamae. Not only is his fish usually fresh and tasty, but he creates an atmosphere of warmth and friendliness in his sushi bar. Over the last few years he has honed these skills (as well as a number of knives, I suspect) at his own place on Engineer, about a block away from Convoy.

While Sammy's kitchen does not turn out the wide range of tasty izakaya treats like Sakura, he does more than just sushi. For example, the salmon skin salad is a wonderful combination of crunchy, fishy, and smoky flavors:

In addition, Sammy's appeals to me because it is a great American neighborhood sushi bar (in the best sense of the term). The friendly atmosphere and reasonable prices attract a lot of regulars. If one wants to watch a World Cup game or a baseball playoff, Sammy has no problem turning on his television set. Similarly, Sammy's menu contains a wide range of America's favorite rolled sushi. Sometimes it's nice to tuck into something like a spider roll or rainbow roll, though in general, my taste in rolls runs to the more traditional, as in this beautiful albacore roll:

Sammy also creates pressed sushi, using the mold somewhat like a plastic ice cube tray to create oblong cubes of densely packed rice and raw fish: 

As you can tell from this close-up, this version contains maguro and some crunchy items along with the rice, presenting a mix of flavors and textures:

Sammy also does a wide range of nigiri sushi. The salmon and mirugai shown here were both excellent:

Some days, the sushi at Sammy's crosses over the line into the obscenely good. This display of naked fishflesh (hamachi) makes me want to eat my computer screen:

Similarly, I cannot imagine any connoisseur of crustaceans not being aroused by this gorgeous display of amaebi, split wide open, its pearly moist luster beckoning the viewer into serious indulgence:

Of course, in my mind, no post on such an erotic and exotic topic would be complete without a look at some fresh uni. Here the sex organs of a sea urchin lie exposed above the rest of its body:

In the tradition of fine pornography (so I am told), I feel it is completely appropriate to end with a close-up of this kinky echinoderm, a picture that leaves nothing (except the rich creamy flavor) to the imagination:

Now that is truly obscene.

Sammy Sushi, 7905 Engineer Road San Diego, CA 92111

A bunch of revisits

I'm pretty sure many are(ahem, yours truly included) feeling the "Christmas Crunch" right about now. Of course there are those you, the uber-organized, who have this Christmas shopping thing down pat.....you know who you are, smug and relaxed during the Holidays, your Christmas blitz starts on December 28th....no never the 26th or 27th, on those days, the mall is crawling with unhappy campers returning unwanted gifts. But on the 28th, when all us shoppers are lying in exhaustion...tongues lolling from our gasping, foaming mouths, you're ready to gear up for NEXT CHRISTMAS! And you're usually done by the end of February, except for a few items, cherry-picked during the year. I salute you, super-shopper, well, it's a double salute of sorts, my right hand held flat and brought to my brow in respect, the other hand is raised...well, better to not go there.

Because of the time crunch, I find myself revisiting a bunch of places this time of year...here are a few:

A Chau

I haven't been to A Chau in a bit, and though I'm fully aware of the spiraling price increases of Banh Mi, it was still a shock when I paid $3 for my sandwich. I had ordered a simple BBQ Pork Banh Mi, but got this:

It was a meatball (Xiu Mai) Banh Mi, which would have been fine, except this was the type that uses a weak tomato sauce, that when combined with pickled vegetables, and fish sauce, is not a flavor that I'm fond of. The bread at A Chau remains the same as always, more on the doughy-chewy side, than the crusty baguette.

Still, I was, and am always pleased with the Cha Gio at A Chau. Made with rice paper, always crisp, and quite filling. The egg rolls are still 3 for a buck.

A Chau
4644 El Cajon Blvd Ste 111
San Diego, CA 92115

Latin Chef

Ed from Yuma rolled into town for a few days this week, and we managed to grab a few meals, one of which was at Latin Chef. It was nice to see Freddy, the Owner of Latin Chef, it was also nice to see that business has been good, and Latin Chef has been able to expand into the space next door. Still, even though the restaurant has doubled in size, it is still quite small.

Ed had the Cebiche, and I started with the Tiradito.

I found todays version to be really, really good, mildy tart and creamy, with some nice heat provided by the Aji Amarillo peppers. Freddy told me the spice was supplemented and raised with the help of ginger.

We also shared some Anticuchos:

And though this is a bit different from the grilled versions we got from street vendors in Cusco, it is still very good, with the flavor of cumin coming on strong. In fact, if you didn't know what it was........you'd be hard pressed to guess.

Latin Chef
1142 Garnet Ave
San Diego, CA 92109

Kayaba

During one of my shopping "blitzes", I was able to rest my weary butt at Kayaba. Desiring rice and something fried, I decided to order the Tonkatsu($7.50). In fact, I decided to retry the "Rosu" (pork loin) that I found to be very tough and dry on one of my previous visits.

And to my surprise it was nice and tender, if a bit on the dry side. And combined with a nice dose of tonaktsu sauce, the nice oniony potato salad, and rice, made for a rather nice meal.

Too bad the miso soup here is still terrible.

Kayaba
4240 Kearny Mesa Rd Ste 119
San Diego, CA 92111

Okay...back to shopping!!!!

Sushi Porn: Pics from Sakura

Hello readers. This is Kirk's incredible mmm-yoso blog, but sometimes he shares the fun (?) of blogging with a few of his friends. For the last three months, I (ed from Yuma) have been enjoying the posts by Kirk and Cathy and others. Today, I finally get to do another one.

Several weeks ago, Cathy's wonderful posting on lunch at Sakura reminded me that I had some decent pictures from a couple of recent (well sometime in the last two years) visits that I could share with everyone who reads mmm-yoso!!!

I usually let Kazu serve me what he wants to serve me, although I will occasionally provide guidelines or suggest something that I just have to eat that evening. Most often he starts me off with an exotic sashimi platter. This one is both typical and beautiful:

In fact, I thought it was so pretty I took another picture of it from a different angle:

I remember the ama ebi (sweet shrimp) as being especially succulent and rich in flavor. This also has to be one of the largest sweet shrimp that I have ever been served. The aji, always a specialty at Sakura, was outstanding. The maguro was good although nothing special, but the rich salmon made up for the rather ordinary tuna. Soon after I had gobbled up all of this wonderful fresh raw seafood, the shrimp head (which I'd torn into two pieces) and the aji bones were brought back to me deep-fried and tasty:

On another visit, the sashimi featured fresh local uni perched next to crunchy chunks of abalone (awabi). The abalone was almost too crunchy for my taste, but the uni was excellent as always:

I love this picture of fatty salmon belly and rich and succulent hamachi. Both tasted as good as they look. Both were extremely unctuous (in a very good way):

The Toro that evening was similarly superb and beautiful, so pretty in fact that this pic has become my avatar at Chowhound. Not that I see myself as a tuna belly (tunas are sleek and muscular, after all), but from their bellies to mine is sortof my sushi mantra:

After serving me a long chewy piece of squid (ika) wrapped around cucumber matched with a crunchy slice of giant clam neck (mirugai), Kazu presented me with saba (mackerel), something I don't recall having eaten there before. With one taste, I realized that this was not the standard, pre-marinated mackerel with that standard sour fishy flavor, but instead these 5 slices were a real treat, Kazu's own marinated saba, the best I have ever eaten. If one could taste the essence of the Pacific Ocean, I am convinced it would taste just like the saba that evening:
On another occasion, I was served spicy toro roll, the light spiciness perhaps covering up some shortcoming in the tuna belly. In any case, the smooth richness of the toro came through perfectly:

Since I don't often order items, I am often unsure of the name of things I am served. I believe this fish salad is albacore tataki. In any case, it contained lightly seared moist and tender albacore slices: :

Tako wasabi is one of my favorite dishes, so it deserves a picture here too: Over the years, Kazu has served me many stew like dishes. At first this seemed strange as it didn't fit my rather simple ideas about what Japanese food was. Now Sakura's various izakaya specialties seem normal to me. In fact, many folks believe that the kitchen at Sakura turns out even better food than the sushi bar. This particular beef stew with perfectly cooked, but still firm potatoes and crunchy pea pods was both simple and flavorful. The chunks of beef had achieved a perfect balance of meaty flavor and a rich and tender mouthfeel. For dessert, my favorite thing (unless it has already been served to me) is always uni. What a way to finish: That looks so fresh and tasty that I'm salivating just sitting here at my computer looking at it. In any case, I hope you've enjoyed the pictures as much as I have enjoyed re-experiencing some tasty treats from my favorite San Diego restaurant.

Monday Meatfest: Buga and Tsuruhashi

Since Typepad's having, ummm, a few "issues" tonight, I thought I'd do a real quick post.

I've been asked more than a few times, which I prefer better Buga Korean BBQ or Tsuruhashi Yakiniku Restaurants. I always answer, "it's like asking me which one of Da' Boyz, Sammy or Frankie I love better. We love them both equally....but differently!"

Buga is of course, Korean BBQ, serves up Coleman Beef, and for my money uses the highest quality meat of any of the Korean BBQ's in San Diego. One of the complaints I've heard is that the meats are under marinated, but why disguise good meat? The marinades are mild, though flavorful...my only wish? Charcoal! Portion sizes are not humongous, but as I mentioned back in 2005 this is a Duk Bossam style restaurant, and the intent is to eat the meat with some greens, wrapped in either a rice paper or daikon radish wrapper. So without further ado, just a bunch of photos:

 

Another complaint I've heard were that the prices were on the high side...and I had kind of agreed. Until our last visit to Seoul BBQ. The Bulgogi was $18.99.....this order of Bulgogi we had a few nights ago was $18.95! That said, if you enjoy a sweeter marinade Seoul BBQ might be for you.

And of course....there's the Panchan, all those wonderful small dishes....

The Panchan are prepared well, and though the portions are small, we're always asked if we want more. There's usually an interesting variety of items that change  from day to day. One of the Servers at Buga, remembers us, and especially remembers Ed from Yuma, she had a fun time showing Ed how to eat Bossam style. She always makes sure to ask us if we want more Panchan....

Buga Korean BBQ Restaurant
5580 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117

Open daily 11 to 11

On the other side of the coin is Tsuruhashi, which is a Yakiniku restaurant. Though Yakiniku draws its influence from Korean BBQ, it has become its own unique style. Many of the meats are served unmarinated, and dipping sauces are served. Binchotan is used in addition to the gas for grilling. Meat is served in smaller portions, approximately 4oz or so, and in many cases, the lowest grade of meat available is prime. No Panchan is served, though in most cases you can purchase Kimchee if desired. Among the marinated items, are some interesting things like the Beef Tongue topped with minced onion and garlic:

And Miso Marinated Beef Tongue:

And when an item like the Pork Belly is served:

It is seasoned with a dusting of salt and pepper, and served with a plate of lettuce for wrapping, and some hot bean paste.

When the beef tongue is served, again seasoned with salt and pepper, a little dish of lemon juice(which we never use) is served.

It can be pricey, but we've found that we enjoy some of the more inexpensive cuts, like the prime skirt steak(harami):

You can end up spending a good amount of money, but we've found that the usual tab for the Missus and I is about $40. Still, it's not for everybody. FOY RobW, was kind enough to send me a "review" from Yelp, that had me rolling, you can find it here, how a self proclaimed "fabulous cook", direct quote, can complain that no one explained how to cook the meat..........

Tsuruhashi Japanese BBQ
3904 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Hours: Thurs-Tues 5pm-Midnight

Closed Wed.

From the aren't you glad you live in San Diego Department:

One thing I find a bit embarrassing is the part of the weather report where they show what we call the "aren't you glad you live in San Diego because every place else sucks...." portion. If you've watched the news, I think you know what I mean. The latest flood, tornado, or other extreme inclement weather clip is shown with a quick cut away to tomorrows forecast of mid 70 degree temperature as if they need to make us feel better at another's expense........

Earlier today, Cathy sent me a photo, courtesy of Her Brother, that I had to post:

Doesn't "Bob" look like he's serving up a plate of shaved ice?  Ok...where's the red beans, lychee, taro, tapioca balls, and condensed milk?????

Road Trip: Sakura Saku - Huntington Beach(OC)

On a recent trip to Orange County, I was beset by hunger. Not really quite sure if I should make the trip over the 405 freeway to Westminster, or just keep driving in what seemed to be fast food and chain restaurant hell. When out of the corner of my eye, I spied a little restaurant next to a Michael's.

My curiosity piqued, I decided to pull over into a parking space in this vast strip mall parking lot, and check the place out. I was still wondering what drew me into this little restaurant....it sure wasn't the Hello Kitty motif, but there was a kind of charm and a quaint kind of vibe to the place. Looking over the large menu, it became clear that this was a little mom-and-pop Japanese Fast Food joint, with items like Salmon Onigiri, Vegetable Curry rice, and Oyako Donburi on the menu.

The really nice older Gentleman, took my order, and I had a seat. Meanwhile two groups of young people entered, they ordered quickly....they had obviously been here before and knew what they wanted.

I started(yes, started....I was starving) with Pork Cutlet Combo(Tonkatsu Combo $7.00). When the food arrived I was a bit disappointed with the portion size, which seemed on the small side(except for the rice).

The small pork cutlet was nicely breaded though on the tough side. It was covered with a good amount of katsu sauce. The "salad" was shredded iceberg lettuce, with a mild mayo based dressing...I've had this salad many times, mainly from Bento-ya's back home in Hawaii. The yakisoba was a stroll down memory lane.....it tasted almost like my Mom's! Mildy salty, with just a touch of sweetness, not the most amazing Yakisoba, but it brought back nice memories.

I had also placed an order for a side of Chicken Karaage($3.50). Compared to the Tonkatsu, this was quite a bit of food for a side order....three large pieces of chicken thigh, marinated, dusted with a corn starch-flour coat, and deep fried.

This really tasted home made...like it came from the kitchen of someone's Mom. The flavor was sweeter than most versions of chicken karaage, but it was still pretty good. In fact, I would have done well with a couple of onigiri and a side order of this....or even a Chicken Karaage Combo($6.00).

Meanwhile one of the young men on a nearby table was eating the strangest bowl.....it smelled like taco meat.....and when I inquired, I was told, it was something called "Taco Rice", which was taco meat topped with cheese, tomato, and lettuce on a bowl of rice! I was told that the "young people like it." Now why didn't I think of that??? The menu also features versions of shaved ice, Udon, Curry Rice, and other items......all created with a home made touch.

The food at Sakura Saku won't set the culinary world on fire, in fact based on the tonkatsu I'd say YMMV(Your mileage may vary), but in the vein of fast food, it is a more than worthy alternative to all those chain fast food places. Nice folks as well. Heck, I wish we had a Sakura Saku in our neighborhood....I know I'd be eating there often. 

Sakura Saku
7572 Edinger Ave
Huntington Beach, CA 92647

Hours: Mon-Sat 11am-9pm

Postscript: Food blogger extraordinaire Elmo of Monster Munching, went ahead and had the Taco Rice. You can read his post here.

Tori Tori Japanese Restaurant

"I miss you like the space where my tooth used to be......."

Is that one weird term of endearment or what? That short phrase is one that the Missus and I use when one of us is gone for a few days. The message pertains to how we don't miss something until it's gone. Remember when you were a little kid.....and were about to lose a tooth, or have one taken out? Now most of the time you couldn't wait to get rid of the darn tooth, because in the end there was some benefit, either monetary(the good 'ol tooth fairy), or pain relief as a reward. But dangnabit, as soon as that tooth was gone, there was some strange force that would inevitably draw your tongue into the space where your tooth used to reside! On some level it seemed like you really missed that tooth. And so it seems when couples have been together for a long time, you get used to having each other around...the little habits, quirks(and there are many!), and other "stuff". But once that individual has to go on a business trip, or maybe a vacation with the girls(or guys), man do you miss them. And you find yourself doing things automatically, just because it has become a routine......just like the magnetic pull that space where your tooth used to occupy has on your tongue.......

So how does this apply to this little Mom and Pop Japanese Restaurant on El Cajon Boulevard? When we first moved to San Diego, Tori Tori had only recently opened. The Missus and I thought the food was good, not great, but good and worth the price. And though the fish was "buffet grade", Tori Tori was just about the only place where I'd actually order a California Roll.....why? Well, the California Roll was made with real crab, was light on the mayo, and was perhaps the best Califonia Roll I'd ever had. The Missus loved the Katsu Don, the sauce was light, yet full of flavor, the texture of the chicken was to Her liking, and it was prepared well. But as things happen so often, whether because of economics or other factors, things changed, the California Roll was replaced with the usual blah, the price of the Katsu Don, at first $5.95, was raised to $6.95, than $7.95, and in the end well over 8 bucks, all in what seemed like the space of 18 months! At which time Tori Tori was excised, just as that tooth..... Though we'd pass Tori Tori, and that magnetic "pull" would start drawing us in, we'd resist. But recently, I decided to drive into that strip mall, and see what happened to Tori Tori.

I'm not sure how many owners Tori Tori has gone through since I've last visited, but the interior looks the same, though perhaps a bit more worn around the edges.

With the addition of Bulgogi and Kalbi on the menu, and over hearing conversations, I assume the current Owner(s) are Korean.

Since I was here, I thought for "old times sake", I'd order the Katsu Don(Chicken Cutlet Rice Bowl - $7.45). This came with a choice of Miso Soup or Salad, and I selected the Miso Soup, which was on the salty side.

The fairly large, but very deep bowl arrived steaming hot.

  First off, what to do with the zucchini and mushroom? I enjoy my Katsu Don with just onions, green onions, and beni shoga(pickled ginger). Second, the sauce didn't have much flavor, no soy, not sweet, just maybe the barest hint of dashi. Third, the chicken katsu had been over saturated in the flavorless sauce depriving me of at the least some textural enjoyment. The piece of chicken, though moist, was on the smallish side, though the egg was fine. What there was is a great abundance of rice, I mean a ton of rice.......that even the carb lover that I am could not finish.

"I missed it like the space where my tooth used to be......."

That being the case, I decided to give Tori Tori another try, and for some reason decided to order the Bulgogi Lunch Special($7.95).

I'm sure that just on portion size alone you're pretty much getting your money's worth by San Diego standards. Again the Miso Soup was on the salty side, the huge hunks of iceberg lettuce was a ponderous thing to eat with chopsticks, and the dressing for the salad didn't have much flavor. Frozen mass produced Gyoza.....and two slices of bleh California Roll...'nuff said. The four pieces of vegetable tempura was a mixed bag, the onion slice was perfectly fried, and the sweet potato excellent! The Kabocha skin was too thick and hard, and should have been peeled, and the very large broccoli floret was burnt on the outside, and cold on the inside.

The Bulgogi was pretty good, though the quality of the meat was low, which meant tough pieces of "sugi", a slang we use back home in Hawaii, relating the texture of connective tissue to nylon fishing line. The meat was well marinated, even though the flavor was closer to Hawaiian BBQ than Bulgogi....... What made me laugh, was how Bulgogi was described as "Roast Beef" on the menu!!!

There are a bunch of lunch specials ranging from $5.95(your basic teriyaki chicken) to $9.95(kalbi), and it looks like at least portion-wise you'll get what you pay for. Sushi is also served. The service is basic, I saw my Server 4 times, once when I arrived for the menu and drinks, drink delivery, food delivery, and when the check was dropped off.

I don't know if I'll be back, because frankly, knowing how much we used to enjoy our meals at Tori Tori, this was kinda depressing. God knows, "I miss it like the space where my tooth used to be......."

Tori Tori
1905 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92104

Mon-Thurs - 1130am-2pm 5pm-9pm
Friday -    1130am-2pm 5pm-930pm
Saturday -  5pm-930pm
Closed on Sunday

Sushi Diner-Japanese food in Linda Vista- Very Very Good (but we didn't order much sushi...)

mmm-yoso!!! , the blog, is not on vacation.  Neither is Kirk...he is merely indisposed and Cathy is a-bloggin away, in between cleaning, changing air filters, dusting and more cleaning after the fires...

Hi.  The location of this place should be fairly familiar to you, if you read this blog.  It is right next door to Mein Trung, and worth a visit when you are in this area/parking lot and not craving other Vietnamese meals or sandwiches.

Sushi Diner is on and facing Mesa College Drive, just a bit from the corner of Linda Vista Road.  If you park in the K-Sandwiches parking lot, you can walk over.

The menu (you can click and enlarge) is fairly simple, a good sign, and there are some lunch Bentos that are excellent and less than $7.  This is a dinner we had not too long ago.

We started out with some hot tea (no charge)  which was brought out in thermoses, a very nice touch.

We also ordered a "small plate" of edamame ($2.00) which were freshly boiled and had kosher salt sprinkled on the exterior pods and so the interior soybeans had a very pure and fresh flavor, enhanced by your salty fingertips.  A very nice way to eat these. 

We did get one order of yellow tail nigiri sushi($1.80) and one order of albacore ($1.60).  Both cut larger than I expected and both fresh and with a good clean taste and the ability to almost melt in your mouth.

The Special Fried Tofu Roll ($4.50) was tofu pockets filled with crab and topped with fried crunchies.  I was very good an fresh.  The tofu pocket had that sweet taste and I needed to dip the pocket in soy to make the sweetness even out. Different and good.

The miso soup that came with our combination meal was excellent.  Not instant, made with yellow miso paste and deeply richly flavorful.   The soft tofu bits were very tasty also.

The combination plate also came with a choice of sushi rolls, and I opted for the spicy tuna roll- very, very nice soft, buttery tuna with a spicy sauce that complimented the flavor of the tuna and did not overwhelm it.  The rice and seaweed were very fresh tasting.

The fried calamari combo plate ($6.50) (which came with the above noted miso soup and spicy tuna rolls).  The calamari was in a cornmeal batter, and the seafood within was not too tender-a little chewy. Still it was good, but when the owner/chef came out and asked us what we liked, we told him about this and he said he would try to make the calamari in a tempura batter, or for us to just ask that the calamari be made with tempura batter next time. The side of tartar sauce seemed to be house made, or was just a very good brand and the side salad , which was topped with a rice noodle salad that was made with cucumbers, carrots, ginger, garlic and mayonnaise was addictive. 

I also ordered a small dish of two vegetable croquettes ($2.75) which were light crusted and the only vegetables were soy beans, carrots and corn...in a mashed potato base...and the flavor was really good.  These were served with a "Bulldog" (thick, sweet, on the edge of BBQ) sauce.

Finally, we also had ordered the mixed tempura small plate ($5.50) which included two shrimp, a calamari ring, broccoli, squash, mushroom...all really good, very flavorful in a very light crispy tempura batter.  The calamari ring really did melt in your mouth and this is the way I have requested calamari be made when I have gone on a return visit. The side of teriyaki sauce was warmed and good.

All in all, the price to food quality ratio is excellent here.  You should try it.

Sushi Diner 7530 Mesa College Drive San Diego 92111 (858)565-1179  Lunch:Mon-Fri 11-3, Dinner: Mon-Th 5-9, Fri 5-10 Sat 4-10

San Mateo: In Search of the Holy Grail.... Filled w/ Ramen!

Hello there! It's Vicky again... Blogging about the latest act of gluttony.

In my previous post, I blogged about Gluttony Partner and my trip up to Point Reyes to gorge ourselves on oysters. (And speaking of Gluttony Partner, after a short conversation with him, he's willing to forgo whatever anonimity he has remaining and is allowing me to use his name. Voila! Now we're both going to ousted as societal gluttons. Muahaha!) We had lunch at the ever elusive Long John Silver's (Yes... what is up with that anyway? I remember seeing all these ads for them on tv when I lived in SD, and even when I moved up, I'm continuously flooded with blown up pictures of fried goodness. Yet, there was never a location convenient to me. Argh!)

Fortunately, I found out there was a new one that had just opened up in South San Francisco so that was where we made our second stop for food.... the first being a donut shop in Half Moon Bay. I did mention it was a trip of gluttony right? Sadly to say, in our hunger and elation of finding Long John Silver's I forgot to take the pictures of the food prior to gobbling it all down. We just have a few silly pictures of us wearing the paper cut out pirate wannabe hats, which if you even glance in the mere direction of, is enough to make you blind. Hence, they're not posted.

So after a breakfast of donuts and milk (yes... we are the poster kids of the healthy food pyramid....) and a lunch of fried seafood at Long John Silvers (man... I'm making my nutritionist mother proud!)....and a pit stop at a farmers market fruit stand (oh yes. must have our one peach to balance out all the fried goodness! See! I know how to eat healthy!)... and over 50 oysters at Hog Island...we finally made it to dinner. Thank god this little restaurant closes at 11! We finally drove out of the Point Reyes area around 930pm and made it down to San Mateo. Sam and I absolutely love ramen. We constantly need to get our ramen fix. I had introduced him to this restaurant after a hike we took in the San Mateo hills and needless to say, it was the perfect way to end a great day of excercise. I shall now present to you.... HIMAWARI in downtown San Mateo. The main thoroughway of downtown is 3rd Avenue. Himawari is located a little off to the side on 2nd.

We walked in and got seated immediately and ordered our usual appetizer. I absolutely love the Buta Kakuni ($7.95)  appetizer they have. Early on, Sam had cooked me an amazing meal of Dong Po Rou (Braised Pork Belly), and ever since then, after discovering our mutual liking for fatty cuts of pork, I've been raving about the Buta Kakuni here. Unfortunately, in our eagerness to polish off the dish, I forgot to pull out my camera and take a lovely picture. All I have to offer the dear readers is a picture of the last piece of Buta in the precious death grip of Sam's chopsticks, with of course, his upper body cropped out. Don't worry, he doesn't really look headless in reality. 

I think Himawari just has large vats of this braised fatty goodness bubbling behind the counters. In the appetizer version, they take the cubed pieces, lightly dust them in what I think is Mochiko powder, and fry them so that the outsides are dry and crispy. Placed on a bed of thinly sliced onions and topped with scallions, they serve the Buta Kakuni with this tangy and slightly sweet soy based sauce. Absolutely divine!! The textural contrast of this dish is amazing. The outsides are dry, crisp and fragrant, and the center of the cubes are braised to the point where the fibers of meet are falling-apart tender. Yes... you read that right, it is a fried piece of cubed pork belly. No, I do not care to know how bad it is for me and how clogged my arteries are. They do a very good job of rendering out most of the fat from the meat during all the braising so I'd like to think that most of it is cooked out.... Thank god Himawari is around half an hour away from us. Otherwise we'd turn into roley poley's from eating this all day long. This stuff is so good, that all I have to do is mention "Hima..." to Sam, and I can see his eyes glaze over and images of this dish dancing like sugarplums above his head.

While Sam was busy polishing off the last treasured piece Buta Kakuni, our server brought out our other appetizer. Make sure you take the time to read the cover of the menu. They post up their seasonal specials and this was one of the ones available during our visit. I now present to you, Seared Hokkaido Scallops w/ Wild Mushrooms on an Artichoke Tapenade ($10.95). (Now say that ten times fast!) These plump little babies were GOOOD! The restaurant definately did not skimp out on the quality of the scallops. They were sashimi grade -  sweet, fresh, and tender. I really enjoyed the twist on surf and turf. The earthiness of the wild mushrooms contrasted nicely with the slight hint of sea from the scallops. The mushrooms were cooked in a sweet mirin/soy base and that went well with the tapenande. The tapenade had a very unique texture - being that it was made from artichokes... It was slightly tangy, reminscent of yuzu, and really pulled the entire dish together. Now if only I could have this for breakfast...and lunch... and dinner...

Patience, dear readers, we're not even onto our main course yet! This is yet ANOTHER appetizer we ordered: Asari Garlic Butter Clams ($6.95). I'm guessing it is the Japanese version of clams cooked scampi style. The clams are cooked in their own juices, and the broth tasted strongly of clam essence. It was balanced out with just enough sake and sweet butter. Oh the glory my tastebuds were in! The clams were firm and al dente, combined with the wonderful broth they were swimming in, I really wished I had a loaf of crusty ciabatta to dip.

That is my bowl of Shoyu Ramen with Extra Bamboo ($7.95 + $1 for the bamboo). Himawari also offers the Deluxe Ramen which comes with 3, yes THREE pieces of the braised (unfried) buta kakuni and extra toppings for a price of $10.95. The ramen was cooked to a perfect bite and the hot steaming soup warmed us right up. The broth carried  a lot of depth and hinted at all the bones sacrified in the making of the soup. I honestly would not be surprised if they snuck in a couple spoonfuls of the braising liquid from the buta kakuni. Needless to say, it was a great way to have dinner. (And if you are wondering... we did have dessert after this... at Hong Kong Style dessert place around the corner. And no... we're not trying to set a new guiness record for stomach capacity...)

Himawari
202 2nd Avenue

San Mateo, CA, 94401

650.375.1005

Mon-Thu 11:30 a.m.-11:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 11:30 a.m.-12:00 a.m.
Sun 11:30 a.m.-9:00 p.m.