mmm-yoso!!!

It's a Woomiok Wednesday!

In my post on doing Covid-19 takeout from Et Voila (man that was May, but it just seems so long ago); "FOY" Jason mentioned Woomiok, which, shortly after opening became a favorite of the Missus. It just seemed too hot for Woomiok at that time. But when the weather cooled down substantially a few weeks back....well, it was time for the Missus to get Her fix.

I placed my order online, then went over to pick my stuff up. It was ready right on the table at the designated time. I paid and then hele'd back to my car...then home.

We basically went with the Emperor's Soup ($18.99) the bone broth with oxtail, brisket, ox knee, cheek meat, shank, and king mushrooms. Of there's kkakdugi and baechu kimchi, a nice portion of rice and some noodles. Salt and scallions completed the package.

Along with some veggies, this was actually enough for both the Missus and I. The cheek meat and the tendon like ox knee were favorites of the Missus. I enjoyed the very beefy oxtail.

I actually heated the soup up in our dolsot and got it good and boiling. We did need to add a bit more salt than what was provided, but that was fine.

The baechu kimchi wasn't bad; but definitely less fermented in flavor than I prefer. The kkakdugi (radish kimchi) was nice and crunchy; somewhat refreshing in a way. The Jangahjji (pickled peppers and radish) also really added to the meal.

This was perfect for the Missus whose stomach was bothering Her after eating all that spicy stuff from Village Kitchen for several days. In fact, the Missus had me order this three more times over those two weeks! At times; I'd just have whatever bone broth that was left over and mix it with rice and the noodles as sort of a porridge.....

Then of course, it got really hot and even though the Missus was wanting more bone soup, was really much to "atsui" for it. And then I saw Bossam ($34.99) on the online menu....I swear it wasn't there before. It had been a while sine we had decent bossam; Grandma's Tofu (Halmouny) used to be our favorite in San Diego, but the last time we had; things were just not the same. I just decided to order it.

Just take a look.....man, this was so much better than I thought it would be!

The pork belly had been nicely simmered; with a bit more soy sauce flavors than what I'm user to in bossam. Also, while it looked really fatty; this was very tender, not waxy, and definitely not greasy. The oysters....something that we're just suspicious of in this dish, was fresh with no off flavors. 

This came with two large portions of rice and also baechu kimchi....way more than we could eat.

There as also the standard and much needed garnishes; shrimp paste, bean paste, and sliced raw garlic (which the Missus just loved on this), jalapenos, and especially Musaengchae (thinly sliced radish kimchi). The napa cabbage had been brined; which changed the texture and added another layer of flavor.

It made for some very nice bites indeed!

So, it looks like we've got a new favorite for bossam in San Diego....and no; it's not like what we had at Samhae Jip in Seoul, but it's pretty darn good in it's own right.

A quick hint if ordering online....I'd recommend ordering a bit ahead of time. Often, pick-up times close to when you place your order aren't available.

Woomiok
3860 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

The Missus is already considering ordering the Assorted Boiled Beef in Stone Pot (a favorite of ours at Woomiok) for take-out. Mid-80 temps be damned!

Thanks for the "Woomiok reminder" Jason! What would we do without all of our great "FOYs"?

Takeout from J&T Thai Street Food

You know; I was wondering if you, our dear readers would have had enough of all these "take-out" posts....then of course came today's announcement (not that I was surprised)....well, at least you can have outdoor dining this time around. So, I just decided to go ahead with this one.

On my takeout visit to Da Kine's, J&T Thai Street Food came back into view. It had been over seven years since my post. So, a few days later, before heading home to check on Frankie, I went and did the online ordering thing.

I drove on over; things were divided up nicely, I got into line, my order was ready....I had paid online so it was really quick.

Not quite sure what I really wanted to order; I went with the BBQ Pork on Rice ($8.75)….and man; they weren't kidding about the "rice" part.

Not a fan of the sweet chili sauce. Overall, a very generous portion for $8.75. The pork was rather unevenly cooked; some pieces weren't marinated very well. It was typical soy-sugar-fish sauce type marinade; not overly sweet, and a bit on the chewy side. I actually had this for two meals and the rice lasted for yet another meal. Can't complain about the amount of food.

I had always thought that the best item I'd had from J&T as the chicken wings. So, on another afternoon, I decided to order the chicken wings ($5.50). Not sure what else to get; I really didn't feel like ordering anything too big, I recalled seeing the fried tofu appetizer in Ccathy's post from back in 2015. So, I decided to order that ($5.50) as well.

Again, picking up my order was a breeze and the young lady working was simply wonderful.....offering up spicy vinegar and chili paste.

I guess is an appropriate meal for Fryday Friday, right?

The chicken wings were solid, just as on my previous visits. It was still fairly crisp, moist, good seasoning....but even better when alternating dips into the vinegar or chili paste.

The Fried Tofu was just plain tasteless....a bit weirdly dry and cardboardish in texture....it didn't hold up real well on the 10-15 minute drive home. No amount of sauce could help this out. The cilantro was browning as well.

So, I guess it's still just the chicken wings from J&T. I really like the folks working here; so if you have any recommendations on dishes to try (not the Khao Man Gai/Duck Noodle Soup/Curries/Fried Tofu), let me know.....

J&T Thai Street Food
5259 Linda Vista Rd
San Diego, CA 92110
Current Takeout Hours
Sunday    11am - 830pm
Mon - Sat 11am - 945pm

Hope everyone is holding up well. Take care!

Takeout from Village Kitchen

The rather recent cooler weather had the Missus craving some spicy food.....that meant it was time to start doing takeout from Village Kitchen.

Of course the Missus couldn't be bothered with actually calling the place. Luckily, I had of copy of the takeout menu.

I called and managed to get my order in.

A few minutes later I was on my way.

The restaurant actually has a couple of tables set-up; the front it almost blocked off and I stood and was handed my order and was on my way. As a bonus, the really nice woman from Kangxi is Coming was now working here! It was nice to see her.

I was interested to see how this was going to be since our last couple of visits had been rather lackluster.

Man, the portion sizes were pretty hefty.

Of course the Missus had to have the Eggplant and Green Chili with Preserved Egg.

Man, there was a ton of pidan in this! In terms of flavor; it was fairly good; smoky eggplant, not enough green chili for me. It was however, super greasy.....man, how much oil did they use on this?

One of the Missus's favorite dishes; the La Rou (Smoked Pork) with Cucumber Skin was pretty good.

Decent spice, a good amount of La Rou; the crunchy, dried cucumber skin added a nice palate cleansing mild brininess, and this had a decent amount of spice as well.

My favorite dish of the meal was the Stinky Tofu "Stew".

Well, I think this might be a better look?

I always heat this on the stove; it just does better.....the slightly chewy, funky, savory chou doufu….just stinky enough for me...….which, of course meant that it just wasn't smelly enough for the Missus. Loved the savory tones, so pretty good heat here. Nice dish.

A week later, the Missus wanted me to order from VK again. This time, I noticed that the dried radish with La Rou on the menu....they'd been out of this several times on previous visit....along with the version with the smoked bamboo shoot version as well.

I decided to try and order this....which was interesting.....I called, a woman answered in Mandarin. As soon as I spoke English she hung up on me! Usually, I would just quit right here....but the Missus was at work and was looking forward to having VK when She got home. So I called again and managed to place my order.

We got the Eggplant again (with less pidan, but still just as greasy) and the Stinky Tofu Stew (even more spicy this time.....).

And of course the La Rou with Dried Radish Skin.

This was quite good; the smoked pork was not overly waxy; great smoke-salty-savory flavors. Good variety of textures. Nice spice, perhaps a bit too salty, but pretty good overall.

There are aspects of doing take-out from VK that we prefer to eating in the restaurant......service has always been a weal spot; though now that my favorite Server from Kangxi we might enjoy eating there more. But who knows when that will be as we're definitely not ready to eat out yet.

The portions we've had for takeout are quite large, the eggplant is not nearly as good for take-out; but the La Rou dishes and that smelly tofu seem to do real well for takeout.

Village Kitchen
4720 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

We're hoping everyone is staying safe this July 4th weekend. With the way things are going, bars and other places closing, Oceanside closing beach parking lots, restaurants closed for indoor dining in OC along with beach parking lots closed, beaches closing in LA, but staying open in San Diego...…..well, 'nuff said.

So, please, stay safe!

Turo Turo Tuesdays - Nanay's Best BBQ

A couple of folks were quick to point out in emails that when I did my "last" of the Mira Mesa "Turo-Turo Tuesdays" with my post on Mama Cinia, that I'd forgotten Nanay's Best BBQ....well sheesh, they were right. Must be one of them "senior moments" coming on. So, I decided to head on over. I'd also heard about Nanay's Salt and Pepper Chickens Wings.....which I had never seen....even more reason, right?

I arrived, stayed on my "social distancing marks" and sigh....no Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings.

I decided to go with the BBQ Chicken and the "sisig-ish" Spicy Pork. Man, I'd forgotten what the portions are like at Nanay's.

The rice was status quo for Nanay;s….it was on the hard and dry side.

I think I'm giving up on the "spicy pork".....like on my previous visit; the pork was tough, there's not enough sour tones, nor spice and the texture is on the "gloppy" side as well.

The BBQ Chicken was a pleasant surprise; definitely better than what I'd had here before. It could be that they had just finished grilling and chopping the chicken while I was in line. Fairly tender, moist, not overly sweet, which was balanced out with a decent savory-saltiness. Not bad.

I'm still of the opinion that it's really more about quantity here.....so if you want volume....have at it!

Nanay's Best BBQ
6715 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92121
Current Hours:
Mon - Fri 10am - 5pm

So well, looks like we're in reversal mode now....with bars, breweries, and wineries that do not serve food shutting down as of midnight tonight.

Please be safe and take care!

Sunday Sandwiches - The "O.G." from the The Tri Tiperia (Sweet and Savory Gourmet)

While driving home on Mount Acadia a few weeks back; the Tri Tiperia caught my eye. Man, it had been a while since I last visited, which had come right after I noticed the signage change from Sweet & Savory Gourmet. The shop has very limited hours; from noon to four pm Monday to Friday. On one of the days when I was headed home to check on Frankie; I called in and placed a phone order. The tri-tip sandwiches are now nine bucks. I drove on over...….folks still refer to this place as Sweet and Savory Gourmet....though the sign says Tri Tiperia.

Looks like they're doing heat and eat meals as well now. Anyway, the guy at the window finished getting his order as I walked up to the window. I paid.....I think the young lad is the owner's son, who took my money, then handed me my sandwich, and I jumped in the car and headed home.

It's a nice simple sandwich, in a lightly toasted, standard issue ciabatta.

Nice, light yeastiness from the bread, I enjoyed the nutty-buttery-slightly smoky Gouda. The tri-tip was moist, fairly tender, and I'd probably have enjoyed a bit more smoked flavor from it, but no real complaints. Nice acidity from the tomatoes, just enough lemon-garlic mayo for my taste.

All-in-all a decent sandwich.

I'm glad they seem to be doing fairly well in spite of how Covid-19 has affected businesses.

The Tri Tiperia (Sweet and Savory Gourmet)
3574 Mount Acadia Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111
Hours:
Mon - Fri 12pm - 4pm

The Donut Shop - TK Donuts, a Thread in the Fabric of a Neighborhood

Welcome to March 116th.....I mean it really does feel like it's not ending at times doesn't it? Have you had some of those "moments" during this pandemic? You know, somewhat surreal, where it strikes you that "we're not in Kansas anymore....." I recollect the first time I really felt that way; it was Wednesday, March 18th, around five in the morning.....I'm heading to work, if you recall, just two days earlier the "order" came down...… It struck me as I drove down Clairemont Drive, then onto the I-5 North, getting off a Nobel Drive......I had not seen a single vehicle.....no cars, no trucks, no police, nothing. It was eerie....as in driving around at 3am on Christmas morning eerie..... I just felt out of sorts.

During that week I noticed that the neighborhood donut shop....TK Donuts had closed. The handwritten sign said two weeks...…..which stretched into four, then six....somewhere past week six, on a weekend, I was headed back from work and noticed they had reopened. Whew...…

I know, I've never posted on TK Donuts....there's really not much to post about; I really don't eat pastries and such. But, since the new owners took over a while back, I'd made it a habit to drop by every couple of weeks on the way to work and grab a couple of dozen doughnuts for the team. I really liked this set of owners; the nice young man who took over the business and a few years later he was joined by his very sweet and friendly wife. I wanted to at least give them some support.

Unfortunately, once they reopened it was hard for me to drop by....first, I was headed off to work before five in the morning when the place reopened. Second, we only had a couple of folks in the office by this time and I had no one to give donuts to.

Last month, things had begun stabilizing a bit for me and I'm now off to work....well, still early, but I'm leaving at around five in the morning now. And over the last month I've made it a point to drop by once a week.

It's still dark when I arrive.

The entry chime goes off....and I'm greeted by both owners, in lieu of not getting a couple of dozen donuts; I've found something to order.....I get the Ham and Cheese Croissant.

The place now has marks of where to social distance on the floor; there's plexiglass in place, hand sanitizer is out, and of course masks at all times.

It's nothing to write home about; but this is more important than that. And I've got to say; this is more than enough for a 530am breakfast....and it's always hot as well.

I've always said, a neighborhood needs that coffee shop, the diner, the locals bar of choice, the pizza parlor, and of course the donut shop to be complete. It's just part of the fabric of a neighborhood.

And I really like the couple who run TK Donuts....it's obviously not an easy job. And they do it with such kindness.

They are so very nice to me...…..they always throw in a little "extra"....even though now I'm just ordering a ham and cheese croissant.

Which I give to one of the skeleton crew that's working...….. I've told them that they don't need to do this; but they refuse to stop.

Which just goes to show; how important these relationships are...….the neighborhood would just not be the same without folks like this.

Right now it's just a Ham and Cheese Croissant.....I'm looking forward to the day when I can order a couple of dozen doughnuts again to feed the entire team again. 

TK Donuts
3095 Clairemont Drive
San Diego, CA 92117
Open Daily:
5am - 2pm

I'm glad to see them back in action.

Yes, times have changed, drastically.......and sometimes these days it seems that we're living in a strange parallel universe. All our travels gives me faith in people; that in spite of extremes of belief and politics, that we can rise above all of this. I have hope. And it all starts with us.....a community, a neighborhood..........

I consider my posts to be my food and travel "diary" of sorts; and as always, I'm honored to be able to share them with you.

And speaking of the Fabric of the Neighborhood:

You know, there was a time when I considered many of the food bloggers that I followed and whose posts I commented on to be part of a wonderful community. Times have changed and for many the goals and objectives of having a blog has changed from sharing to being an "influencer".....having an income stream. I have no problem with that; though of course, being an old fuddy duddy, I miss those days.

There are a couple of folks I still enjoy following and am always sad when I see no posts for a long period of time. So many have just stopped. So, I'm so happy and relieved to see my "FOY" CC back with new posts!

Welcome back CC, we've missed you!

Go ahead and check out her new posts!

Munich - A Quick Visit to the Viktualienmarkt and Dinner at Werneckhof by Geisel

When planning our trip last year that started in Budapest and ended in the Missus's favorite city....yep, Paris, I needed to find stops in between. While the Missus does humor my desire to travel by train; She requested that no trip be longer than three hours or so. So, when planning our exit from Salzburg, I had to keep that parameter in mind. After providing a few options; the Missus agreed on Munich. It seemed an interesting city, we'd never been to Germany....and frankly, I'd always wanted to check out an honest to goodness Beer Garden.

Once, I started to do a bit of research, I got a bit excited when I read about Werneckhof by Geisel, lead by a German-Japanese Chef; Tohru Nakamura. I managed to snag reservations quite easily, considering the place has 2 Michelin Stars.

We arrived at the huge sprawling Munich Central Train Station after a uneventful two hour ride from Salzburg. I had made arrangements to stay at an Airbnb on Schillerstrasse a quick stroll from the train station. The rather "International" and slightly seed feel to the neighborhood bothered the Missus at first. But, in the end, She took to the area.

Of course, after settling in, the Missus wanted to head out right away....some things never change. I had wanted to check out the Viktualienmarkt, Munich's popular and very well known open air market. So, we headed on over. The Market has a long history, dating back to the 15th century....though it became a market by official decree in 1807.

Considering that the market is centrally located in Munich; it's amazing to consider that it covers an area of five-and-a-half acres!

Wanting just to quickly check things out; we started at the Maypole, which along with a bit of history, also lists out, like a typical traditional one, the various specialties of the region.

Among the many traditions that surround the Maypole is the mischievous one where rival villages try to steal their neighbor's Maypole. Here's a funny story of a group from the tiny village of Neufinsing (population 4300) who managed to pull off a heist of the Munich Maypole! When the terms of ransom was settled; the thieves managed to get two meals and beer out of it! You gotta love it!

We found folks in Munich and Stuttgart to be very well mannered and yet friendly in a reserved kind of way.

And also very social.

We'd return to the Viktualienmarkt and actually have a meal and spend a bit more time shopping later on during our stay.

We decided to take a quick walk to the Marienplatz ("Mary's Square"), considered to be the hustling-bustling heart of Munich. The massive New Town Hall ("Neues Rathaus") with its famous Glockenspiel takes up one entire side of the square.

We'd return here several times during our stay as well.

For now; it was time to head back to the apartment to take a short rest before heading out to dinner. Dinner was in the North Eastern part of Munich. We ended up taking the U-Banh from the Goetheplatz station and got out at Giselastrasse. From there, Google Maps was my friend and we found Werneckhof by Geisel.

The exterior is very low keyed; we were greeted immediately after entering the restaurant, shown our table, and then taken to meet the chef. We were the first customers this evening; so it was nice chatting with Chef Nakamura; whose father is Japanese and Mother German. The Chef was also interested in why we chose to dine at Werneckhof by Geisel. We mentioned our affinity for Franco-Japanese cuisine, we loved how well the flavors melded together, the precise cooking and presentation, how some places edged more on European and others more Asian. We then rattled off some of the places we'd been to; Sola, Takao Takano, Alliance, and the Chef smiled and mentioned cooking with these Chefs during events and having actually worked in the same kitchen as well.

Dinner started with nice aperitifs, then the appetizer course. We were thrilled that the appetizers revolved around white asparagus which was in season. Each using white asparagus in different preparations.

The pickled asparagus was a sight to behold, wonderfully presented, the tofu and sorrel vinaigrette amazingly smooth. The raw asparagus was amazingly sweet and was balanced out with rocket and camelina. The grilled version was probably the most mundane of the trio; though you really couldn't complain about the quality of the product. The preparations was a nice way to enjoy and appreciate how delicious white asparagus is.

The Missus and I each took one of the tasting menus so, even though there was some overlap we'd be able to get a nice, full range of dishes.

Up next for me was the "Hamachi". Basically a Yellowtail Tatare and some sliced like sashimi.

This was a wonderful range of textures; the firm, yet buttery Hamachi, the thick, rich parsley sauce, and in an interesting touch, the marinade in buttermilk, which added a pleasant milky-acidity to the dish.

First up for the Missus was the Langoustine in Shiitake Aspic, with Oyster and Anchovies.

I wasn't sure how all these really strong flavors would work together; but there was a good amount of balance in the earthy versus the oceany-savory.....and that langoustine basically melted in your mouth!

We both had the Bavarian Salmon Trout (Steelhead) as our next dish.

The sesame and kombu beurre blanc was quite interesting adding a mixture of nutty-slightly briny flavors to the very tender fish. Yuzu added a nice acidity that helped to cut the richness. In a fairly humorous moment, the Maître'd Markus, a very mellow and friendly young man, ambled on over and started explaining what Yuzu and Kombu was......I started laughing and told him "I'm Japanese" and he cracked up saying that most of the customers, especially the German customers have no idea what these ingredients are and for many, the flavors are still mysterious and exotic. I really enjoyed chatting with Markus and his twin brother, who is the Sommelier, Tobias.

Next dish up, the Gilthead Seabream, another overlap in our tasting menu.

The rice was a bit underdone; but the pressed octopus and especially the fish based sauce was an amazing umami bomb. The fish was perfectly tender; I'm thinking it might have been sous vide.

At this point, we were asked to stretch out legs and led downstairs.

And we were taken to....."Shibuya"!

In the restaurant's wine cellar, a little bar was set-up along with the fixins for some Kushi Shabu. And some great entertainment from the "Mad Professor".....

We got sake or shochu, and a couple of skewers......

We were regaled with stories of the chef and other staff, various jokes, and of course everything ended with the perfect photo-op as well!

We returned to our table for the "main courses". By now the dining room was starting to fill up.

Next up for me was a super tender, rich, and delicious Luma (a company from Switzerland which specializes in Aged Pork) Pork Belly topped with wonderfully earthy morel mushrooms.

The Missus had nice, though rather forgettable (compared to the pork belly) BBQ Eel.

And the meal's crescendo for me was the Ozaki Wagyu......whoa man.

And that truffle sauce....with a nice savory-spicy touch of Gochujang...….

The Missus's Koji Brined Grilled Saddle of Venison was also a big winner.

The lovely, flavor of the pasture, perfectly cooked, fork tender, the jus amazing....a touch of wasabi...good lord; an amazing dish!

And as a palate cleanser...the Missus absolutely loved Erna....the name of the Kombucha's Scoby…..

Dessert here were no joke......the Missus was in heaven.

Shiso, Medlar, Elderflower, and Yogurt.

Mara de Bois Strawberries, Tahitian Vanilla, Tonka Bean, and Sansho.

Hojicha, Raspberry and Lemon Balm.

I thought the snacks that were brought out with the check were presented wonderfully, on a map of Munich where these confections were created.

And I really enjoyed the fortune cookies.

We really enjoyed our meal at Werneckhof by Geisel. And much like our meal at Takao Takano a mere six months before; it was definitely one of the best meals we've had. We loved the effcient yet relaxed service and vibe; not stuffy in the least, a nice playfulness, but with seriously executed food. Markus and Tobias were amazing...….I still remember their names. And that's a photo of Chef Nakamura stirring the pot as a child to the right......he's been cooking for a long time!

I seriously think we'll try to return.

Werneckhof by Geisel
Werneckstrasse 11
80802 München, Germany

We caught a taxi back to the apartment....there were some road closures, so we had the very friendly cabbie drop us off a couple of blocks from our residence. The short walk back actually did us good. We'd get a great night's sleep and wake ready for another busy day!

Thanks for stopping by!

Getting "Them Bones" to go From Pho Duyen Mai

During my recent visits to Golden City; I couldn't help but notice that Pho Duyen Mai was closed. I was somewhat concerned....in my opinion Pho Duyen Mai made one of the better bowls of pho in the Kearny/Clairemont Mesa area.....I know, that's really not saying much as I think the pho in the area ain't that great. But then again; they have "'Dem Bones" (Xí Quách Suon Bò), simmered beef rib bones that does double duty....helps to make the pho broth, then served as a side item. Though other places, like PT Eatery has tried to do this (it wasn't very good), none in San Diego compare. So, while driving past a couple of weeks ago, I saw the "We are now open" sign.

A couple of days later I called before opening (they are currently open at 10) for a takeout order, asking if they had "Dem Bones"......and yes, they did have them. I also ordered a #27......the pho with the well done steak, flank, brisket, etc..... Ready in 15 minutes was what I was told.....and yes, it was ready to go when I arrived. I did notice a couple of curbside pick-up customers as well.

So...….how was it? Well, things were nicely packed, the portion size seemed larger than I recalled, especially the broth.

And holy smokes....how did they know I enjoy bean sprouts....sheeesh…..

And of course "Dem Bones"...…..

Holy smokes....this was more food than I could finish.

There was way too much broth so I saved almost half of it. While not as "sweet" as on my previous visit; it was still quite salty....though I could really make out beefiness in the broth.

All the proteins were fine; but of course I mainly focused on all that rib meat; while still not quite as tender as on the first couple of times I had it; it was more tender then the last time I had it. It was nice and beefy as well.

The noodles were terrible; just plain hard and brittle......I think they need to pack that separately.

So, the Missus ended up having a nice little appetizer of sorts when She got home that evening. I scrapped off about half the rib meat, and soaked, then simmered it in the pho broth. Man, She scarfed the whole thing down in a minute....not even once mentioning anything being too salty..... so maybe I'm the one being too picky here?

In fact, She said She might be wanting this sometime during the week....go figure?

I'm glad to see Duyen Mai back in action....I'll probably order some Nem Nuong Cuon and such for the skeleton crew at work one of these days.

Pho Duyen Mai
5375 Kearny Villa Rd
San Diego, CA 92123
Current Covid-19 Hours:
Daily - 10am - 7pm

Hope everyone had a safe weekend. What places are you happy to see opened again?