mmm-yoso!!!

Takeout from EE Nami (again)

I can 't believe that I posted on EE Nami back in May and even did a revisit post. It just seems like so long ago.

I was craving  decent tonkatsu after the rather unsatisfactory version from Zen Curry. I hadn't revisited EE Nami since the end of May. I know they had opened the outdoor dining area; JeffP told me that he had enjoyed the Izakaya menu. Me, well.....call me gun shy; I'm still not ready for that. So, I decided to just order from the abbreviated takeout menu on my way home to check on Frankie. After all, it was Tonkatsu that I was after, right?

As before the whole process was painless; my food as waiting hen I arrived, less than five minutes later I was in my car headed home.

On my previous visits; I had enjoyed the Pork Loin Katsu more than the Filet, so I stuck with that. I added rice and miso soup to make it a "set".

The portion of rice and shredded cabbage seemed a bit more than on previous takeout visits. The miso soup was even weaker than before though. The pickles did a nice job of cutting of accenting the meal; making sure that the fried loveliness of the tonkatsu wasn't "too much of a good thing".

Of course, this was all about the katsu.....

And while it might have seemed like the pork had been fried a bit too much at first glance this was quite good. The breading wasn't separating from the moist, pleasantly toothsome, porky, loin. It was crisp, the panko fairly light, not greasy in the least bit. I've become used to the slightly sweeter katsu sauce over time...I guess it has grown on my.

It really did "scratch that itch"...….

Like I mentioned before; once we get pass all of this; I'm looking forward to trying all of their other dishes.

EE Nami
4706 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117
858-246-6903

Monday Meanderings - Sushi Hachi by Kimura Opening Dec 6th, Harland Brewing Coming to Morena, and Stehly Farms Morena is Closed

Funny, when it rains it pours; over the last week here are "stuffs" I saw while running errands and such.

Sushi Hachi by Kimura Opening Dec 6th:

While checking out Izakaya Sakura on Black Friday (they were closed), I noticed that Swab, ummmm Shabu World was being replaced by something called Sushi Hachi by Kimura.

I stopped and walked over. The sign said "Opening Soon" and taking a look at the menu gave me the impression that this is kind of fusiony sushi; with everything from Aburi Sushi, to various rolls, to nigiri....stuff like yuzu ceviche, truffle salmon carpaccio, tuna guacamole rolls, crispy rice......kinda interesting in a way.

And so, like I always say; "Google is my friend". I went ahead and did a quick Google search yesterday and found that Sushi Hachi is opening on December 6th. There's also a bio on Shuji Kimura, who owned and operated the SushiStop chain in LA. I'm guessing he probably sold the chain....you should look at SushiStop's menu....it looks reaaally familiar. Anyway, it seems that this is a family project that he's opening with his wife and three children.

3904 Convoy St #117
San Diego, CA 92111

Harland Brewing Coming to Morena:

I was actually told this by some friends and so I stopped by to take a look.

And yes, that's what the ABC notice says. This is in the fairly large spot that Benchmark Brewing was in for a hot second.

4112 Napier St
San Diego, CA 92110

Stehly Farms Morena is Closed:

On a recent visit to Zgara Greek Grill, I peered over and saw the "Available for Leas" sign in the window of the space Stehly Farms Market used to occupy.

Bummer....I wasn't a regular, but I'd drop by every now and then when I wanted or needed some good quality produce. Sad to see them go.

1231 Morena Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92110

I'm hoping everyone is safe. Things are getting a bit hairy out there, please take care, be considerate, it's times like these where our caring, compassion, and humanity should come thru. I pretty much keep the Missus and my work and non-trip/food related items separate from this blog. And I'm thinking you might wonder why I try to "gently" remind folks to be safe and take reasonable care.

Well, to not give away too much; both the Missus and I have skin in the game. I've been in healthcare since 1984 and the Missus is on the frontlines of this. I keep that photo of the Missus on my phone, as one of my Zoom backgrounds, as a screen saver, it is never far from my mind and my heart.

The last thing I would want is for this insidious virus to harm her or you.

So please, stay safe!

Beef Sate Egg Noodles "Dry" (Mì Bò Sa Tế Kho) to go From Tim Ky Noodle

Man, leave it to 2020. For the umpteenth time, I was assigned an "urgent" request....this time on Tuesday afternoon before Thanksgiving, needed by Monday. So, while I did take Thanksgiving off, I worked over the weekend. Luckily, I was able to finish up by 11 during this weekend on most days (I start at around 515 am or so). I decided to head up to Mira Mesa for some takeout. My first option was strangely closed (more on that in a future post). So, I ended up at Tim Ky. During normal times, I'd have already been here at least once or twice; but because of the pandemic; well, I hadn't been to Tim Ky since last year!

It seemed like Tim Ky had as many tables set-up on the sidewalk and back parking lot as they used to have in their dining room!

I went in, placed my order and paid.

While waiting on the sidewalk I noticed that a group of "old-timers"....you know; the older Vietnamese Gentlemen who would usually hit up a coffee shop or bakery and hang out had commandeered the parking lot for their social outing. At least they all had masks on!

I ordered the Beef Sate Noodle "dry", which took about ten minutes and I headed home.

I opened things up and man, this looked like so much more food then I recalled.

Upon examination; I found that the rather large portion of egg noodles was clumped together. The normal reaction would be to pour hot water over it; but it wouldn't work this time around as there was some sauce mixed in with the noodles. So, I went ahead and got the broth....which didn't have as much "msg" as before and was rather light in the flavor department to a rolling boil and placed it in a bowl on the side.

I ended up using half the broth to do the typical "mix", with chopsticks and a spoon. While it was still quite "light" in terms of flavor, the beef was decently tender, there was a touch of pungency, and I ended up using the rest of the soup to finish things up. Not quite as good as what I have at the restaurant, but not terrible. I've truly had worse at various places over the years.....

So, a larger portion, a bit less flavor, a bit more work (that chili paste came in handy)…..for now...well.....I'll take it. After all, what choice do I have, right?

Tim Ky Noodle
9330 Mira Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92126
Hours:
Daily 9am - 830pm

Our Best Wishes This Thanksgiving

Yes, I guess it would usually be one of those Happy Thanksgiving posts. But this year it's different.

No matter how we try to frame it; the pandemic has changed things.

We're keeping it simple this year; that's some Ham Hock and Bean soup; which turned out rather well.

While the Missus is working as usual this T-Day; I won't be having to cook for 80 people; because potlucks are (rightfully) not allowed at Her work.

So, I used my time to make some pozole.....I guess I need to get my act together and do a post on that...maybe this weekend.

Perhaps the best thing I can do is to extend our best wishes for everyone's good health on this Thanksgiving!

Be safe and take care, we'll get through this!

Takeout from Zen Curry

Even though I was born and raised in Honolulu, I really do enjoy cooler weather....of course this is SoCal, so take that "cooler" weather comment with a grain of salt. I enjoy the hearty soups and dishes that come with this season; though this year, with the fear that Covid-19 outbreaks will worsen (the current data since we got back from our road trip agrees with this theory), has really dampened my enthusiasm.

Still, I had been craving some Japanese Curry for lunch. Since Hinotez is only doing dinner these days and Coco Ichibanya's opening delayed until next year according to Eater and "FOY" Elle. I decided to check on Zen Curry, since it had had been a while since my last visit.

There was an item on the online menu that caught my eye; the "Ono Combo" ($15.50) which included a fried egg and the item I thought Zen did best; the Spam® Katsu. I ordered online and picked up my order; which was on a table inside the restaurant when I arrived....no human contact at all. 

Things came packed quite neatly.

I also ordered a side of Rakkyo (50 cents), since I thought correctly, that it would help to cut the spice and richness.

It took me less than 15 minutes to get home; everything was still hot; but I decided to heat up the curry a bit more, before combining things.

Things were pretty much the same in terms of flavors and how the items were prepped and served. The texture of the curry on the pasty side; what I now called "roux-inned"....pun intended. I got it at heat level five and it delivered. The curry was ever so lightly beefy. If not for the texture; this would be a decent curry.

The egg was sadly overcooked.

As with my previous experience with the tonkatsu; it was tasteless and tough. The Spam Katsu seemed a bit over fried, the breading a bit too hard, edging on bitter. Still, it was the best thing on the plate.

It's too bad....I had thought that perhaps Zen was still going thru their soft/grand opening period when I visited; but it looks like what I'd had before is the status quo.

Kind of a bummer, because I really want to support these small businesses. I'm sure I'll return some time in the future....just not for a while.

Zen Curry
7309 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111
Current Hours:
Sun - Wed   11am - 8pm
Thurs - Sat 11am - 9pm

Sunday Stuffs: Ban Lao Cuisine Takes Over the Que Huong Space, if You've Ever Wondered What I Sound Like, and Other "stuffs"

Just some "stuffs" for Sunday.

Ban Lao Takes Over the Que Huong Spot:

After picking up lunch at Fredcels, since I hadn't been around City Heights since March, I decided to take a quick peek on University to see what was going on. I drove over the 15 freeway and to the corner of Marlborough and University; noticing that Cafe Dore had their doors open. I then took a quick look left and noticed that it seemed that Ban Lao's sign was gone. I was bummed.....I then took a turn into the parking lot and was even more shocked......you see Ban Lao had taken over the space where Que Huong used to be. Que Huong was gone! "CC" had told me that Que Huong had changed ownership a while back and that Jay and his sister no longer owned the place. But this was still quite sad since I'd been visiting here since 2005! Bummer......I'll miss my favorite fish sauce chicken wings and boneless chicken feet salad. After seeing this; I just decided to turn around and head back home.

RIP Que Huong.

Here's a link to something from 2012.

4134 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92105

Speaking of sad - I've been looking at posts I did from my Portland Trips:

So, this all started when I read in Portland Food and Drink that Cheese Bar was closing. Wondering what all this collateral damage was from Covid-19, etc. I started looking at all the places we visited during trips to Portland and I was shocked at how many places were recently permanently closed or soon closing. Not including those places that are still temporarily closed.

All Pok Pok locations

Tasty N 'Alder - This one really hurts since it was a favorite of the Missus and even inspired a copycat version of the Missus's favorite dish there.

Bailey's Tap Room

Blue Star Donuts

Toro Bravo

Alma Chocolates

Ataula

You can find a list here.

Have you ever wondered what I "sound" like?:

Back at the beginning of October; I received an email from Kristy Totten at the UT:

"I host a podcast with Abby Hamblin about interesting people around San Diego and we were wondering if you'd come on our show this week or next."

Which caught me totally off guard. I'd always thought that I have done a pretty good job of flying under the radar. So naturally, the first thing I did was take a quick look at the Podcast; which is named Name Drop San Diego. I was and still am not quite certain why "FOY ChrisR" recommended me for the podcast. And after reading first the description:

"Name Drop San Diego is a weekly podcast from The San Diego Union-Tribune celebrating people who have shaped San Diego and been shaped by it. Join hosts Abby Hamblin and Kristy Totten each Tuesday as they get to know the people who make San Diego proud."

And looking at the line-up of folks who had already been on the podcast....frankly, I was thinking someone had made a mistake here.....

Still, I agreed to a phone call with Kristy and Abby, who were both so warm and friendly....setting me immediately at ease, I agreed.

Abby and Kristy made the whole process quite fun to be perfectly honest. I'm not sure how; but they worked some magic and made my rambling answers seem somewhat coherent. So kudos to them.

There were a couple of things that were somewhat funny. First, not being a big fan of my voice (though I will say; I got a great face for podcasting), I was surprised at how fast I speak. Second was a totally on the nose observation made by some of my close friends, each of whom said in a similar way that I'd totally fail the "lightning round" since there was just no way I could answer questions on food in a single word or sentence. I guess they know me well.

So, if after all this rambling you're still interested here's the link.

Kristy and Abby if you do read this post; thanks so much to the both of you for a wonderful experience. It was a pleasure.

And Chris, thanks....I think; for the recommendation.

And, I was also reminded of another one I did back in 2008 - here's the link from the wayback machine!

Thanks for stopping by!

Road Trip (During Covid-19) - Cocktails from the Good Lion, Sama Sama, Handlebar Coffee (Santa Barbara), and Morro Bay

After dinner at the Black Sheep we headed down State Street all the way to the "Funk Zone" area. It was way too crowded, even on a Sunday night, so we decided to head back to the motel room.

About two blocks down; the Missus and I looked at each other...….we still wanted a "nightcap" (or two). I recalled the place right under "The Earth Without Art is Just EH" sign, a cocktail bar named the Good Lion. The outdoor tables were nicely separated and we decided to stop here. The Server was really friendly and reminded us that the current law required us to order some food. Right next door was a restaurant that was on the "list" I'd presented to the Missus before our trip, an Indonesian Restaurant named Sama Sama and they had partnered with the Good Lion to provide food. So we decided to order an item from the menu.

The Missus ordered a "Good Toddy" a warm cognac and spiced rum drink that She said warmed Her up nicely.

I got an Oaxacan Old Fashion.

The first one was kind of on the weak side....so of course I ordered another, which was a bit stiffer and I enjoyed more.

While sitting a very friendly pooch wearing a couple of LED lighted collars walked on up.....she was soooo sweet and friendly, just asking to be pet. Her name was Lexi, I wish I took a photo of her.

Meanwhile, our food from Sama Sama arrived. We had ordered the Crispy Rice Salad.

A bit like Nam Khao, except milder in flavor and the rice was very light and crisp. Not very spicy, the Missus enjoyed the fried egg....it was a nice "dessert" of sorts. Really balanced flavors; cilantro,  fish sauce, salty-savory sausage. Even though we would have enjoyed some pork skin in this, I'd gladly it again.

We enjoyed the service, our waters were constantly refilled, the servers really made an effort to keep folks happy. It was a nice way to end the evening.

The Good Lion
1212 State St.
Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Sama Sama Kitchen
1208 State St.
Santa Barbara, CA 93101

We headed back to our room and fell asleep. Though the rooms were a bit dated and the walls thin; I could hear people talking and all of the street noise.

The next morning we woke and checked out at around 7 am and headed off....first stopping to refuel and grab some coffee from Handlebar Coffee

The Missus, the coffee snob, was disappointed that even though they roasted their own beans; that they didn't do pour over; so She got a double espresso, I got an Americano.

And then we were off to our next destination.

Handlebar Coffee Roasters
2720 De La Vina St.
Santa Barbara, CA 93105

We got on 154 West, then the 101 North, then the1, and made good time to our next destination. It was a place that I always wanted to check out....mainly for one thing.

It was still misty when we got to the village of Morro Bay. We easily found parking and started walking down Front Street. We decided to stop into this kinda touristy looking fish shack and shop.

And I saw something that I hadn't had since we visited Vancouver; salmon candy.

The really friendly young man provided samples and even though it was a bit more fishy than what I'd had before; I got some Salmon Candy. We always bring along a good sized ice chest on long road trips so we could purchase items like this.

Giovanni's Fish Market And Galley
1001 Front St.
Morro Bay, CA 93442

From here we headed south and walked down the Embarcadero. There were many shops; but we didn't see any tourists; just a few locals walking their dogs or having coffee and also other "residents".

It was still quite foggy as we walked down the street window shopping. Though we could hear the barks and honks from seals.

There are quite a few memorials along the waterfront.....

I recall seeing this shop and telling the Missus, "I hope they don't get folks orders wrong....."

We ended up stopping and getting Frankie's "cousin" some treats.

We stopped at a couple shops that were open.

And walked all the way down to Tideland Park before turning around and heading back toward the car.

By now, the fog had started burning off; giving me a view of what I came here to see; Morro Rock.

The drifting fog gave the volcanic plug an air of mystery. We could also see the platform where all the sea lions were hanging out on.

Of course there's always that one fellow who has to do his own thing......

All while under the watchful eye of this one.

We'd enjoyed this stop; it was quite relaxing, the views were nice.....I'm not sure when the area is busy or if it's always this relaxed. Also not sure how the food is in the area; perhaps one day we'll spend a night.

For now it was time to head on out to our destination for the next couple of nights.

Thanks for stopping by!

Takeout from Greenhaus Vegetarian Eatery

Back in August while driving down Morena Boulevard, I noticed that the longtime Chinese Fast-Food place, Wok In Express was gone and being replaced by, gosh, of all things a vegetarian restaurant! The first thing that went through my mind was "wow, boy has Morena changed since we moved to San Diego"!

Nestled between JV's Taco Shop, the Donut Shop, and Waters Fine Foods in the cramped parking lot, I made a mental note of the place.

Then, returning from picking up lunch from another place on Linda Vista (yes ST, I'll get that post done soon), I noticed that Greenhaus had opened.

A week or so later, I decided to drop by at around eleven, before that tiny parking lot gets crazy.

The interior of the restaurant had been emptied with two small "two tops" set-up outside....the Covid thing, you know.

With a name like Greenhaus, other than being vegetarian....cause the sign said so; I wasn't sure what kind of cuisine was being served.

A quick look at the menu and menu card straightened things out quickly.

This was one of those "fast-casual" concepts, basically Indian....where you pick sauces, proteins, and a "style"......whether a wrap, salad, plate.....or even tacos(???). There's even a "snack" menu with samosas and such. The owner, whose name, please forgive me if I misspell it; is Gubi was so friendly and helpful. I wanted to figure out what the best combination of Sauce and Protein was for a plate. I was thinking Spiced Chickpeas and a Lentil Curry sauce. Gubi said that would be a good combination. I went with a carb two-fer; getting the garlic naan and basmati rice as my sides for the plate ($12). Gubi also said he put in a sample of the Masala sauce for me to try. I was shocked when I opened my bag.....man, this was a lot of food!

Geez Louise, look at all that rice and all that naan? The basmati rice was perfect in texture and mildly fragrant. The lentil sauce, was basically a milder, lighter, sauce version of green lentil daal. It wasn't super rich, had a nice nuttiness, a decent sauce. The chickpeas were nicely done, I believe they use dried chickpeas, because these weren't overly salty, nor were they mushy. It had a really nice exterior firmness that gave way to a pleasant creaminess. Again mild and not overly seasoned, but not bad. I saved half of this for the Missus who loved it and wiped it all out. So, I guess Greenhaus has a fan.

There was a generous portion of garlic naan provided. It was a bit thinner and less doughy than what I'm used to; but it went well with the tangy masala sauce. Again, this was a lighter, more tangy-acidic version of masala, without all the thick buttery-creamy textures and not very spicy, nor overly seasoned, which worked fine here.

Overall, I hesitate to call it Indian food, let's just stick with "Indian inspired"....a bit lighter, fast-casual in concept. While most of these type of places aren't my kind of thing, we were pleasantly surprised with our meal. It's also quite a good value as well.

I decided to return a week or so later. I wanted to try the "Veggie Meatballs" especially since they were made with garbanzos (chickpeas), knowing I'd have leftovers for the Missus who loves garbazos (see above). I asked Gubi what sauce to get and he recommended the Masala. So I got the Veggie Meatballs with Masala sauce, basmati rice, and a salad.

Again, quite a bit of food. The "meatballs" were very much a milder version chickpea kofta; though it was a bit on the dry and bland side for our taste. The masala this time was less tangy; though much thicker and richer....frankly, I preferred the previous version.

The salad was fresh, the greens sparkling, though the vinaigrette was quite routine and bland.

So, I think we'll stick with the spiced chickpeas....especially if the Missus has a say in things.

Overall, while I'm not a big fan of most fast-casual "concepts"......because frankly, most places just seem to quit at the "concept", with mainly revenue in mind, and let the cards (food) fall where they may. And honestly, I think most folks may have their favorite combinations at these fast-casual places...heck we still order one thing from "Da Poodle" a couple of times a year. I'd say that Greenhaus makes a good quality product and while the flavors may seem on the mild side; I don't think it's bland at all. A big plus is the owner, who is very friendly and helpful. This is more fusion than "con-fusion" and I can live with that. After all; someone's going to have to get the Missus Her chickpeas, right?

Greenhaus Vegetarian Eatery
1118 Morena Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92110
Current Hours
Mon - Sat 11am - 9pm
Closed Sundays