Chopstix Too

About a week or so ago, I mentioned that Chopstix Too, a sort of "Casual-Fast" version of Chopstix had opened in the same strip mall as Mitsuwa Marketplace. Talk about setting yourself up for success.

So I finally walked on up to check out the menus attached by clothespins to chairs....and sheesh, talk about cheap grand opening specials! Bargain-City.....

Okay, so I'm sold, I've got to check this out. At this time of the morning 11am the place is empty, yet bustling. Seems like the employees are still getting used to the surroundings. The interior is pretty fast-foodish, with simple booths and tables, and a sushi bar crowning the cavernous interior.

I didn't bother opening the menu; I ordered the Chicken Teriyaki & Tempura Combo($4.95 - Grand Opening price - $5.95 regular):

The special came with a bowl of so-so miso soup, a green salad with Asian-style dressing, rice, some chicken(dark meat) teriyaki, with a sauce that was less sweet than the usual American-style teriyaki, and3 pieces of tempura. The tempura was not bad; it was not as crunchy, nor did it have the lacquered texture of the version at Chopstix. Pretty fast-foodish, but well worth the $4.95. It's much better than picking up a pretty much cold bento from Mitsuwa or Nijiya.

But that's not all.....there's a "To Go Only" menu, that has specials like Curry Bowl($3.50), Chicken Katsu Bowl($3.95). Wait a second, Chicken Katsu Bowl for under four bucks? Sheesh...Bargain City!!

So being the sucker for Chicken Katsu that I am, I ordered the Chicken Katsu Bowl($3.95).

But wait, I'm not done....because it was inexpensive, I also ordered the Fish Katsu($3.95):

It's hard to tell which is which, huh? This was a styrofoam soup sized bowl, with a nice amount of rice on the bottom. A layer of shredded cole slaw mix(shredded cabbage), and few pieces of broccoli acted as a buffer for the fried product. Honestly, it was a bit on the greasy side, but still will fill you up. The other item that I didn't care for were that first off, teriyaki sauce was used instead of katsu sauce, and the whole thing was slathered with spicy mayo, like what is used for those spicy rolls. As if the dish needed any more fat! Is this worth $3.95...you bet, but next time I'll order it without any sauce(or mayo), and use some of those leftover katsu sauce packets.

I'm sure that I'll do another post on the regular menu items in the future...sort of a Chopstix Too, part too...he-he-he, sorry couldn't help myself.

Now comes the fun part, it was bound to happen! Cathy and I ate at Chopstix Too during the same week. So you get a "double post", a two-for-one special so to speak. Actually, I'm letting Cathy go so She won't serve me with a food stalkers warrant from the Food Police! LOL! So without further ado, heereee's Cathy!

mmm-yoso is NOT on vacation.  Kirk isn't even taking a break off from posting.  We both went to Chopstix Too-didn't even see each other- and have pretty much the same observation of pretty much everything on the menu...here's the rest of it.

Hi Everyone...I just want you to know I think the Mister went to Chopstix Too *before* Kirk did (The Mister works within walking distance)...for lunch...and that evening he brought home some of those "Grand Opening Take Out Only" specials.

The crunchy roll served with salad ($4.95) (Crunchy Roll is pretty much that  fake krab stuff and avocado..its larger than most rolls..wrapped in seaweed and the rice and rolled in tempura leftovers...crunchies...topped with a sort of katsu (sticky sweet) sauce and the spicy mayonnaise).

This is a meal in itself-crunchy roll is quite large.  The same one Chopstix has been having on 'special' forever.  The salad is light, crispy and topped with the "Asian salad dressing" that is standard-more or less vinegar and sweet..no garlic or ginger.

He also brought home the Spam sushi ($3.50) made with avocado and pickled radish.  It was nice. He also brought home some of the generic bowls Kirk apparently got (after perhaps stalking The Mister...) One of these is the calamari katsu, which held up quite well in the traffic home.  The other is the chicken katsu, which was tasty but not crispy (the calamari was on a bed of shredded cabbage to maybe keep the steam from the rice from softening the crust). {ooh, I just looked at the photos and two are the same...that's how well I could tell the bowls apart}... and then there was the tempura bowl:

The tempura coating does not fare well inside a bowl with steam for about 15 miles in rush hour traffic.  There is a shrimp, carrot, zucchini and pumpkin..the veggies and shrimp were good, still crispy, not mushy...but the coating was not as much fun as you get with fresh tempura inside the restaurant....by fun, you know, crispy, light, airy...making you think it has no calories...

So, we decided to meet up for dinner, off of the "regular" menu one day. This is probably your first view of the building, when you take the exit off of 163:

Its kitty corner from Mitsuwa, in the same parking lot, attached to the Taco Bell.  Originally that half of the building was a Sarah Lee Outlet Store, where I happened to be one of the first, and a regular customer.

We seem to have sat in the exact same booth as Kirk did, with that view of one of the two flat screen TV's  in the place... The regular menu looks more like this: Its a little bit different from the regular Chopstix menu, with lots more sushi items.  You may notice the "miso butter corn ramen".  We asked our polite waitress what it was.  She said:'its miso with butter and corn and ramen noodles'.  Maybe next time.

We opted for a few "standards", to test the kitchen:

The seaweed salad, ($3.50) nice and fresh...not much different than elsewhere.  The mabo ramen ($5.95) seemed to have a richer broth and was excellent.  I really like fresh ramen noodles.

I opted for the Seafood Katsu ($8.25).  Served with miso, salad and rice.  Three shrimp, two pieces of fish and two pieces of calamari, all lightly battered.  I liked all of it.  The shrimp is made from shrimp paste and is larger and denser than just a single piece of shrimp would be...and there is still a tail attached...which I always eat anyhow...its fried, crispy...fiber...

The grand opening specials will probably stop at the end of November...or not I suppose.  The Mister and I went to the original Chopstix and with our bill, we got a coupon for a free California roll with purchase of any meal at Chopstix Too. Its a smaller California roll (6 pieces) and the coupon was stamped with an expiration of November 30.

All in all, Chopstix Too is the same as the original Chopstix, with an added sushi bar and *much* better parking.  The Grand Opening Specials make it worth the trip also.  I saw quite a few people with "to go" foods just eating in the parking lot....besides all the people following me around in general....ahem!

Chopstix Too 4380 Kearny Mesa Road San Diego 92111 (858) 565-1288 open 7 days 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. Closing hours may change.

Comments

[Christine D.]

"Chopstix Too, part too...he-he-he" Haha!

Wow..talk about bargain city! Better take advantage of it while it lasts!

I don't recall, but have you and Cathy ever bumped into each other at the same restaurant?

[nhbilly]

You guys are too funny....

[Trent]

If anyone on mmm-yoso likes Asian Cinema, Sing Young Music World near Chopstix Too has a great DVD selection.
I'm not affiliated, but their business seems to have dipped since their renovation, and I don't want them to go out of business. Sorry for the plug, Kirk.

[Anne]

I must ask you....is your metabolism on overdrive? All of your meals look soooo scrumptious, but if I ate this much Hawaiian, Japanese-fried or take-out food, I would be as big as Dodger's Stadium! I envy that you can eat whatever you want and not worry. You're so lucky, and the food all looks so delicious.

[Jim]

"Talk about setting yourself up for success."

My wife told me about this place a couple of weeks ago because her friend works there. That was my first thought; fast and cheap food before or after shopping at Mitsuwa...Brilliant!!!

[Chubbypanda]

It looks like the food is really similar to a little place by my house called Takaraya.

I love this style of Japanese "fast" food. Still much better for you than Mickey Dees.

- Chubbypanda

[cathy]

Hi Christine, Cathy here...Kirk and I have only met when we planned it ahead of time, but there were so many times the Mister and I thought we had found someplace unique..and the very next day Kirk wrote about it, so its been a running joke about him stalking me. I like your idea for the title.
Hi Billy...we are trying to be creative writers...about food..
Thanks for the info, Trent. We can check it out now.
Ah, Anne...catching on to the 'secret' of blogging...lots of the photos are of multiple visits...and we (Kirk and his Missus and me and The Mister)do cook at home a lot..and are, all of us, better cooks than you know....and none of us is what you would call 'skinny'..we eat the fried stuff for one meal a day...and pretty much for the week...you just see it blogged as if we do it all the time...its all an illusion!
Hey Brunchmaster! You got it... with so much better parking..but the new inside Mitsuwa Restaurant should open soon...The old place was good.
Hello CP..yes, its kind of perfect. I do have some fast food cravings, but its usually for a single item, and fairly rare.

[Kirk]

Well, you two for the price of one responses as well!

Hi Christine - You know, I never developed the ability to walk away from a silly pun! Sorry...

Hi Billy - What a team, huh?

Hi Trent - Man, I haven't walked into the place in a long time.

Hi TAG - Well since I'm only the size of Staples Center...I guess I've got a ways to go! LOL! I think Cathy covered everything pretty well.

Hi Jim - Brilliant indeed.

Hi CP - Tastes better than that stuff at Mickey D's as well.

Hey Cathy - Now I'm stalking your comments too! ;o)

[Joseph E]

I remembered this post and decided to stop in last night. By coincidence I ordered the same combo that Kirk had tried; I agree with this assessment. I thought there was a bit too much sauce on the teriyaki, but the chicken was tender and seemed to have been marinated well. The tempura wasn't bad, and I actually liked the miso soup quite a bit. I also thought $0.50 for a pot of hot tea was a nice deal.

I didn't try the sushi, but I saw a family order a nice-looking sashimi plate. The waitress said most nigiri was available for $1.50 a piece.

[Kirk]

Hi JosephE - I think the prices right now are a bargain, the food is not bad...you're getting what you pay for. Pretty nice folks too.

[cathy]

Hi Joseph...The food is pretty much the same here as at Chopstix, where I always get the tempura side order...there are a few different things here and the extensive sushi and sashimi choices make it a slightly better place to try. It isn't any kind of fancy Japanese place, but then again, I'd rather have some good food rather than a fancy location or view.

[Chopsticks Too]

This place SUCKs! The Service SUCKs! and the food Sucks!

Don't even think about staying too long, they will actually ask you to leave. I dare you to linger.

[Kirk]

Ummm OK - I'm hoping you are able to articulate the problem you have with this place with a bit more maturity. Or how about some specifics?

[Cathy]

So, you try to linger in places where you don't like the food or service. When I finish eating at Chopstix Too, I will walk over to Mitsuwa or the Starbucks, where I do linger. They never chase me away...Please tell us what happened, or happens every time you go to this place where you don't like the food or service.