mmm-yoso raw! A round-up of dishes from Olivetto, Sab-E-Lee, Asmara, and Buga

So I'm having a nice chat with a friend of mine....and we're discussing our favorite sport....eating! And as I went over what I ate over the last couple of weeks, he comments "you sure do eat a lot of raw meat." Which caught me off guard. But he was right; as I went through what we talked about...there sure was a good amount of raw meat involved. I came home and went through my photos...and sure enough, he was right. So I thought what the heck, this'll make as good a post as anything.......

Olivetto Cafe and Wine Bar:

**** Olivetto has closed

Recently, the Missus has become one of those "ladies who does lunch." And has been grabbing lunch at various places with Her friends. One of  the favorites of the "ladies who do lunch" is the new Olivetto Cafe and Wine Bar. "The Girls" have eaten there at least 5 times, mostly because of convenience, service, and the place is usually empty, so a 2 to 3 hour lunch is not out of the question.

During one recent lunch hour, the Missus and I managed to meet up for an now all too rare lunch. The Missus went over what She thought was the restaurants strong points......appetizers(except the cheese & salumi plate). She has been less than satisfied with the burger, pastas, etc..... So now She and the Girls just do appetizers.

So that's what we did. And to start off the "raw" theme, I ordered the Carpaccio($8.95):

The paper thin beef tenderloin was okay, as was the olive oil, nothing special. The Missus loves parmigianno-regiano, and this was nice a milky. So much for Chinese hating the "congealed - curdled milk of an old cow's udder". We both enjoy Arugula, and this was a fine middle of the road version of the dish.

What I really came for were the Truffle Parmesan Fries ($4.95):

The Missus told me that Her friend 'K', had raved about these, repeating over and over to the Missus, "can't you smell the truffle oil". To which the Missus replied, "it smells good, but I don't know what truffle oil smells like!" I loved the appearance of the thin, almost shoestring fries. The last several times I've had truffle fries, they've been oily, heavy, and went soggy quickly. These were the polar opposite, and the Parmesan added a nice saltiness to the dish. As for the truffle oil, this dish had an almost buttery smell, and I felt like I could make out 2,4-Dithiapentane. The fries were rich and filling, and even though I've rarely met a fry I didn't finish, I couldn't finish these.

We also had the Bruschetta Del Giorno ($5.50), the Bruschetta of the day.

 

Nice, ripe tomatoes bursting with flavor, basil, Parmesan...all would have been working in nice harmony if the bread had not been incinerated.

The service at Olivetto was very relaxed, friendly without being intrusive(according to the Missus this is not always the case), and our waters and drinks were refilled throughout. I'm glad the Missus has a nice, relaxing, and not the least bit stuffy place to grab a nice lunch with Her friends.

Olivetto Cafe and Wine Bar
860 West Washington Street
San Diego, CA 92103

You can also read Gil and Krista's post on Olivetto.

Sab-E-Lee:

This location of Sab-E-Lee has closed

Next stop on the mmm-yoso "raw tour", Sab-E-Lee, and one of my current favorite dishes; Koi Soi (Spicy Raw Beef  - $6.95). Like I mentioned before, I've had this dish at two other places, one was very good (though not as good as this), and the other was very difficult for me to eat. This on the other hand is very easy for me to eat.

Yes, in spite of the heat from the chilies, this is one dish that I find hard to stop eating. A pinch of the salad in cabbage in one hand. A ball of sticky rice in the other. Once you start you dare not lose momentum.

The Missus would not eat this at first, sticking with one of the two other beef salads on the menu. But once She tried it, She was hooked. Good stuff.....

Sab-E-Lee Restaurant
2405 Ulric St
San Diego, CA 92111

You can read FOY Candice Woo's article on Sab-E-Lee for CityBeat, here.

Geekyfoodie's post can be found here.

Alice Q Foodie's post can be found here.

Asmara:

Ed from Yuma has already posted on Asmara, so I'll just go over my most recent meal. Guess what I ordered? Well you can be sure it wasn't this:

It is an actual item on the menu at Asmara. Spaghetti is not very high on the list of items I'd like to try at an Eritrean Restaurant, though please tell me if you've tried it, and like it.

While the Missus went for the sampler:

I went for this:

It's called Kitfo, and is the Ethiopian/Eritrean version of steak tartar; finely chopped (not ground) raw beef, flavored with niter kibbeh (a herb infused clarified butter), mitmita (a spicy powder seasoning), and herbs. It is served with the ubiquitous, carpet-padding-look-alike-eating utensil(you use pieces of it as your eating implement - don't ask for a spoon), the sour and spongy flatbread Injera.

This version was not as sour as others, and along with what was used to line the plate, we each received another plate with several "rolls" of injera.

Less you think this is a light dish, it is rich, and the injera is heavy, and we both got really full, really quickly. The portion size is more than sufficient, the spiciness of the mitmita is not too bad either .

Emboldened by Her experiences with the Koi Soi, the Missus dug right in, and was stopped dead in Her tracks. She found eating a raw beef dish that is slightly North of warm (from the clarified butter I assume), and the very strong flavor of the herbs to be disconcerting. This dish stayed with me for a loooong time, as did the aftertaste of the cardamom and fenulgreek. I could still taste it the next morning.

If you've never had this type of food before, Asmara is a great place to start. The restaurant is very clean, and the folks who work here are friendly. I think the gentleman who served us was a bit taken aback when I ordered, but I told Him I've had Kitfo before at a restaurant on Fairfax in Los Angeles, and he was good to go.

Asmara Eritrean Restaurant
4155 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92114

Canine Cologne posted about her visit to Asmara here.

Buga:

I've posted on Yookwe (Yuk Hwe) from Buga before. I've never gotten a clean shot off, since the ladies always insist on mixing it for when they bring it to my table. I understand that an unmistakable pile of raw meat, topped with a raw egg can be disturbing. But when it's good, it's quite good. Unfortunately, the last 2 times, the meat has tasted a bit off, so I think I'll pass on this dish from now on. Too bad, Buga is about the only place in San Diego that I trust enough to even order this.

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

So there you have it...mmm-yoso, like you've never seen it before; from mild to wild, in the raw.......he-he-he.....

Comments

[ed (from Yuma)]

Another interesting post. I'm glad you made it to Asmara. I thought that place was quite nice and, like you said, a good place to be introduced to Ethiopian/Eritrean. But I didn't try the raw dishes there. Maybe next time.

[Cathy]

Oh My Goodness! A raw post. You win for originality. Now I am hungry and it's only 8:30. I am going out to lunch today...

[jeffrey c]

Kirk, really neat on the raw meat cuisine. We had Ethiopian friends and they used to make this amazingly hot spicy beef. Wonderful stuff. I think that African cuisine needs to be explored more. Lots of similar spices but a different take on the combination.
The Buga reminded me of a tartar but heavily spiced.
As an aside, do you know what the Buga stands for? I've seen it in a Korean singing group called the Buga Kings which featured Bobby Kim. You should check out their stuff.

[nhbilly]

I'm still trying to grasp the raw stuff you have been eating and I thought I had an iron stomach. I need some guidance! ;-)

[Jeff C]

Kirk, forget about Buga. I found it out. Keep forgetting there is a thing called Google out there.

[mjk]

Korea House, on Convoy, has a good Yuk Hwe (Bi Bim Bap). Tsuruhashi also has a very good Yuk Hwe.

[the office goat]

Nice report. I wonder if there is any local Lebanese restaurant that sells kibbeh nayyeh (very fresh raw ground lamb, cracked wheat, salt and some onion)?

[The GastroGnome]

I love reading your blog, and as a fellow lover of raw meat, this was a great round up of different types. I especially love kitfo and thought I'd pipe in with this: Eritrea, unlike Ethiopia, was colonized. The Italians ruled there for a short period, but that is from where your spaghetti comes. The Eritrean restaurant I most enjoy always has Eritrean TV on, and once it was giving pasta making lessons. I actually reccomend the pasta if it comes with a similar sauce to the ones here: It's like Ethiopian spiced bolognese.

[Kirk]

Hi Ed - The Kitfo is very filling....

Hi Cathy - LOL! We're in the raw...at 830 am.... ;o)

Hi Jeffrey - I love the phrase "really neat on the raw meat".....

Hi Billy - All this stuff is pretty easy to eat...you'd probably not even blink an eye.

Hi MJK - Sheeesh, how could I forget about Tsuruhashi! As for Korea House, I've never had a satisying meal there....but it's been years, so maybe I'll check them out soon.

Hi TOG - There probably is off the menu....it's just finding it that's the hard part.

Hi GG - I love your blog as well. Thanks for that interesting tidbit!

[foodhoe]

Kirk that's a splendid array of raw beef, that koi soi sounds really good, I've got to look for that on the menu!

[Kirk]

Hi FH - I think the Koi Soi is very good...if you can take the heat.

[Chubbypanda]

mmm-yoso RAW, eh? Is that like Morimoto RAW? I'm so glad you didn't go for the Naked mmm-yoso instead. =D

[Kirk]

Hi CP - Well considering that I'd rather stimulate your appetite, rather than ruin it....I think raw would be better. ;o)

[Little Miss Contrary]

I got take-out from Sab-E-Lee this past Friday night, and I must say that it is undoubtedly the most authentic Thai restaurant in San Diego. Their larb and spicy salad dishes are authentically North/Northeast style--people in Bangkok don't even eat the koi dish! The restaurant was packed full, mostly of Thai people who had heard about the place from word of mouth. I am so happy that I don't have to drive all the way to Thai Town to enjoy authentic food--thanks, Kirk!

[Kirk]

Hi LMCC - I'm glad you enjoyed the food at Sab-E-Lee.....I'm overjoyed not to have to make the drive to Thai Town for a decent meal of Thai Food.

[Rachel]

LOL kirk ... love all the mini posts. Pity we can't say ... like we've never seen it before, mmm-yoso in the raw (hey it rhymes!) I would love to try eritrean food and the koi soi sometime. Just wish we had such diverse culture here in Aust :( Anyway I can still live vicariously through you.

[Kirk]

Hi Rachel - LOL! Yes.....in the raw... he-he-he. Having read a bit about Australia, I know how diverse it is there. Which is why it is on my list of places I need to visit!

[Didi]

Kirk, give Muzita a try for Ethiopean food. It's on Park across the street from El Zarape and next to Soltano at University Height. The lamb is to die for.

[Kirk]

Hi Didi - I'll check them out one of these days. I have to say the prices, and the fact that they wouldn't serve their Kitfo raw kinda turns me off.

[Didi]

Hi Kirk, you are right, the prices are on the high side, but i think the food is good. And the skirt steak that they had for a while was tasty (i don't know if it's on/off the menu).

I never took to raw kitfo. Had it at Harar and it was ok, i think the butter threw me off so i prefer lightly sauteed if i have it. The prices there is reasonable and food is good but the hood is a little shady and the service can be slow.