House of Orchid- Korean and Japanese Restaurant

mmm-yoso!!! is this.  The Blog that you are reading.  Kirk and ed (from Yuma) are busy today, so Cathy is writing.

Hi.  A new place opened just behind China Max about three weeks ago and The Mister and I decided to go there for dinner the other night.

It has only been open for about three weeks now and the staff is very enthusiastic and helpful.  Pretty much at all times, at least two, and sometimes three people were at our table asking if we needed anything.  The owner also came over to ask us how we liked everything.  Twice.  The interior is neat and clean, as is the fish tank, which housed a very large, flat, monkfish when we came in.  (Whole fish prices range from $75-$150).

We were first served some iced barley (or maybe it was brown rice) tea, placed our orders.

Soon, we each were given these bowls of slightly spicy vegetables and "noodles" made of acorn powder mixed with agar. See those crinkle cut things at the bottom of the bowl? It was chilled and refreshing.  A nice interlude.

Soon, The Mister's 8 plates of panchan arrived.

As did my bowl of miso soup (which had a good amount of excellent tasting tofu at the bottom of the bowl).

The Mister's beef bul go ki ($11.50) was tender, well flavored, plentiful and had many onions cooked with it (which all became my onions. Yay!)(I still think someday he will change and like onions, but am getting less hopeful as the decades of marriage roll by).

My Hwe Dup Bop (Korean Chirashi) ($15 at dinner, $11 at lunch) arrived at the same time.  

Five types of raw fish and fish eggs on top of some fancy lettuces, on top of some iceberg, on top of warm rice, topped with some sliced seaweed.  In a VERY large bowl.

 

After a while, tasting all of the seafood and lettuces with the sesame oil based dressing it came with, I added the spicy hot red sauce that was placed on the table and mixed up the ingredients for a variation on thesecond half of this bowl of goodness.

We each were given small bowls of warm sweet something which had pine nuts floating in the mix.  It was very refreshing and a perfect, light ending to our meals. 

Service was more than attentive, with at least two (young) waitpeople coming by to ask us how we were doing and the owner coming out from the kitchen twice always asking if they could help us with anything. 

The "Japanese" part of the menu seems to be sushi and rolls are 50% off.  There are daily lunch box specials to go for $5.99 and daily roll specials for $4.99. 

It is nice and clean, the food is fresh and good.  I would not hesitate to go back to try the rest of the menu which includes many stews of kim chee, soy bean, steamed black cod,monk fish and kalbi as well as flat noodles and ox bone soup and the whole fish.

House of Orchid 4698 Convoy, San Diego 92111 (858)776-9205 (858) 277-8949 Same parking lot as China Max, behind that building.

Comments

[Judy]

that bulgogi looks goooood! my boyfriend's the same way (he hates onions, and will literally throw them onto my plate with his chopsticks).

[foodhoe]

ooh, those are two of my favorite cuisines... a dream come true! wish there was one in my neighborhood. Looks good and the prices seem reasonable (except for the fish in the tank). I want that chirashi with hot sauce for breakfast!

[Rosa]

I saw the sign for that place the last time I was at China Max. Good to know that it's decent! I love Hwe Dup Bap!

Do they have (dolsot) bibimbap on the menu?

[Rosa]

P.S. My husband hates onions too...

[cathy]

Hi Judy- it was very good, and quite a lot of food. {Don't ever expect your BF to change the way he feels about onions...trust me on this one.}

Hello again, FH! Both meals were very good. I grabbed a pick up/to go lunch menu when we were leaving. Unsure about the whole fish pricing deal, just saw it on the dinner menu.

It is quite decent, Rosa. Did not see bi bim bap at dinner nor is it on the Lunch To Go Menu. {The next time your hubby gets a cold and you don't, tell him it is the 'onion factor'.} ;)

[nhbilly]

pssst I think that drink with pine nuts in it is dried out persimmon boiled in water to make a refreshing drink.Ahh -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sujeonggwa
I love the drink, which is served at ChoSan.

[Sandy]

You guys are killing me with the photos of hwe dup bop and the chirashi from Sakura! Both look so refreshing in this heat.

I don't like eating big chunks of onions, so I pass them to my husband. But if the onions are thinly sliced and combined with the meat, I'll eat them.

[yummyyummie]

I LOVE garlic and I LOVE onion. The photos look wonderful. I'll try them out as soon as possible. Maybe for dinner later today. It's great that you posted it here, I just went to the KBBQ next door and I didn't know about this. Thank you =)

[RONW]

I enjoy onions, myself.

[Carol]

It all looks so good. And look at the amount of meat in that dish! And we would be fighting over those onions!

[yummyyummie]

Hello Cathy,

I just got back from Orchid. It is so yummy. We had bulgogi & octopus casserole and fish eggs w/ rice. It's enough for 4. We togo it for lunch tomorrow. Another new and good spot to eat. YAY!

[Cathy]

Persimmon! That is the flavor. Thank you, Bill.

It has been *hot*, hasn't it, Sandy? I seem to get these cravings. Both of you eat onions...how perfect.

YY! So glad you tried it-and liked it-today. That mall is really getting good. The casseroles looked interesting. I want to try the lunch specials, and will...soon. Garlic is one of my cravings...

I love you, Ron.

The portions are quite large here, Carol. I am happy for the two of you-there are other things to argue about.

[sawyer]

haven't had hwedupbap for a good while. i was just talking about nozomi's a while ago w/ a friend. guess i gota do some searching over here to find a good place for cheap filling bentos

[cathy]

Nozomi does have an excellent Hwe dup bop, Sawyer...pretty much across the street form Orchid. I am glad I can find the stuff I crave wherever I park on Convoy. There has to be someplace with cheap food near you....I just took the Azusa Pacific University exit and went North on Dec 31 and found a bunch of places...then stopped at a taco shop. (Do a Search for "Rose Parade" or float decorating or New Year and you'll see what I ate in your area...)