Playing Chicken: A bunch of chicken posts - Saffron, Nazca Grill, Mercado 2000, Casa de Pepe, Sab E Lee 2, and more....

Whew, this post has taken me almost five months to get together.... talk about a flocking long time. A while back I thought it would be fun doing a post on some of the different variations of grilled and roasted chicken in San Diego. So here goes..... oh, and why did it take me so long? The answer is at the end.

Pollo Asado from Internacional 2000 Taco Shop - Bargain City:

On one of my previous posts on Internacional 2000, I mentioned the plumes of smoke rising in the air from the chicken being grilled over mesquite in the parking lot. I also noticed that the chicken was mostly precooked, and moved from the taco shop to the grill for reheating. That just didn't sound promising. But once, while doing part of my South Bay taco crawl, MrQ decided to purchase the Pollo Asado, since it was just $8.50, for a whole chicken a fixins'. The chicken was better than I thought it would be, so on a later visit, I decided to get it.

So for $8.50, you get a whole grilled chicken, beans, rice, salsa, condiments, and tortillas. Man ,what a deal!

I had thought the chicken would be dry and tough as heck, but it wasn't. Also, because the chicken didn't have much of a salt flavor, I'm thinking that salt use was minimized to ensure that the bird wouldn't dry out. The chicken did have a wonderful smoky mesquite flavor. The tortillas, once warmed a bit was decent, the rice was quite dry.

But the beans......

Were quite good, rich, beany, and creamy....just don't look at 'em after you refrigerate the stuff..... you WILL know why they taste good. Sometimes, it's better not to know.......

We did use a sprinkling of Tajin Classic Seasoning.... the stuff we call, "This is not a candy" seasoning:

 
 I'm wondering how many complaints the company got from folks who tried to eat this thinking it WAS candy, causing them to label the product thusly?

The verdict? Not the most fantastic pollo asado I've ever had, but pretty good, and for $8.50? Bargain city!!! Just as a reality check, to the right is about seven bucks worth of food from the local "Crazy Chicken" joint.... which includes some of the worst tortillas I've ever experienced. In all honesty, I don't mind the chicken......

Internacional 2000 Taco Shop (Window in the parking lot of Mercado Internacional 2000)
1415 3rd Ave
Chula Vista, CA 91911

Pollo Asado from Casa de Pepe - No thank you:

On one of my "Sunday Stuffs" posts back in January of 2008, I mentioned seeing Pollo Asado being grilled in the parking lot of a taco shop on Imperial Avenue. This bright, colorful, and possibly luminous restaurant is called, Restaurant Casa de Pepe:

 
If the bones of this place look familiar; it because this used to be the location of El Comal, before they went "uptown". 

Almost every weekend, I've seen the guy in the parking lot grilling chicken.

I crossed the street and took a look at the chicken, which looked pretty good. So I told the guy that I'd be going into the restaurant to pay, when the guy held up a pot full of kinda gross barbecue sauce, and told me; "you want BBQ on chicken, right?" I should have taken this as a bad omen and high-tailed it out of there, but instead I just said "no thanks" and went into the restaurant and paid my $7.95.

Hmmm, they forgot my tortillas. I loved the variety of salsas provided, as well as the cebolla. The chicken was terrible, terribly bland and dry.

The rice was decently flavored, but the beans were very bland, and too soupy for my tastes.

Maybe I shoulda gotten that barbecue sauce, huh?

 Restaurant Casa de Pepe
2822 Imperial Ave
San Diego, CA 92102

Pollo ala Brassa from Nazca Grill - getting better all the time:

In my previous post on Nazca Grill, back when they first opened, I indicated that though the chicken was moist, here was something left to be desired with regards to flavor. I'm glad to say that the last time I ordered it, the chicken was very good. Still moist, and more balanced in flavor. You could tell that even though it wasn't cooked over hardwood, it had been finished with it.

For $11.95 you get the half chicken meal, which comes with papas fritas (french fries) which usually ends up pretty soggy by the time you get home, and good sized salad.

I do wish they'd just sell the chicken ala carte. Anyway, a picture is worth a few paragraphs......

I still think the Aji Amarilla (yellow chili sauce) is too mild, and needs some zip. But compare that chicken to my previous post......

Nazca Grill
4310 Genesee Ave
San Diego, CA 92117

Rotisserie Chicken from Saffron Thai Grilled Chicken - I could never figure out why.....

This place is so popular. When I first ate the chicken from here back in 1998, the first thing that went through my mind was "huh"? To me the chicken here isn't "Thai Rotisserie Chicken", it ain't even close to Kai Yaang. Those were my thoughts back in 2006 when I did my last post on Saffron.

And after eating Kai Yaang in Thailand twice, this ain't even close. The chicken from Pok Pok  might as well be in another universe. Another sad thing is, I really enjoy Su-Mei Yu's book, Cracking the Coconut. There's even a Kai Yaang recipe in the book, which features her "Big Four Paste" (coriander seeds, garlic, cilantro stems and roots, white peppercorns), minced ginger, cumin, tumeric, and caraway(strange, no lemongrass). Not even a whiff to be found on this chicken.

I didn't think you'd be happy with this, a two leg plate ($4.99):

So I went ahead and had a half chicken plate ($7.86):

 Instead of my usual Sriracha ($1.29 a bottel at 99 Ranch Market, BTW), I went with the red pepper sauce, which was too sweet, like simple syrup, and the peanut sauce, which was too much coconut and sugar, and not enough peanut.

The best piece was the thigh which was passably moist. The leg however, had been sliced, possibly to check "doneness" and was, as a good FOY once described the chicken here as "petrified". The breast was worse.

The skin was tough and too chewy. To be honest, that two leg plate I had earlier was better. I'm thinking the earlier in the day you go, the better your luck may be. Someone once told me it's the sauce that makes this "Thai", so I asked this person, being of Italian heritage, if I got a supermarket rotisserie chicken, and gave you a teensy container of marinara sauce, if I could call that "Italian Chicken"? And to add insult to injury, I once bought an entire bird from Saffron and a rotisserie chicken from Costco, and provided a bottle of Sriracha. I asked some friends which bird they enjoyed better..... guess which? Well, enough of that. I was told that the chicken here back in the late 80's and early 90's was great, but something happened.

I do still enjoy the "Cambodian" salad:

I believe the success of Sab E Lee displays that San Diego does want "real" flavors. So maybe someday........

Saffron Thai Grilled Chicken
3731 India St.
San Diego, CA 92103

Speaking of Sab E Lee (2):

Here's the Kai Yaang from Sab E Lee 2 .

Not amazing, but solid. Since the chicken hadn't been sliced into parts and held on trays it was very moist. Nice salty, mild garlic and lemongrass flavors. The sauces, one tamarind and palm sugar based, and the other a nam prik (fish sauce and chilies) were serviceable.

I need to go back and take better photos.

Sab E Lee 2
9159 Mission Gorge Road
Santee, CA 92071

So why did this post take months? Well, back in November, the Missus saw this commercial and was traumatized.

So now the Missus won't eat chicken or turkey.... but will eat duck!

I guess I'll just have to:

"keep on dreamin'
The thoughts that are in my brain
You just keep on being
The lady I can't explain "

"Lady I Can't Explain" by Jimmy Buffett

Comments

[Dennis]

Thanks Kirk, I've been waiting for this post since you commented on Canine Cologne's blog! Haven't been back to Saffron in a long time but they were convenient when I took a language class upstairs of Gelato Vera.. Anyway funny I was going to do a crazy chicken post soon. One of my early memories of coming to L.A..

[sawyer]

LOL that is hilarious about the missus.....double lol at the seasoning...guess people thought it was that lucas stuff they sell from the ice cream trucks. i'm finally gonna try that hawaiian place u suggested tomorrow. my first loco moco ever...hehe

[Masa Assassin]

He Kirk great coverage on the pollo. Let me know when you go to Sab e Lee 2, I would love to tag along. Hilarious about Casa de Pepe "do you want bbq sauce"

[mike]

Your picture of Tajin seasoning mix evoked a random memory - the first time we encountered it was in Mexico City. We were sitting at the counter of a little place and our server used it on top of some fruit that she was eating for lunch and she shared it with us.

The style (chile and lime) is very typical of the seasoning that is used on fruit, but I specifically remember this particular brand.

[kat]

the chicken from nazca grill looks the best! funny about that tajin spice.

[Lynnea]

what a deal from internacional 2000! hard to pass that up.

[Jo`]

So Kirk... now that we have our very own chickens in our very own back yard... Will that bring you to investigate NC? They are gonna be big enough to eat in about 2 months. ;o)

[bill]

$8.50 for a complete bird I am sold.

[Kirk]

Hi Dennis - I can see convenience, but soooo many people just rave about the chicken there.

Hi Sawyer - Good luck with the loco moco! And congrats on UCD!

Hi MA - Great, I'll let you know.

Hi Mike - The Missus loves the stuff on mango!

Hi Kat - Don't mistake that for candy!!! ;O)

Hi Lynnea - Yes, it is quite a deal.....

Hi Jo - Hmmm...maybe....

Hi Bill - That is quite a deal....

[Hao]

Huh, I didn't realize you had gone to Pok Pok. It's expanded quite a bit, with a small bar and indoor sit down area. The menu was about 20 or so items when I went and changes frequently as Andy gets inspired by his travels (or so I hear).

I believe he also owns the Whiskey Soda Lounge across the street, which has a more standard ambiance.

[Online Consultation]

This is one bunch that I like. Chicken Galore. Thanks for sharing I enjoyed reading it.

[Kirk]

Hi Hao - I've been to the Whiskey Soda Lounge as well:

http://mmm-yoso.typepad.com/mmmyoso/2007/06/portland-pok-po.html

[caninecologne]

hi kirk - looks like i need to try the chicken at nazca grill AND SEL2!!!!!

omfg - the fish sauce wings at que huong were so good!!!!!

[Stephen]

Great post Kirk. I agree with you on Saffron. I stopped the once. I was not impressed with the chicken.
I don't understand why all the raves. I also never
understood why El Indio is so popular. Last time I tried it, it was like something you would get in a junior high cafeteria.

[keena]

Saffron is mediocre at best but the Cambodian salad and the wide noodle chicken soup is actually very worthy and occasionally, craveable! I used to love the drunken noodles but lately it's been very, very greasy!

[Kirk]

Hi CC - Have I ever led you to bad chicken wings????

Hi Stephen - I think El Indio has something to do with nostalgia, and a long history in this town. Same with Saffron to an extent. They both have their loyal following.

Hi Keena - I've never had what I'd consider a good noodle dish or soup at Saffron.... it all seems so dumbed down and bland. I need ot give it another shot.

[caninecologne]

hi kirk! never!!!!! so thanks!!!!

saffron disappointed me with their papaya salad. i thought it was the kind with shredded green papaya. no, it was the ripe reddish/orange papaya. it was awful. el indo ain't all that either.

i think i'll be going to que huong again really soon!

[Kirk]

Hey CC - You need to check out Huynh Hoa Tuu as well. Have fun.... the area is teeming with decent to good eats.

[RONW]

LOL, now we know why the chicken crossed the road. Seriously though, when they bbq chicken, they should put a cover on top of the chicken(like Webber grills), otherwise it's jerky by the time the chicken's safely cooked.

[Kirk]

Hi RONW - Yes, and well, no.... creating a two tier heat can prevent some of the dryness, but that's not what these places try to do.