Thanks for stopping by to read mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Usually Kirk is writing posts about food, but right now He is very busy 'researching' so he will have some interesting posts. Ed (from Yuma) is also in a 'researching' mode. Today, Cathy is writing.
More than 14 months ago, I started to write a post about an epic day of visiting a plethora of places to eat in Chula Vista with fellow food bloggers, cc, writer of Pink Candles at Ridgemont High, who has taught me so much and Dennis, who writes A Radiused Corner, another blog that is so informative as well as fascinating. That post seemed frighteningly long and I have left it 'on hold' for all this time. One of the places we stopped that day was the "new" Seafood City, on Orange at Melrose in Chula Vista.
This still is the newest location in the County (new in 2011) and since discovering it, The Mister and I shop here fairly regularly, always having a bite to eat in the adjacent Food Court area before shopping.
Yes, it's a Food Court with nice, heavy wood picnic table seating; so much nicer than plastic seating. Standard Filipino chains are here (I've posted on Chow King, in various ways more than once and Kirk has posted about Jolibee in various ways). The other places here are also interesting...
The colorful wrapped candies are pastillas and made with milk; a favorite.
Other desserts are sold here also. Mostly made with rice flour, I've tried bites of many of them at parties and visits with friends and really like the selection.
The steam trays here are fascinating.
As are the grab and go foods.
On a recent visit, we shared this ukoy (fritter)($2). Onion, potato, plantain and a head on shrimp, fried into a neat patty and served with black vinegar. This is a current craving.
We also grabbed one of these to share ($1)-the cashews are very good, crispy and the cookies were not too sweet. Filipino Desserts Plus Website multiple locations
At Valerio's, we bought this still warm bibingka ($2.50), a coconut milk/rice flour based cake that is baked inside a banana leaf. It's a special item for us. Valerio's Bakeshop, multiple locations, no website.
Almost every visit here ends up with something from Tapioca Express. Snacks of fried chicken nuggets, tofu and squid rings, seasoned as spicy as you wish and served with either ranch or sweet and sour sauce along with some sort of beverage is always a meal. Tapioca Express, multiple locations. Website
A more or less new addition to the Food Court is the freestanding Grill City grill (not in this photo) and steam table area. A chain, all locations are inside Seafood City stores.
Above, fried chicken skins, a pork adobo kabob and a whole stuffed squid. All are really good items; I am always up for fried chicken skins as a snack. Pay attention to that statement.
The squid stuffing is a wonderful mix of vegetables: tomato, onion and bell pepper.
On another visit, a slice of grilled swordfish and a grilled stuffed eggplant (inihaw) was our meal. So good and so fresh. The fish is served with a fresh mango salsa; a perfect condiment. (Prices for a la carte veggies are $3, $6 or $9, depending on size)(Prices for a la cart meat and seafood are $3.50, $6.50 and $9.50).
We enjoy this Food Court area and look forward to our drives to Seafood City market.
Seafood City (also a link to Grill City) website 285 East Orange Chula Vista 91911 (619)621-2050 Open 8am-9 pm daily
The issue I have with most Filipino restaurants and their food in general is that they tend to overcook things. But honestly that is true with a ton of restaurants. In the last few years I have had some poor meals in restaurants mostly due to their lack of timing and things get overcooked and tough or dry. You would think that since a restaurant is in business that they would do better but in my experience barely 10% or less get it right.
Posted by: buddha | Sunday, 18 May 2014 at 09:00 AM
Interesting, Buddha. My experience with Filipino sit down restaurants is that it isn't the trifecta of crowd pleasing food (lumpia, pancit and garlic rice) but instead the sourness (either from calamansi (in sisig) or the adobos (simmered in vinegar and spices)) and more stew-like dishes (pinkabet). Filipino food has such a diverse culinary influence and I enjoy trying new-to-me dishes and have rarely been disappointed. In any case, I think the fast foods available here are a good introduction.
Posted by: Cathy | Sunday, 18 May 2014 at 12:56 PM
Hi Cathy - Thank you for your kind words and for this great post highlighting one of my favorite ethnic markets. Filipino cuisine doesn't get as much "respect" as other cuisine, It's not just pancit and lumpia. I consider those "party" type foods and not something I would eat every day, like sinigang or tinola. Their food court has something for everyone. My faves are the chicken and beef empanadas at Valerio's and the pastillas at Filipino Desserts Plus. The multicolored desserts are usually seen at Filipino parties - my favorite is the purple rice.
p.s. the fritter with the shrimp is called 'ukoy'. my dad makes a mean one! :)
Posted by: caninecologne | Sunday, 18 May 2014 at 03:15 PM
I hardly ever eat pancit or lumpia so that doesn't apply to me when I talked about filipino food being over cooked. Adobo to me can be decent if you can find a place that treats it right. Most of the time the grilling is overcooked and dry especially fish. Not my favorite ethnic cuisine.
Posted by: buddha | Sunday, 18 May 2014 at 10:12 PM
What! No Halo Halo? ;-)
Any crisp fried tasty yummy skin, FTW.
Posted by: nhbilly | Monday, 19 May 2014 at 05:50 AM
It's all so true, cc; you've taught me more and showed me places where I might have gone, but not known what to order, all while explaining ingredients and with a story. (I must say that The Mister and I would order chicken skins at Max's every single visit, knowing those were excellent; long before I met you). Your dad is a great cook!
Well, at least you are trying other cuisines, Buddha. I understand some flavor points may not appeal to you, but consistently getting poorly prepared food seems would make a restaurant go out of business. Sometimes I'm surprised at what I've ordered, because I ask for the same item I see on another table (an old New Year Resolution I made; to do once a month) that almost always guarantees it will be prepared properly.
Halo Halo is so sweet, Bill! I'm a Type 2 and have to watch carb intake. Chicken skins are going to be one of the 'new' foods at the San Diego County fair this year-yay!
Posted by: Cathy | Monday, 19 May 2014 at 06:43 AM
Awww, well at least you can enjoy non-sweet unhealthy stuff like chicharone of piggy and chicky.
Posted by: nhbilly | Monday, 19 May 2014 at 08:18 PM
Awww, well at least you can enjoy non-sweet unhealthy stuff like chicharone of piggy and chicky.
Posted by: nhbilly | Monday, 19 May 2014 at 08:19 PM
Cathy: Having been a professional chef before I have tried a lot of cuisines thank you very much. You must be kidding. I know of many restaurants that serve poorly executed dishes and they are still in business. Very sad indeed. Honestly like I said before, in any city you are lucky to have 10-15% of the restaurants to have outstanding food. Most is just average at best.
Posted by: buddha | Monday, 19 May 2014 at 09:48 PM
So what do you prefer? ukoy or Vietnamese style sweet potatoes and shrimp? I might have to try ukoy.
Posted by: nhbilly | Tuesday, 20 May 2014 at 05:19 AM
I do crave the occasional sweet items, Bill, know to limit myself...and a cup of halo halo is difficult, that's why we get the bibingka (in the photo, that's a dollop of cream cheese, which is interspersed in the cake). Yes, chicharone of all types have been a snack. Just yesterday, we shared a Japanese croquette of veggies and a shrimp...so I guess I need to find a Vietnamese one today, to compare. As long as it's fresh, I'm probably going to like it.
Posted by: Cathy | Tuesday, 20 May 2014 at 06:37 AM
Cathy - we WILL try the vietnamese version of ukoy at Brodard's! :)
Posted by: caninecologne | Tuesday, 20 May 2014 at 03:12 PM
Right, cc! Bill- I'll be here: http://www.brodard.net/Home/ in just a few weeks. Expect to see a 'Multiple ethnic, various potato/veggie/shrimp fritter/croquette throw down' post.
Posted by: Cathy | Tuesday, 20 May 2014 at 04:28 PM
FYI, the children of the original owners of Conchings have opened up a Filipino dessert place in Eastlake.
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=halo+halo
I went yesterday, and they are still under their soft openings status. But something to check out.
Posted by: RightCowLeftCoast | Wednesday, 02 March 2016 at 12:22 PM