E & Drink: preserved vegetables (revisit)

E & Drink has closed

Hello and welcome to the food blog, mmm-yoso!!! Kirk and Ed (from Yuma) have both been extremely busy and Cathy is not yet at the point of extremely busy, so she is writing today's post.  

As I had mentioned, The Mister has been having unusual cravings lately, primarily in wanting certain spices, heat levels or flavors...not a particular food.  He had been mentioning 'Hot Pot but not the same as Little Sheep, that was very peppery' and since we needed to get some groceries after this lunch (it's located inside the 99Ranch complex), E & Drink seemed the perfect place to stop. Usually, we discuss our menu choices and decide what to share.  This was the first time in almost forever when we didn't.  He opened the menu, saw what he wanted and closed the menu, saying 'ready'.  I noticed this placard on the table... and assumed The Mister was ordering hot pot and so the bottom combination of a Hot Pot plus an item listed as 'Lunch Special' seemed an option.  Unusual 'appetizers' were brought out with our respective utensils.  Turns out that The Mister had ordered the 'Lamb with pickled cabbage' hot pot, which arrived bubbling and ended up with much flavor. The Mister had asked for noodle on the side (instead of rice) and that was a change up and, I think a better choice.  This was a hot pot of flavors we had never tried before and it was excellent.  A meaty bubbling broth, the vegetables and hot pot fillers (pickled cabbage, meat ball, tofu, corn, kamaboko, fish cake, tempura, egg, napa cabbage, carrot, radish, vermicelli) were really good, still crisp and the lamb was tender and had a good flavor that we both enjoyed. Sometimes we order 'add ins' from the menu and, as you can see, the pot is full and it was very flavorful without needing anything added in.

I mentioned that we did not discuss our meal choices, merely ordering by number from the menu...Coincidentally, I ordered a meat with preserved vegetable also.  "Pork with preserved vegetable" the menu stated... it was preserved rather than pickled (which is indeed a type of preserving) vegetable (an addictive saute of something from the cabbage family, but a dark green and it was not salty nor vinegared) with sides of chilled fried eggplant, broccoli and a wonderful pickled radish. As you might see, the serving of pork is very much pork belly.  It was perfect.  The fatty goodness and charred edges went so well with the vegetables and rice.  Definitely ordering this again. 

There are an array of drinks, desserts, appetizers and snacks available here.  I hope your week has started out well. 

E and Drink 7330 Clairmont Mesa Blvd, A110 San Diego 92111 (858) 560-9888 open 10:30- midnight daily.

Comments

[Faye]

I re visited E&Drink some months ago but preferred QT Pot over this place for some reason (and I've eaten Little Sheep lunch special way too many times to return any time soon). I really enjoy the spiciness level of their hot pots here though.

[Cathy]

Taiwanese Hot Pot just seems have endless varieties, Faye. There will be a few more hot pot posts- QT Pot and also the Hot Pot at Szechuan Taste have provided flavor and spice levels to satisfy The Mister and his recent cravings. (The shabu shabu at Crocary in City of Industry is another way of cooking in broth with completely different flavor points...)

[caninecologne]

I never tried hot pot until a few years ago. Bert, TC and I really like it because it's hands on.

[Cathy]

It is a fun way to eat, cc. The combinations of flavors you can order or achieve makes hot pot an easy meal. The Mister's food cravings are kind of wacky right now and I'm glad this is available.