**** Spicy King has closed
So, a funny thing happened after the former assistant chefs from Ba Ren gave up the ghost at what was Fu An Garden. I saw Chef Hu twice at 99 Ranch Market. I guess we used to go to Ba Ren so much that these folks all remember us. Anyway, I was told that they'd taken over Spicy King in Vista. And while I really missed Chongqing style Sichuan food, I wasn't super impressed with what was being served at Fu An Garden. Not enough to make a drive out to Vista.
However, I had an all day meeting in Orange County and really just wanted to take my time on the drive back home.....with all that lovely San Diego rush hour traffic. I thought it would be a great chance to see how Spicy King was doing.
The place was empty when I arrived....and for my entire meal. Chef Hu was surprised and pleased to see me. Then his wife, who speaks English quite well told me that, "we have sold the restaurant, today is our last day". Whoa, talk about some weird timing!
They both looked tired and worn down. And you know......so did the restaurant to a certain extent.
They were both so very gracious. I decided to order some favorites from the Ba Ren days. Here's how it went.
Sichuan Cold Noodles was and is comfort food to me. Ba Ren's version was a favorite of ours.
I really wasn't inspired by this when it arrived at the table. But upon mixing things together I found that all the "good stuff" was on the bottom of the bowl. The noodles were like what I'd had at Fu An Garden, really hard and brittle. And while there was enough black vinegar, spice, ginger, and peanuts in this; it really lacked the sesame paste and garlic from versions I enjoy. The texture of the noodles actually got better over time and was much better the next day.
Ko Shui Ji (saliva/mouthwatering chicken), another old favorite. When I ordered it, I was told that they were no longer making this. However, Chef Hu was peeking out of the kitchen and insisted making this for me.
And while the chicken had the perfect texture and the heat was really good....it was quite spicy. It just seemed to be missing something. Not bad though.
I got the Spicy Fish and Tofu. This was actually pretty good.
Good heat, nice and richly oily. The fish, while not a velvety as I prefer was still tender. Nice combination of flavors, though missing a bit more savory-complex seasoning. The Missus really enjoyed the leftovers of this one.
Sorry to say the Shrimp with Chilies was the most disappointing dish of the meal.
It wasn't fried right, the batter was gummy and the shrimp overcooked. Liked the Sichuan Peppercorns in this, but the dish was a bit mild in spice....I know, all the chilies, but it didn't seem very spicy to me. The texture of that shrimp just wasn't pleasant to me.
All in all, a decent meal. And the timing of my visit seemed like some strange act of fate. I had promised to drop by. The couple told me they were going to take a break and go back to China for two months, then return and see what opportunities are available in San Diego. I did appreciate the effort with the chicken and how very friendly and happy they were to see me. I wish them well.
After almost six years, I still haven't found a dependable Sichuan restaurant that could stand up to Ba Ren.
As to what's next for Spicy King, well I'm not sure.....
Spicy King
1233 East Vista Way
Vista, CA 92084
Funny, similar thing happened to me a couple weeks ago. Hadn't been going as often, but I stopped by my favorite lunch spot (I used to go 3 times a week) and the owner thanked me for the years of patronage and told me tomorrow was his last day. He sold the place and was taking a break. It was nice to have the chance to thank each other for the small but consistent role the other played in each other's lives.
Posted by: jason | Wednesday, 31 January 2018 at 08:49 AM
You had great timing Jason!
Posted by: Kirk | Wednesday, 31 January 2018 at 08:54 AM
That's nice you saw your chef friend before the place closed!
Posted by: Soo @ hungryones | Wednesday, 31 January 2018 at 09:25 AM
Not exactly a friend Soo; but it was nice to see someone I've done business with for over a decade before they closed up shop.
Posted by: Kirk | Wednesday, 31 January 2018 at 09:32 AM
Ba Ren continues to be one of my most missed restaurants. Even though it wasn't a perfect meal - I'm glad you got to taste some of the favorites before they closed.
Posted by: Derek | Wednesday, 31 January 2018 at 10:24 PM
glad you got to go before the closed.
Posted by: kat | Thursday, 01 February 2018 at 03:08 AM
I am too Derek.
That was some interesting timing Kat.....
Posted by: Kirk | Thursday, 01 February 2018 at 07:22 AM
Aww I miss Ba Ren still =(
Posted by: Kirbie | Friday, 02 February 2018 at 12:44 PM
I do too Kirbie!
Posted by: Kirk | Friday, 02 February 2018 at 03:32 PM