Zion Market Food Court-eating in

Today, mmm-yoso!!! is being written by Cathy. 

Before The Mister and I go food shopping, we try to have a small meal.  Most markets have a steam tray area or nearby restaurants with the same ethnic foods, so we get an idea of what we might buy inside the grocery store.  Zion Market does have a prepared foods area, as well as a food court area (the building used to be a K-Mart and is very large).  We can buy inside the market, pay, then sit at a Food Court table. 

However, during Covid and all the restrictions, we chose to give our business to the storefront restaurants in the Food Court area. All of them.
  This post began in late June of 2020. As of now, just assume most every entree is around $12. 

Wok Bar- Mabo Tofu.  Plentiful, spicy hot and good on a rainy day.  The soft tofu and ground pork, along with the creamy spicy sauce is very satisfying.
 Gala Chicken (it used to be inside the Market).  The three piece leg combo (or you could get wings or chicken strips) is a perfect size.  The chicken is lightly breaded and crispy. The Mac salad is lightly dressed and the shredded cabbage and its dressing are just the right sides to go with the rice. $1 for the side of radishes because it tastes good.  
The generically named storefront has a great version of Bibimbap.
 When it was packed 'to go', it was just as tasty and plentiful as the 'for here' version.
 The pork katsu is a good choice when you are craving crispy. The Mister loves the choices at Poke U.
 The medium size bowl is quite large, includes four scoops of marinated seafood, a base of rice and/or salad, cucumber, seaweed and krab.  There are about six sauces and eight shakers of seeds and spices you can have mixed and matched on top.    There are also Bento box options  as well as some appetizer-ish sides (takoyaki) for about $5. 
  The former CDD Tofu and Grill changed hands sometime in 2020.  
 The bulgogi platter is quite large, very flavorful and the side of calamari ($4) made for an easily shareable meal.   The Bibimbap here is wonderful and almost always a choice... But there was this day when I thought...'hmmm, a Tuna Mayo Bowl", let's try that.  Then I ordered the side of sweet potato.
 Oh my!  Tuna, mayonnaise, rice and lots of seaweed.  Perfect, simple, wonderful.  The sweet potatoes were lightly breaded and fried and just, well just all of this was a perfect meal.  This place.  The menu is loosely translated.  Number Seven. The receipt says Tangsuyuk.  Get it. 
 No, that isn't styrofoam.  It is magic surrounding tender pork.  It is addictive in texture and flavor.  The vegetable dipping sauce that comes with it is warm.  It's really good.  The yellow things are radishes.  A wonderful surprising meal. 
 Paris Baguette.  So many choices.  We have been stoppng here and picking a dessert to take home. The lemon meringue croissant is one of the seasonal choices.  Get it.  The coconut cream croissant, also seasonal, also wonderful.
 Everything here is good. 

Sadly, Cocohodo closed in May 2021.  We would stop to enjoy a small, sweet treat if we were not going to go to Paris Baguette. This was where I saw the infamous 2020 Covid Concoction, Dalgona Coffee, being sold. I never was sure I made the simple recipe correctly at home and really liked the thick version here.

Always interesting and always good.  The Food Court here is unique.

Zion Market Food Court 7655 Clairmont Mesa Boulevard 92111

   Our dear piano playing teddy bear has gone into isolation.  Damn Covid!

 

Comments

[RedDevil]

Thanks so much for reviewing all the stalls! Awesome!

[kat]

so many choices, everything looked delicious!

[Cathy]

My pleasure, RD! We've always tried to eat before shopping and Zion Market is a great place. (Just realized I skipped Boba Time.).

We haven't been disappointed at all, Kat. The Mister did say that I should have emphasized the "spicy" part of Wok Bar.

[Soo]

Nice selection of food.

[Sandy]

Thanks for the roundup! I usually pick up the prepared sushi inside the market. I need to broaden my horizons! You should do the same roundup for H Mart on Balboa Avenue (insert winking emoji)

[alnc]

Nice update on what's going on there. Thanks, Cathy!

[Cathy]

The fried pork strips at Hong Kong Ban Jum would be appreciated by you, Soo! Fascinating fry.

We have purchased the prepared items in the store and take those home for dinner, Sandy. So fresh and always good. We've only been to the "new" HMart once, when it opened, and the 'Food Court" wasn't interesting...will make an effort (our pre-shopping meal at the 'original' HMart is usually The Fancy Fish).

Trying to make the posts have a bit of variety, since so much has changed over the past 18 months, alnc. Thanks

[Lynnea Fleming]

yeah, I miss that piano playing teddy bear!! T-T hopefully he will return after it is safe!

[Cathy]

The piano isn't even playing anymore and that takes away from some 'normalcy', Lynn. Still, the Food Court here has some great offerings.

[Stephanie]

What a fun post! Love this, thank you!

[Cathy]

Thank you for reading our little blog, Stephanie. Since everything is different these days, writing the blog posts a bit differently seems about right. Plus, it is how and what The Mister and I eat.

[caninecologne]

I miss the bear and also the Korean grandma that would sometimes play the baby grand piano.

RIP Cocohodo.

Enjoyed this post thoroughly! I have not eaten here since pre-covid.

[Cathy]

Thanks, cc! The choices in this Food Court are all amazingly good and usually causes some sort of addition to the shopping list.Yes, the piano playing (live and mechanical) as well as Cocohodo are missed.