mmm-yoso!!!

Avian Sandwiches Revisited

I had to do some shopping at Thuan Phat Market and was feeling a bit hungry. It had been quite a while since I'd had the Banh Mi from Avian Sandwiches and Water. In fact, I believe the place was still named Flavaful Yogurt/Avian Water at that time. The fro-yo side of the business is long gone though.

   As I walked toward the shop I noticed several gentleman sitting facing the front of the store and then noticed that they have a television facing the parking lot, so folks can watch from outside of the place! Funny thing. Though I'm quite used to the Vietnamese Men "doing coffee" thing.....I don't ever recall seeing them watching Paw Patrol before, which is what was streaming at the time I entered the shop.

The shop is, well....they do pack things in pretty tight. With all the lottery stuff posted everywhere; it seems that it's a big part of the business here as I saw fours guys come in to buy lottery tickets while I waited for my sandwich. 

Because of how tight things were in the shop, I waited outside for my Banh Mi Dac Biet now priced at $6.95. It took about 15 minutes for my sandwich, after which I headed home.

 The bread seemed to be at that overly dry, almost stale stage as it was quite crumbly and hard. Check out all the cilantro, that wedge of cucumber, and all those pickled veggies! I guess they wanted to make I was getting my daily allowance here! Of course that threw the balance of the banh mi off a bit. The jalapenos weren't overly spicy, the pate nice and funky, the Cha Lua sliced super thin, and the Thịt Nguoi standard issue. 

This was ok, but not something I'd go out of my way for.

Avian Sandwiches & Fresh Drinking Water
6937 Linda Vista Rd.
San Diego, CA 92111
Hours:
Daily 8am - 7pm

On an interesting note, while waiting for my sandwich I saw the hours posted which threw me off at first.....

Sun-Mon 8am - 7pm.......but open 7 Days????

Saffron 12 Years Later and Harper's Topiary Garden

I received an interesting email after doing my post on El Zarape 10 years later from "MattT". It was a very nice email, Matt is a rather newish reader, and he said he enjoyed our posts......except he totally disagreed with how I felt about the chicken from Saffron. He mentioned moving to San Diego himself, not knowing his way around, finding Saffron, and really "connecting" with the chicken there. I took a look at my last post post on Saffron, and holy-moly, it's over 12 years old! Well, a lot can happen over 12 years. In 2016, beloved Su-Mei Yu either sold or went into a partnership with Karina's Group. If I recall, the group tried opening a location of Saffron in La Jolla, but that didn't last long. I know that the airport location is still in business.

So, I decided that it was time to try that chicken again at Saffron. So, after hitting up Lazy Acres and making another short stop (more at the end of the post), I headed on down to India avenue and instantly found free parking on the street. Maybe things were looking up.

It was just after eleven and Saffron looked to be doing some good business.

I hadn't been here in so long......a few years back Karina took over the old chicken shop location and Saffron condensed its menu and moved all operations to the restaurant.

I just went with what I thought would work best in terms of flavor and ordered the Two Thighs Combo with the Sweet Pepper Sauce ($12). 

Before I show you what my meal looked like; here's the chicken in 2006:

This is 2010.

And this is what I got on this visit.

 Yikes. Well, the chicken was nice and moist, but the skin lacked color, was really rubbery, and worst of all the whole thing lacked flavor. I mean it really lacked flavor. Like I've said before, I really can't call this Kai Yaang. Strange thing is, I've made recipes from Su-Mei Yu's cookbook and things have turned out well. In fact, there's a "Gai Yang" recipe in Cracking the Coconut and it utilizes her "Big Four Paste" (coriander seeds/peppercorns/garlic/cilantro), more garlic, fresh ginger, cumin, caraway, and tumeric. None of which was present here.

The rice was nicely cooked, the Cambodian Salad, like on my previous visits was the best item of the meal.

Overall, it's just not my thing. I do understand that Su-Mei Yu is much beloved here in San Diego. In fact, while waiting for my food, I was treated to a video of Su-Mei Yu cooking with a very familiar figure.

So Matt, I'm sorry that I didn't quite enjoy the chicken from Saffron. And that's ok. I'm sure there are folks who read posts of my sentimental favorites and wonder, "what the heck is wrong with Kirk's tastebuds here". We all have our favorites and sometimes it may not that gastronomically great meal.......but it may take us back to a certain time or place or event and that is great as well.

Thanks for the revisit reminder Matt!

Saffron Thai
3737 India St.
San Diego, CA 92103
Hours:
Daily 11am - 9pm

Before heading to Saffron, I decided to finally check out a sight in the area that had been on my list for ages; Harper's Topiary Garden. So, I made the drive to Union and Vine Street and finally laid eyes upon this wonderful, whimsical creation.

I loved all the different characters....you can't help but smile when looking at this wonderful labor of love.

If you're wondering what the story is check out the story here. You'll love it!

And also check out CC's post on Harper's Topiary Garden! Hope to see a new post one of these days CC!

Monday Meanderings - LouZiana Food and SuperNatural Sandwiches Closes, Ramen Hanyuzur Coming to UTC, But it Appears JJ Chicken is Not

So, I go on vacation and all hell breaks loose....sheesh.... So, this past weekend, I decided to take a short drive to see what happened while I was away.

LouiZiana Food Closes:

Soo mentioned this in his post just before we left on our trip.

  They closed on August 21st and the signage is already down.

Really nice folks. I'm sorry to see them go.

7128 Miramar Rd.
San Diego, CA 92121

Strange thing is, I actually visited during the end of June and all seemed well.

SuperNatural Sandwiches Closes:

So, this past Monday, I woke to a text message from Cathy, mentioning that SuperNatural Sandwiches had closed. I then checked my email to find 7  emails messages mentioning the same thing. All of them linked to SuperNaturals Instagram. I gotta say; I've been a pretty regular customer thru Covid and they've always seemed busy, so this was indeed a shock.

    And I've got quite a history with them; from the days at the San Diego Public Market,to when they opened their first brick and mortar location in the same mall, to the current location.

I wish them well and perhaps one day the Siren will rise again!

7094 Miramar Rd.
San Diego, CA 92121

It Now Seems that JJ Chicken is NOT Coming to UTC:

I need to thank "Patty" for the heads-up on this one. She mentioned that there's no indication at JJ Chicken is opening in the comments section of my post from last year. Turnover in Renaissance Towne Center seems pretty high. I drove on into the parking lot and yes, looks like the sign for JJ's is goners.....

I did a quick search online and found nada......bummer. So, if anyone has any info....

Thanks for the heads-up Patty!

8895 Towne Centre Dr.
San Diego, CA 92122

But Perhaps Ramen Hanyuzur is Coming to UTC?:

I noticed this on the other side of the mall while checking things out.

  It's the unit between Star Anise and Cote D'Azur. I believe this used to be an Italian restaurant?

Of course, after what happened with JJ's perhaps I shouldn't be counting my Ajitsuke Tamago before they're ready?

8935 Towne Centre Drive #113
San Diego, CA 92122

Guanajuato (2022) - Estacion Gelato and Dinner at Mestizo

Our Uber picked us up right on time in SME and we headed off to Guanajuato. Our driver was fantastic and the hour-and-a-half drive came out to around $30/US! Our hotel, the Casona de Don Lucas was located on Plaza de la Paz and our room, which had two floors also had a small balcony with a view of the Plaza.

Our room was ready when we arrived so we quickly dropped off our bags and headed out to do some exploring. We quickly took to Guanajuato as it was less touristy than SME. We loved the everyday hustle and bustle, the city seemed just a colorful and vibrant.

The first thing we did was head off to the Mercado Hidalgo. Much of Guanajuato is not car friendly; in fact, the main arteries are located underground in tunnels. There are many alleyways, no grid pattern, we were told that much of the city center was built along the walls of the canyons which surround the city. So, we'd often be walking down an alleyway, which would then open up onto a plaza!

The Mercado is located in a huge building. According to legend, it is said that the structure was initially designed to be a train depot. We just took a quick look since we'd be exploring a bit further the following day when we had a private tour scheduled.

After our short visit, we decided to check out some possibilities for dinner and also walk past the University before settling in for a short break. We ended up walking down one of the many winding and narrow streets.

 At the curve in the alleyway stood a little gelato shop. The Missus and I decided to take a short break here.

It turned out to be a good choice. The service was very friendly, the gelato refreshing, and the Missus and I enjoyed sitting on the small balcony.

Estación Gelato
Cantaritos 29
Zona Centro, 36000 Guanajuato, Mexico

Once refreshed and relaxed, we strolled over to Positos and looked over the menus of two places I had on my "list". We'd end up eating a both of them on this short trip, but we'd end up returning to one for a second meal!

We strolled on over and took a quick peek at the University of Guanajuato. The University has over 30,000 students......which is why I kind of consider Guanajuato to be sort of a college town....with a ton of history.

We then headed back to the hotel for a short break before heading out for an early dinner. Since we didn't have reservations; we decided on an early dinner and got to Mestizo at 430pm and easily got a table.

The chef at Mestizo is the son of a well known ceramic artist, so the decor of the restaurant is quite lovely.

While perusing the menu, the Missus had the house version of Sangria, while I had an Old Fashioned.

First thing we noticed was how inexpensive items were versus San Miguel. And as is our MO, we found items on the Entrada menu the most interesting and ended up ordering 5 starters for our meal.

Things started out rather auspiciously with the Tostada de Pato ($180/MX)

While the presentation was very nice. The duck was bland, stringy, and dry.

The Ceviche de Robalo ($280/MX) was a slight improvement .

The marinade was bursting with wonderful citrus flavor, the overall seasoning was nice and complex. The fish however had not been marinated long enough and was overly chewy. Still, this was not bad.

Things turned around in a big way when the Chinchulines con Guacamole ($170/MX) arrived.

Perfectly fried and crisp pork intestines; wonderful porky-mild offal flavors, offset with a creamy-mildly sweet guacamole, with pungent onions and cilantro. Not only was this texturally wonderful, the melding of tastes were fantastic. Why haven't I seen this on menus everywhere?

Next to arrive was the dramatic looking Tartar de Atun en Chile Viejo ($200/MX). 

A nice tuna tartare nestled in a smoky, mildly spicy toasted dried chile, this was quite good. The tuna, was of decent quality, nice and meaty with no off flavors, the flavors counterbalanced with clean and briny cucumber and pungent onions, the nutty-sweet pistachios added a nice layer of flavor as well.

And then the show stopper arrived; the Tuetanos Mestizo ($190/MX).

Good lord, this was so delici-yoso, perfectly roasted, the bones were bursting with buttery-beefy marrow, which just melted in your mouth. A perfect amount of salt and the herbs added layers  of flavor. This was so darn good, that we immediately made reservations to return on our last night in Guanajuato.

We really enjoyed most of the meal. Service was friendly and professional and the prices were quite reasonable. The tortillas were decent and up to the task of handling the food.

Mestizo
Positos 69
Zona Centro, 36000 Guanajuato, Mexico

We strolled back to our room, feeling quite satisfied. As we got to De Paz, we decided to grab a nightcap before heading off into dreamland. We saw this doorway and headed down the stairway from the sidewalk.

And walked into almost a speakeasy like bar bathed in greenish light.

The super friendly young woman manning the bar spoke perfect English. There seemed to be an interesting mix of older folks and students having drinks. So the Missus and I each had a nightcap.....

Along with some gratis chips, before heading back across the street to the hotel. I'm still not quite sure what the name of his place is....I'm thinking it was Don Beni Taberna, but am not certain.

Regardless, we really enjoyed our afternoon and evening in Guanajuato. And of course I had bone marrow dancing in my dreams.....

San Miguel de Allende (2022) - Dinner at The Restaurant and a Revisit to Lavanda Café

We headed out for dinner on our second (and last) night in San Miguel. As with our previous dinner I had taken a recommendation and made reservations for the meal. It was a nice, short stroll to dinner, just a short distance from the main square.

Located in a restored mansion, The Restaurant apparently created quite a buzz when it opened in 2008, and has been credited with changing the food scene in San Miguel.

The dining room is situated in the lovely courtyard (so many beautiful courtyards in SME) and the menu is somewhat globally focused.

Since we had a late lunch we would stick to one of our favorite strategies and go with several appetizers and one main to make our meal.

We started with the Beef Carpaccio - $300/MX.

The beef was tenderloin and quite lean, the truffled ponzu was quite pronounced in flavor and to be perfectly frank served better as a dressing for the nice crisp veggies and potato strings. Loved the addition of mint and cilantro on this.

The Charred Octopus ($300/MX) was indeed quite charred and a bit more chewy than we prefer.

The overall bitterness of the charred Cephalopod marred the dish, though the tomatoes were sweet, with the perfect acidity, and the avocado puree helped balance out whatever heat that was provided by the habanero sauce.

I was intrigued by the Shrimp and Scallop dish ($510/MX), which featured curry dusted scallops and shrimp, and a cauliflower puree, with lentils.

This was pretty good as the shrimp and scallops were perfectly cooked, the curry flavor was tempered and really harmonized with the creamy, nutty-lightly sweet mashed cauliflower. Loved the lentils which added a nice earthy flavor and textural contrast to the dish.

The most interesting item we ordered was the Cheese Plate ($285/MX).

Yes, that's right, the cheese plate. Why? Well, it's all local/regional cheeses and except for the bleu cheese....I'm thinking that it's basically based on the type of edible mold from the area, all the others were pretty good.

    The Missus enjoyed the wine selection and the service was professional and accommodating.

The Restaurant
Diez de Sollano y Dávalos 16
37700 San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato Mexico

After dinner we strolled on over to the heart of SME, the Jardín Allende. The Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel looked lovely as the sun slowly set.

And unlike when we visited earlier, the church was open and wasn't having any special event going on, so we went to take a peek inside.

After taking a quick look into the church, we crossed the street to the Jardin and had a seat and enjoyed the passage of time.

It was a nice evening for us.

The next morning we slept in for a bit. The owners of the B&B sent me a text and asked if we wanted them to make us breakfast. Since we were the only customers staying in the place we told them to not go thru the effort. Plus, the Missus wanted to try another pour over from Lavanda Café. So we headed on over a bit before they opened and were the first customers on this morning.

The Missus got Her pour over which She enjoyed.

And we shared a Salsa Verde con Chicharron which the Missus enjoyed.

 The eggs were perfectly cooked, nice tanginess, a bit of heat, a nice, hearty breakfast.

Lavanda Café de Especialidad
Calle del Dr Ignacio Hernandez Macias 87, Zona Centro,
37700 San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

Since we were the only folks staying at our accommodation, we were told to just take our time, and that we could check out at noon instead of eleven. This would make things work out better for us in terms of getting to our next stop Guanajuato, which would take around 2 hours via Uber.

It was a pretty quiet morning around the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel.

Since the clock was just striking ten, we decided to check out the Museo de San Miguel de Allende right across the street that opened at ten.

   Most of this museum is dedicated to it's former resident; Ignacio Allende, who became a hero of the Mexican War on Independence. The Allende family was a wealthy family and the museum is housed in the family's former home.

Much of the family's living quarters have been restored and I especially like the replica of the original kitchen.

The first floor contains a history of the region as well.

It was a nice little diversion. And soon enough we had to head back to our room and finish packing; call our Uber, and then we were off.....

Next stop Guananjuato!

Thanks for stopping by!

HMart and eating in the store (Mira Mesa location)

mmm-yoso!!! continues to be written by Cathy while Kirk and His Missus catch up from another wonderful vacation.

The Mister and I first discovered a Super HMart in 2012, actually on the same day that the first HMart opened in San Diego.  In 2013, I wrote a post about a meal enjoyed there, then in 2019 I wrote another post about more selections we've enjoyed before shopping in the store.  Post Covid-19, things have returned to 'normal' and today's post about the Mira Mesa location and its tiny food court area is to keep you updated. 
 If you walk in the entrance on the right, you'll be at the proper area. 
 If you had walked in the entrance to the left and counter-clockwise through the store, you'll see this overhead signage.
 Grab a container and choose from the hot/steam trays

 as well as from the chilled trays.  At the end of the line are canned and bottled beverages and the cash register and seating area.  Everything is $10.99/lb. {there is also a water fountain with cups in the seating area}

 The fried items seem to be fresh when we are here; lightly crisp and not greasy.  The squid and whole shrimp are a favorite (as you can see from these separate visits).  The chilled trays always hold something wonderful.  Each of these packed full trays weighed a little less than one pound. You can also order something from the kitchen- the menu board is right above the trays. The Bibimbap (mixed rice with meat and vegetables) has been a special taped to the bottom of the menu board for a while now ($9.99).  Steamed rice topped with a variety of vegetables and marinated tender, thin sliced beef (you can also get the beef in the per-pound steam tray) topped with an egg.  It's served with pickled radish, Kimchi and the mildly spicy, slightly sweet gochujang sauce.  A spoon is necessary for mixing the ingredients together.  You can have all of this served in a stone pot (dolsot bibimbap) so the rice is sizzling and brown/burned (in a good way) for $2 more (#10 on the photo menu).
#20 on the menu is 'pork cutlet' ($11.99).  Topped with teriyaki sauce and served with rice and salad, this is quite a large meal.  We were sad that on this visit, the pork was fried just about 30 seconds too long, leaving it a bit dryer and more chewy than usual.  

Once we finish our meal, we shop.

HMart 9440 Mira Mesa Boulevard San Diego 92126 (858)577-0060 Open 8 a.m.-10 p.m. daily Website

Holey Donuts (El Cajon)

Thanks for stopping to read this food blog, mmm-yoso!!! Kirk and His Missus are winding down their vacation while Cathy remains writing another post about a local place.  

In the corner of the strip mall anchored by Boot Barn and Turners Outdoorsman Shop as well as Ami Sushi, one block East of Parkway Plaza, this nondescript signage popped up in April of 2020. 
 Depending on the time of day, the shelves may be filled with fresh donuts or not.  
 A Raised Crumb and an Old Fashioned ($1.50 each) along with a large up of coffee ($2.49) is a nice treat.
 The owner offered us a slice of 'bread pudding', a sort of experimental item which might be offered someday.  It was wonderful, rich and milky and topped (as well as filled) with butterscotch chips.  I would buy this.  But, what kind of bread?
 The croissants which are made here, of course!
 When you walk in, the Coffee Bar is in front of you.
 Also when walking in, the window art lets you know there are more than donuts sold here. 

 These menus are displayed straight ahead.

We decided to share the Steak Sandwich ($13.75)

While paying, the chef walked by.  We were asked if we wanted fries, onion rings or mashed potato with the sandwich and we were hesitating.  We decided on onion rings and then chef asked if we were sharing..."yes", I answered...and then He said, 'well, I'll put the sandwich on two plates, he wants the rings, what do you want?' and I happily answered "mashed"...  
 And so that's what we were served!  
 I must say, the sandwich had to be cut anyhow to fit onto one plate. 

This is a steak sandwich, tender, melt in your mouth, pieces of steak (not the frozen, pre-sliced thin stuff) with a house made garlic aioli, grilled onion and mushrooms on a toasted roll.  The mashed potatoes were twice baked, with bacon bits and skins.  The rings were whole onions, lightly battered.  (Yes, slightly dark but not burned). 

Completely unexpected and so very good.  Such service, such great food quality, such nice people working here.

Why hadn't I found this sooner?  How did I finally decide to stop by?
 The Toyota dealership, where I took in the car for service in July.  Free coffee and free donuts.  

I've not seen any other advertising.  Holey Donuts really survived Covid.

Holey Donuts 795 Arnele Ave El Cajon 92020 (619) 536-4747 Open Tues-Sun 6 a.m.-2 p.m. Closed Monday 

Beijing Express (Chinese Fast Food)

Thanks for stopping to read mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog.  Cathy is writing today while Kirk and His Missus are out and about, vacationing and researching some wonderful meals for you to vicariously enjoy in the future. 

Whenever I'm driving on Spring Street (where it intersects with Broadway and Campo Road, at the mall anchored by iHop), it seems the words "Chinese Fast Food" jump out.  A mental note is made to stop and check it out.  The other day, The Mister and I stopped.  
Because Beijing Express is located in a mall close to a laundromat, we knew it must be good. 
 There is no seating; there is no soup; there is a "Cash Only" sign.  There are 12 steam trays and each item is $2.39.  (You can choose rice or lo mein or half and half for the $2.39).
 So, we chose and paid and drove home.  
 The styrofoam containers are the 'small' size, but are packed full.  This one included 1/2 lo mein and 1/2 rice, chicken and vegetables and orange chicken. 
 This box was all rice (leftover for breakfast), pork with vegetables and ginger chicken. Total price with tax $15.68.
 Here's my plate: the pork with vegetables (onion, bell pepper, celery and peanuts)(not spicy); rice; lo mein; ginger chicken; orange chicken; chicken with zucchini and onions.  Everything was very fresh; no mushy vegetables (the line was constant and the steam trays were kept full). 

Definitely will be stopping here instead of just driving past. The BBQ pork, fried whole shrimp and several other vegetable dishes will be ordered.

Beijing Express 8741 Broadway La Mesa 91941 (619) 462-1908 Open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. daily

Chopstix (again)

mmm-yoso!!! is back with another post written by Cathy.  Kirk and His Missus remain on vacation and are enjoying so many activities!
 Kirk wrote about Chopstix in 2005 and again in 2009.  I included a mention on a multi-post in 2016 and again in 2017 even though this 'original' location (Chopstix Too closed earlier this year) has been a rotational stop for The Mister and I for decades. 

 Menu selections are consistent; no need to change what is good.  The most recent 'change' is that hot tea is now $1.  
 An order of mixed tempura ($11.95) is, as always, perfectly fried and includes three shrimp along with eight pieces of in-season vegetables.
 I was craving Hiyashi ($13.95) on this warm day and did select the 'traditional' egg-ramen noodles (being able to select udon or somen is always an option).  The colorful bowl, anchored with chilled noodles and cold, crisp vegetables (cucumber, sprouts. ginger, seaweed and corn) and shredded egg/omelet along with the moist, perfectly crisp pieces of chicken karaage and pieces of imitation crab when mixed with the tangy, sesame/soy vinaigrette dressing is very refreshing.
 The Mister was craving both the sweet and spicy flavors of Mabo (stir fried ground pork with tofu) ($10.95) and also Ton Katsu (deep fried breaded pork) ($2), so  He ordered the Mabo Don set which includes the miso soup and a small salad.  A full meal for $12.95.

The home-style food, atmosphere and friendly employees have remained consistent and Chopstix has survived-for more than 30 years.

Chopstix 4633 Convoy San Diego 92111  (858) 569-9171 open Sun-Thurs 11-9, Fri-Sat 11-10 Website

Monnani Kkwabaegi-Korean Twisted Donuts (Zion Food Court)

mmm-yoso!!! is being written by Cathy (again).  Kirk and His Missus are enjoying a vacation which you will soon enjoy, vicariously. Located at the 'corner' of the Zion Food Court in the former location of Wok Bar and before that, Spotted Cow, Monnani Kkwabaegi recently opened.  (Soo wrote a post last month). 
 Walk up, order, pay and wait about five minutes.  All items are made fresh.
 One day, I had ordered my meal at another Food Court business and decided that my 'side dish' should be a cheddar-mozzarella ($4.45).  This is probably now my favorite item here; quite large and wrapped in the delicious, slightly sweet fried dough.  The condiments of 'cheddar cheese' and 'cheese mustard' are tasty additions to add a variety to each bite (I add condiments on the second half of most menu items, enjoying the intended flavors on the first bites).
 One day I decided to try the Sausage Kkwabaegi ($3.25).  Not very large, a good sausage surrounded by the same light, sweet dough.  This was a nice snack. 

Other fried dough items I haven't tried yet are the sweet potato and the red bean kkwabaegi.  
 Of course, the traditional Kkwabagi (two for $4.49) are what most people order.  The Mister chose matcha and ube flavors, saying he thought they were 'photographable'.  Very true and very nice flavors.  The matcha mixed with sugar had a nice 'background' flavor of green tea/tannin and the ube was lightly flavored but still the starch of ube was discernible.  The light crunchy exterior and chewy interior of these yeasty, twisted doughnuts is enhanced because they are still warm when served. 

Other flavors available on the twisted doughnut are sugar, cinnamon, cheddar cheese and Oreo. 

A nice snack, before or after your Zion Market shopping.  

Monnani Kkwabaegi - Zion Food Court, 7655 Clairmont Mesa Blvd San Diego 92111 Open daily 10:30-7