mmm-yoso!!!

Taipei - We Arrive and 93 Tomato Beef Noodle

Our flight to Taipei was about a half hour late. Getting thru customs in Taoyuan Airport was amazingly efficient and since we only had carry-on luggage to deal with, finding the Airport MRT station was also quite easy, as was getting and loading up EasyCards, Taiwan's travel smartcard. Our Airport MRT train left on time and we arrived at Taipei Main Station in around 40 minutes. Now here's where it got interesting.......dealing with Taipei Main Station was crazy. All the floors, all the different lines; the MRT/Metro/HSR/TRA all leave from various tracks at Taipei Main Station. Even with the Missus being fluent in Mandarin it was a beast. We deal and have dealt with train/metro travel quite a bit, heck we even survived Shinjuku Station which claims to be the busiest in the world. But man, trying to find the MRT Blue Line to our hotel, well it just had us flummoxed. Maybe we're out of practice? 

Anyway, our hotel was just one stop over on the Blue Line, so we decided to take a cab. Which turned out to be great in several ways; first we discovered Cab Fare in Taiwan is very reasonable with a start at 85 NT ($2.60/US) and 5 NT every 200 meters or so. Cab fare to our hotel ended up being 95 NT, think $3.11. Second, we got our first taste of how friendly cab drivers (as a whole) were in Taiwan. They loved conversations. In fact, the Missus would make it a habit to get dining recommendations from Taxi Drivers during our stay in Taiwan.

We got to our hotel and checked in at around 830pm. The staff at the Resonance Hotel were very professional and accommodating. After freshening up, we decided to head on out to grab something light for dinner. This is when we noticed that many businesses seem to close fairly early. It was 845 and most restaurants in the area were closed. We also noticed that there seemed to be either a 7-11 or Family Mart on every corner. Even more than Japan!

After walking up and down a couple of streets, we settled on this place.

Which specialized in Tomato Beef Noodle Soup! The menu is posted on the wall, you are given a paper to check off your selections. The interior and dining is simple.

We ordered the Beef Tomato Soup and some jiaozi. The Missus had a view into the kitchen and quickly told me; "they are making the jiaozi to order!" And then, "he's cutting the noodles to order as well!" We'd find that this is the norm here in Taiwan.

Our Pork and Cabbage Jiaozi arrived hot to the table.

The Missus walked over to the condiment table and poured us some black vinegar. This jiaozi was very good, fluffy, tender wrappers, tender and nicely seasoned pork filling. Better than anything in San Diego...in fact, just about as good as anything in the SGV!

Then our noodle soup arrived.

 Man, the beef was so tender and beefy! The knife cut noodles were a bit thick for my taste, but the texture was very nice, good pull, not doughy or overly chewy. The broth was light on the beefiness and edged on being too sweet. We would have liked a bit more tangy-tomato flavor as well. Still this was quite enjoyable.

And then came my favorite item of the meal, the Fried Pork Chop.

Crisp, yet tender, we loved the porkiness. We'd come to enjoy the pork in Taiwan, it's definitely not "the other white meat here". In fact, the Missus would make fun of me after I enjoyed each pork chop saying; "Taiwan, the land where Kirk never found a pork chop he didn't like!" Which was true. This version was smothered in black and white pepper and we liked the sinus clearing effect of it.

This ended up being a nice, random first meal in Taiwan. And heck, it was just over nine bucks! 

93 Tomato Beef Noodle (93刀削麵館)
No. 3-2, Qingdao E Rd.
Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, Taiwan

We had a nice night of sleep. I woke a bit early, had some tea and just looked out at our view of Taipei.

We decided to head on out and do some exploring. Walking out of the hotel straightened us out! We had left San Diego with temps in the 50's to 60's. Here in Taipei highs were in the 80's with some humidity to match.

We headed out on Zhongxiao East Road, one of the main thoroughfares in the city. 

With the sounds, the smells (is that chou doufu I smell?), the lively, yet mellow vibe hitting us. We were so happy to finally be here and couldn't wait to do some exploring!

Thanks for stopping by!

Prime Grill (Cathy's revisit)

Thanks for stopping by to read mmm-yoso!!! today.  Cathy is writing while Kirk is 'researching'.

The first time I went to Prime Grill was in 2016 and it was with Kirk and Ed (from Yuma) who had this perspective of the visit. The Mister and I returned the other day and were going to order from the regular menu, but the All Day Special  Menu, which was All You Can Eat for $27 per person would cost about the same.  We decided it would be fun to cook our own and eat all we could. 

   The complimentary banchan (pickled 'sides)were brought out along with the sauces (and salad and rice we ordered from the menu).  Everything is replenished when you ask.
 First up-thin brisket, beef bulgogi and chicken BBQ.

 You are given tongs and scissors to help cook and cut your meats.  The bulgogi and BBQ sauces carmelized on the grill and gave some flavor to the brisket.
 
Steamed egg is always a nice side dish from any Korean restaurant.  We could have ordered two, but managed to restrain ourselves. 
 The 'corn cheese' is an excellent side to share. 
 For our second round, we chose thin beef belly and thin pork belly...so we could compare.  
 A clean grill had been brought out, so there was no flavor imparted from the bulgogi and BBQ sauces and we instead ate the meat with the pickled sides (the kim chee is excellent) and rice on top of salad: a completely different second meal.

Tasty and fun and good time spent together.

Prime Grill 4620 Convoy Street San Diego 92111 (858) 277-0800 Open daily 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Website

Petrino's Greek Restaurant (La Mesa)

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog.  Cathy is writing while Kirk is vacationing.

The Mister and I were sort of craving some Russian/Ukranian/Polish food (soup and beets, really) and headed back to the closest place we knew, which is now closed and is the current home of Petrino's Greek Restaurant, which had been located around the corner (next to the Liquor Store, same parking lot) since 2013, but moved here, next to the 7-11, in about February of 2022.  It is another family owned restaurant which survived Covid-19. Greek sounded good for lunch, too.
There's a menu above the cash register and on the wall to the right. Order and pay and your food is brought out in disposable/"To Go" containers.
 The walls from the former restaurant are still here; the furniture is new.
 Lentil soup with pita ($4.50) was an excellent Mediterranean version.  Cumin and turmeric flavors were primary and the broth not too thick with lentils or potato or carrot as other versions, but very deep with flavor.  I did not taste onion and salt/pepper were not needed. 
  A side of four pieces of falafel ($2.50) was a good choice.  The thin, crisp edges were perfect, leaving the inside fluffy.  The side of tzatziki sauce was refreshing with its yogurt and garlic base.
  Greek Mix Plate ($14.99).  1/2 chicken shawarma, 1/2 lamb gyro on top of yellow rice and pita along with a good sized side salad (served with a herb-infused vinegar dressing) was quite a lot of food to share.  The shawarma was not shaved, but instead chopped and grilled.   It had great flavor.  Indeed, it was lamb gyro and shaved, leaving each piece with a crisp side.  The rice, pita and salad made this a good size meal, enough to share. 
 Lemon and mint lemonade ($2.99) was excellent- fresh lemon juice, not too much sugar and dried mint gave this beverage two 'thumbs up' from us.  We'll be back to try more of the menu.

Petrino's Greek Restaurant 8302 Parkway Drive La Mesa 91942 (619) 741-7721 website Open Mon-Sat 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Closed Sunday

 The stamped floor with animal footprints remains.

Los Angeles - Far Bar, the Star Alliance Lounge (LAX), and Royale Laurel Class on EVA Air

After dinner at Sushi Enya we took a stroll around Japanese Village Plaza.

And wandered in and out of some of the shops in the area.

We also passed by the now closed Sushi Komasa with brown paper taped over the windows. We felt a tinge of sadness as Komasa had always been a favorite of ours. In fact, my second post, way back in May of 2005 was on Sushi Komasa.

Little Tokyo seems to be thriving as the place was pretty busy, even on a Tuesday night.

Passing places like Kouraku, the first place I recall seeing plastic Japanese food brought a smile to our faces.

And seeing places like Fugetsu-do always bring back nice memories.

It was a bit too early to head back to our room and hit the hay, so we decided to grab a cocktail. There's a place called Far Bar that occupies the iconic location of Far East Chop Suey which has it's own long history in Little Tokyo.

Man, it's been ages since I'd been in this building! I recall the mezzanine as a place where the Missus and I saw parties taking place the two times we ate here a zillion years ago.

The folks working here are very nice and laid back. The Missus had the Jade Empire and I had the La Luna y el Sol, which featured La Luna Mezcal and Aperol. 

Not overly stiff, quite easy to drink.

We also decided to have something small to snack on and went with the Maneki Tots because, well you know we weren't going to have any rolls and it's never a bad time to have some tater tots.

 

This was actually not bad. The tots were fried nicely, the bacon crisp, the braised pork a bit too sweet, the wasabi mayo added a nice zip, but the spicy mayo was a bit of overkill. Kind of a lot going on here, but what was I to expect with stuff like various sushi rolls, pozole ramen, salmon pasta, shiitake miso burgers, among others on the menu?

We liked the folks working and had a nice, relaxing end to our day.

Far Bar
347 1st St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012

We headed back to our room to catch some shut eye. Just like the last time we stayed at the Miyako Hotel our room overlooked 1st street. And just like that time, we could see the unending line outside Daikokuya.

Our flight the next day was scheduled to leave at just past noon, the flight was going to be almost 14 hours, so we decided to fly in EVA's Royal Class, which meant we had lounge access. Which ended up being a blessing since our flight ended up being delayed.

The Star Alliance Lounge was quite empty and peaceful when we arrived.

It would fill up rather quickly soon after, but by then we were ensconced on the porch area.

Which had a view of Terminal B.

 It was basically standard breakfast fare when we arrived, so we just had some coffee, tea, and water.

What was fun was watching the robot "bus boy" do its rounds!

While walking back from the restroom a gentleman had a chat with me. Turns out it was the lounge manager, a really nice guy. I mentioned his "bus boy" and he cracked up and said, "you should hear it sing Happy Birthday in one of about a hundred different languages!"

He also mentioned that I should give the "noodle bar a try, it starts at 1030". And since the lounge staff had just announced our flight was delayed, that's what I did.

Folks rushed the bar when it opened. I got a bowl with the vegetarian pho broth.

Very salty, but I enjoyed the veggies.

Soon enough, it was time to board. The service on EVA is wonderful. The Missus loved the Jason Wu designed pajamas which can be kept and also the Ferragamo amenity kit.

I loved the lie flat seats with a decent amount of space; but wasn't quite sold on the Hello Kitty themed pillows....

Like I mentioned earlier, EVA's service is well regarded and at least based on this trip well deserved. Our meals were also among the best we've had on a flight.

I usually avoid seafood on flights, but that octopus in the salad was so tender.

And the breakfast porridge was also quite good.

Most importantly, being able to get some rest on our flight really makes a difference as we can be awake and alert when we land and can adjust to things quickly.

Our flight departed late, but the pilots made up time in the sir and we arrived at Taoyuan Airport just an half hour late. We then found the MRT to Taipei Main Station and our time in Taiwan had started!

Thanks for stopping by!

Los Angeles - Sushi Enya

When planning our current trip, we decided to fly out of LAX to avoid layovers. The flight was already 14 hours long and we really didn't want to extend our transit time. So, we planned for something like we had done several years back; we'd stay the night in Little Tokyo, then head to the airport in the morning for our flight. It would give us a chance to catch up with one of our favorite little neighborhoods in LA.

Except, this being 2023 and all, we ran into a little problem. We enjoy doing Amtrak to Union Station, then taking the short walk to our hotel in Little Tokyo. On the morning of our trip I received a message from Amtrak, our train had been cancelled and we'd been automatically rebooked to Union Station out of San Juan Capistrano!?!?!? Say what? After spending 45 minutes on hold with Amtrak, our only other option would have us arriving in LA at 6pm, after our dinner reservation.  In the end, I made reservations on the FlixBus, which turned out to be a decent option and we arrived at Union Station at 430pm.

Walking to the Miyako Hotel from Union Station in 2023 was a different experience as well, many more homeless, folks with obvious mental health issues screaming at us (it's quite sad), groups of kids on skateboards harassing people acting like they "owned" the sidewalk. Whoa....

Though once you got off Alameda and made that turn on 1st Street things calmed down quite a bit.

We checked in, freshened up, and basically just had to cross the street to get to our dinner destination, Sushi Enya. Actually, we had wanted to check out a place that had been an old favorite of ours. But sadly, Sushi Komasa closed last year when the Itamae decided to retire. Sigh.... Anyway, we decided to check out Sushi Enya and I managed to get us early reservations. We were the first folks in the place and took a seat at the bar. 

There were five folks working behind the sushi bar! Our Itamae for the evening was a young man who was quite friendly, it seems like a couple of the folks behind the bar were tasked with making various rolls that folks coming in after us ordered.

We got our order in and our nigiri started arriving. A couple of observations. Enya seems to do a lot of Aburi (torched) nigiri, they also have several tare/nikiri that is used on all the nigiri, so we had no need for shoyu and wasabi, except for a few exceptions. We both didn't care for the quality of the rice used as it was on the hard and chewy side and lacked a nice fragrance. As for the nigiri, well, read on!

Things started with Engawa, the dorsal fin muscle of hirame (halibut) a favorite of ours

The engawa had that wonderful toothsome texture, the nikiri added a nice touch of savory-soy tones with a hint of sweetness. Very clean, great texture!

Next up was the Kinmedai (Golden Eye Snapper).

This was torched changing the texture, adding a layer of creaminess to things. The addition of yuzu kosho gave this a nice salty-citrusy-"zippiness".

I saw Yamaimo "Fries" with Truffle Salt on the menu and had to try it.

This was quite delicious! The exterior crisp, the interior slightly creamy. All the usual sliminess of yamaimo was gone! Not much truffle flavor, but we really didn't need that as there was a delicate starchy-sweetness to this.

Next up was the Albacore.

This was a miss for us as the strong garlic sauce really detracted from the mild flavor of the fish. The sauce overwhelmed the dish.

Things were quickly corrected when the O-toro arrived.

Ethereally buttery in texture.....the fish almost melted when it hit your tongue. Too bad we didn't care for the rice here. The nikiri really added a nice, mild soy-sweet flavor to this. 

We also ordered some Uni. When asked whether we wanted Santa Barbara or Hokkaido uni, the answer was quite easy.

The Hokkaido Uni was fabulous, creamy-sweet-briny. As I say, it's like having a creamy taste of the cleanest, freshest water of the Pacific ocean.

From here we decided to order a few more items to complete our meal.

We got some Hotate (Scallop).

With some ginger and the nice nikiri, this did need a bit of shoyu to balance things out. The scallop was sweet and tender.

We both didn't care for the Wagyu Nigiri.

The beef seemed really lean and did not benefit from being torched a bit too much making it very chewy.

We finished with Negi Toro Temaki.

This was fine, though the rice really dropped this a few notches for us.

Overall, a nice meal. Because of being the only folks sitting at the bar it was like we had our own, personal Itamae. Wish we liked the quality of the rice as it would have made our meal that much more enjoyable. As it was, this just illustrated how much we enjoy Tadokoro. We'll have to get our fix there soon!

Sushi Enya Little Tokyo
343 1st St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012

After dinner we decided to take a stroll and see what was going on in Little Tokyo. 

Stay tuned!

Lido's (Lemon Grove) (revisits)

mmm-yoso!!! is being written by Cathy, while Kirk and His Missus are busy with a wonderful vacation.

I did write about Lido's in May of 2022.  Easy meals out with leftovers for another meal seem to be how The Mister and I are operating these days; neither of us wants to cook at home.  The well-established (since 1955) pizza parlor, serving Italian food as well as cocktails is open for lunch in nearby Lemon Grove.  A bowl of the house made minestrone ($4.95) really hits the spot.  Vegetables are still slightly crisp (not mushy, except for the zucchini) and broth has a nice deep herb filled flavor.  You can order a 'double bowl' for $7.35.  We often share a double bowl as our 'appetizer'. 
 A large (for two) antipasto salad ($9.95) was shared for an appetizer.  Plenty of mortadella,  salami and provolone along with pickled vegetables and parmesan.
 The Italian Salad Bowl ($7.95) is always a good shareable 'appetizer' for us.  Don't be fooled by the camera angle- that is a very large, deep bowl (it's the same bowl used for the 'double bowl soup'). Lettuce, tomato, mozzarella, olives, pepperocinis and all of that pepperoni could make a nice low carb meal.  But we've been ordering large pizzas lately.
A large sausage-pepperoni pizza ($20.45) is one choice.  Neither of us wants too many ingredients to take away from the beautifully flavored dough.

Every large pie is served with a complimentary plate of "hors d' oeuvres"- Cheez-It's, salami and American cheese squares.  A delightful (and tasty) combination of textures, flavors and saltiness. Tradition. (You can order a separate plate for $3.95).  As I added in my last Lido's post, here is a link to a subtle ode to the use of Cheez-It's as a restaurant food (last photo of the post).

 The large sausage-mushroom pizza ($19.25).  More of a favorite.  You can see the thin crust.

A great, local place. 

Lido's Italian Foods 7252 Broadway Lemon Grove 91945 (619) 469-9901 Open daily 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Website

 The 'Bar' area is a bit closed off from the rest of the dining area.

Huckleberry’s (Escondido)

Thanks for reading mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog.  Cathy is writing today, while Kirk and His Missus are 'researching' material for future posts.

A breakfast appointment with a good friend/client was held at 7:30 in the morning in Escondido on one of the few sunny days this year.  I had passed Huckleberry's many times, usually on my way to or from Home Sweet Home Cafe, but had never made the effort to make Huckleberry's a destination.  I did recall this post, by Maggie written last summer.  It's located West of the I-15 at Auto Park Way.

 This is the breakfast portion of the menu; lunch will be a separate post.  Know that the entire menu is served all day.
There are tables and booths available.  If you can see the mechanics in this photo, the separating wall at the left booth can be lifted up, making a large booth-seating area for a group.
 The Mississippi Skillet ($16.59) is made with ham, sausage, crisp bacon, bell peppers, onions and mushrooms and topped with Monterey Jack cheese and added avocado (99¢).  Excellent flavors and there were leftovers.  The choice of a scratch made biscuit was a good one-a light, crisp crust with a fluffy crumb.  It didn't even need the butter. 
 Huck's Combo ($11.99)  with ham  (a nice, thick ham steak which was juicy/almost sweet and not at all too salty), two (perfect) over easy eggs, add country reds ($2.59)(sliced and fried red skinned potatoes with bell peppers and onion) along with a half of a butter-crisp waffle (choice of that or a sweet cream flapjack or a slice of French toast).  Each item was excellent in portion size (again, leftovers) and flavor-the waffle didn't need much of any toppings and was indeed crisp yet had a fluffy interior. 
 About two weeks later, I made it a point to return with The Mister since I hadn't tried anything 'huckleberry' on that first visit.  A Benedict Scramble ($14.99)was my order, because I was craving the ham.  The slice in the Benedict was not as thick as on the Combo I had last time, but was still flavorful on the toasted English muffin topped with plenty of scrambled eggs and a slightly lemony creamy hollandaise.  The potatoes (75¢) are so nicely crisp.
 The Mister ordered a Monte Cristo ($14.99) Sourdough stuffed with ham, turkey and Monterey Jack, dipped in egg batter, crisp fried and topped with powdered sugar.  He chose the optional sweet potato fries (99¢) and the platter arrived with syrup for the sandwich and 'Huck's Sauce' for dipping.  He also added on a biscuit and gravy ($3.99) because he really liked that half biscuit leftover I brought home.  The sausage gravy here is excellent. 

Huckleberry.  The state fruit of Idaho.  A small berry that is red or black or blue.  Tastes like a blueberry with 'wildness'.  That was our first thought when tasting the huckleberry sauce with the fried sweet potatoes-blueberry.  

When you walk in, there's a display of items for sale. 
Yes, blueberries are the first ingredient for the jam.  

A little different and very good.

Huckleberry's 1260 Auto Park Way, Escondido 92029 (760) 745-4825 Open daily 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Website

Cocina 35 (Otay Mesa)

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog, written by friends.  Kirk and His Missus are on another interesting vacation and Cathy is writing about places to eat in San Diego County.  

Long story short, I met a client at 7:45 a.m. on a Saturday and asked her where was a good place for breakfast.  She asked if I liked chilaquiles, I said yes and The Mister and I ended up here, near Brown Airfield. {Take the 905 East until it ends, turn South and take a right at the first signal light (Airway Road) and look for the feather flags} In the midst of an office park you will find the nicest little place which serves "Old School Mexican" from this modern building near the Border.  It's family owned, been here for seven years with a location downtown on 6th Avenue and another one set to open soon in Liberty Station.
Step inside and you can scan the QR code next to the door if you want to see prices, otherwise, walk toward the cash register and place your order, after passing the multiple examples of possible choices.

You are given a table number while waiting in line and your beverages after you pay.
 We decided on a cafe de olla, which was kept refilled (there is liquid piloncillo on the table if you would like some of that brown sugar flavor in the cinnamon coffee) and a "La Verde" Aqua Fresca (each $4.95).
 Soon, our orders were brought to the table.  The Mister had ordered "El Patron" ($18.75, with carnitas ($4.75)). Crispy cajeta toast (a French toast topped with cajeta (Carmel-like sauce made with goats milk and sugar), two eggs (over easy requested and perfectly made), beans (not refried, but more liquid and meaty flavor) and chilaquiles with rojo sauce and topped with a light very flavorful (not fatty) carnitas.  The chilaquiles were tossed in the salsa, not merely covered, so that each piece of crispy tortilla was coated.  Wow-each item was quite perfect and flavorful and so very good.
 I ordered the Enfrijoladas ($14.75)-Four corn quesadillas topped with frijoles, puercos cream, sour cream, cheese, onion, cilantro, two eggs (over easy), beef chorizo and avocado.  This satisfied all of my cravings.  I wanted to try the chorizo (IYKYK) as well as corn quesadillas, which are just something I enjoy.  The bean sauce/topping had bits of pork, adding to the flavor and everything came together in each bite. 
 Noticing this poster when leaving, I'm sure we will be back for lunch. 

Cocina 35  9335 Airway Road, Suite 112 San Diego 92154 Website  Open daily 8-2 

Where in the world are we?

Well.....yes, we're off on another trip, call it making up for lost time, or the cringe worthy "revenge travel". This is a place we had planned on visiting right when Covid hit. So now, three years later we decided the time was right?

So, where are we? Well, we've been here just a couple of days, not even half way thru, but we are just loving it!

We arrived and spent two evenings in the largest city here. It was an amazing city where the modern...

Aligns with the traditional.

And we got to try some traditional cuisine that we've always wanted to eat here.

Both in restaurants.....

And in the vaunted night markets.

And even on our short time here, we've gotten to try some of the more modern cuisine as well.

One thing that has really struck us is how kind, mellow, and generous the folks are here. The Missus is having a great time getting recommendations from folks. It's been fun gathering the recs and hearing the Missus enjoy Her conversations....folks are quite opinionated, in a fun way.

We'll be spending a couple of days back here during the tail end of our trip and I can't wait.

We're at our second location right now.

 And though we only arrived last night, we've taken to this city. It's more mellow than the capital, folks are very friendly.

And for our two meals out here, we've used the recommendations of taxi drivers! And both meals, though very different were great!

We visited two markets earlier today. One was quite traditional.

The other more modern and artisanal on the third floor of a modern high rise. The young man working the tea stand spent a good hour having taste different teas, many if which were grown on his cousin's farm. He was so kind and generous with his time.

We're enjoying our time here, this trip has so far exceeded our expectations. We expected great food, but it's the people that have really made an impression on us.

And it's only been three nights so far!

Man, if things stay the course, this is going to be one for the books.

Thanks for stopping by!