mmm-yoso!!!

I Finally Get the Chicken Wings from Nanay's Best BBQ

So, one of the folks I know who I know loves Nanay's Best BBQ sent me a text telling they had the Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings available. It was just after 10am and I had meetings coming up at 11. So, instead of heading to what would be my usual choice and headed a bit further down the road back to Nanay's.

I did notice they had a tray of Chicken Wings out; which were a lot darker than typical S&P Chicken Wings.....no spicy pork this time ("today is chicken....tomorrow we have pork" so I guess they alternate).

Frankly, I think I enjoy the spicy chicken more than the pseudo-sisig spicy pork. The chicken was more moist and tender. It also did better with the rather mild spice. I do enjoy the atcharang sili (pickled peppers) which really "wakes the dish up". Other than that; it's a basic turo-turo dish.

As for the chicken wings; well the three wings provided were still a bit crunchy; not crisp, more like crunchy. The meat was a bit on the dry side and there definitely wasn't that "magical crack-like savory-saltiness" of decent salt and pepper chicken wings, no hints of garlic either. I guess these were passable for steam table wings; but I doubt I'll have them again.

I guess I'm going to have to "bust out" of my Covid-19 range and head on down to Royal Mandarin.

Nanay's Best BBQ
6715 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92121
Current Hours:
Mon - Fri 10am - 5pm

Sunday Stuffs - Ghost Pepper Wings from Popeyes, the "Weekender" from Bird Rock Coffee, Harvest Market (Balboa) is Closed, and Stuffs from D'Artagnan

Here are a couple more odds and ends for yet another day where it seems like the wheels on the year 2020 are coming off...….

Ghost Pepper Wings from Popeyes:

I had a few folks ask me about the ghost pepper wings from Popeyes, I guess since even though we haven't grown anything in a couple of years, I'm kinda fond of making stuffs out of ghost peppers. So, Bob and "ST", here goes.

Frankly, even though Popeyes was once upon a time a "guilty pleasure"; it seemed like the quality (and the size) of the chicken started diminishing over the years. Finally, I just tired of it all and I hadn't been to a location of Popeyes in at least 10 years! So, when folks started asking me what I thought about the "ghost pepper wings".....well, I wasn't sure. So, on a day where I had some time; I decided to try them out.....just to kinda see. I was surprised at the price; though they really push combos; you can get 6 pieces of wings only (they did include a biscuit) for $4.99. Just make sure to bust out that magnifying glass.....as you can see on the right, the drumette was basically the size of a soy sauce packet.

The batter on the wings were really crunchy...in fact it was mostly batter, very little meat, and quite dry......I know I always say that those jumbo sized wings really mess up skin to meat ratio; but microscopic wings that are mostly batter screw up the ratio as well.

As for the spice? Well, this ain't no Quaker Steak and Lube Triple Atomic Wings that's for sure. In fact, this barely registered in the heat department for me.....it was mostly salty, with a hint of spice, lacking in the fruity-fieriness that is the hallmark of good Ghost Peppers. Pass......

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen
Locations throughout San Diego

The "Weekend" from Bird Rock Coffee:

I had started ordering several cups of cold brew from Bird Rock on Morena, with no ice, a few times a week.

When the really friendly guy working there; the one whose been there for quite a while asked me what was up; I told him that we usually can't finish a whole coldbrew in one sitting so by having it with no ice; we'd just store it in the fridge. This is when he recommended getting something they call the "Weekender"; think of it as a growler of sorts. They cost $20 for 64 ounces so you basically get 5 1/3 portions for the price of less than 4. It's a good deal for us. We've been going thru about 1 every other week; though I'll still drop by in between those visits to get the Missus Her pour over fix. Though in this hot weather; we've been mostly sticking with coldbrew. I am a bit worried about all this plastic; so we're trying to find ways to reuse these when possible.

And I recommended Zgara to the guy...I believe his wife's family is from Greece as payback.

Bird Rock Coffee Roasters
1270 Morena Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92110

Harvest Market on Balboa is Closed:

I had some merguez in my latest order from D'Artagnan and the Missus was eager to have me sauté them with lemon and wanted some pickled veggies, garlic paste, and flatbread from Harvest Market. So we jumped in the car and took the quick drive over and were rather shocked to find them closed:

That "closed due to Coronavirus" sign was really worrisome.

I asked around a bit and one of sources who works with the local government told me that he understands that Harvest Market has probably closed permanently due to lack of business, not an infection. This is quite tragic and I hope they decide to reopen.

Harvest International Market - Balboa
4220 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92117 

And Speaking of D'Artagnan:

I recently realized that I'd placed my third rather large order from D'Artagnan. It seems that several items have become household staples. I recall mentioning the duck prosciutto in my Ume Dressing post....but we've been enjoying the charcuterie/pates/etc during the recent heatwaves that have swept through San Diego over the last couple of months.

There's always one king of promotion; though I always look for the free shipping deals. Things are packed well and everything arrives chilled.

So far, our staples are the Duck Prosciutto, Duck Rillettes (the Missus loves making a hash with duck fat potatoes/eggs/rillette) which freeze well.

We've enjoyed the Wild Boar Saucisson Sec and will probably order the duck version next time as well.

The Torchon of Foie Gras and the Mousses of Foie Gras are favorites and I enjoy the Pâté de Campagne.

Not a big fan of the Medallions of Foie Gras and Truffle; the texture is very crumbly and the overall flavor is a bit too much; even for us.

We also didn't care much for some of the pates as well.

And of course, we do need a "bit of cheese" to balance things out, right?

Which we get from Venissimo after all; we need to support local as well, right?

It's easy enough to Google D'Artagnan. I don't do sponsors, freebies, and such and really don't want to be bothered with non-edible Spam, so I won't do a link. I'm sure you can find them easily. When ordering; you may want to set a farther out delivery date to save on shipping; if you're not getting it free.

Anyway, I just kinda always wanted to start a post with Chicken Wings and end with Foie Gras....so, at least that wish has come true!

Hope everyone has a safe and productive week!

Monday Meanderings - A Requiem for Tiger! Tiger!

Last week Thursday, I got a text from my good "FOY" Candice....it's always great to hear from her....but this time she was the bearer of bad news. She knows how much the Missus and I enjoy Tiger! Tiger! She knew that the Missus and I loved "TT" and we were actually "stalking" the place...…..we'd drive by to see if they had reopened, only to have our hopes dashed when we saw that they were still closed.

She wanted to make sure to let me know that Tiger Tiger would not be reopening; before I read the news...….that's what good friends do. And based on the emails I've gotten (thanks KarenM/Bob/ST) once the story broke in Eater (please read the Eater post), I guess a lot of folks were going to miss the place too.

As much as I was sad that Toronado closed; I kinda saw that one coming. This one however, really kinda sucks as you probably can tell by all my posts on the place. I'm surprised by how many of those posts has "back to the routine" in it. And of course the place is inextricably tied to Sammy.

I think this says quite a bit.

We're sad to see you go Tiger! Tiger!; you were an big part of our rotation in San Diego. I wish we had a chance to thank the folks for all the wonderful meals and beer we've had there over the years.

I actually made a special trip to take that first photo above on Saturday to pay my respects.

3025 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92104 

Just when I thought that 2020 couldn't get any worse...……….

Takeout from Krispy Krunchy Chicken - "I Love the Smell of Frying in the Morning....."

Did you know that today, July 29, 2020 is National Chicken Wing Day? Not that I really keep track of that stuff.....

And sadly; the only thing I have in my current collection of chicken wing photos is a revisit to Krispy Krunchy Chicken.

I stopped by the 99 Ranch Market on Balboa on my way home to check on Frankie...the Missus needed a restock of some "snacks". As I walked along the aisles I could make out the unmistakable smell (no, it ain't a fragrance - it's a smell) of deep frying going on...….I knew exactly where it was coming from. I think everyone knows that smell, right? Having worked at various restaurants when I was younger; I recall being coated in a film of oil when walking home.....the most intense was when I worked at a Drive In close to my High School. I swear that dust and other particles used to stick to me as I walked up Kaimuki Ave, crossing over the H-1 at 6th Avenue, before walking up Harding Avenue to home. My skin had an almost reflective sheen and my hair made me look like I was trying out for Sha Na Na (remember them?). Getting all that residual grease off my clothes and myself was always interesting. And yet, whereas the scent of deep frying bothers the Missus....She does enjoy the end product. Me, well....I learned to embrace it in a way.

And on this day; the aroma of chicken frying meant that I'd be getting some chicken wings from KKC. Because of Covid-19 and the fact I was heading home; I wasn't able to take advantage of what I learned when I first visited KKC, if you order ten or more wings they'll fry you a batch fresh. These days; I'm just not up to the task of eating that much fried food.

And make no mistake about it....these are definitely fried....

Well, the steak fries were on the dry side and needed a ton of ketchup. The wings, being on the colder end of the scale was still crunchy, but had lost that wonderful "freshly fried edge" of heat and crispness and was also a bit drier.....thus in need of the Hot Sauce I availed myself of.

To quote from a previous post:

"Though I find the meat itself more moist and with a definite "saltiness" without the spice like Popeyes. Just a little dip into Louisiana hot sauce, the vinegar and spice really helps cut any richness....but not the guilt I'm afraid."

Not quite as good as what I'd had on previous visits. Freshly fried is many times better than sitting under a heat lamp...…. But I got my fix in.

Krispy Krunchy Chicken
5950 Balboa Ave (Inside 99 Ranch Market)
San Diego, CA 92111

I mentioned the smell of fryer oil to the Missus who got kind of grossed out...….She's often told me that living next to a restaurant where they fried food would just be a total hell for Her. But then I reminded Her of the "bright side".

The bright side? Well, one of the main neurological symptoms of Covid-19 is anosmia (loss of smell)...and heck, being able to enjoy that strong smell of frying animal flesh in this context....well, it was a good sign right? So let's embrace that.....or maybe even embrace Frankie when he's overdue for a bath.....just to retest that olfactory system.

So, to paraphrase a well known quote: "I Love the Smell of Frying in the Morning....." For now.....

Happy National Chicken Wing Day!

Takeout from J&T Thai Street Food

You know; I was wondering if you, our dear readers would have had enough of all these "take-out" posts....then of course came today's announcement (not that I was surprised)....well, at least you can have outdoor dining this time around. So, I just decided to go ahead with this one.

On my takeout visit to Da Kine's, J&T Thai Street Food came back into view. It had been over seven years since my post. So, a few days later, before heading home to check on Frankie, I went and did the online ordering thing.

I drove on over; things were divided up nicely, I got into line, my order was ready....I had paid online so it was really quick.

Not quite sure what I really wanted to order; I went with the BBQ Pork on Rice ($8.75)….and man; they weren't kidding about the "rice" part.

Not a fan of the sweet chili sauce. Overall, a very generous portion for $8.75. The pork was rather unevenly cooked; some pieces weren't marinated very well. It was typical soy-sugar-fish sauce type marinade; not overly sweet, and a bit on the chewy side. I actually had this for two meals and the rice lasted for yet another meal. Can't complain about the amount of food.

I had always thought that the best item I'd had from J&T as the chicken wings. So, on another afternoon, I decided to order the chicken wings ($5.50). Not sure what else to get; I really didn't feel like ordering anything too big, I recalled seeing the fried tofu appetizer in Ccathy's post from back in 2015. So, I decided to order that ($5.50) as well.

Again, picking up my order was a breeze and the young lady working was simply wonderful.....offering up spicy vinegar and chili paste.

I guess is an appropriate meal for Fryday Friday, right?

The chicken wings were solid, just as on my previous visits. It was still fairly crisp, moist, good seasoning....but even better when alternating dips into the vinegar or chili paste.

The Fried Tofu was just plain tasteless....a bit weirdly dry and cardboardish in texture....it didn't hold up real well on the 10-15 minute drive home. No amount of sauce could help this out. The cilantro was browning as well.

So, I guess it's still just the chicken wings from J&T. I really like the folks working here; so if you have any recommendations on dishes to try (not the Khao Man Gai/Duck Noodle Soup/Curries/Fried Tofu), let me know.....

J&T Thai Street Food
5259 Linda Vista Rd
San Diego, CA 92110
Current Takeout Hours
Sunday    11am - 830pm
Mon - Sat 11am - 945pm

Hope everyone is holding up well. Take care!

Noodling Around City Heights - Lotus Garden

While making my way to Northgate Market to get some pig's feet, I noticed that there was a "Pho" sign on the awning of Lotus Garden. Looks like the Lotus Garden was expanding the menu from the seafood and the typical Chinese dishes served there.

Since Lotus Garden opens at 9am, I decided to visit when finishing up my shopping in the area.

As it was fairly early in the morning; it was easy finding parking in back of the building, where it shares the lot with Minh Huong Supermarket. looking at the sign above the doorway; I guess it's now Lotus Garden Seafood and Pho.

I walked in and the friendly young man directed me to a seat. It's a pretty nice dining area and I believe they have even more space in the back dining room as well.

Man, the menu here has over 120 items on it.....and there's a second menu with pho on it as well. I was going to order the pho, but noticed all the egg noodle and hu tieu items. And seeing that this place is a (sorta) Chinese restaurant; I decided to get the BBQ Duck Egg Noodle Soup ($8.99). I really didn't expect much, but was quite pleasantly surprised at what I got.

The blanched bean sprouts was a good first move. The broth of the egg noodle soup, while being on the salty side also had some savory notes to it; with a heck of a lot of oniony-slightly pungent and a light, almost seafood like flavor. The fried shallots was also a good move aa was all that scallion.

The noodles were decently prepared, with a nice pull to them.

The most surprising thing for me was the duck.

While being perhaps a tad on the dry side; the skin of the duck had been crisped up nicely, no rubbery skin here, and there was a nice salty-sweet flavor to the skin. I also enjoyed the quite gamey flavor of the duck...perhaps not everyone's cup of tea; but I enjoyed it. This was actually not bad at all and really didn't need any sauce, or jus on it at all.

I really liked the young man working; I believe his name is "Tu", he was quite friendly and we chatted about Little Saigon....I believe he's from the OC, and he even told me he knew of a place in his 'hood that made pretty decent duck...."Lien Hoa?" I asked and he seemed surprised. And then I mentioned always getting a side of the "jus" with my duck from there....he cracked up.

I decided to return the following week to try the pho....and of course, when I first try a place's pho...it's the dac biet ($9).

The basil and sprouts arrived; even though a few of the basil leaves were starting to discolor; there was enough of it so that it didn't really matter. And of course the Ngo Gai was present, crisp, fresh, like a pungent cilantro with a hint of sweetness.

The broth however, was underwhelming. It was cloudy, severely defatted, lacking in beef flavor and....as is typical in San Diego these days, too sweet and overly salty.

The rare steak was tough and dry, the flank too chewy and flavorless, though the brisket was fine, tender with a mild beefiness, the tendon was soft and buttery, and the tripe was crisp and crunchy, without any off flavors.

The typical clump of noodles was decent as well; edging on over-cooked, but okay. Still, I don't think I'll have the pho here on future visits.

I had taken a closer look at the menu on this visit and wanted to try something I saw on the menu so I returned the following week.

This time I had the House Combination Egg Noodle Soup ($7.99), which was pretty much fishball city.

The bean sprouts weren't as well blanched on this visit. The soup was also more salty; with that annoying "sweetness" to it. I needed all of the lime to help temper it.

The noodles were prepped perfectly; nice al dente pull to them.

There were some pieces of meh shrimp in the broth, fairly muddy in flavor....the item I enjoyed the best were the pleasantly toothsome and mildly funky pork stomach.

But the item I had really come to try was the Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings ($8.99)….well, there's a "Doritos" version as well, but I stuck with the, ahem..."classic".

The wings were fried fairly well; being quite moist and tender. The batter was  bit too soft and got soggy quickly. The garlic was burnt and bitter, not great eats in my book. It wasn't overly salty and could have actually used more seasoning....though no more of the bitter garlic. Not sure I'd have this again, but it wasn't terrible.

In the end, Lotus Garden was not bad....I mean, I'd eat here every so often if it was in my neighborhood as it's better than the options that I have near by. I enjoyed the young man who served me on my first visit and there are still items on the huge menu to try.....heck, I haven't even gotten to the Beef Sate Egg Noodle yet.

Lotus Garden Restaurant
4007 Euclid Ave.
San Diego, CA 92105
Hours:
Open Daily 9am - 10pm

 

Bonchon Revisited

Man, has it already been over a year since I did my post on Bonchon? Time sure does fly. I'm always curious how a place is doing after all the hype has worn down......plus, I was wanting some wings; so I decided to head on back to Bonchon.

And while the parking lot was a total mess.....folks often take up two parking stalls here; Bonchon itself was quite empty at 1130am; on a Wednesday.

They now have lunch specials......

I went with the Half & Half; Soy Garlic and Spicy, with the Pickled Radish as my side ($10.95)….I chuckled at the calorie count....which version of this meal would have just 640 calories???

The wings stayed nice and crisp through my entire meal; though the drumettes seemed a bit more ponderous than before. The chicken was nicely twice fried, crisp, moist, no off colors....decent QC there. Not as evenly coated as when the place was in soft/grand opening mode. I always think the Soy Garlic is going to be much too sweet, but these weren't bad. The Spicy isn't very spicy to me....more savory-beany. And as always, I enjoy gnawing on the wing tips....though I know folks complain about that.

The pickled radish was a bit too sweet, not pickled enough, and kind of mushy in texture.

Overall though, Bonchon is pretty much holding the course and I prefer it to other options in the greater San Diego area. Heck, even though these weren't perfect; I enjoyed them more than some of the "KFC" we had in Seoul. And while I think most folks want to see the "latest, hippest, and most shiniest", I think it's good to do revisit posts. It's always good to see how a place is doing.

Bonchon
4690 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

40N Pho & Grille

A few weeks back, Calvin told me about a new Vietnamese/Pho shop that had opened in his neighborhood. He said that he was taking the family there on a regular basis. It was located in a strip mall in Scripps Ranch? Scripps Ranch? I had to go and check the place out.

40N is located off of Scripps Ranch Boulevard, in the same Strip Mall as Vons and Starbucks. I have to say; I didn't even know this strip mall existed; even though it's but a few miles from Miramar Road and the 15 Freeway.

I was the first customer on this weekend morning; there was a nice, friendly Asian woman working....she seemed to know all the customers who came in after me. She was wonderful, though this was the only time I saw her on during my three visits.

By the looks of the restaurant; I could tell this used to be a Sushi bar as the sushi case was still in place.

Since Calvin had told me the Pho here was quite good; I ordered the House Special (Dac Biet - small $8.50).

This was actually not too bad. The rare steak was still rare when the bowl arrived. The noodles were nicely done, it still had a bit of chew and wasn't mushy. The broth, while cloudy, wasn't overly sweet as is the norm in San Diego these days. It had a mild beefiness, light saltiness, though it lacked complexity was a bit on the bland side and was overly defatted for my taste.

The other cuts in the broth were fine; though the flank was tasteless, the brisket had some beefiness, and the tendon was adequately tender, if not buttery in texture.

The basil was starting to brown and the amount of bean sprouts was rather sparse as is the case in many more "westernized" Pho shops.

So, overall not horrible.

During my visit, it seemed that every table ordered the Cha Gio. So, I decided to return and try it out.

I got the 3 roll ($4.50).

I knew I was in trouble when these came out in less than 3 minutes. It had obviously been reheated. The wrappers were really chewy and this lacked any crispness. The nuoc mam cham was watered down and way too sweet. The filling was fine, but was totally ruined by how bad the wrapper was. Well, at least the lettuce was fresh, right?

Well, the meal wasn't over yet. I ordered the Banh Mi Bo Kho ($10). It actually says "Beef Stew" on the menu....what arrived wasn't no "stew".

Lukewarm, doctored pho broth, made really salty by whatever seasoning was used to make it seem like Bo Kho. The meat was too chewy and some pieces were still slightly cold. The best part of this were the carrots; which looked unwieldy, but was fairly tender.

The banh mi was standard issue, no complaints as it was light, yeasty, and had been heated up.

This was just not a very good meal at all.

And yet, there were two more items on the menu I wanted to try; so I decided to head on back.

I'd seen Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings on the menu. So I ordered the 6 piece ($7) version.

While looking a bit greasy, these were actually fairly crisp, with a good amount of seasoning....edging perhaps on the salty side, but not spicy at all. All the pieces were moist, the wings were actually quite good. The huge drumettes on the other hand, while crisp and moist, had a bitter, slightly freezer burnt flavor to them. Too bad, because this might have been pretty good overall. I ate all the wings....and said goodbye to the drumettes.

I also ordered Banh Xeo ($10). Sadly, this was not very good.

The crepe lacked crispness and was very spongy, the bottom a soggy mess. It was also very bland and the watered down, overly sweet nuoc mam cham did it no favors. The pork and shrimp were tough and dry; the bean and mung bean sprouts under-cooked. This really looked like it was slapped together. All that wonderfully fresh lettuce and mint deserved a better version of banh xeo.

So, while the pho and the chicken wings weren't bad, I didn't care for anything else as it just seemed a bit dumbed down. I'm sure folks in the neighborhood appreciate the place; but for me, I don't think it's worth going out of my way for....after all Mira Mesa is just right up the I-15.

40N Pho & Grille
9978 Scripps Ranch Blvd
San Diego, CA 92131
Hours:
Mon - Sat 11am - 9pm
Closed on Sunday

 

Tomson D - Chinese (and Krispy Krunchy Chicken) (La Mesa)

This food blog named mmm-yoso!!! has Cathy posting on this hot summer day.  Kirk is enjoying the start of a long weekend.

A sort of odd location, next to a Subway in a curved row of storefronts, this used to be Slides,  a great concept with nice owners (I still crave the eggplant as well as the fish sliders from here).  Now owned by a friendly couple, who seem to always be working, Tomson D has an interesting mix of food offerings as well as clientele. 
When Tomson D first opened in October 2017,  it offered Mongolian BBQ in addition to the still existing menu items, hence the empty 'salad bar'/refrigerated area to the right, in the above photo.
 To the left, when you enter, is a wall menu of various appetizers,Chinese offerings and beverages. 
 To the left of the cash register is a display of fresh Krispy Krunchy Chicken, a Louisiana style franchise with four San Diego locations. (Which Kirk has written about, twice.).  The chicken display always seems to be fresh and we have noticed that it is changed out regularly during the day if not sold out.  

First things first.  I've been here on my own before, on Fridays, when I don't eat meat.  The 'Appetizer' menu has 'fried white fish' ($2.68 per piece).
One piece is quite large, and cut in half per order. 
 Light, crispy batter with some herbs; the tartar sauce isn't really necessary, but I end up using it on the second half, if I want variety. The fish is meaty, flaky and properly fried; not greasy.
 The Chinese menu sells items by size- lunch, dinner and party.  This is the "Tomson Beef" (L $7.38).  Pretty much beef and onions.  The beef is tender with a nice sauce of garlic and chilis.  Each Chinese meal comes with a vegetable egg roll, served in a glassine paper bag.  The Tomson Shrimp (L $7.98) isn't spicy and is stir fried with zucchini, carrot, onion and mushroom.  Very plump shrimp and good, fresh vegetables. 
The Pekin chicken (L $7.58) has a one chili 'heat rating' and it's pretty mild.  Bell pepper, mushrooms, onion and chili are the ingredients and it's all fresh, juicy, flavorful.  

Our first time trying the Krispy Krunchy chicken.  We did order the three piece 'Meal Deal' ($5.59) and received four pieces, which was a nice accident.  So, two legs and two thighs and a honey butter biscuit.  Wow.  The biscuit was really well made- fluffy inside with a crisped bottom and topped with definite honey butter covering the crispy crust; a perfect biscuit. What great fried chicken-light, crispy, the crust- seasoned 'politely' and not 'overwhelmingly'.  The chicken meat was juicy, moist.  Nothing needed to be added.  

A great local owned restaurant with choices which should satisfy most cravings. 

Tomson D 7406 University Avenue La Mesa, CA 91942 (619) 597-6666 Open Tues-Sun 11-9 CLOSED MONDAY

The menu has several teas offered, each for $3 (boba extra).  The peach tea is very nice; you can taste the tea. But really, they sell chicken here. 

Chicken Wing Thang - Katzya (In the H Mart Food Court)

Friend of Yoso "KenP" was nice enough to remind me that today, July 29th was National Chicken Wing Day. So, I decided to see what I could dish up and found photos from visits to Katzya in the new H Mart Food Court.

Not sure it's quite ready for "prime time", but hey, it was two visits.

A few weeks back, Candice, Xiāngjiāo and her hubby MichaelFC, wanted to have lunch. We decided on checking out the new H Mart Food Court. We each picked a place and got something from each shop. I got Katzya, which is the new Donkatsu (Tonkatsu) and Chicken Wing Shop.

I did two orders of wings....it's a sign of the times when folks actually say, "wow, it's only $11.95 for eight wings....that's so cheap", like the girl in front of me exclaimed. I guess when you compare this to Furaido or Bonchon it is cheaper. I guess it's all relative.

Anyway, I did one order of the regular fried wings and one order of the "Spicy Chicken Wings". Sorry to say; this is the only surviving photo I have of that visit.

The wings were medium sized with a decent batter to meat ratio. The flesh was fairly moist, no complaints there. The batter had some crunch but was on the crumbly side and the regular wings were so bland, really lacking in flavor. Notice the quotation marks on the "Spicy" wings.....that's because, while being quite sticky and messy, the wings were way too sweet and not very spicy at all. The pickled radish was fine...….but man, nothing could cut the teeth rattling sweetness of those wings.

Soon after; I started my visits to the H Mart Food Court to start tasting the various dishes and such. Other than Bann; which is kind of like a revisit since which I'd eaten at quite few times when they were on Miramar; Katya was my first revisit.

With the intention of sharing my lunch with folks in the office; I ordered two items; the Soy Garlic Wings and the Spicy Pork Cutlet.

The Soy Garlic Wings were a pleasant surprise.

The wings were still crunchy when I ate them. I'd expected cloying sweetness; but this was more balanced then the (not) spicy chicken wings. More salty than sweet, perhaps in need of more garlic pungency; moist flesh, decent crunch and not overly crumbly, decent meat to batter ratio. Not bad at all.

Then came the Donkatsu; which was nicely packaged; the "gravy" and shredded cabbage separated from the pork cutlet and rice. Good job there!

The pork cutlet didn't fare as well as the wings as it was already getting pretty soggy when I got back to the office. It was pretty lean and so on the rubbery side. The rice was still hot and slightly fragrant.

To be perfectly honest; I enjoyed the crunchy, refreshing, simple shredded cabbage with sesame dressing the best.

Because that "gravy".....well.....

Well, I poured it onto the pork cutlet, it was a bit too gloppy-gluey in texture. It had a serious, slow crescendo of heat.....no joking around there. But it had nothing else to really bolster the spice....no salt, no sweet, no other seasonings and spices. It was very one-dimensional.

This is not something I'd order again.

I had truly intended on doing one more visit. But heck, since KenB did mention it was National Chicken Wing Day....I found a reason to just go with what I have and move on. Those Garlic Soy Wings weren't bad, though one out of four ain't so great. Heck, even in baseball, a .250 batting average might get you sent down to the minors.

Katzya
(In the H Mart Food Court)
7725 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92111
Hours:
Open Daily 11am - 8pm

Thanks for the friendly reminder Ken!