mmm-yoso!!!

Sunday Stuffs - Urban Eats Kitchen &Tap replaces Hi Street, Nice 2 Meet U on Convoy, and Jim Morrison in Bay Park:?

Just a couple of places I've seen on recent drives and one little excursion down the "rabbit hole".

Urban Eats Kitchen & Tap replaces Hi Street:

 I had been wondering what was going on at 7767 Balboa since Hi Street (and a couple of other short lived places) closed down. I saw the rather interesting Help Wanted sign to the right a while back - I wonder if they ever found a "Weitress"?

And I finally saw signage for Urban Eats a few weeks past....wonder if it has any relationship to the Urban Eats that was open in Hillcrest for a couple of years?

7767 Balboa Ave.
San Diego, CA 92111

Nice 2 Meet U Coming to Convoy:

I noticed that the space next to Da Nang Corner looked to have been filled so I drove on into the parking lot......

Well, "Nice 2 Meet U" too (two???). Wonder how its related to Nice 2 Meet U in the SGV? Hmmm......

4428 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111

Jim Morrison in Bay Park?

Last Saturday, the Missus mentioned that it was the 50th anniversary of Jim Morrison's death. Jim Morrison had kind of stuck in Her mind since our visits to Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris several years back when we stopped by his grave.

I had recalled that Jim Morrison was a Navy brat and had spent some time in San Diego. So, like I said, Google is my friend and I decided to spend a couple of minutes to see where he lived...... and oh my, I came across this.

And discovered that Jim Morrison, who lived in San Diego between the ages of 9 and 13...actually lived a few blocks from us on Arnott Street! I'm not going to list the address because I've walked and driven past that house thousands of times. And am wondering how many folks have bothered the current tenants of the house there.

He also went to Longfellow Elementary where he graduated the sixth grade and was a Cub Scout.

Longfellow still exists, but is now a Spanish Immersion Magnet School for K-8.

The most interesting item was that the Morrison's attended Pioneer Congregational Church. Which basically right at the end of the street.

I've also walked past here thousands of times in the 18+ years we've lived in Bay Park using the public walkway on the west side of the parking lot to walk down to Western Hills Park. I used to walk Sammy and Frankie down to the park and up around Kane, then Arnott, then back home. 

In fact, I will still take walks down that sidewalk to Western Hills Park at times.....

This was quite interesting for me and other folks I know in Bay Park.

Midweek Meanderings - Da Kine's Landing in La Mesa, Golden Chopsticks Opening in Mira Mesa, Romeo and Julieta Sold, and Panda Country (Clairemont Mesa) Closes

Here are a bunch of updates for this Wednesday.

Da Kine's Reopening in La Mesa:

I gotta hand it to all the wonderful F(riends) O(f) Y(oso) out there, you are all an amazing bunch.

I noted that Da Kine's had cleaned out their Linda Vista location back at the beginning of March.

I instantly received a couple of emails.....when I went to Bay Park Coffee that weekend Noel came out and asked if I knew about Da Kine's moving..... Man, that "coconut wireless" sure works pretty fast, huh? Noel told me he had a feeling that Nelson would move his shop closer to home...he lives in La Mesa.

Move the calendar forward a month and "FOY" DerekR emails me with the screen shot to the right.

Not five minutes later I receive another email; this one from "FOY" Kerri  who sent me an excerpt from Da Kine's Facebook page:

"Aloha Da Kine's Ohana! It's been a month since we've closed. We wanted to share an update with you.
Da Kine's has a new home! Our new location is off University Ave. in La Mesa. We're currently in the process of building the inside of the restaurant. Our expected opening will be mid to late summer 2021."

So, with Derek and Kerri already doing my work for me.....well, it's only right that I go check things out, right?

So, this past weekend I went to pick up some food for the Missus; She had something specific in mind for dinner after She got home from work.

I decided to Google some of those businesses on the sign and I headed off. Once arriving at the strip mall in question, I went ahead and opened up Da Kine's website to see if there were any clues.....and they made it easy for me with the new address.

And based on what I read....it seems that's going to be the new location.

I'm sad that they are leaving the neighborhood; but happy that they will keep the business going.

Call me a stalker or whateva', but I thought folks would be interested.

Awesome work Derek and Kerri!

Romeo and Julieta is sold:

The Missus and I were thinking about various Happy Hours we would like to go to once we're over the pandemic and Romeo and Julieta Wine Bar came to mind. I decided to check out the website and was sad to see that they had just closed, last day of business was April 11th, and the business has been sold.

Sad to see them go; but best wishes on their future endeavors.

4715 Monroe Ave
San Diego, CA 92115

Panda Country (Clairemont) Closes:

I stopped by Mister Falafel for the Missus a couple of weeks back. While waiting for my order I decided to take a stroll. I quickly noticed that the ABCDE Panda Country looked closed, so I walked over.

And sadly, the note on the door confirmed that they have closed....after 41 years. And while, like Troy's Family Restaurant down the street, Panda Country wasn't my cup of tea, it's sad to see a place that has been part of the neighborhood for so long close down. Much like the neighborhood diner, the local Chinese restaurant has always been part of the foundation of a neighborhood.

4455 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

And Finally, Yes Golden Chopsticks is Coming to Mira Mesa:

And just to end this post on a high note.

After "FOYs" Elle and Sandy mentioned seeing the sign for "Golden Chopsticks" in the comment section of a recent post, well I had to go check it out. So, I dropped by during lunch yesterday.

And yes, right were I believe Payless Shoes used to be; in the mall that holds Target, Menya Ultra, Sandwich Emporium, and a host of others, was the Golden Chopsticks sign.

And soon enough, Eater San Diego confirmed that this is "that" Golden Chopsticks. So it looks like we'll finally be getting some decent Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings north of the "94". And while I'm solidly in the Royal Mandarin camp; I'll gladly partake of Salt and Pepper Chickens Wings from Golden Chopsticks.

8155 Mira Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92126

Thanks for the heads up Elle and Sandy!

And just for old times sake, remember this blast from the past?

Have a great week everyone!

Our Pandemic Takeout Rotation

I was recently pondering what our Pandemic Takeout Rotation is....that is, the places we've done a bunch of takeout from over the last year......I'm guessing that this post is somewhat timely since (not a great thing) the WHO declared Covid-19 to be a pandemic on this day a year ago.

What I did notice is that things like weather, work, cravings, or indecision kind of drove the decision process. So I've categorized places by that process

So here goes.....

For cold weather - Menya Ultra and Woomiok:

Like I mentioned before, I'm not if it's because we're spending more time at home; but this fall and winter seems to be much colder then I recall.

So, of course Menya Ultra's Stay at Home Kit...….so well and thoughtfully put together; love the fresh noodles (i.e. fresh made and uncooked) is our rotation.

It's basically at least two meals......there often is too much noodle; so I'll often use it for another dish.

Menya Ultra Ramen
8199 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111
858-571-2010

When the Missus or I feel somewhat tired......we enjoy the Emporer's Soup along with an extra side of bone broth from Woomiok.

We enjoy the restorative effects of the bone broth....even if it might be "all in our heads".

This was especially nice after the Missus or I felt some of the side effects from our vaccines.

Woomiok
3860 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 737-4599

And then when we're experiences unseasonal warm weather - it's the Market at HFS:

That's an easy one, right? It's also a handy fix when I'm missing "home".

Of course, you know the Missus right? Eating poke just ain't the straightforward for Her......there's a bit of prep involved. Can you imagine when I actually deliver this for Her lunch at work?

And I blew this one because one thing was missing....shiso leaves...sigh....

Hawaiian Fresh Seafood Fish Market
6491 Weathers Place
San Diego, CA 92121
(858) 282-0591

For that "special" takeout dinner - it's Tadokoro:

I guess this one should be pretty obvious based on some of my previous posts.

Sushi Tadokoro
2244 San Diego Ave
San Diego, CA 92110
(619) 297-0298

And when we can't make our mind up? Well, it's probably Noble Chef or Sizzling Pot King:

For those times when we don't really know what to get.

The Noble Chef
6159 Balboa Avenue
San Diego, CA 92111

Though I think we've been getting Sizzling Pot King weekly now.

It's usually two meals for us.....and heck, if you're wondering what I do with those leftover noodles form Menya Ultra.....

 I save all the drippings from the dry pot and use it as a sauce for the noodles....I know, kinda weird, but I like this strange version of Liang Mian…..

Sizzling Pot King
8058 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 279-0088

The Missus's weekend coffee fix from Birdrock:

I'll usually drop off pour over from Birdrock on Morena.

She loves the fruity acidity of African beans and of course when there's Geisha (caution - over $12 a cup for pour over)…..

The folks there already know me by name and make an awesome pour over......even though their spelling can be a bit iffy......

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

And then, there's my weekly reward for working from home - Zgara Greek Grill:

Another pretty obvious pick. I'm not the biggest fan of all this WFH stuff; but Frankie needs and deserves the attention and care. So, once a week I'll reward myself.

Zgara Greek Grill
1229 Morena Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92110

You know looking at this list makes me wonder why other places from my usual rotation like Mien Trung aren't here.....there are some obvious reasons for others; like Yakitori, Yakiniku, Korean BBQ, and some of my regular Japanese restaurants....well, I just think takeout wouldn't do justice to the food.....though maybe EE Nami might make this list soon.

Anyway; here's looking to brighter days....I'm hoping the light at the end of the tunnel is coming into view.

And of course, I want to know, what has your takeout rotation been?

Takeout Revisit from Golden Island

And so it came to pass....a few days ago I went into the office and due to vacations, etc, I was the only one there. A huge office space that once held maybe over 75 people, was left to me. Of course I was used to an empty office when I get into work at around 515am....but by 830, there I was, all by my lonesome. Then around nine-ish I went to refill my water bottle, when I noticed the motion control light in the back was one. There was one other person in the office.....being from a different team/department, we often passed each other and said hello, but never really spoke. But today, well, while filling my water he came into the kitchen area to use the coffee pod machine and we had a nice short chat. At the end of which, he mentioned it just having been Lunar New Year and yet, he hadn't had any Chinese food this year. I think he thought I was Chinese. Anyway, I ran into him again when going to the restroom and he mentioned he'd be getting lunch at this place he had wanted to try called Golden Island. I mentioned that I'd visited for takeout a couple of times and what I knew about the place. I also told him he could order online and not to freak out at the prices. Anyway, he decided to go for it and told me that if I wanted to place an order he'd be happy to pick it up for me. It had been nearly five months since I last visited and I had been thinking about the getting the Kwai Fei Ji from there....about the only thing I really enjoyed. So I went and placed an order, gave the dude some cash, and he went tp pick up my order....hey, who needs Uber Eats/Doordash/etc, etc, etc!

Anyway, he returned at around 1130 with my order. In addition to the Kwai Fei Chicken, I ordered the dim sum item that was at least decent during my visits, the Shrimp Siu Mai (now $6.69 was $6.19 a few months ago) and decided to try something new, so I went with the Pan Fried Shrimp and Chive Dumpling ($6.69).

When I opened my package, I knew something was amiss....do you see what it is?

No, it not the Shrimp Siu Mai, which again, while being a bit on the tough side, was perfectly serviceable.....perhaps a bit mild in flavor...it could have used more of the briney-sweetness of really good shrimp. I brought two of them home and the Missus thought they were not bad.

I'd never seen Pan Fried Shrimp and Chive Dumplings that looked like this:

What the heck is going on with the wrappers? Jiu Cai Jiao wrappers are usually made with combination of wheat and tapioca starch or glutinous rice flour. When pan fried, this allows for a nice crispness, and a pleasant, very mild sweetness. This looked like they just went with some leftover siu mai wrappers, then threw in in  pan to get a hint of "brown" on it. The filling as almost all chive, which over-powered everything else.

This was so weird. I mean, the online process is - you place your order and wait for an acknowledgement, you get a confirmation email where the restaurant can update your order....the guy in the office ordered turnip cake, but they were out so he replaced it with something else. I'm thinking they should have done that here? I only ate one, I brought the other two home and when the Missus saw this, She just plain refused to eat it.

In case you're wondering what this should look like.....

At this point, I was kind of worried about my Kwai Fei Chicken ($15.99). But I was relatively happy with what I got.

The sauce wasn't quite as good as what I'd had the last time. It had much more oil and not enough scallion, the flavors seemed a bit muted, but it wasn't terrible.

As for the chicken, well in terms of the nice winey-anise-poultry flavor, with a bit more salt this time which actually helped. I did find the white meat on the dry side, but the dark meat slices were very nice.

So no complaints with that.

I do wish I could find some other dish at Golden Island other than the Kwai Fei Chicken....let me know of any dish you recommend here.

Golden Island
10660 Camino Ruiz
San Diego, CA 92126
858-578-8800
Current Hours:
Daily 10am - 930pm

Takeout Revisits - Sizzling Pot King and Village Kitchen

Man, what a difference a year makes. Last year, we kind of celebrated the Lunar New Year by taking a trip to San Francisco (I'll finish those posts one of these days). The LNY fell on January 25th last year; quite early. This year, well it's a whole different story....a whole different world it seems. Hard to believe that I first started working on Covid-19 items on February 10th of last year!

Still, we wanted to have some Chinese food; nothing fancy....we knew for sure that places would be swamped and really just wanted a dry pot to go from Sizzling Pot King; which has been a recent favorite of Hers.

So, I headed over to SPK and got there right when they opened and placed an order. Of course they were busy and I was told that instead of the usual 15-20 minute wait, it was going to be at least 45 minutes. Anyway, I placed my order and walked back to my car......and then it came to me; why not do a short version of the Missus's "I want it and I want it all"? Thinking about timing and such; I decided on Village Kitchen, which is about a 10-12 drive from SPK.

So, I headed over and there was a small queue, but after 10 minutes, I managed to make a takeout order, which I was told was going to take about 30 minutes. Perfect! I jumped back in my car and returned to SPK where my order was just being packed...….

After which I headed back to VK and after a five minute wait, my order was ready to go.

So, the Missus got Her fix from Sizzling Pot King (and I was told on a previous visit, no more cauliflower).

Good "ma-la" and spice, even at medium heat. The trip was quite good on this day.

And was pleasantly surprised by the "bonus dishes".

The La Rou with Cucumber Skin was on the greasy side and not very spicy. There was a lot of smoked meat though.

The Stinky Tofu "Stew" had some decent spice and funkiness, with a touch of acidity.

After our last experience with the Eggplant and Green Chili with Preserved Egg, I decided not to order it.

And so, we'll have leftovers for a couple of meals, which suits us just fine. Maybe I won't have to cook as much this weekend!

Sizzling Pot King
8058 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111

Village Kitchen
4720 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

Yes, it's almost like we're living in a different time these days. Still, whether you say “Gong xi fa cai”, “Gong hei fat choy”, “Chuc mung nam moi”, or "Saehae bok mani badeuseyo", we'd like to wish you a healthy, safe, and wonderful 2021. A much better year than 2020.

Take care!

Takeout From Green China Grill

When I did takeout from Bonchon, I look over and realized I hadn't been to Green China Grill in a while. A week later, I was working from home and it was pretty chilly, so I thought the Beef Noodle Soup with Sour Cabbage might be good on a chilly day. I did a quick search and found that GCG did online ordering and placed n order for the Beef Noodle Soup with Sour Cabbage, which is now $11.99. I then headed over to pick-up my lunch.

Man, I remember when this parking lot used to be pretty crazy, but on this day there was so much parking available at noon. Sign of the times.

I walked into the doorway and up to the table.

And told the young lady my order; which was ready to go.

This time around, wanting something a bit more substantial, I went with the flat noodles. Things were packed quite well.

While I got the broth up to the temp I wanted, I put the noodles, pickled mustard greens, I liked that there was a pretty generous amount provided, and was quite happy to note that the noodles weren't clumped together.

This was actually not bad, still a bit too much MSG and white pepper for my taste, but the broth, a pretty simple one, wasn't too bad.

The slices of beef looked tough, but were fairly tender, and full of nice beefy tones and I detected a hit of anise as well.

The straight forward pickled greens were briny and also added that sour-pickled palate restoring taste that I enjoy.

The noodles....well, I know I usually go with the regular Lamian here, but these were nicely prepared, with a nice pull and al dente chew that I may just order things this way in the future.

Overall, nothing fancy, but quite simple and satisfying....just what I wanted on this day.

A couple of Friday's back, I was working from home and the weather was crazy, rain pouring like a river in bursts of 10-15 minutes, thunder, and hail....hail! I actually went out looking for clouds of locusts and wondered if we would be having three days of darkness!

I was actually going to order the same noodle soup from GCG again....but after taking a look at the menu online, I saw that they had Yang Rou Pao Mo......like I've said before; I've given up on finding "true" Yang Rou Pao Mo, like we had in Xi'an in SoCal, with a thick, rich, very gamey broth and hearty, but not waxy-dense-slippery-noodley unleavened bread.

So, like my previous visit, I placed my order, had a super easy time finding parking, and my Yang Rou Pao Mo ($12.99) was waiting when I walked to the table.....in and out in less than three minutes! The bag felt pretty darn heavy.....and sheesh looked at all the pseudo pao (soaked) mo (unleavened bread).

Because of the density of the dish, it was still steaming hot when I unpacked it at home. I just had to pour it into a bowl.

In terms of how this compares to Shann Xi Magic Kitchen and other versions, I thought it a bit better for a couple of reasons. The broth had a much stronger gaminess, though it did have a bit too much MSG for my taste. The lamb was super "ewe-y" and fairly tender, though there wasn't much of it. What there was a plethora (sorry, I always think of this when I hear the word "plethora") of was the waxy faux pao mo....though it wasn't bad, not overly hard....I just think of it being more like noodles....like in alphabet soup.

And this sure did warm me up on a wet and chilly day.

In case you were wondering what I'm all waxing nostalgic about:

From Tong Sheng Xiang (同盛祥) in Xi'an.

Oh well; it wasn't too bad, though I think I'll stick with my "usual" the next time around.

Green China Grill
4688 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 292-5555
Current Hours:
Mon - Fri 1130am - 3pm, 5pm - 10pm
Sat - Sun 1130am - 10pm

 

Takeout from Yummy House

After doing that crazy three stop takeout thing for the Missus, I started thinking about other Chinese Restaurants in the Convoy area. And Yummy House came to mind. For some reason, I thought that I hadn't been there in over a year.....but doing a search, I found that I actually last visited in February. Well, I guess with the pandemic raging, February of 2020 just seems like a different time these days. Anyway, since I'd pretty much have never seen customers in the place, I was wondering if they were still open. On one of drives I passed by and did notice they were still open. A few days later, I gave the online ordering on their website a shot.

And I'm happy to say, everything went fine as my order was ready and waiting when I arrived.....I barely spent 3 minutes in the place!

I unpacked the three dishes I ordered when I got home and set to work.

The Stir Fried Pork Intestine ($13.98), was passable, nice texture, mild musty-funkiness, with a bit of heat.

It was a decent prep, but nothing special, and perhaps could have even used a bit more savory-saltiness....sheesh, when was the last time I said that about any takeout Chinese food?

My usual favorite the Beef Tendon Pot ($16.98) portion size was quite a bit smaller than I recalled.

And while the "sauce" was a bit thinner than on previous occaisions, the tendon was pleasantly textured; slightly firm, but yielding easily when bitten into. I like the tanginess of this tomoato based dish, but the Missus isn't fond of the amount of acidity. The beef was sligtly toothsome, but full of beefy goodness. Still my favorite dish here.

For the Missus I got the Lamb with Suan Cai ($16.98)....I had to laugh as this is called Sauerkraut with Lamb on the online menu.

While the suan cai here wasn't overly fermented in flavor; and we were out of our homemade which we like to add to these type of dishes, our first batch of the year was bottled two days ago, so the Missus thought this was pretty "weak" and then proceeded to polish it all off, so perhaps it wasn't that weak after all? I did manage a few bites and found the lamb to be on the dry and chewy side, but nice and gamey. It definitely could have used more sour-fermented tones; but this was not bad and far from bland.

So, overall a not bad meal. I Yummy House is surviving thus far and I'll probably order from them again when I'm craving the Tendon with Tomato Hot Pot and perhaps find some other items I enjoy on the menu.

Yummy House
4633 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 499-8999
Current Hours:
Tues - Sunday 2pm - 1030pm

"I Want It and I Want It All" - Takeout From Kangxi is Coming, Village Kitchen, and Noble Chef

So, a few weekends back (it was actually right after Thanksgiving), I made a mistake.....of asking the Missus what She wanted and offering a few options......Her answer? "Well, I want it and want it all"! Ohhh-kay...like they say, "no good deed goes unpunished" and in all honesty, it was a bit of a challenge......of coordinating takeout from three places. In terms of coordination it turned out pretty well. And here's what ensued.

1 - The "wildcard" if you will was Kangxi is Coming, as I hadn't been there since the pandemic started.

2 - I knew that phone orders for Noble Chef worked well.

3 - I knew that Village Kitchen often did not have items available, plus when I tried a phone order and didn't speak Mandarin they hung up on me.

And so, here's what ensued.

1 - I placed an online order with Kangxi is coming.

2 - I called Noble Chef and was told they were really busy and my order wouldn't be ready for an hour; which worked out perfectly.

3 - I then headed to Village Kitchen and placed an order in person....and while they were out of certain items; I got a couple of things the Missus wanted to eat and told them I'd be back for pick-up.

And so I then headed to Kangxi is coming; where the Suan Cai with Pork was ready when I arrived.

It was quick and painless......no worries there.

I then headed to Noble Chef where my order was ready and picked that up. Ditto Village Kitchen. Take that food app.....

And yes, this is a food blog; so how did things end up?

Well, the Suan Cai with Pork from Kangxi is coming.....

Was lacking the really great fermented flavor of good fermented cabbage....it really ain't that hard making a decent suan cai; but this lacked the deep savory tones and everything seemed a bit overcooked.

Noble Chef was fast and easy....though they had packages piled up along several tables and folks waiting in their cars in the parking lot. The roast duck did well after I went and did the "usual" with it.

And for some reason, the Missus likes the Wintermelon Soup from NC.

Because the Missus wanted the Wintermelon Soup; I decided that anything with stinky tofu might not do well. I ended up ordering the Eggplant and Green Chili with Preserved Egg and Pork with Cucumber Skin.

And while my first choice would have been La Rou (Hunan smoked pork) with cucumber skin; this version was quite good.

What I consider to be the signature dish here; the Eggplant and Green Chili with Preserved Egg was terrible.

The eggplant was undercooked and not mashed, there was almost no roasted chilies in this, there was a pervasive greasiness. It was really bad...…..kinda sad......don't think the Missus is going to want this again soon.

Still; I think I did a pretty good job doing the "I Want It and I Want It All"...….huh? What do you think?

Kangxi Is Coming
4428 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111

The Noble Chef
6159 Balboa Avenue
San Diego, CA 92111

Village Kitchen
4720 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

It's Fry-Day - Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings From Royal Mandarin

Folks who've read this blog for a while know of my affection for Royal Mandarin's Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings. I don't have them very often, but it's a true guilty pleasure for me. And just the thought of not having access to it of plays that "mental" game with you.....yes, it's all in your head....but I recall having the same feeling when fire shut down Royal Mandarin at the end of 2009 (has it really been that long?) and having to wait six months until they finally reopened.....honestly, I've had longer periods of time between visits, but just the fact that you can't get something drives you crazy. Now I know that I could have gotten out of "my bubble" at anytime and driven down there....but for 8 months, even though we did takeout we limited our area. But finally, after both FOYs ("Friends of Yoso") Sandy and Junichi mentioned in comments how good those wings were and after returning from our roadtrip, where the Missus and I dined outdoors, I finally decided to get my fix.

RM opens at 9am....so at 9am, after finishing things up at the office, I called in for an order of S&P wings to go (for some reason I have the phone number memorized) and headed right down to the restaurant. Getting there right at 920, thinking that no one in their right mind would be doing ABCDE takeout at that time right? Wrong....

There were four parties ahead of me, each standing at the red tape "marker". Six people were waiting outside, well distanced, all had masks on. RM is currently only doing takeout. They had 4 people manning the elongated "counter" area and it actually took less than ten minutes for me to get my order!

Soon enough my entire car smelled of fried goodness....something that I would usually not enjoy, but in this case, it had been so long......

After plating, I sat on the back steps, Frankie wandering around somewhat aimlessly and had them wings.

It was just as good as I remembered. There are differences I did note. The batter these days isn't as thick, there's a bit more lightness to them, but the crispy crunch might be even better now. There seems to be less of the "secret ingredient", so no more "MS - heebie - geebies", but it doesn't seem to hurt the flavor. A bit more spice these days, but still pretty mild, good salt, and yes, there's still MSG, but I think it's used more judiciously these days. Of course, it could just be a case of "time makes the heart grow fonder".

And so, even though I still haven't had a sit down meal at a restaurant in San Diego since the middle of March; I did expand my range (I'm retiring that map). And so, thanks Sandy and Junichi, for reminding me how food can really bring comfort during these trying times!

Royal Mandarin Restaurant
1132 E. Plaza Blvd
National City, CA 91950
(619) 477-4151
Open Daily 9am - 10pm

Dry Pot to go from Sizzling Pot King

Funny how the term "out of sight, out of mind" really holds true. With the rather limited amount of driving we do these days; we tend to forget about places we enjoy. And with the pandemic raging on; we all need that little bit of enjoyment in life; whether you like art, movies, cooking, or eating, we need those moments. Last week, I asked the Missus why, in spite of the chilly weather, She hasn't wanted the dry pot from Sizzling Pot King. I got a wide eyed look and a laugh.....and guess what I went to pick-up for dinner?

I basically walked into the dining area; which looks like a fairly messy storage area these days. Placed my order, went back to the car and fifteen minutes later our dry pot to go was packed.

The large dry pot is now $32.99.....we've stuck with the combination we enjoy; numbing hot (mala), medium spice, tripe and pork intestine, with frozen tofu ($2.99) added. There's currently a 10% discount for cash transactions; but I paid the full price with a tip.

I did notice some differences when I opened the tray up at home.

The portion size seemed smaller. Indeed whereas a pan used to be three full meals for the Missus and I; this was just enough for two. Also, the cauliflower.....SPK used to use Fioretto, what we called Chinese Flowering Cauliflower, which has an amazing texture and nutty-sweetness, has now been replaced with regular broccoli.

Still, the Missus really enjoyed this...it was nice a numbing-hot.....we both got a nice little "buzz". The tripe was perfectly prepared, no off flavors with a nice crunchiness, and the intestine had a bit of chew and a wonderful, light funkiness. The "frozen" tofu seemed a bit soft for our taste....but the Missus scarfed it all up with no problem. She has a thing about the potato and mung bean sprouts in this as well.

Here's an old photo for comparison. I'd say it's even more spicy these days.

Still, the Missus really enjoyed this so much that She requested an encore, hoping that they'd be back to using cauliflower; but no such luck.

Regardless, we still enjoyed this, and like so much that is going on now, we're just thankful that the Missus and I can enjoy what we consider to be comfort food.

Sizzling Pot King
8058 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 279-0088
Current Hours:
Mon - Sat 11am - 10pm
Sunday    11am - 930pm

What has been giving you comfort during these difficult times?