mmm-yoso!!!

A Walk Around Vienna and Lunch at Tofu and Chili

We awoke after a good night of sleep in our apartment right outside the Ringstrasse nice and refreshed. We had a pretty jam-packed day planned out. It was windy with scattered drizzles....you know, the one's that are just bad enough to be irritating. Though it was the wind that bothered the Missus the most. Everyone we asked around the city told us it's "always windy in Wien"! Though no one could tell us why.

We crossed the street and walked through the Stadtpark, then along Kärntner Ring, until we came upon the first place we wanted to see; the Opera House.

Many people consider Vienna to be the "capital of classical music" and the Vienna State Opera (Wiener Staatsoper) is the royal palace. Since its completion in 1869 a who's who of classical music and opera have performed here. Just looking at the names on the "stars" lining the walkways gives you pause.....

One block away you'll notice a very impressive wall and statue. This is the Albertina, that impressive wall was once part of the ramparts of the city. It later became the home of Empress Mary Theresa's daughter Maria Christina the Duchess of Teschen and her husband Prince Albert of Saxony.

We headed up the stairway to the large porch/balcony where we could watch the horse drawn carriages trot on by.

In spite of the drizzle and wind, it made for a very nice view.

The buildings in the area really do catch your attention.

We'd end up visiting the Albertina; which is now a museum the following day.

While taking in the view, we noticed the striking Monument Against War and Fascism (Mahnmal gegen Krieg und Faschismus) right across the street.

Rick Steves goes into great detail about this monument in his post. Built in 1988, each of the four structures details a different aspect and story of the consequences of fascism. It is a grim and haunting memorial.

That large split white statue is called the "Gates of Violence", the carvings are grave and striking. The bases of the statues were quarried at Mauthausen Concentration Camp.

The statue that really gripped me is this one.

It is a statue of a Jew forced to scrub anti-Nazi graffiti off the streets. After the Annexation of Austria to the Germans in 1938 (the Anschluss), in an act meant to humiliate and degrade them, Jews were forced to clean the streets of Pro-Austrian and Anti-Nazi slogan and graffiti. This, of course was the tip of the iceberg as it is estimated that over 65,000 Jewish citizens of Vienna were sent to concentration camps of which 2000 survived. 

It started drizzling a bit harder as we took in the memorial.

We headed off in the direction of Saint Stephen's Cathedral, which we had briefly visited the night before.

The Missus wanted to explore the Cathedral in daylight and it would give us a respite from the drizzle.

Most consider this impressive Gothic church to be the heart of Vienna.

And we took a brief break here to first explore the interior a bit, then head back out to get a look at the amazing stone and art work on the exterior of the church

From the Cathedral we headed down the pedestrian street known as Graben. Back when the city was a Roman city known as Vindobona, a wall extended the length of the street. A trench was dug outside the wall, a graben. Which is how the street got its name.

There are several fountains on this street. That's Leopoldsbrunnen (Leopold's Fountain), above.

But what I really came to see was just a few steps away; the Plague Column. Like various Astronomical Clocks, Plague Columns have an odd attraction to me.

In 1679, Vienna was hit by the plague epidemic. It is said that one-third of Vienna's population succumbed to the disease. Emperor Leopold I was forced to flee the city. A wooden column of mercy was erected, later to be replaced by this Pestsäule.

There's a lot going on this plague column.

You see "Faith" with the help of a pretty vicious looking Cherub tossing an decrepit old woman (the plague) into the abyss.

You see Leopold himself, sporting quite an underbite which is caused by inbreeding and has been called "Habsburg Jaw".

Right across the way is the Peterskirche ("St. Peter's Church").

Taking a left on Kohlmarkt, you hit the ultra high rent district, with the Michaelerplatz and Hofburg Palace in view.

We walked into Demel; thinking of getting a snack and some coffee at this famous pastry and chocolate shop. But could not find a table to save our soul.

So we just ogled the pastries and headed on back out.

We thought about checking out Hofburg Palace.....

But we were getting a bit hungry and wanted something warm in our bellies. We'd had our share of hearty meals in Budapest and I had reservations for another the night before we left Vienna. So, I thought perhaps some Chinese food might do the trick.

We headed on down to the Naschmarkt, Vienna's food and produce market.

And a place that I'd read about. Named Tofu and Chili.

There are two menus at this shop; the one with Panda Express looking food and one that has Shanxi and Pseudo Sichuan type dishes. I think the Missus was happy to get some Asian food because She quickly ordered.....

Pidan (Century Egg) with Tofu.

Which actually wasn't too bad; a bit of spice from the chili oil, decent tofu, good saltiness from the soy sauce...it's hard to mess up this dish.

And a very awful Suan Cai dish.....which was pickled mustard greens with bean thread drenched in vinegar.....good lord, this was terrible!

I had done a bit of research and ordered the Beef Noodle Soup with Hand Pulled Noodles.

The beef, while being fairly lean had good flavor. The broth was super hot; perfect for a day like this one and not overly salty. And while not being particularly rich, had a decent beefiness and a decent dose of white pepper.

But the best thing about the dish were the hand pulled noodles; which had a decent chew, stretch, and doughy-heft.

It was just what we needed on a windy and damp day in Vienna.

Tofu & Chili
Linke Wienzeile 18
Vienna 1060, Austria

We were careful not too eat too much. Even though we'd seen quite a bit, the day was only half over.

We needed to get to our final destination.

But first, the Missus wanted to visit a classic Viennese Café .

Thanks for stopping by!

Revisits - Shann Xi Magic Kitchen and Da Kine's

Just a couple of revisits for tonight.

Shann Xi Magic Kitchen:

I was shopping around lunch time at 99 Ranch Market....business at the Balboa location seems to be picking up. Since the weather's cooling off a bit, I thought I'd give Shann Xi Magic Kitchen another try. My last visit left something to be desired.

In what I thought was kind of an interesting move; it seems that Shann Xi MK gives you a discount when you pay in cash. Not a big deal, but I got a seventy-six cent discount, which brought my bowl of Yang Rou Pao Mo to ten bucks exactly.

The Yang Rou Pao Mo was even worse this time around. The broth, while scalding hot, was really thin, super salty, with too much white pepper and lacked any other redeeming qualities.

There was a scant three slices of lamb in the soup; which was actually nice and "muttony". Like I've said before, the "pao mo" that I've had in the states leaves much to be desired as it's really just gummy dough.

The amount of paomo has been reduced as well.

Boy do I miss this.....

Which was so amazing.....from Tong Sheng Xiang in Xi'an.

You can tell the difference, right? I wonder why restaurants in San Diego can't even get it close......

Shann Xi Magic Kitchen
5950 Balboa Ave (In the 99 Ranch Market Food Court)
San Diego, CA 92111

Da Kine's:

Yes, I know I did a post on Da Kine's reopening just last month. But week or so ago, I was chatting with another Ex-pat Kama'aina at my favorite watering hole about Da' Kine's. He told me that the Teri Chicken had really improved. I told him that the teri chicken at Da' Kine's had never been a favorite of mine, but was told to try it and see.

Well, this was just ok. I don't think they marinate the chicken at Da' Kine's. I wouldn't be surprised if they just dunked it in some kind of sauce and put it on the grill. It was fairly bland. While on the dry side, it wasn't as dry as what I'd had before. The rice was too mushy this time around, though the mac salad was chilled and nicely seasoned, just like what I'd had the previous month.

I mentioned this when I saw the guy the next time. His response, "it's better than L&L...." Man, talk about setting the bar really low...though when was the last time I had chicken from L&L...hmm.....do I really want to punish myself like that???

Da Kine's Plate Lunches
5401 Linda Vista Rd.
San Diego, CA 92110

Clearing Out the Memory Card - Revisits to Bistro Na's (Temple City), Tribute Pizza, and is La Catrina Closed for Good?

Wow, several of my favorite food groups in one post....after all the really wordy posts recently, I thought I'd give you all a break.

Bistro Na's (Temple City):

Yes, again....the Missus was wondering how getting a Michelin Star would affect Bistro Na's. Well, as far as our lunch was concerned; the crowds are larger now, but the service was still top notch.

And our favorites are still our favorites.

I enjoyed the Zui Ji (Drunken Chicken), which was on the mild side in terms of flavor but super tender and moist.

The Missus enjoyed the stir fried cauliflower.

But we'll pass on the Chili Beef with Tofu in the future.

Decent numbingness, but not much else; strangely not spicy and rather plain and bland in spite of looks.

As you can tell that we've done multiple visits over the last couple of months, this place is a favorite of the Missus.

Bistro Na's
9055 Las Tunas Drive
Temple City, CA 91780

Tribute Pizza:

It's been a while since we last visited and our planned dinner destination was closed (see below). So we walked over. It was still Happy Hour so we got two pizzas.....seven bucks each during HH!

This was more food than we needed and had leftovers. The pizzas were better than we remembered; simple but perfectly prepared. The Missus also enjoyed a sangria..... We gotta drop by more often.

Tribute Pizza
3077 N Park Way
San Diego, CA 92104
Happy Hour:
Tues - Fri 4pm - 6pm

Is La Catrina Closed?:

The reason we went to Tribute was because our intended destination; La Catrina was closed; with this sign posted on the door.

Strange, because we'd just gone the previous week and everything was just fine. And the Missus loved the Tacos De Flor De Jamaica; jicama, mushroom, and eggplant tacos.

The Carnitas and Octopus Cazuela was a good as always.

I did express concern about this place in my previous post and it doesn't look good.

I hope I'm wrong.....

La Catrina Tapas & Cantina
3139 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92104

Dinners at Noble Chef

Sometimes knowing someone who can provide a good "R&R" based on inside knowledge and experience can be very helpful. I don't get to see my good friend Candice very much these days; but a few months ago, we managed to meet up. And of course much of the discussion revolved around food.....and in the conversation she mentioned that her parents really enjoy Noble Chef. Which left me a bit dumbfounded based on previous visits to the place since the new owners took over. Then Candice blessed me with the tidbit I needed to know....during dinner service the owner cooks and that is when the food at Noble Chef is at its best. Dinner only, no lunch!

Ok......so to test things out, I went and did take-out about a week later; roast duck and salt and pepper pork chops. The duck was much improved, but still just ok, the pork chops were nicely flavored, but really, I should have been thinking more clearly....salt and pepper pork chops isn't the best item for take-out.

Still, I was focused on that duck. In terms of flavor it was pretty darn good; but the skin was rubbery and it was a bit dried out. So before calling it quits, I convinced the Missus to have dinner at Noble Chef. And we've been going probably every other week when we're in town since!

So, compare the duck above to the duck when you eat in.

There is no comparison. The skin is more light and crisp; the meat more moist; the fat has been nicely rendered, just basting that good deliciousness to the meat.

After about our fourth revisit to the place; the guy working who had waited on us during our previous visits confirmed that the duck is treated differently when you eat in. He tried to explain, but really had a hard time. I'm thinking that the duck is either quickly broiled in something like a salamander; or heated in a similar manner as the skin gets nice and crisp. Right now; this is our favorite roast duck in town. But......you've got to go during dinner and eat in the restaurant.

Currently, we order duck on maybe every other visit because the Missus is enjoying two other items on the menu.

The Steamed Pork with Salted Fish; is very savory and porky. The water chestnuts add a nice crunch.

The liquid is rich and savory. Actually, the Missus just has a few bites at the restaurant and we take most of it home. For some reason; the salty edges of flavor smooth out a bit and the pork flavor becomes even more pronounced. The "juice" becomes a thick savory aspic. I'll often cube up the meat which has set overnight and use that to top various vegetable dishes.

The other dish is the Fried Tofu with Two Mushrooms. The Missus loves the texture of the silken tofu; the exterior has a slight crispness, the interior is almost like an egg custard.

The brown sauce wasn't too gloppy and is mild enough to let the flavor of the mushrooms come through a bit. This one you need to finish at the restaurant.

Some other items we've had.

We tried two Clay Pot dishes; we'll probably try them again when the weather cools down.

The Salted Fish and Tofu was a solid contender; though nowhere as deeply savory as the pork and salted fish.

The Braised Beef and Turnip was also quite good; the turnip still slightly firm, the beef very tender and full of bovine goodness.

Yes, I love watching the Missus enjoy Her dinner...…..I'm just happy to watch Her eat and I'll enjoy my Soy Sauce Noodles.

There were two dishes that we won't order again.....

The Kwai Fei Chicken seemed to have been treated almost like the duck and was quite warm when served. The skin had been browned a bit and the meat had suffered the consequences as it was tougher then I prefer.

And the sauce was really weak, not having enough ginger or scallion flavor.

I've noted the strange affinity the Missus has for Shrimp with Lobster Sauce before. The version here is too gloppy and greasy, and on the salty side.

Though the shrimp were decently cooked; the overall flavor and mouthfeel of the dish just didn't do it for us.

So, what did I learn from this "R&R"? Well, you have dinner AT Noble Chef. So simple, yet I had written the place off. So Sandy, this is why your friends like Noble Chef.

And thanks as always to my good buddy Candice!

The Noble Chef
6159 Balboa Avenue
San Diego, CA 92111

The Old Neighborhood - Tasty Noodle House (Hacienda Heights) and Yi Mei Deli (Rowland Heights)

Because we flew back home to via LAX, we decided to use some rental car points for a one way rental and hotel points for a stay in our old neighborhood overnight.

And while the food on our flight wasn't anything to write home about; it did the job and we weren't famished when we arrived at LAX. A good thing too, since traffic on the 105 was terrible.

And so, we decided to just grab something simple near to our hotel and decided on the Hacienda Heights location of Tasty Noodle House.

This little shop wasn't around when we lived here; but we just thought having a couple of smaller dishes would suit us well. As a bonus, there was a buy three dishes get one free thing going on; so, in spite of it being something the Missus didn't care for, I got my Drunken Chicken free.

I enjoyed this version; it was much better than what I've had the San Diego location. This had a nice balance between the wineyness and wasn't over salty. The chicken was tender and moist.

The Xun Yu ("cold smoked fish"), a favorite of the Missus, was much too sweet for our taste.

We also ordered the Spicy Stinky Tofu.

The tofu was a bit dry; but we both enjoyed the earthy-funkiness of the fermented tofu and the mild spiciness. This seems like a good combination.

The final item to arrive was the Shen Jian Bao.

This was actually pretty good; while not nearly as good as the Tianjin Baozi at the San Gabriel location of Tasty Noodle House; this was not bad. The bottoms were not overly thick and nicely crisped without being scorched likw what I've had at the San Diego location. Nice porkiness in the filling, which was moist, the tops were yeasty and adequately fluffy. Not bad at all.

I've always said that all Tasty Noodle Houses are different....this kind of proves the point.

Tasty Noodle House
1611A S Azusa Ave
Hacienda Heights, CA 91745
Hours:
Open Daily 11am - 10pm

We got up fairly early the next morning and instead of sticking around for lunch, just decided to head back home to not encounter any traffic. So, we decided to hit up a place that was a fairly regular stop for us when we lived in the area during the late '90's, Yi Mei Deli. Looking through our 4,195 posts, I see that I've kinda mentioned Yi Mei Deli and even once did a post on the frozen XLB from the place.

Considering how much we used to go here back in the day; I was surprised I haven't really done a post.....

With all the changes in Hong Kong Plaza; it's nice to see that Shau Mei and Hong Kong Fishball House, along with Yi Mei Deli are still doing well.

Strangely, my favorite steamed bun from here has always been the Vegetable Steamed Bun. I always loved the almost smokey-bitterness of the greens, which I think went well with the yeasty-fluffy dough.

There was some sticker shot because when we lived here; these steamed buns were 75 cents....it's now $1.95!

Loved the fluffiness of the steamed bun; but the filling, while having that savory bitterness I enjoy, was on the dry side.

Yi Mei Deli
18414 Colima Rd. (In Hong Kong Plaza)
Rowland Heights, CA 91748

Still, it was a nice blast from the past...….I've many memories of grabbing one or two of these for a quick weekend breakfast before heading off to the Torrance Farmer's Market.

It brought back some nice memories....

Thanks for stopping by!

A-Bowl (Shanghainese)(Convoy)

Thanks for stopping by to read mmm-yoso!!! It's another day with another post about food.  Cathy is writing; Kirk is back at work.

The Mister and I were driving through another heavily packed parking lot on Convoy- and behind China Max, we saw a 'Grand Opening' sign and decided to check it out.  A-Bowl has been open for about a month and we hadn't heard about it.  Apparently the menu is Shanghainese and similar to Tasty Noodle House, according to some people online. We've never been to Tasty Noodle House, so can't compare.   In any case, people were stopping out front to read the menu and walking in.  It wasn't too crowded when we did the same, but was quite busy when we were leaving.  
Looking at that back corner, with the overhead lighting, this looks as if it may have been a Karaoke venue at some point (there are several Karaoke businesses in this mall).  It had been an InfiniTea-boba/beverage place before A-Bowl. 

The menu is quite extensive (over 100 numbered items) and everything we ordered was served in deceptively large bowls...small-ish circumference, but deep and filled.
 We decided to try the House Sauce Lao Mein ($8.99).  I pulled out a noodle so you could see the eggy goodness.  The 'House Sauce' was meaty (ground beef), ever so slightly sweet, slightly salty.  There were small pieces of dry tofu, garlic, ginger and onion in the sauce.  Bean sprouts and fresh cucumber slivers rounded this out.  Mixed together, this was delicious! Kind of a Mabo, but not spicy. Satisfying.
 We also decided to share the 'Spicy Sesame Wonton' ($8.99). Pork filled, large- two-bite-sized thin skinned wontons (there were ten; three layers in the, again, deceptively large bowl) topped with a peanut butter sauce, peanuts, pickled vegetables, cilantro and scallion tops. It wasn't that spicy and we added some of the tabletop condiments (soy, vinegar, white pepper and sambal) in various amounts to get the bit of 'kick' we were looking for, even though eating it 'plain' and with the pickled vegetables was quite good.
 We decided to try this interesting "Seafood Combination with Chinese Donut" ($12.99) Large pieces of fish, squid, shrimp and (small, Bay) scallops mixed with plenty of fresh crispy Chinese (fried) donut, covered in a pretty typical Chinese 'Lobster Sauce'-a mild white sauce, chicken based, with eggs, peas and carrots along with green onion.  This was great! The 'donut' stayed crunchy, the fish and squid were tender, shrimp were plump, scallops a bit chewy.  The combination of flavors was great and the crunch of the donut was satisfying (we asked for no rice and it wasn't needed).

So far, this looks like a good lunch stop.

A-Bowl 4690 Convoy Street, Suite 111 San Diego 92111 (858)384-2278 Open Daily 11-3 then Mon-Th 5-9:45, Fri-Sat 4:30-10 Sun 4:30-9:30 

 

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. 

Szechuan Chef Revisited

"SJP" recently took a position in another department, while I'll miss her, it amounts to a raise and promotion of sorts. "YZ" and I wanted to take her to lunch. "YZ" chose Szechuan Chef for lunch.

Here's what we had.

First up was the Spiced Bean Curd with Chive. Basically, 5 spice pressed tofu like you get at the market.

The dish looked quite colorful, but this was quite bland, really lacking in flavor, and there was no trace of "wok hay".

I ordered the Beef Tendon with Pickled Pepper, something that was pretty good on a previous visit.

This was much more gloppy than what I'd had here before and still lacked a decent amount of Pa Jiao (pickled pepper). The texture of the tendon as excellent though; soft and buttery. And while not particularly spicy, this was far from bland.

I also ordered another dish that had been pretty good on previous visits; the Beef Sour Soup. And while there was a lot less beef than what I'd had here before; I think it was of better quality.

The assertive sour tones really cleared your palate after the tendon dish. Still a good dish from Szechuan Chef.

The other clunker of the meal was the Tofu Skin. YZ and I were a bit confused when this dish didn't come out first as it's usually a nice cold appetizer. Well, this version was stir fried.

The bean curd skin was brittle and the cut of the bell peppers was too large. It lacked flavor and was really bland.

For the last dish we had the Salted Egg Yolk Soft Tofu. This was done pretty well.

I recall this being the dish "RonR" enjoyed when we had lunch here a while back. It's very "eggy" and savory. There are pieces of a "canned meat product"....a Spam-like substitute that added saltiness and texture. The tofu was soft and supple; this was a nice dish as well.

So, three-out-of-five isn't too bad. "YZ" told me the chef is from Chengdu. In terms of Sichuan style food; there's a real lack of "ma-la" (numbing hot) going on here; even when I've tried some of the supposedly spicer dishes.

That's okay, it was good to get out of the office and the three of us had a blast "talking story". Good luck SJP! Don't be a stranger!

Szechuan Chef
4344 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Cathy's also been here a number of times.

Clearing Out the Memory Card - Bistro Na's (Temple City) Revisited

The Missus had been talking about returning to Bistro Na's since our first visit. So, knowing that's we'd have the Sunday after returning from our Budapest trip free; I made reservations before we left. Little did I know that Bistro Na's would earn a Michelin Star the week we returned.

I wondered how this would affect the restaurant. Well, it was even more crowded (Sunday lunch); but the service, as before was excellent.

And the food? Well, I'm just going to give you the overview here, as we'll probably be headed back to Bistro Na's soon.

The Chili Tofu Skin Salad and signature Crispy Shrimp were still amazing. The Crispy Lamb Brisket was very good; gamey, crisp exterior, and super tender. The Missus enjoyed the Braised Brisket with Quail Egg; but said that the red cooked beef shortribs I make at home is easily just as good. The only clunker was the Fried Mixed Mushrooms; which while crisp, were way too sweet to enjoy.

This place is easily the Missus's favorite Chinese restaurant right now. As for me; as long as they keep making that bean curd skin and crispy shrimp, I have no complaints.

Bistro Na's
9055 Las Tunas Drive
Temple City, CA 91780
Hours:
Sun - Thurs 11am - 230pn, 5pm - 9pm
Fri - Sat   11am - 230pm, 5pm - 930pm

Clearing Out the Memory Card - Never Made the Cut Road Trip Edition

Here are some photos that I was just going to delete.....I have a bunch of breakfast one's from when I was driving to Irvine almost weekly as well. But since these weren't in San Diego; where I try to visit places more than once; I thought I'd just do one of those "never made the cut" posts.

I went to lunch with the folks I was working with in Irvine a couple of times.

Ngu Binh:

I've posted on Ngu Binh before, but was excited to try the Bun Bo Hue. Unfortunately, the folks that got there first ordered for all of us...….

They like their Bun Bo Hue not spicy with no pork hock and that's what I had waiting for me when I arrived......what the??????

Ngu Binh Restaurant
14072 Magnolia St
Westminster, CA 92683

Pho Lovers:

Which was right in front of Lien Hoa, it has since moved.

loved the herbs which were amazingly fresh.

The pho was seriously defatted, the noodles over-cooked, though the broth wasn't overly sweet or salty.

Now at:

9892 Westminster Blvd
Garden Grove, CA 92844

From other Road Trips.

Chengdu Taste (Alhambra):

The Missus was seriously psyched to try the place that had been declared the "best Sichuan Restaurant in America". We were quite disappointed.

And the service was so terrible, that we got our mapo tofu and Shui Zhu Niu Rou, the beef boiled in hot sauce to go. Both just didn't have enough spice and were seriously defatted versions. The won tons in hot sauce were too sweet and lacked spice, not even close to the version I had at Long Chau Shou (龙抄手).

828 W Valley Blvd
Alhambra, CA 91803

The Lark (Santa Barbara):

This one was from the same road trip where we had a wonderful meal at Yoichi's. It was a super hot weekend; yet they had the fire pit going!

From the mushy brussel sprouts to the teeth rattling sweet duck wings, not our favorite meal.

Though the lamb shoulder confit was quite good.

The Lark Santa Barbara
131 Anacapa St.
Santa Barbara, CA 93101

So there you go; thanks for indulging me.

I'll be back tomorrow with more San Diego restaurants.