mmm-yoso!!!

Turo Turo Tuesdays - Nanay's Best BBQ

A couple of folks were quick to point out in emails that when I did my "last" of the Mira Mesa "Turo-Turo Tuesdays" with my post on Mama Cinia, that I'd forgotten Nanay's Best BBQ....well sheesh, they were right. Must be one of them "senior moments" coming on. So, I decided to head on over. I'd also heard about Nanay's Salt and Pepper Chickens Wings.....which I had never seen....even more reason, right?

I arrived, stayed on my "social distancing marks" and sigh....no Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings.

I decided to go with the BBQ Chicken and the "sisig-ish" Spicy Pork. Man, I'd forgotten what the portions are like at Nanay's.

The rice was status quo for Nanay;s….it was on the hard and dry side.

I think I'm giving up on the "spicy pork".....like on my previous visit; the pork was tough, there's not enough sour tones, nor spice and the texture is on the "gloppy" side as well.

The BBQ Chicken was a pleasant surprise; definitely better than what I'd had here before. It could be that they had just finished grilling and chopping the chicken while I was in line. Fairly tender, moist, not overly sweet, which was balanced out with a decent savory-saltiness. Not bad.

I'm still of the opinion that it's really more about quantity here.....so if you want volume....have at it!

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

So well, looks like we're in reversal mode now....with bars, breweries, and wineries that do not serve food shutting down as of midnight tonight.

Please be safe and take care!

Turo-Turo Tuesday, the Covid-19 Edition Part 3 - Mama Cinia Rice & Noodles

Sorry for the gap between posts...….I just didn't feel like posting after the events of the last couple of days.

But here's one that I need to finish; the last of the trilogy of turo-turo take-out from Mira Mesa - Mama Cinia.

Like other places, they've blocked off the small area where tables were. The folks here are really nice and friendly, marks on the floor for social distancing, though not quite as good as Manila Fast Food and Desserts. Still, things worked out fine. I decided on the Sisig (of course) and the Pinakbet looked pretty good.....and just "half rice".

The sisig was pretty good, meaty, with nice crunchy bits. In terms of texture, this was the best of the three I sampled. I still think it needs more "umph", needs to be more spicy and more vinegar, though on this visit, it was definitely better than Manila Fast Food. The pinakbet wasn't bad either, though the eggplant was a bit over-cooked and while the bittermelon had that wonderful tannic-bitterness, I think it could have used a bit more bagoong.

Still, not bad at all.

Mama Cinia Rice & Noodles
9178 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

All three places had processes in place, which while perhaps not perfect, did the job. So, Spam comment dude, you got it all wrong man. Enough with all this stuff already.

Food should bring us together; my grandparents working on the plantation enjoyed an interesting variety of dishes.....because, even though the plantation management tried to keep all the nationalities apart to control them, they all had lunch together in the fields. A shared experience, one where in spite of the jokes we make about natto, balut, and harm ha, respect for each other is gained, smiles and food are shared, a wonderful cultural exchange. As travel has taught me....we are more alike than we are different.

Turo-Turo Tuesday, the Covid-19 Edition Part 2 - Manila Fast Food and Desserts

To continue with my "turo turo Covid-19" explorations; having not been to Manila Fast Food and Desserts in a while and having meetings starting at 11am, I headed on over knowing that MFF usually opens around 830-930. I got there at 10 and they were doing some pretty good business. Of the three Mira Mesa Turo-Turo places I visited, MFF had the best system, at least on my visit.

The employees made sure everyone was spaced out nicely, took orders in an orderly fashion; were masked and gloved up, took cash in a basket and returned it to you in a basket. I saw the woman working behind the counter change her gloves once...….even though she did not come into contact with customers at all.

I got the two item combo, Sisig (of course) and Beef Kaldereta, with a half portion of Pancit.

The Kaldereta was the better of the two items; the beef was surprisingly tender....it's a cheaper cut, but had a nice beefiness, the sauce was seasoned well, not overly salty, and had a nice acidic tanginess.

The Sisig had some nice crisp bits in it, but was on the waxy side and lacked spice and was kind of mild in the vinegar department.

The pancit was plain and while it had a nice texture; good al dente pull to it and not mushy, was on the bland side, but heck, as a rice replacement it did ok.

Overall, the most efficient Covid-19 process of the three turo-turo shops I visited in the Mira Mesa area. You can read about Soo's visit here.

Manila Fast Food and Desserts
8979 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

Turo-Turo Tuesday, the Covid-19 Edition Part 1 - R & B Filipino Cuisine

One good thing about not being the most "popular kid" in the San Diego Food Blogging Class is the lack of Spam emails....at least these days. Though once in a while I'll get a couple....they're mostly rather harmless and annoying, but occasionally there would be one like I caught about 3-4 weeks ago. It really ticked (off course I was more than "ticked" but you get the point) me off because it was somewhat racist in content, actually describing Filipino "turo-turo" joints as the breeding ground for Coronavirus, and finished off with a "slogan", you can guess what it was. For some reason, it really bugged me, because as a whole I haven't run into any real xenophobic/obnoxious/racist folks during this pandemic....except for the one guy at Costco who yelled at me "your kind are causing Coronavirus"....while (of course) driving away....there's always once, right? So, instead of letting it stew, I decided to do what would probably bug this individual the most. I'd go and check out those turo-turo places and let's see how they're doing. And to stretch things out; I'll probably do this in two or three parts.

First up, R & B Filipino Cuisine, which in my opinion has the most consistently decent Sisig in the Mira Mesa area.....feel free to disagree; because it gives me an excuse to keep eating sisig.

Instructions where clearly marked as I arrived.

They were doing some decent business when I arrived.

You need to find your box...…..it's ok to think (and dream) outside the box....but if you want your food....stay inside the box.

So, you can see that things are pretty well organized. The only issue I saw was that even though there's space for one at the register and one at the steam table....folks are used to walking back and forth....so the customer at the register wanted to look at something on the right, while the person now at the steam table wanted to check out how the sisig was doing on the left and they kept passing each other. Well, at least they had face coverings on.

I decided on the sisig and a nice hot tray of Bicol Express came out while I was in line so I got that.

The sisig, while not perfect, is my favorite in the MM area. The Lechon Kawale is not overly waxy and has a decent texture and there's more spice and a nice amount of vinegar.

I wasn't as fond of the Bicol Express as it had a strong "livery" flavor, lacked spice and not enough bagoong. It was also, as you can see, really greasy.

Overall, I was just happy to have sisig. And as you can see; there are procedures in place to handle spacing and other issues.

Heck, I just might need another sisig fix soon....so, if you see a middle aged Asian guy sporting a "Covid-19-in-need-of-a-visit to-the barber mullet" that might be me! On second thought, that might not be a rare sighting these days!

R & B Filipino Cuisine
11257 Camino Ruiz
San Diego, CA 92126

Lisa's Filipino Cuisine

One of the guys in the office was getting married and folks wanted to do a pot luck....so, I was asked if I could get some of "those chicken wings....you know THOSE chicken wings!" So, I headed down during lunch to put in an order.....I know it's kind of a haul, but I needed to get out of the office for a bit anyway.

After placing my order for pick-up; I was a bit hungry and decided to check out the turo-turo shop in the same mall; Lisa's.

Looking back at old posts; I swear that I've posted on this place before; but the only thing I could find was this "coming soon" post. I know I visited once when they had first opened; but I guess I never did return afterward.

The restaurant is split into two sections; a dining area on one side.....

Which transitions to the BBQ station, then the hot table....

The place was fairly busy as I got to the line where a little old Filipino Grandma walked up and pushed a couple people aside to get into the front.....she must have been pretty hungry! Seems like everyone knew her, so I guess that's the norm here.

The woman working was all business and very efficient. I saw a couple folks getting pretty much the same thing; so I followed their lead and got the Pork Barbecue and the Sisig.

The one thing the woman did that I really liked was she made sure that I got some sinigang. Most places don't even bother if you either aren't Filipino or don't actually ask. The soup had a good amount of the wonderful sourness going on which I appreciated. There was a nice super soft piece of pork and a surprisingly spicy chili. I though the broth was a bit greasy; but heck, for free.....

I did enjoy the barbecue pork which was toothsome, but not tough; the sauce used wasn't too sweet, nor salty, and the savory tones really made it pretty good.

The sisig was not bad either; a bit of spice, not overly waxy, could have used more sour tones, but this wasn't greasy, though I would have appreciated the lechon kawale a bit more crunchy. But, like the pork, this wasn't bad at all.

A couple of weekends later, I had to run some errands down in National City and it was fairly early at around 8 or so. I had earlier noted that Lisa's opens at 7am. I'd be up to Kearny Mesa after this stop to pick up a couple of things, so I decided to drop by and grab something to go. 

The woman working on this day was very nice. I really didn't care for the selection on this morning and just went with the Chicken Adobo and the Bistek.

Man, that bag seemed quite hefty. I knew I'd be getting to Nijiya before they opened, so I sat at a table and decided to have breakfast.

Sadly, my favorite item was the garlic rice....while it had some bitter burnt garlic in it. most of it was edible.

The chicken adobo was nice and tender; but it was also greasy and way too salty, in need of more vinegar tones. I just didn't care for the greasiness.

If anything, the bistek was even worse. I'm used to fairly chewy bistek, so that didn't bother me. It was the bloody-metallic taste and the sodium level that did. I'm used to a touch of sour-citrus in bistek, which was lacking here; or perhaps the salty-metallic flavors just cancelled it out.

As with most of these places; the portion size was generous. I'm not sure which of my visits was more indicative of Lisa's. I'll probably stick to lunch when I revisit though. After my arteries recover.

Lisa's Filipino Cuisine
1210 E Plaza Blvd.
National City, CA 91950
Hours:
Daily 7am - 8pm

In looking up the address for Lisa's; I noticed that the Otay Lakes location; which CC has posted on in the past seems to have changed name and owners.

Andell's Bakery and Kitchen (Rancho Penasquitos)-Filipino and Vietnamese (and cake)

Thanks for stopping to read mmm-yoso!!! on this busy weekend before Thanksgiving.  Kirk is taking a break (with His Missus) and Cathy is writing for a few days.  

Another day of driving without a plan.  The Mister and I took the 56 to Rancho Penasquitos Boulevard and drove straight on Carmel Mountain Road to the first light and into the mall on the North.  There were few lunch choices: a coffee shop, a taco shop and this 'bakery'.  

 There were some signs in the window and a sandwich board out front.  Of course we walked in. 
 Menu boards behind the ordering area,
 also on the wall...a few tables and counter eating spaces inside.  We found a great variety of choices for lunch. 
The Daily Specials (only on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday) listed Kang Kai Kole (a South Thai chicken curry) ($8.99) this day.  Southern Thai food is essentially mild and Kang Kai is a simple curry paste, made with fresh ingredients (not a packet of paste)- Here is a recipe.  This curry from Andell's was thick and very fresh tasting (there were bits of ground coriander in the curry paste along with cumin, cinnamon and turmeric along with the salty shrimp paste and a bit of tamarind and some sweet from palm sugar).  There was a whole chicken thigh, carrots, onion and potato over a nice amount of (a better quality) rice. This curry is a new favorite. 

Since it was Friday (when I don't eat meat) and also because it looked good, a Pandesal with sardines and olives ($4.50) was my order.  The bread is baked fresh here.  It was perfect, toasted and filled with the mashed mix of sardine with olives. Just large enough for a meal without leftovers. 
 There is signage everywhere for The Original Londres Sponge Cake, so I ordered a slice ($3.75).  The flavors available were durian and pandan.  We do like coconut. This sponge cake, filled with a fresh Bavarian Cream was very large (we took half home) and very flavorful, with a perfect sponge and a perfect cream.

Definitely will stop to try other flavors of Londres, along with other menu items. This family owned (and open since 2007) bakery and kitchen is a gem of a neighborhood find. 

Andell's Bakery and Kitchen 9926 Carmel Mountain Road San Diego, CA 92129 (858)538-8308 Website Open Wed-Sun 7 am-2 pm, Closed Monday and Tuesday

Revisits - Smack’N Guamanian Grill and Gaya Gaya

Some revisits to a couple of places that opened on Miramar Road this year.

Smack’N Guamanian Grill:

I was feeling a bit hungry and it had been over four months since Smack’N Guamanian Grill opened in the former location of Bann. So I decided to head on over and see how the Kelaguen was these days.

I arrived right when they opened and things weren't overly busy.

Ordering was easy. I just went with the two items I enjoyed the most over my previous visits; the Kelaguen (aka the "Fan Fav" - $10.95) and a side order of the Bunuelos Uhang, (Shrimp Patties on the menu $3).

The Finadene here is now self-serve and has a hilarious sign on it - "NOT ICE TEA". I asked the young man manning the counter and he confirmed that folks had gone there with cups, thinking it was iced tea and actually tried to drink the stuff! Hilarious!

Having packed like four containers of finedene I made my way back to the office. This kelaguen and subsequent side dishes were consistent with my previous visits, the chicken medium chopped, citrus forward, really lacking in spiciness or hints of coconut. The cabbage is basically coleslaw mix with some finedene….hardly any flavor, as I added two containers to give this at least some flavor. The rice was more chewy than on my previous visits.

What wasn't in line with what I'd had before were the Shrimp and Corn "patties".....which were actually balls and were totally incinerated.

Everything on the outside was hard and bitter, this was just totally gross. Why would anyone serve this?

For your reference from a previous visit.

It just kind of ruined my meal....just a total lack of quality control.

Smack’N Guamanian Grill
9506 Miramar Rd
San Diego, CA 92126

Gaya Gaya:

Man, Gaya Gaya has been open six months already! Soo's post reminded me that I should head back and see how things are doing.

I dropped by for lunch and the place was totally empty during my entire visit....it's a large space, which really makes things seem even more deserted.

The young lady who was my Server was such a joy...so cheerful and funny.

I was tempted to order what I enjoyed the most during my previous visits (other than perhaps the balut), the Adobo Rice Bowl, but decided to go "riceless". I was tempted by something called the "balut surprise" but I'll save that for the next time.

I started with the Pig Ear Sisig ($12.50), which was a mixed blessing.

The pig ears were nicely fried; crunchy, chewy and the sunnyside up egg, while a tad overcooked for my liking was fine. This dish really lacked the spicy, acidic-sour tones I enjoy in sisig. Pickled onions, jalapenos were used, which were ok bites, but just didn't stand up well to the porkiness of the pig ears, which didn't seem sauced......this just seemed like a hipster version of the dish for folks afraid of the strong flavors of sisig. Too bad; when I saw Pig Ear Sisig on the menu; I thought about the last time I'd had a more traditional version of the dish.

The Pinakbet ($9) on the other hand was better than what I'd previously had at Gaya Gaya.

The last time I had the pinakbet here; ampalaya (bittermelon) was MIA. This time, while a bit on the sparse side; there was enough to add a nice tannic-bitterness to the dish. Which balanced out the light sweetness of the perfectly cooked (not mushy) pumpkin. The eggplant was buttery-tender without being mushy and there was enough bagoong to give this dish a nice savory-salty "oomph". The green beans were a bit too large and a tad undercooked and tough for my taste, but that's splitting hairs. I enjoyed this dish.

Like I mentioned earlier; my Server was a joy. This wasn't a cheap meal by any means...over $20 for what is considered two apps. Is it "elevated-modern" Filipino cuisine? I'm not sure yet.

Sitting in this ghost town for lunch made me wonder how much business Gaya Gaya was doing. I'm hoping weekends, dinner, and Happy Hour is taking up the slack as the place is now closed on both Mondays and Tuesdays.

Gaya Gaya
7580 Miramar Rd
San Diego, CA 92126

Turo Turo Thursday - Revisits to Mama Cinia Rice & Noodles and R & B Filipino Cuisine

The last few weeks have ben rather hectic; so the guys at work have been kind enough to grab me something to eat when they head out. Of course, they are growing boys (though it's sadly growing horizontally rather than vertically), so they are looking for some major grinds. Thus, turo turo is always a good idea!

I have to give them specific instructions....in the manner of sisig….at least they know what that is....but then it's get "a beef stewish dish"...if I told them mechado or kaldereta, they'd be lost....and if I told them menudo; they'd be looking for soup....you know, right?

Mama Cinia Rice & Noodles:

Wow, I haven't had anything from Mama Cinia's in quite a while. I'd instructed to ask for "half rice"; which was nicely done.

The Sisig wasn't overly waxy, still had some crunchy textures, but was really low in terms of vinegar and spiciness.

The portion of menudo was huge! This wasn't overly greasy but needed a bit more acidity as the tomato tones were pretty subdued. The meat was fairly tender and beefy, but this could have used more overall flavor as it was on the bland side.

The rice was on the dry side.

Mama Cinia Rice & Noodles
9178 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

R & B Filipino Cuisine:

R&B is a favorite of Calvin's and I gotta say it's pretty good overall. I hadn't been back there in a while either; though Cathy visited a few months back. To quote; "we got you rice and pancit, sisig, and a I think, beef something....." It was Kaldereta.

The pancit was fine if a bit on the bland side. The rice was also decent; not too mushy nor hard. The sisig here was solid; with nice spice, sour tones, crunchy bits....though some where on the hard side.

The Kaldereta was on the greasy side as it had a ton of oil floating on the top. The meat itself was tender; though the carrots were under-cooked. It was also on the salty side and could have used more tomato, garlic and perhaps some liver spread to add more depth of flavor.

Couldn't complain about the portion size though.

R & B Filipino Cuisine
11257 Camino Ruiz
San Diego, CA 92126

Turo Turo Tuesday - Revisits Edition; Nanay's Best BBQ and Pinoy Fiesta

A couple of revisits of Turo Turo places here in San Diego.

Nanay's Best BBQ:

Stuck in meetings, folks graciously picked up some lunch for me...….

Not so good...it was from Nanay's. Now, I totally get that the guys really like huge portions.....but I think they can do better.

The Menudo was so bland; lots of meat, but there were a couple of pieces that was almost inedible connective tissue. Not enough tomato, or much any flavor as a whole.

The "Spicy Pork"; their version of sisig was the remainder of BBQ Pork in a kind of stir fry. The pork was tough; not spicy enough, lacking in sour tones.....

Nice try guys....but totally quantity over skill and quality. Lots of leftovers for others though.....

Nanay's Best BBQ
6715 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92121

Pinoy Fiesta:

I went and ordered some Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings for a potluck recently. So, being in National City, I decided to grab some lunch. Of course, Tita's is the obvious choice. But it had been a while since I'd visited Pinoy Fiesta, so I decided to see what was going on there.

The really friendly woman working had just filled the tray of Chicken BBQ, so I got that, along with (of course) some sisig.

I should just give up on the sisig here; it was cold, waxy, sour, but not spicy, and just mushy overall. Ok, it's finally sunk in.

The chicken bbq was interesting as it was very tender. Didn't care much for the sauce though as it was overly sweet and acidic. Too bad as that chicken was so soft and tender.

I did really enjoy the woman working who was so sweet and warm......though I think it'll be a while before I return.

Pinoy Fiesta
550 E 8th St
National City, CA 91950

The UPAC Neighborhood Cafe (City Heights)

mmm-yoso!!! is a blog primarily about food.  There are many ways we (all) encounter places to share a meal. Cathy is writing today, while Kirk and His Missus continue to enjoy their vacation.

As is our usual method, The Mister and I began driving with hunger but no destination in mind.  We saw this eye-catching signage "Now open at 8 a.m., Breakfast Specials".  Of course we had to stop.

I knew the location.  Kirk had written about it in 2010, then The Mister and I went to Pho Tay Do a year later. The 4600 square foot restaurant now has become a Social Enterprise Center run by the non-profit organization Union of Pan Asian Communities.

 A spacious area is now the Cafe, but that's only part of this Neighborhood Enterprise Center: Kitchen Creations, a Technology Hub, Product Design and Print Shop (hence, the signage) and The Community Gathering Place are each part of this building providing much needed resources and opportunities for both UPAC clients and the ethnically diverse residents and small business owners of City Heights. 

It was breakfast time when The Mister and I walked in and we didn't know what to expect. 

The Breakfast menu is next to the cash register. The Lunch and Global Menu as well as the Beverage menu are on the wall to the left. 

 The yogurt parfait ($2.50) was one choice.  Looks simple and basic.  Nope.  The fruit mixture (various fresh berries) is prepared in the kitchen, as are the granola toppings.  The yogurt is wonderful and thick.
 Overnight oats ($2.50) was another choice, made with oats, chia and almond milk with cinnamon, this was also served with the granola topping.  Wonderful mix of flavors and so good.   Will get again. 
 One menu item was 'Three Injera and large Tea" ($4). The Somali thin and spongy pancakes were made to order, topped with sesame oil and sugar.  We used our hands to tear and enjoy these warm and flavorful flatbreads.  

The tea choices were Chai or Somali tea (or assorted bags).  We were told that one had sugar and the other didn't.  This tea -a mix of spices- was also made with the individual ingredients here. Oh my, what a difference in being able to taste the cardamom, cinnamon, fresh ginger, cloves, black pepper!  This was a wonderful, refreshing accompaniment to our breakfast.

Of course we returned.    The turkey cranberry sandwich ($5.50) was served on a croissant (croissants and bagels are not made here) and was filled with fresh ingredients.  The house-made cranberry sauce was spread on both sides of the bread, the greens are spinach, the meat was of high quality. An excellent sandwich.  
 We also ordered a side salad ($3.50) which you can see, arrived with walnuts on top...a fancy touch.  Fresh ingredients.  Quality.  Of course the dressing is made here.
 We decided to order from the Global Menu and chose this month's Filipino offering-adobo chicken ($5.85). Wow.  An excellent version of this basic Filipino cooking and marinade method.  Vinegar, garlic, salt (or soy), black pepper and bay leaf are the flavors of adobo-prepared anything (I've had mushroom adobo and it's great). Even the rice was high quality. Let's go back to when we walked in and pay attention. All of the products sold on the shelves to the left are printed here.  The Product Design and Print Shop is equipped with all professional machinery.  The Youth who work here design and print the items (and are available to print items people order).  

Now, check out the glass case to the right of the cash register.  Fresh baked items daily.
  On top of the glass case there is a basket with bits of day old items to sample...so you'll know what to order next time. This was a berry turnover, which was still warm.  Again, the berry mixture made in house. So good.

A great addition to the neighborhood for many reasons. Wonderful food and worth the stop. 

The UPAC Neighborhood Cafe 5296 University Avenue #A  92105 619-255-7644 Mon-Fri 8-5 {Kitchen closes at 3, but sandwiches, beverages and the baked fresh daily items available from 3-5}

Union of Pan Asian Communities website

This is the current menu; the Global menu changes monthly.