mmm-yoso!!!

Chicken Wing Wednesday - Bonchon

I was quite excited to hear that Bonchon was coming to San Diego. I don't think we've had good K(orean) F(ried) C(hicken) in our fine city. I've visited solo and with folks from work four times since they opened at the end of the year.

I'm not sure if it was because we had lunch here....but Bonchon was fairly empty on all my visits.

I had consistently good service on all my visits; though I could do without the blaring K-pop.

The other thing that has been consistent is the chicken wings. The classic "KFC" twice fry method is used here, rendering the excess fat and creating a nice, pleasant, lacquered crunch, without having overdone the batter.

On all visits; the wings have been moist, the meat glistening, with no off dark spots, or broken bones.

Also, kudos for using wings that aren't gigantic, keeping a nice ratio of skin/batter and meat. What made me even more happy was the inclusion of wing tips, which were great for gnawing. One of the bozos I ate with mentioned that adding the tips were making the wings seem more weighty....until I pointed out to Einstein that we weren't paying for this by the pound.

The sauces were much like what I've had at other KFC places in the US and Korea. The spicy tends to be very one-dimensional and the soy-garlic tends to be on the sweeter side.

After the third visit; I decided to just get the soy garlic easy on the sauce. Which suited me just fine and let the pickled radish refresh my palate.

One other thing; I found the wings to be evenly glazed on all my visits as well.

You know; I think I still prefer Kyochon….but maybe I just need to do a comparison. Regardless; I enjoyed the wings.

One of the reasons for going with other folks is to be able to check out items on the menu.

So here goes.

The Seasoned Fries. Had this twice; both times it was seasoned nicely; the cheese adding a milky-salty component. Consistency though, goes both ways.

While the dusting adds a nice crunch; the fries were really dry both times I tried these.

The Bulgogi "Tacos" were more like pseudo-salad wraps. The flour tortilla had the texture of cardboard.

The bulgogi in this case was really bland and not marinated long enough and really didn't bring enough flavor to things.

We had two different fried rice; the bulgogi (the guys just wouldn't give up on the bulgogi) fried rice(sorry, photo didn't turn out) was so bland; it really needed some oomph. The Kimchi-Bacon Fried Rice, while in need of more fermented-savory kimchi sauce, was quite satisfying.

As you can tell by the color; it needed more of the kimchi juice; but the bacon did well....though if they'd put in some Spam...… Still, not bad.

The Japchae was passable.

The noodles were stretchy and chewy. There was enough soy-garlic sauce on this; without killing me with sweetness. The meat was too tough and lacked much flavor....there was also a light metallic edge to the flavor as well.

It's nice to finally have a good Korean Fried Chicken shop in town. Liked the service, the wings are fried to order, and have been consistent across my four visits. I'm not sold on anything other than the wings. But heck, this is a KFC shop, right?

Please check out Kirbie's and Soo's post on Bonchon as well.

Bonchon
4690 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111
Hours:
Mon - Thurs 1130am - 3pm, 5pm - 10pm
Fri - Sat   1130am - 3pm, 5pm - 11pm
Sunday      4pm - 9pm

Revisits - Bann Cutlet & Teriyaki and Sarap Filipino Kitchen

A couple of revisits to places on Miramar Road that I posted on rather recently.

Bann Cutlet & Teriyaki:

I think the freshly prepared food at Bann is a decent choice; the prices aren't bad, and while it's not outstanding, you do get what you pay for. During one of my recent revisits; I recalled that while I've tried the Chicken Cutlet here (nicely fried, but the sauce is not to my taste); I hadn't tried the Teriyaki. So why not? Also, the two young ladies who work here are really nice. And (maybe) because I waited for my Teriyaki Chicken so long, they gave me a fried egg for no additional charge.

Whatever the motive for the gratis egg was; I appreciated it. As you can tell; this is a fairly hefty lunch....man, so much rice. As I posted on earlier; I do enjoy the salad, and that mandu was still crisp when I got back to the office.

The chicken was on the rubbery side, but not bad.

Not a big fan of the teriyaki sauce; it's too sweet for my taste and texture is really gloppy. The rice was perfectly cooked; the bok choy (along with the salad) made sure I got my veggies.

Though it was too much food. I'll stick with a "bowl" next time which is still more than enough for me. Like the kimchi fried rice bowl...….

Bann Cutlet & Teriyaki
9506 Miramar Rd
San Diego, CA 92126  

Sarap Filipino Kitchen:

After our visits to Sarap; the gang at work couldn't wait to revisit. And so; with one of the folks having a birthday, even though there were only four of us, we headed back to Sarap.

We ordered the Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings again.

While these were ok; they weren't as crisp as on my previous visits. Still, not bad. Also, not seasoned as much either.

The Lechon Kawale. I wanted to try this again after having a terrible version earlier.

The skin was much better this time around; though the pork belly was on the dry side, and the leaner portions were rather tough. I enjoy the lechon sauce here; it's on the fairly mellow side, with a nice balanced flavor.

Crispy Pata (of course):

This time around; the pata was chopped up; the meat taken off the bone and the two ends, with the nice gelatinous parts laying at each end. It was still good, perhaps a bit drier, but the skin was wonderfully crisp; the porkiness of the leg coming through nicely. It was also a bit smaller than last time as well.

Daniel from Georgia loved the Sinigang and the Bagoong Fried Rice (sorry no photo).

Not a huge portion; but the tamarind based broth was rich, had a nice sourness, and man; the okra (I do love my "neba-neba") was gooey goodness. The pork was moist and tender and this had that nice "aaah" appeal. I'd gladly have this again.

We ordered some white rice with this......but hardly touched a quarter of it......

So, there you go....still a mixed bag; but still closer than Villa Manila which I think is better. They also need to staff better....it's go early, or wait a while for your food.

I also heard that they have started serving breakfast on the weekends now.

We'll see how things go here.

Sarap Filipino Kitchen
7580 Miramar Rd
San Diego, CA 92126

Chicken Wing Wednesday - Gala Chicken

I had to drop by Zion Market to pick some stuff up....mainly beef knee bones. Yep, beef knee bones. At the end of my "smoke session" I'll do the knee bones and give them out as gifts to folks who have dogs......the pooches really love the stuff.

Anyway, it nearing lunch time and I decided to grab something to eat. Gala Chicken had moved from their original location in the market, to the spot that Myung In had before they recently closed.

I decided to order the Chicken Wing combination....though in retrospect; maybe I should have just ordered wings.

In terms of wings; this might have been the best I've had at Gala. I'm glad they don't cut into the chicken anymore to test doneness and the batter wasn't too crumbly; like I've had here twice. The chicken was very moist; though it wasn't evenly coated in batter....it was also slightly greasy, but not in a bad way. In terms of seasoning; I still like some hot sauce on the wings....though not the overly sweet stuff that's provided.

Overall; all that rice seemed like overkill to me; they were quite heavy handed with the vinegar in the mac salad; but it was nicely chilled and along with the shredded cabbage helped to cut any greasy tones and richness. And the shredded cabbage made me feel like I was actually getting some vegetables...….along with cutting the richness, it helped to cut the guilt as well.

Not the best wings; but still decent, and better than I'd had here in the past.

Gala Chicken
7655 Clairemont Mesa Blvd (In the Zion Market Food Court)
San Diego, CA 92111
Hours:
Tues - Sat 11am - 730pm
Sunday      11am - 630pm

Eating to Beat the Heat - Buga

I think we're at the point where people are asking; "when is this heatwave going to end?" And it looks like another hot week ahead of us.

I stopped off at Buga for lunch between meetings last week. The location; right off the 805 is a pretty convenient stop. It was hot, and muggy. Instead of going for the Bi Bim Naengmyun, I decided on trying the Yukhoe Bi Bim Bap. It had been over four years since I'd last had it at Buga.

Like I mentioned in my previous post on Buga; the panchan here is not as good as it used to be "back in the day". The nsmul was fine; but the baechu kimchi didn't have any fermented tones to it; it simply tasted pickled.

Still, I was here for the Yukhoe; which turned out to be pretty good. The beef was sliced into nice thin strips; not a huge portion, but good enough for me. No off flavors; very clean finish, and they've reinstated the egg yolk. Lots of tasty veggies, made for a really healthy and satisfying meal. Rice is served on the side here. And while the beef wasn't as good in quality as what I've had at Prime Grill, this was well worth the $17.99.

And while this obviously wasn't in the league of Brother's Raw Beef (형제육회), it did "hit the spot".

Buga Korean BBQ Restaurant
5580 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117

Eating to Beat the Heat - Revisits to Iron Pig Alehouse and Prime Grill

Here are a couple of more revisits to places during the recent hot and sticky weather we've had.

Iron Pig:

I'm not sure why we don't drop by Iron Pig more often. Actually, I do know why; these days the Missus is more into wine and cocktails and beer has lost favor with Her. She is also not fond of the tumblers used for wine here...…...yes, She's becoming a bit of a snob I guess.

Still, on one of those hot days, I wanted one of my favorite salads....the "Man Salad". Which, by the way; the Missus enjoys as well.

Smoked brisket, goat cheese, arugula, Portobello mushrooms, and yes, French fries. With a nice vinaigrette that doesn't over power nay of the ingredients. Great crisp textures, combined with beefy-milky flavors. Definitely a favorite of mine.

That said; I'm not a big fan of the BBQ here; though the Missus does enjoy the rib tips....She likes chewing on the cartilage and crunchy bits. It's also one of the few items still on the Happy Hour menu.

Sadly the smoked wings; which I enjoy here, is no longer on HH menu.

So, we'll save that for our next visit.

Iron Pig Alehouse
1520 Garnet Ave
San Diego, CA 92109

 Prime Grill:

For some strange reason; the Missus enjoys a nice Dolsot Bi Bim Bap when it gets really hot. I was glad to know that even though Prime Grill now has an AYCE menu; it still features good quality items on the menu.

Though I think the panchan here has definitely taken a step down from when Ed from Yuma and Cathy joined myself back 2016 when the place first opened. It is still a step above all the other Korean BBQ places in town.

Over the last couple of years; the Bi Bim Naengmyun at Prime Grill has over taken the version at Buga as my favorite. The noodles are not under cooked, but not mushy, and are the thinner version.

On this visit; they provided a good amount of the spicy-savory sauce; add some cho-jang, vinegar, and I'm good to go.

And the Missus got Her Dolsot Bi Bim Bap.

And all was good in the world. At least until we had to step back out into the heat and humidity.

Prime Grill
4620 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

What have you been eating to beat the heat the last couple of weeks?

Bann Cutlet & Teriyaki

I saw this place during one of revisits to Pho 46 (I'll get to that one of these days). It was before eleven am, so I peered at the menu and was intrigued.

So, a couple of days later I returned. The young lady who manned the front counter was very sweet. She told me that everything here is cooked to order.

I decided to order the Kimchi Fried Rice ($9.95).

Which came with some tiny, yet nicely stuffed fried mandu. Closer to the stuff you'd buy in bags at the market, but with much more filling, and a decent pork taste to it.

I enjoyed the fresh green salad; the croutons and edamame were my favorite components. The dressing seemed based on red wine vinegar.

The amount of fried rice was fairly generous. It was scalding hot, topped with a sunny side up egg; crisp around the edges. A good amount of decent quality kimchi; not much fermented flavor, but lots of it. The rice was coated well, though the flavor was pretty one-dimensional.

Still, not bad at all.

On the way from meetings, I did the Spicy Pork ($8.95), a riff on daeji bulgogi.

Man, this was a lot of food. The steamed rice was just perfect......fragrant, fluffy. The pork had been stir-fried with onions and peppers, but it was fairly tender and had a nice savory-mildly spicy kick to it, which kept my interest while eating it. Of course I couldn't finish this, so I shared it with one of the guys in the office.

Totally worth the price.

Since I hadn't tried any of the namesake items....that would be the cutlet or teriyaki; I ordered the Chicken Cutlet Plate ($9.95) on my next visit.

This was an interesting "mixed bag". The rice this time was horrid, dry, with hard pieces.

Cooked to order, this took a while but the chicken cutlet was fried perfectly. Even though it was white meat; it was moist and tender. The breading stuck onto the chicken and didn't peel off, adding that nice crunchiness to things. This was; I daresay, a bit lighter than other versions of katsu I have. On the other side of the coin; those two sauces were terrible; from the runny, what seemed mayo based (hana battah) sauce, to the other, mildly salty, runny sauce....it just didn't stand up to the fried food. I think I just might tell them to forgo the sauces the next time and bring my own katsu sauce.

By this time; the young lady had remembered me, and she recommended I try either the Spicy Chicken or the Marinated Beef Plate. I went with the Marinated Beef Plate ($9.95).

As you can tell by the photo; this pseudo "bulgogi cum teriyaki" was really bland. It had too much vegetables; which really watered down any soy-sweet-savory flavors. The beef was also on the tough side. This really tasted like Bann tried to add to the portion size by cutting it with veggies.....

Pass.

If you consider Bann to be "fast-casual" food; I'd say it's pretty good. The price point isn't too bad, the ingredients are decent, and that green salad quite good. Items are cooked to order and the young lady who works here is very nice.

Also, if you visit, take notice of the certificates from Le Cordon Bleu which got my attention. Yep, it's from Le Cordon Bleu alright.....Seoul. First time I've seen certificates from the Seoul campus. And it's for pastry and boulangerie...maybe why I like those croutons so much and my friend likes the biscotti they sell on the front counter.

For me; coming from a plate lunch and what I call "Korean meat-and-three" background, this isn't too bad.

Bann Cutlet & Teriyaki
9506 Miramar Rd
San Diego, CA 92126
Hours:
Mon - Sat 11am - 9pm

Revisits - Prime Grill and Minh Ky

Prime Grill:

I had seen the sign and also read that Prime Grill had gone to an AYCE format; which left me wondering if they had "jumped the shark". A friend of mine wanted to have some Korean BBQ and I wondered, even though Cathy, Ed from Yuma (oh how Ed loved his Korean BBQ), and I shared an excellent meal there a few years back. It's even a favorite of the Missus; who, while not being a big fan of Korean BBQ these days, enjoys other dishes there. I was worried about those as well......

So I dropped by for lunch. And, as you can see, at least for the Dolsot Bi Bim Bap; there's nothing to be worried about.

Fresh, bright, and vibrant colors. That egg yolk hiding under the shredded nori. The big weakness of the usual bi bim ap we have here is the meat; but it was nicely grilled this time around. While waiting for that nice crust to develop.

Waiting allowed me to go through the panchan. Which was not quite what I had enjoyed here in the past; especially the baechu kimchi (napa cabbage), which really lacked that fermented finish I enjoy.

And while the panchan wasn't up to snuff, I noticed that Prime Grill still has their "prime grade" items ala carte, separate from the AYCE. So, I'd probably be dropping by for Korean BBQ with my buddy; though I'll probably put off the Yukhoe until later.

Prime Grill
4620 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Minh Ky:

I mentioned needing to revisit Minh Ky in my last post on Tim Ky a week or so ago. This morning's wet and blustery weather was the perfect for that revisit.

So here's the Beef Sate Egg Noodle - Dry.

Man, this was even better than recalled. The egg noodles weren't over-cooked and still had a nice stretch. The sate sauce here is full of shallots and onion; it's has a bit more savory "umph" than the version at Tim Ky. The meat is also more tender, though I thought the broth during my last visit to Tim Ky was better than on this visit. While in need of a bit of spiciness, this was definitely good.

The portion size was quite generous; especially since this is still $6.75. Hard to believe I've been coming here for over twelve years now. And yes; that parking lot is every bit a horrible as it was a dozen years ago. But it ain't so bad at 830 on a Saturday morning.

Minh Ky Restaurant
4644 El Cajon Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92115

Buga Korean BBQ for Lunch

I'm still somewhat sad about having moved offices out to Towne Center from the Convoy area. There's really a dearth of decent, non-sandwich places. So, every so often, when the stars align, we can grab lunch. We often have to make it a place close to the 805, so we can get back to the office quickly after lunch.

Buga was one of those places we used to eat at quite often, you could say it was on our rotation for a while. Then came the ownership change and while things had improved during our last visit, things here haven't been the same. But we actually had time for lunch! And I thought doing a lunch visit to Buga might be a good idea. So Calvin and I headed on down the 805.

I seldom come here these days, so every time I visit I notice changes. This time, I noticed they are actually serving the whole menu during lunch now. For a while it was only combos. Too bad we both had meetings in the afternoon....the last thing I need is to be in a meeting with waves of "eau de kalbi" emanating from my clothes. So we stuck to the lunch specials. I ordered the Bulgogi Box Lunch ($11.99), Calvin did the Daeji Bulgogi (Spicy Pork) Box Lunch ($12.99).

But first, the panchan.

 

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Except for the Kkakdugi (spicy daikon), everything else was really bland. The baechu kimchi was just plain sour, with no true fermented tones.

Calvin and I split the proteins. And I have to say, in terms of portion size, this is pretty hefty.

  The bulgogi was terrible. Under marinated, cut too thick, quite tough. The pork; while on the chewy side had a nice bit of spice, mild sweetness, balanced salt, but perhaps a touch too much sesame oil, but was decent overall. The tempura was decent; the batter a bit too thick, but still crunchy and there was even a shrimp, though it was fairly puny under the batter. I enjoyed the veggies more. A decent green salad and passable Chapjae rounded things out.

I left with mixed feelings. While I probably will return to retry the BBQ and the portion sizes look quite generous, Buga is definitely not as good as it once was.

Buga Korean Restaurant
5580 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117

Revisits - Santouka and Grandma's Tofu & BBQ

I've been a bit under the weather. This past weekend was especially tiring. I guess getting in from Copenhagen after 8 in the evening and heading right back to work the next morning at 6 might do that to you. Then there's the fact that a bunch of folks at work are sick as well, it inevitable I guess.

Anyway, here's what I had to put me back on the road to recovery.

Santouka Ramen:

With the cooler weather, there's no way the Missus would turn down Santouka. she really enjoys the Shio Toroniku Ramen. To the point that we had to make a pilgrimage to the original location of Santouka in Asahikawa. We had the usual; a large shio toroniku to share and a bowl of natto gohan, also to share.

While the broth still falls a bit short of the versions in Japan; this still hits the spot. Not too greasy, a wonderful tongue a belly coating richness. Just enough saltiness. The thickness of the bowl keeps the broth hot; something you definitely need in Asahikawa where the coldest temperature in the Japan history was recorded(-41°). The pork was nicely flavored good porkiness and soy, but was on the tougher side this time around. The noodles were just short of excellent, a bit too soft.

But it did hit the spot. Menya Ultra might be getting all the publicity these days, declared Restaurant of the Year for 2017, but Santouka is comfort food for the Missus and I.

Santouka Ramen
4240 Kearny Mesa Rd(In the Mitsuwa Marketplace)
San Diego, CA 92111

Grandma's Tofu & BBQ:

I was feeling a bit congested and the Missus suggested Grandma's Tofu & BBQ. It had been a while. We went with the Heukyumso Jungol, Korean Black Goat Stew. We hadn't had that in a couple of years.

This was much better than what we had on our last visit here. The broth was spicier, which really helped to clear me out. The goat meat was nice and gamey and quite tender to boot. Love the flavor of sesame leaf; it adds a nice fibrous texture and anise flavor to things. A lot heartier than on previous visits as well.

Too bad the panchan was second rate. As you can tell; it was fairly dried out, the baechu kimchi, which we consider a staple was quite fishy, too salty, without a nice fermented flavor.

We stopped by Nijiya nad Zion on the way home. Firm tofu from Nijiya. and while I'm not such a fan of Zion anymore, they had the good packaged "old style fermented kimchi" in stock. Not cheap, but it kind of reminds us of the versions we had Seoul, along with sesame leaf. It was even more spicy and much richer the next day.

Grandma's Tofu & BBQ
4425 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111

Putting me on the road to (hopefully) recovery.

Hope everyone is keeping warm and in good health this holiday season!

Beating the Heat - Revisits to Prime Grill and Take-out from the Original Sab e Lee and Thai Papaya

I realize that I'm kinda late on these posts. I'm not sure who asked what we were eating during the wonderful heat waves of August; but here's a couple of meals from then.

Prime Grill:

Our instinct is to basically do take-out and hang at home or find a place with good A/C. Add a nice cold noodle dish and some decent panchan to the equation and you have Prime Grill. The Bibim Naengmyun here has replaced the version at Buga as my favorite.

The noodles are stretchy, but not like rubberbands. The sauce has some nice heat for isn't overwhelming; just a touch of vinegar and perhaps even a squirt or two of cho-jang and I'm a happy camper. The portion size is rather large, but I can finish it all when I'm hungry. And in case you need to chill out, you're provided with a bowl of iced broth as well.

The Missus has started to enjoy the Dolsot Bibim Bap here; but She has a secret.

When the stone bowl arrives; She waits....munches on some panchan, has some of my naengmyun. After 5-6 minutes, She gives it a first stir, then She takes the juices from the now empty plates of baechu kimchi and kkakdugi and mixes it in with some chojang....and waits. We get another serving of panchan and eventually She starts eating, after a nice crust has formed. It's about patience and using the kimchi juice.

Prime Grill
4620 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

The Original Sab e Lee:

I'd kind of avoided TOSEL after my last meal here a few months back. Items such as Catfish Larb and Salted Fish Fried Rice has been removed from the menu. But on one of those super hot Thursdays; Thai Papaya is strangely closed on Thursdays. I decided to do some take-out fro, TOSEL.

Things were a bit better this time around; though the Pad See Ew with Beef was kind of weak in the flavor department.....strangely, it lacked that hint of sweetness that balances out the soy flavor. In addition, when did they start asking how "spicy" you wanted your Pad See Ew? The noodles were dry; there was no wok hey......

The Nam Tok was decent and much better this time around as it had a nice kick.

More on the sour than salty side this time around.

The Issan Sausage is a standby.

And it delivered as usual. A peanut, sliver of ginger, wrapped in cabbage, and you have a nice sour-porky-nutty-pungent bite.

The Original Sab E Lee
6925 Linda Vista Road
San Diego, CA 92111

Thai Papaya:

Though this didn't stop me from hitting up Thai Papaya the next time the mercury headed up that thermometer.

I find the dishes at Thai Papaya spicier and more soulful than TOSEL. Of course, it's "different strokes for different folks" and all that.

Thai Papaya by Sab E Lee
2405 Ulric St
San Diego, CA 92111 

What are your favorite "beat the heat" dishes?