I was disappointed to hear a while ago that Da Kines in PB had closed down, but I recently heard that they had opened up a new location in the Liberty Station, the naval training center turned shopping center.
It was quite a challenge finding it. After a long weekend run, I thought I would treat myself to a nice plate lunch. I ended up wandering around the NTC for almost half an hour with aching legs before I found a map that showed where Da Kines was (hint: it's tucked in the back corner).
My first trip I ended up trying the grilled mahi mahi, and the teriyaki chicken plate. The mahi was simple and well-prepared - a good choice for the health conscious.
The teriyaki chicken was less successful. It was dry and stringy as if it had been sitting out for an hour. The chicken was also quite flavorless as if it had barely been marinaded. L & L (the McDonald's of plate lunches) serves much moister and flavorful chicken.
Another pet peeve, the rice was mushy; that always annoys me. How hard is it to measure the proper amount of water and dump it into a rice cooker?
On a subsequent visit, I tried their fried ahi poke. I love a good poke (hehe), so Da Kine's cooked version sounded appealing to me. When I got it home and opened it, it looked very unappetizing - a mass gray cubes (the tuna) mixed with seaweed coated in gray residue. When I tasted it, it was kind of slimy. I admit that this could all be my fault for bringing home a dish that should be eaten immediately, but I also thought the flavors were off - it was bland. The saving grace was the macaroni salad, which was light and had a nice pepper accent.
I remember having better meals at Da Kine's in PB so this was kind of disappointing. But I still enjoy a few items here, and it's convenient for the area. I'll just try to stick to the items I like.
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Listed below are links to reviews of Da Kine's Plate Lunches Inc from around the web.
[ more from mmm-yoso.typepad]
"The Katsu, was the signature Da Kine's Katsu, thin sliced chicken, creating a larger breading to meat ratio. The katsu was cooked to crisp perfection...."
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