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1-10 out of 57 reviews:
Santouka
4240 Kearny Mesa Rd
San Diego, CA 92111
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Reviewed By howie
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Jun 26, 2008
Until recently, my only experience with ramen had been with the instant kind to which you add hot water and flavor packet. This was a staple during my college days since it was both cheap and fast.
It was kind of odd to realize years later that there's a whole ramen sub-culture. There are whole blogs devoted to ramen on the internet, and movies like Tampopo discuss the quest to find the perfect ramen. It wasn't until Santouka ramen opened recently in the Mitsuwa Marketplace food court that I'm starting to "get" ramen. It's nothing like the crappy instant noodles you get at the supermarket.
My first trip to Santouka was revalatory. I tried the Salt (Shio) Ramen, which seemed to be the most basic. The broth was milky white and on top of the noodle lay some beautiful slices of pork. My first sip of the broth and I was a believer; it was simple, yet so rich and deep in flavor. The slices of pork were delicious and tender with just the right amount of fat. And the noodles had a nice little chew.
I loved it so much that I ended up going back to Santouka 4 times over the next two weeks. There are several flavors including miso flavored, soy sauce, and hot miso versions. They have all been delicious, but my favorite is still the salt ramen, for its zen-like simplicity.
They also have a few other interesting items besides ramen. You can get a soy flavored hard-boiled egg to accompany your ramen. You can also get rice bowls topped with salmon roe or even natto, the strange substance made of fermented soybeans and something that looks like ectoplasm from the Ghostbusters.
If all you've had is instant noodles, you really owe it to yourself to try the real thing. Santouka could completely change the way you look at ramen.
Tags:
ramen
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Apr 09, 2008
I had read on Alice Q Foodie's blog that Cafe Chloe had started an afternoon tea service. For $25, you will be treated to a pot of tea, a selection of finger sandwiches, pastries, and desserts.
I went there recently to check it out and it's a great way to try a selection of Chloe's offerings. We chose a black tea with longan fruit and a white tea. They brought us a tray of the savory snacks: smoked salmon on pumpernickel, a mini-mushroom tart, a cucumber and watercress sandwich, and a lentil soup served in a demitasse. I especially liked the mushroom tart with its flaky, buttery crust.
After we finished the savory treats, they brought out a selection of pastries and desserts: a scone, pear-rosemary galette, a chocolate pot-de-creme, and an espresso shortbread. All of the desserts were delicious. I'm a sucker for chocolate so my favorite was the pot-de-creme. The galette was wonderful too; as evidenced by their mushroom tart, Chloe really knows how to do pastry crust. If I wanted to pick nits, I would say that the scone was more like a muffin or quickbread than a scone, but it still tasted good.
Overall, it's a great experience for a good price. Most tea services are much more expensive, and likely in a fancy hotel where you might feel compelled to dress up. Cafe Chloe gives you an opportunity to have a similar, but more casual experience with great food (and tea, of course).
Tags:
afternoon
tea
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Apr 08, 2008
Ritual Tavern is one of the newest entries in the growing North Park restaurant scene. The unassuming exterior on 30th St hides a charming upscale pub interior. It's a cozy place for a casual-but-not-too-casual meal.
My friends and I started off with their beer-battered deep-fried vegetables. They had a crisp, well-seasoned crust and went very well with a slightly spicy remoulade.
Since they've opened they've become famous for their vegan Shepherd's Pie- mashed potatoes on top of a rich stew of tofu, root vegetables, and green beans. Meat lovers, feat not, since they have a version with beef and lamb as well. We ordered one of each.
For both the vegan and non-vegan versions, we agreed that the shepherd's pies were enjoyable, but lacking somehow. For me, the stew portion of the pie seemed a touch under-seasoned, and it lacked complexity - maybe it could use better wine or stock.
Still it was an enjoyable meal, and Ritual Tavern has other intriguing options on the menu - including another vegan option (the portobello burger). It's another great addition to the neighborhood.
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Pho King
4658 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115
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Reviewed By howie
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Feb 09, 2008
I asked my friend if she wanted to try Pho King this afternoon, and she seemed hesitant. But after telling her that I would pay for it, she said OK. I had been meaning to try Pho King for a while, but just never got around to it, so I was psyched.
We started with Shrimp And Sugar Cane Wrapped w/ Rice Paper. It's kind of like a make-your-own spring roll. The Pho King waiter gave us a bunch of hard rice paper wrappers, a bowl of warm water, and plates with shrimp, noodles, lettuce, bean sprouts, mint, jalapeno. Then you dip the wrappers in the water to soften them, put the ingredients of your choice inside, roll them up, dunk them in the sweet fish sauce dip, and eat them.
I really liked this dish. It's very fresh and light with all the veggies and mint. Plus making your own rolls is kind of fun. It harkens back to childhood when it was OK to play with your food.
My friend ordered the pho with brisket. I tried some of it, and I thought the broth had a little too much cinnamon and clove. It was also a bit sweet for my taste, but not terribly so. The meat had decent texture. It wasn't fall-apart tender like the best versions, but it wasn't what I would call tough.
I had the Grilled Pork Rice Dish. The char-grilled marinated pork had a decent slightly sweet flavor, but again it wasn't as tender as other versions I've had. The little bowl of broth they give you on the side was again a bit too heavy on the cloves and cinnamon.
All-in-all it was a positive experience. While not everything was stellar, I would give Pho King another shot.
Tags:
pho
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Feb 02, 2008
Los Reyes has slowly become one of my default Mexican stops over the years. I usually go to Adalberto's just down the street, but Los Reyes does some dishes better and offers some that are not as common like birria and menudo.
I've really enjoyed most of the beef and pork dishes that I've tried at Los Reyes. The carnitas is luscious. The pork adobada and carne asada are flavorful and juicy.
On a recent visit, I tried birria, a spicy, soupy goat stew, for the first time. As such, it's hard for me to do a comparative analysis with other birrias, but I will say that I really enjoyed mine. The chunks of goat meat were very tender almost falling off the bone along with bits of soft tendon. The fiery red soup was rich and not too spicy. The Chinese in me wants fill it with noodles and rice and slurp away.
I've had a couple of items that I didn't love though. The guacamole here (like at most SD taquerias) is sub-standard. It's bad enough that it will ruin a dish like carne asada fries. The refried beans lack the creaminess present in the best versions.
Still these are minor faults. Los Reyes is a great place for a Mexican food fix.
Tags:
birria
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Feb 01, 2008
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.
Tags:
hawaiian
bbq
plate
lunch
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Jan 31, 2008
Dao Son is one of those places that I feel guilty giving a middling review because the people who work there seem so nice. Plus Dao Son fills a greatly needed niche in the metro area; if you want casual, but not too casual Asian food in the metro area, your options are limited.
...but... I just don't love their food. The menu is hodgepodge of selections from East and Southeast Asia. That's usually a tell-tale sign that the food won't be authentic, and it seems to hold at Dao Son.
The bun (a Vietnamese noodle salad) was not like others I've had in Vietnamese restaurants. Instead of simple char-grilled meat, they topped the noodles with a generic stir-fry, and the noodles were quite mushy. The clean, bright flavors of this Vietnamese classic weren't evident in Dao Son's version.
Dao Son also serves a large selection of stir-fried dishes. They aren't unpleasant, but they have the feel of generic, Westernized Asian food. They basically end up all tasting the same to me. And sometimes the meats are overcooked. It also doesn't help that the rice served with it is often severely mushy (a pet peeve of mine).
Still if you're in the mood for Asian food, and you're too lazy to go to Kearny Mesa, City Heights, National City, etc, Dao Son is a good choice.
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Nov 15, 2007
Wow, these yogurt places keep popping up faster than I can keep up with them. This is the fifth tart frozen yogurt place that I've tried in San Diego so far, and it's also my least favorite.
My main problem with Dolce Freddo is the yogurt itself. It's neither tart enough or sweet enough for me. The plain yogurt had almost no taste at all. I know that sounds funny for a plain anything, but plain yogurt should taste like yogurt, and this tasted like nothing. Shoveling this cold, unflavored mass into my mouth quickly became a chore.
I also tried the green tea flavor, and while I could taste the green tea, the lack of sweetness still threw me off.
It's not all bad. The selection of toppings is pretty good. It's not as exhaustive as Redberry's, but you'll probably be able to find something to put on your yogurt. And the store itself is clean, pleasant, and comfortable. I just wish I liked the yogurt here.
Tags:
pinkberry
clone
tart
frozen
yogurt
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Nov 10, 2007
This new North Park newcomer bills itself as a late-night diner. It's certainly nice to have a place in the neighborhood to grab a meal after 9pm besides Jack-In-The-Box.
The menu is fairly small, consisting mostly of burgers, hog dogs, fries, and baked potatoes. I kind of wish they had branched out more since that's more or less what you can get at the aforementioned Jack-In-The-Box.
I stopped by a couple of weeks ago and tried a couple of their sliders (mini-cheeseburgers) and also their Mac & Cheese. The sliders were tasty, but their were a couple of little hard nuggets of something in the meat, which is a little disconcerting. I hear they get their beef from Brandt Farms, a respected local provider, so maybe I just got unlucky.
I was less impressed with their bland Mac & Cheese. Mac & Cheese above all should be cheesy, and I just didn't get that. I felt like I was eating plain, overcooked, unsalted pasta with a bit of cheese sprinkled on top.
I went back a week later to try a cheeseburger and fries, and it was better. The cheeseburger was simple and flavorful, though the meat patty felt just a little rubbery like it had been packed down too much. The fries looked fresh-cut and golden - very promising. The medium-thick fries looked like a classic Belgian pommes frites. But as I picked one up, I realized that they were all a bit limp. It's a shame; if they had just crisped them up a bit more, they would have been perfect.
Although it's nice having a place to satisfy the late-night munchies, I thought that the items I had weren't as good as they could be, and cost more than comparable food. It's basically fast food, except it's slower and costs more. I would rather get my burger fix at In-N-Out for less money. And late at night, I would just as well go to Jack-In-The-Box (or more likely my local Roberto's clone).
Tags:
late_night
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Oct 09, 2007
Opera Patisserie is notable for being the only place in San Diego to offer French macarons (as far as I know). French macarons are two light, glossy meringue cookies sandwiching a small amount of filling. The impression is that of a very high-end Oreo cookie, but that's not really doing it justice.
I first tried these little delicacies at The French Laundry. Even though I was stuffed after eating 12 courses, I couldn't resist the charming little treats. They were so light and perfect that I ended up eating three of them.
I decided to head down to Opera to see how their macarons compared to my first time. When I looked in the display case, I saw that they offered a dozen varieties of macarons as well as a small selection of pastries, desserts, and savory lunch items like quiche and French "pizza".
I ordered a French "pizza" with caramalized onions and bacon as well as two boxes of macarons to go. The pizza was a flat bread covered with a creamy, mild white cheese and topped with onions and bacon, and it came with a simple, lightly dressed salad. The pizza was very rich and delicious.
How were the macarons? The texture on the meringue cookies was wonderful - light with a pleasant little chew. I think I sampled every flavor they offered and some were hits and others were misses. I found some of the flavors (like the chocolate and the passion fruit) to be cloying. But others had a subtle flavor that allowed you to enjoy the light texture of the meringue.
On another visit, I went to try out some of their breakfast pastries. When I got there, the young lady behind the counter seemed unprepared, and when more people started lining up, things got a little chaotic with people pressing the counter out of order.
I managed to put in my order for a latte, a scone, and a croissant. I was a bit concerned when she started making my latte because she seemed very hesitant, and actually dumped her first attempt after sniffing it, but I can see that my worry was for nothing.
She produced a lovely latte with a dense, creamy head and a smooth espresso flavor. I can see now she was just looking out for my latte. I was similarly impressed with the pastries. The scone had a perfect texture for a cream scone - halfway between shortbread and biscuit. It might be the best I've had in San Diego (yes, better than Rebecca's, whose scones I consider overrated). The croissant was also light, buttery and flaky as a croissant should be.
So despite some quirks with morning service and some macaron flavors I didn't love, I think Opera is one of San Diego's best and unique bakeries.
Tags:
macarons
scones
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