as a well-deserved respite from my days and nights of dissertation writing, i got to see the lovely miss lina AND the lovely miss alison this weekend in SD. miss lina was down for a conference, and miss alison trekked down for a little respite herself, so it was wonderful to have some catch-up time w/the ladies.
although we were definitely headed to ED for sweets, we weren't quite sure what was going on for lunch. not until alison's colleague suggested piatti over in la jolla. now i must admit that, when lina told me alison wanted italian, i was a bit crestfallen, especially since italian certainly isn't my cuisine of choice. however, i thought i'd give the menu a chance, considering that i never choose italian myself, and i was absolutely delighted when i saw sweetbreads on the menu. (and FYI that i'm a BIG offal eater.)
sweetbreads, when done well, pretty much do it for me. (i had them done NOT so well at comme ca in LA, and i've vowed not to go back -- well, at least for a very long time.) piatti had sweetbreads both as an appetizer dish, and as a brunch dish w/eggs. and as soon as i saw that, i knew that's what i was getting.
when we arrived, we were shown through the main dining room to the back patio. although i don't like my restaurants empty, i also don't like them packed, especially when i'm planning catch-up time and i need to hear what my companions are saying. thankfully, the place was fairly empty when we showed up around 11, which pleased me immensely. it was also nice and sunny, and just on the warm side, so it was the perfect day to sit outside. the sun was in my eyes from the start, so we shuffled over to the adjacent table with our plates. i personally don't have any qualms about doing this, especially when a place isn't crowded. and even though our server seemed surprised (and ready w/an umbrella), i'm glad the busboy made it a point to say that it wasn't a big deal. as a patron, if i wanna move, i wanna move. please don't try to stop me. it's impolite.
honestly, i must admit that the waiter was a little too old-school italian for me. he spoke a little too close to my face, and he looked a little too intense. perhaps that was his natural expression, but it weirded me out just the slightest bit. another thing that weirded me out was the fact that the big fat dude at the adjacent table literally kept staring at us. it was so bizarre. i mean, yes, we're stunning, but seriously, fans can wait outside. it was only slightly disturbing, and thankfully, i was probably the only one who noticed. two other random observations were that we seemed to be: 1) 10-15 years younger than anyone else there (at least the people paying) and 2) the only people of color. now, as someone who studies diversity, i simply notice these things. and it certainly isn't a big deal (i mean, the same thing happened at tavern in brentwood, and i absolutely LOVE tavern.). it probably just reflects the demographics of la jolla. i mean, who else would wake up for brunch at 11 on a sunday? ;) well, us, obviously.
and i'm certainly glad we did b/c the food was totally delicious and satisfying. lina went w/the french toast, which looked (and apparently tasted) quite decadent. the bread looked like huge crostini, and she made it through 2.5 slices before admitting defeat. alison chose the breakfast panini made w/pizza dough. the thing looked quite monstrous (size-wise), but she polished off a fair bit of it before we mentioned that we still had ED left on the day's food agenda. otherwise, i think it was scrumptious enough that she would've considered finishing it.
i personally LOVED my sweetbreads on egg whites (my preferred substitution for eggs -- did you know one egg is 70% of your daily cholesterol?!?). just so folks know, sweetbreads, when served in isolation, are generally prepared w/a nice sear on the outside and a melting quality on the inside. w/this particular dish, the sweetbreads came sauteed w/mushrooms and placed lightly over egg whites. first of all, both the sweetbreads and the mushrooms had just the right amount of chew. you certainly don't want either of them mushy or rubbery, and both were done perfectly in this case. secondly, the sauce was rich in flavor but not in texture. it totally brought the sweetbreads and the mushrooms together without weighing down the dish. minus the egg whites, this dish would've been perfect -- which is probably why they have it prepared as an appetizer that way. plus the egg whites, it wasn't bad. they just made the dish more breakfast-ey. in fact, they actually did a good job of soaking up the sauce and filling me up, so that i couldn't inhale the whole dish within the first five minutes of brunch. the sauce was actually so good that i allowed myself to have bread, just so i could use it to soak up the remaining traces of sauce on the plate.
in addition to my meal, i ordered a non-alcoholic mint julep, which consisted of ginger ale, lime juice, and a bit of mint. it was quite good, and i'm always appreciative of a few non-alcoholic options on drinks menus. as a non-drinker, i always feel left out, so i'm totally happy when my needs are considered.
the waiter came by at the end of the meal to tell us about a fundraising effort they were taking part of to raise money for breast cancer research. for the month of october, they were asking each patron to donate $5, and with each donation, each patron would receive a free cappuccino or coffee. considering that each drink was about $2.50, it was like each patron was donating $2.50 and the restaurant was donating another $2.50. it was quite a nice offer, and the ladies too advantage of the opportunity to get some additional sugar and caffeine. i, on the other hand, was saving up my pennies (and tummy space) for ED. i felt a little bad, but not enough to throw in another $5 from my dwindling coffers.
all in all, piatti gets two thumbs up. i'd definitely come back and i'd definitely request the back patio. as lina commented, it's probably even lovelier w/the lights and heat lamps on at night. pretty AND toasty.
btw, i just found out that piatti's actually a chain. so if the food's this good AND it's a chain, i'm certainly more than impressed.
piatti restorane & bar
2182 avenida de la playa
la jolla, ca 92037
858.454.1589
http://www.piatti.com/
Monday, October 26, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
where the wild things are
as most of you know (or should know), i'm not a fan of kids. at all. by any means. well, to be totally honest, i'll let christine's daughter veronica hug me -- she's the only one. and i think michelle and will's son danny is about the best-looking child i've ever seen. other that, i'm a fan of no other. not even my own nephew. so i'm a bad aunt. whatever. i don't care.
seeing as this semi-hatred of children is a verity, i'm always tentative about watching any movie directed at, related to, or even involving kids. animation is pretty much out, though i did enjoy "up" and "coraline" most recently. i found "wall-e" stupid (yes, stupid), except for the reference to the world becoming full of fat, lazy people. that was just hilarious in a sick, sad way. and a nice commentary on what the world could become if our relationship with technology were to go completely awry. fascinating. anyways, i digress.
considering that i'm in a reflective period of my life, i thought "where the wild things are" might be appropriate for my mood. i'd never read the book (nor had it read to me) as a child, and i really couldn't tell from the previews what it was actually going to be about. all i'd heard was that spike jonze hadn't wanted to make it more audience-friendly, which, honestly, was enough of a hook. i'm not into gift-wrapped movies unless they're romantic comedies, so i thought this might be perfect. (FYI that karen thought i might like it too, but few really know my movie tastes well enough. yes, i'm complicated.)
judy & i caught the 12:30 show and made it just in time to miss 1/2 the previews and find good seats. there were a ton of kids in there, which, after what little i'd heard about the movie (and what i thought about it afterward), meant that they hadn't really thought about what they were doing. ok, so i don't think much of modern-day parents. so sue me.
considering all my aforementioned confessions, i have to say that (drumroll, please) i thought the movie was actually quite good. before i go into why i thought it was quite good, i'll just say that the shots were a little too indie-grainy for my tastes -- as if there were a layer of dust over them. the colors were fairly muted as well, though i suppose that was appropriate for the mood spike was going for. regardless, the rest of the movie certainly made up for these minor annoyances.
in terms of plot, don't expect one. this isn't a plot-driven movie, folks, which is why i didn't think it was child-appropriate. children generally need things to HAPPEN, so unless your kid is some freak precocious thing that can sit still and appreciate the *tone* of a film, you should pass and move on to something involving a dated wrestle mania retiree. seriously.
for the *rest* of you, i'd say that this is a must-see if you're a fan of great character, cinematography, and mood in your movies.
first of all, there *is* only one real character -- max. now i must say that i found him tramping around in the same outfit the entire movie a bit gross. but then again, i'm like emma from glee -- i hate dirt. that being said, i think there was something so basic about his character that anyone could connect to it.
and all those monsters? a manifestation of all his inner selves. anxiety, fear, disappointment, anticipation, earnestness, joy. a collection of selves that don't know reality, that know reality, that want to escape it, that want to embrace it. all these big monsters, these big emotions, trapped in one little body, one little mind.
and carol? that's the self that lives in the past, that lives in memories, that won't let those memories go. that turns violent when someone tries to take those memories away. the one that resists moving forward, at the risk of destroying all the other selves.
not only does this single character give you something to think deeply about, but he draws you in, because sometimes, all you want is to be in a perfect pile of your inner selves, in a mystical happy place where they all exist and co-mingle without any thoughts or worries about a world outside. or the need to live in it.
in addition to a singular resonating character, this movie offers some spectacular cinematography. the scenes of max in the ocean are amazing. reminiscent of harry potter and dumbledore standing on a rock as the waves crash all around them. the dark hues are ominous during the rainstorm and the light hues are hopeful with the sunrise. all basic techniques i'm sure, though they coalesce brilliantly here.
the music didn't move me in the same way, though it certainly didn't detract from the film. if anything, it kept the movie going, so that you had no idea that time was passing. things happened, but you were thinking about them more than you were watching them. in fact, you have no idea how long max is gone, except for the tired look on his mother's face. the look that says, you have no idea what you've put me through, but i'm just glad you're home.
a picture of childhood.
http://wherethewildthingsare.warnerbros.com/
p.s. the cameo of mark ruffalo was a nice perk! ;)
seeing as this semi-hatred of children is a verity, i'm always tentative about watching any movie directed at, related to, or even involving kids. animation is pretty much out, though i did enjoy "up" and "coraline" most recently. i found "wall-e" stupid (yes, stupid), except for the reference to the world becoming full of fat, lazy people. that was just hilarious in a sick, sad way. and a nice commentary on what the world could become if our relationship with technology were to go completely awry. fascinating. anyways, i digress.
considering that i'm in a reflective period of my life, i thought "where the wild things are" might be appropriate for my mood. i'd never read the book (nor had it read to me) as a child, and i really couldn't tell from the previews what it was actually going to be about. all i'd heard was that spike jonze hadn't wanted to make it more audience-friendly, which, honestly, was enough of a hook. i'm not into gift-wrapped movies unless they're romantic comedies, so i thought this might be perfect. (FYI that karen thought i might like it too, but few really know my movie tastes well enough. yes, i'm complicated.)
judy & i caught the 12:30 show and made it just in time to miss 1/2 the previews and find good seats. there were a ton of kids in there, which, after what little i'd heard about the movie (and what i thought about it afterward), meant that they hadn't really thought about what they were doing. ok, so i don't think much of modern-day parents. so sue me.
considering all my aforementioned confessions, i have to say that (drumroll, please) i thought the movie was actually quite good. before i go into why i thought it was quite good, i'll just say that the shots were a little too indie-grainy for my tastes -- as if there were a layer of dust over them. the colors were fairly muted as well, though i suppose that was appropriate for the mood spike was going for. regardless, the rest of the movie certainly made up for these minor annoyances.
in terms of plot, don't expect one. this isn't a plot-driven movie, folks, which is why i didn't think it was child-appropriate. children generally need things to HAPPEN, so unless your kid is some freak precocious thing that can sit still and appreciate the *tone* of a film, you should pass and move on to something involving a dated wrestle mania retiree. seriously.
for the *rest* of you, i'd say that this is a must-see if you're a fan of great character, cinematography, and mood in your movies.
first of all, there *is* only one real character -- max. now i must say that i found him tramping around in the same outfit the entire movie a bit gross. but then again, i'm like emma from glee -- i hate dirt. that being said, i think there was something so basic about his character that anyone could connect to it.
and all those monsters? a manifestation of all his inner selves. anxiety, fear, disappointment, anticipation, earnestness, joy. a collection of selves that don't know reality, that know reality, that want to escape it, that want to embrace it. all these big monsters, these big emotions, trapped in one little body, one little mind.
and carol? that's the self that lives in the past, that lives in memories, that won't let those memories go. that turns violent when someone tries to take those memories away. the one that resists moving forward, at the risk of destroying all the other selves.
not only does this single character give you something to think deeply about, but he draws you in, because sometimes, all you want is to be in a perfect pile of your inner selves, in a mystical happy place where they all exist and co-mingle without any thoughts or worries about a world outside. or the need to live in it.
in addition to a singular resonating character, this movie offers some spectacular cinematography. the scenes of max in the ocean are amazing. reminiscent of harry potter and dumbledore standing on a rock as the waves crash all around them. the dark hues are ominous during the rainstorm and the light hues are hopeful with the sunrise. all basic techniques i'm sure, though they coalesce brilliantly here.
the music didn't move me in the same way, though it certainly didn't detract from the film. if anything, it kept the movie going, so that you had no idea that time was passing. things happened, but you were thinking about them more than you were watching them. in fact, you have no idea how long max is gone, except for the tired look on his mother's face. the look that says, you have no idea what you've put me through, but i'm just glad you're home.
a picture of childhood.
http://wherethewildthingsare.warnerbros.com/
p.s. the cameo of mark ruffalo was a nice perk! ;)
Sunday, October 11, 2009
extraordinary desserts!!
next to the san diego zoo, this is my absolute FAVORITE place in san diego. hands down, no two words about it. there are two locations: one in hillcrest and one in little italy. and i favor the latter b/c: 1) the hillcrest one is kind of small, 2) someone got shot/stabbed at the hillcrest one, 3) the little italy one is way spacious and has great interior design, and 4) the little italy one offers a much better display of karen krasne's delicious masterpieces. emphasis on masterpieces.
even if you never set foot in either location, you'd need a drool bucket just staring at the incredible photos and descriptions online. ever since a friend brought me here a few years ago, the tastes and textures of karen's delicious cakes have been burned into my memory. and i've had monthly (or weekly or daily) pangs to go.
after many angst-ey FB posts, judy mentions that she's available this weekend if i needed a quick ED fix. and of course, i almost fall out of my chair with joy. (i literally had a panic attack when i thought we might not be able to go b/c she felt sick the night before! thankfully, she felt better. whew! crisis averted..)
needless to say, i was thrilled when she was up for doing brunch instead of dinner. plus, it was the perfect meal to have after a nice, long, swim workout. just the thought of all that sugar put me into a tailspin. a happy tailspin, that is! :)
one of the best things about the little italy location is that they have a savory menu on top of their wide array of sweets & teas. this is totally strategic, b/c even if you stuff yourself on their yummy salads & sandwiches, there's no way you'd leave w/o getting dessert -- even if it has to be in a to-go box.
as soon as you walk in, you're greeted by a series of display cases, filled with tiers and tiers of lovely cakes and pastries. it's like you're in a museum and willy wonka's chocolate factory at the same time. all you want to do is stare and touch and grab and eat, stare and touch and grab and eat, stare and touch and grab and eat.... well, you get the point. if you went and looked at every single item carefully (the way my brother does w/museum placards), it'd probably take you at least 15-20 minutes. i know, b/c, well, i've done it. and seriously, don't judge until you get here.
even though i was distracted momentarily by all the gorgeous sweets, judy made a beeline for the hostess and we were seated right away. after she'd mentioned on FB how good the grilled cheese sandwiches were, i didn't even really bother considering any other options (though the paninis looked quite good). we both decided that coffee and grilled cheese were the way to go. judy w/her fontina, roasted poblano, and pumpkin pesto. me w/my gruyere, caramelized white onions, and whole grain mustard.
both sandwiches sounded really balanced in terms of salty/sweet, and i know mine was quite scrumptious. the sandwich was done panini-style w/all the ingredients sandwiched in nicely w/in the edges of the bread, and everything oozing out *just* slightly when i bit into it. to some degree, i wished the sandwich had been a bit more substantial. (i suppose i was expecting a bit more oozing!) then again, i could've just been hungry and wanting that portabello & brie panini i was eye-ing. *sigh* ;) the only other real criticism i had was that the bread was a little greasy, so i suppose a little less butter would've suited me better.
regardless, the sandwiches were merely to make sure we didn't have *just* sugar in our tummies upon departure. and as soon as we were done w/them (and we pretty much polished them off), we sauntered back up to the front of the house to make our dessert picks. after choosing our own favorites, we decided on which ones we'd be willing to split, and we went w/the ivoire royale and the triple chocolate mousse torte. (FYI that i'd pretty much decided on the roasted coconut cream torte after surveying the options online, but unfortunately, it didn't show up in the case until we were already done! i totally should've asked whether they had it, but thank goodness for lina's upcoming visit! :D)
out of the two, the ivoire royale was definitely my favorite. the vanilla bean soaked pound cake was super light, the berries offered just the right amount of sweetness and acidity, and i'm an absolute sucker for white chocolate mousse and white chocolate shavings. even though i always tell myself that i want coconut or lemon or fruit, i always seem to get pulled in by chocolate. needless to say, it happened again. this time, the triple chocolate mousse torte did me in. even though i'm glad we tried it (especially since i just noticed online that it's the "most recent decadent addition"), i found it way too dense and way too rich. i literally had had enough after a few bites, though i felt like i should continue eating it so as to not let it go to waste! while tiramisu isn't usually my dessert of choice, i'm thinking now that judy's pick of the torta misu (ED's version of the traditional dessert) might've been a better way to go. thankfully, i found out ED is one of her favorite places too! so we'll just have to get that next time. :)
to anyone who EVER visits san diego, this dessert paradise is NOT too be missed. and for those of you who want to try a little bit of everything, ED also offers a lovely sunday brunch spread!
extraordinary desserts
http://www.extraordinarydesserts.com/
even if you never set foot in either location, you'd need a drool bucket just staring at the incredible photos and descriptions online. ever since a friend brought me here a few years ago, the tastes and textures of karen's delicious cakes have been burned into my memory. and i've had monthly (or weekly or daily) pangs to go.
after many angst-ey FB posts, judy mentions that she's available this weekend if i needed a quick ED fix. and of course, i almost fall out of my chair with joy. (i literally had a panic attack when i thought we might not be able to go b/c she felt sick the night before! thankfully, she felt better. whew! crisis averted..)
needless to say, i was thrilled when she was up for doing brunch instead of dinner. plus, it was the perfect meal to have after a nice, long, swim workout. just the thought of all that sugar put me into a tailspin. a happy tailspin, that is! :)
one of the best things about the little italy location is that they have a savory menu on top of their wide array of sweets & teas. this is totally strategic, b/c even if you stuff yourself on their yummy salads & sandwiches, there's no way you'd leave w/o getting dessert -- even if it has to be in a to-go box.
as soon as you walk in, you're greeted by a series of display cases, filled with tiers and tiers of lovely cakes and pastries. it's like you're in a museum and willy wonka's chocolate factory at the same time. all you want to do is stare and touch and grab and eat, stare and touch and grab and eat, stare and touch and grab and eat.... well, you get the point. if you went and looked at every single item carefully (the way my brother does w/museum placards), it'd probably take you at least 15-20 minutes. i know, b/c, well, i've done it. and seriously, don't judge until you get here.
even though i was distracted momentarily by all the gorgeous sweets, judy made a beeline for the hostess and we were seated right away. after she'd mentioned on FB how good the grilled cheese sandwiches were, i didn't even really bother considering any other options (though the paninis looked quite good). we both decided that coffee and grilled cheese were the way to go. judy w/her fontina, roasted poblano, and pumpkin pesto. me w/my gruyere, caramelized white onions, and whole grain mustard.
both sandwiches sounded really balanced in terms of salty/sweet, and i know mine was quite scrumptious. the sandwich was done panini-style w/all the ingredients sandwiched in nicely w/in the edges of the bread, and everything oozing out *just* slightly when i bit into it. to some degree, i wished the sandwich had been a bit more substantial. (i suppose i was expecting a bit more oozing!) then again, i could've just been hungry and wanting that portabello & brie panini i was eye-ing. *sigh* ;) the only other real criticism i had was that the bread was a little greasy, so i suppose a little less butter would've suited me better.
regardless, the sandwiches were merely to make sure we didn't have *just* sugar in our tummies upon departure. and as soon as we were done w/them (and we pretty much polished them off), we sauntered back up to the front of the house to make our dessert picks. after choosing our own favorites, we decided on which ones we'd be willing to split, and we went w/the ivoire royale and the triple chocolate mousse torte. (FYI that i'd pretty much decided on the roasted coconut cream torte after surveying the options online, but unfortunately, it didn't show up in the case until we were already done! i totally should've asked whether they had it, but thank goodness for lina's upcoming visit! :D)
out of the two, the ivoire royale was definitely my favorite. the vanilla bean soaked pound cake was super light, the berries offered just the right amount of sweetness and acidity, and i'm an absolute sucker for white chocolate mousse and white chocolate shavings. even though i always tell myself that i want coconut or lemon or fruit, i always seem to get pulled in by chocolate. needless to say, it happened again. this time, the triple chocolate mousse torte did me in. even though i'm glad we tried it (especially since i just noticed online that it's the "most recent decadent addition"), i found it way too dense and way too rich. i literally had had enough after a few bites, though i felt like i should continue eating it so as to not let it go to waste! while tiramisu isn't usually my dessert of choice, i'm thinking now that judy's pick of the torta misu (ED's version of the traditional dessert) might've been a better way to go. thankfully, i found out ED is one of her favorite places too! so we'll just have to get that next time. :)
to anyone who EVER visits san diego, this dessert paradise is NOT too be missed. and for those of you who want to try a little bit of everything, ED also offers a lovely sunday brunch spread!
extraordinary desserts
http://www.extraordinarydesserts.com/
Saturday, October 3, 2009
ba ren szechuan & pearl chinese cuisine
seeing as how my day has practically disappeared already, i might as well take a few moments to reflect upon two other blog-worthy asian eateries i've had a chance to enjoy since getting to san diego.
the first: ba ren szechuan. a pick of miss wendy, who loves her spicy food! we went on a monday night, and it was fairly quiet around 7-7:30. we weren't even sure it was still open for business, given that we didn't receive any sort of greeting upon walking in the door. thankfully, the situation was quickly rectified, as a waiter pointed us to an open booth. even before i could take a few steps, i was distracted by the case of yummy goodness on my left. in it was house a huge selection of cold dishes: seawood, pigs ears, tripe, and who knows what other kinds of offal. to which i say: YUM!
yelp had warned us that at least 1/2 the menu would be in chinese. that didn't dissuade us, as we were starving and we already had a few things in mind. we started with a few of the dishes from the case by the door. the pigs ears had just the right amount of chew and spice, but methinks they could've used a bit more salt. the pork tongue was more flavorful and disappeared fairly quickly. i believe we also picked out some seawood, that offered a nice cool contrast to all of our other dishes.
this was necessary (as was the white rice that i normally don't eat) b/c the rest of the meal was HOT. so very HOT. not bad hot, just HOT. (get my drift?) seeing that it was just the two of us, we couldn't order everything we wanted. so we went with two yelp suggestions (the sliced boiled fish & the chicken with hot peppers), the smoked duck (a personal must-try), and some sort of spicy veggy dish (i think). let's just say that the first two were SPICY, with the chicken being the spiciest of them all. it was one of those things where you eat it and you think you're ok. but within seconds, you realize, you're not ok. it's a "creeper" spicy, as i like to call it. so thank goodness for lots of rice and water. again, it wasn't bad hot, just simply very very HOT. the little chicken pieces were nice & crunchy, which made the whole experience seem like eating spicy pop rocks. the fish also had a bit of a kick, so the duck was definitely the palate calmer/cooler/cleanser. personally, i think the duck could've been smokier and saltier, but it provided a nice contrast to all the intense spice.
all in all, ba ren was definitely a great way to kick off asian eating in SD. thanks, wendy, for picking the first yummy spot!
ba ren szechuan
4957 diane avenue
san diego, ca 92117
http://www.yelp.com/biz/ba-ren-szechuan-san-diego
**********
to kick off a fun weekend/week w/the in-laws, i decided to partake in family dim sum at pearl, located in rancho bernardo, only a mere 15 minutes away. i wasn't quite sure if i was up for it, as i'm not the biggest fan of asian carbs. it's not that my tastebuds don't enjoy them -- i just always end up eating too much! but considering that i haven't had dim sum in a year, i thought i'd cut myself some slack, especially post-2-hour workout. (it's painful how i challenge my body. *sigh*)
i was certainly pleased to roll up to a lovely restaurant front. as most of my dim sum experiences have taken place in cramped NY and LA (and even sydney) restaurants, this was definitely a treat. first of all, i arrived to see a big purple sign w/"pearl" in hip font. i'm a big fan of exterior & interior design, so this boded well. i walked in to see a sea of tables & chairs done up in wedding attire -- all white w/the requisite bows on chair backs. according to jerry, "it always looks like this" -- our waiter even switched out two of our chairs so that they would all match! in addition, one side of the restaurant (which was a nice long rectangle) looked out on a man-made pond w/ducks floating past. (we checked out "webb park" -- the park out back -- after the meal, and it was definitely the perfect spot for wedding photos.) in addition to providing great service, the staff were all dressed in uniforms or traditional chinese attire (chi paos & mao jackets), which added a nice touch.
foodwise, i was quite pleased with the variety of dishes, which included traditional as well as more contemporary options. the dragon's claws (chicken feet) were intensely flavorful and meatier than i've ever had them. even though this meant that there were only 2-3 of them on the small plate, i'd much prefer this over skinny claws w/nothing but skin. we picked out both the steamed bbq pork buns (which T&J preferred) and the roasted bbq pork buns (which i preferred). both were scrumptious, though mine could've had a better meat: bread ratio. regardless, 2 of these buns (and a crispy spring roll) were a good use of my allowable carbs. the salt & pepper calamari dish (apparently a big fave of the aussies in sydney, as they were literally on every single menu i saw) was actually a bit too salty (though i'd never admit that to teresa) and definitely did not come straight out of the fryer. the thing was room temp, if not chilly to the tongue, and could've used a flash-fry or something before coming out to the table. (a nearby table also mentioned one of their dishes being too cold, so this may be something that management needs to work on.) the mango pudding was also in need of some serious sugar AND mango flavor, plus it could've done w/o the non-ripe cantaloupe & honeydew (which cameron promptly spit out). the fam did, however, enjoy the roast pork noodles, the pork ribs, and the shumai -- none of which i partook in, though i trust their assessment enough to mention it here. the rest of the dishes on the carts floating by looked delectable (and worth a taste in the near future), though the roast pork in san diego all seem a bit too lean for my tastes. what's w/the lean meat, folks??
the phuong trang gang did mention pearl as one of their top dim sum picks in the area (the other two being jasmine & emerald), so i'm glad i made it out. jerry also mentioned pearl & emerald having the same owners, so it seems like jasmine is next on the list to try. for now, this place gets two thumbs up. it was 11:30AM by the time we sat down on a saturday morning, and we still had TONS of elbow room -- a definite plus in my book!
pearl chinese cuisine
11666 avena place
san diego, ca 92128
http://www.yelp.com/biz/pearl-chinese-cuisine-san-diego
the first: ba ren szechuan. a pick of miss wendy, who loves her spicy food! we went on a monday night, and it was fairly quiet around 7-7:30. we weren't even sure it was still open for business, given that we didn't receive any sort of greeting upon walking in the door. thankfully, the situation was quickly rectified, as a waiter pointed us to an open booth. even before i could take a few steps, i was distracted by the case of yummy goodness on my left. in it was house a huge selection of cold dishes: seawood, pigs ears, tripe, and who knows what other kinds of offal. to which i say: YUM!
yelp had warned us that at least 1/2 the menu would be in chinese. that didn't dissuade us, as we were starving and we already had a few things in mind. we started with a few of the dishes from the case by the door. the pigs ears had just the right amount of chew and spice, but methinks they could've used a bit more salt. the pork tongue was more flavorful and disappeared fairly quickly. i believe we also picked out some seawood, that offered a nice cool contrast to all of our other dishes.
this was necessary (as was the white rice that i normally don't eat) b/c the rest of the meal was HOT. so very HOT. not bad hot, just HOT. (get my drift?) seeing that it was just the two of us, we couldn't order everything we wanted. so we went with two yelp suggestions (the sliced boiled fish & the chicken with hot peppers), the smoked duck (a personal must-try), and some sort of spicy veggy dish (i think). let's just say that the first two were SPICY, with the chicken being the spiciest of them all. it was one of those things where you eat it and you think you're ok. but within seconds, you realize, you're not ok. it's a "creeper" spicy, as i like to call it. so thank goodness for lots of rice and water. again, it wasn't bad hot, just simply very very HOT. the little chicken pieces were nice & crunchy, which made the whole experience seem like eating spicy pop rocks. the fish also had a bit of a kick, so the duck was definitely the palate calmer/cooler/cleanser. personally, i think the duck could've been smokier and saltier, but it provided a nice contrast to all the intense spice.
all in all, ba ren was definitely a great way to kick off asian eating in SD. thanks, wendy, for picking the first yummy spot!
ba ren szechuan
4957 diane avenue
san diego, ca 92117
http://www.yelp.com/biz/ba-ren-szechuan-san-diego
**********
to kick off a fun weekend/week w/the in-laws, i decided to partake in family dim sum at pearl, located in rancho bernardo, only a mere 15 minutes away. i wasn't quite sure if i was up for it, as i'm not the biggest fan of asian carbs. it's not that my tastebuds don't enjoy them -- i just always end up eating too much! but considering that i haven't had dim sum in a year, i thought i'd cut myself some slack, especially post-2-hour workout. (it's painful how i challenge my body. *sigh*)
i was certainly pleased to roll up to a lovely restaurant front. as most of my dim sum experiences have taken place in cramped NY and LA (and even sydney) restaurants, this was definitely a treat. first of all, i arrived to see a big purple sign w/"pearl" in hip font. i'm a big fan of exterior & interior design, so this boded well. i walked in to see a sea of tables & chairs done up in wedding attire -- all white w/the requisite bows on chair backs. according to jerry, "it always looks like this" -- our waiter even switched out two of our chairs so that they would all match! in addition, one side of the restaurant (which was a nice long rectangle) looked out on a man-made pond w/ducks floating past. (we checked out "webb park" -- the park out back -- after the meal, and it was definitely the perfect spot for wedding photos.) in addition to providing great service, the staff were all dressed in uniforms or traditional chinese attire (chi paos & mao jackets), which added a nice touch.
foodwise, i was quite pleased with the variety of dishes, which included traditional as well as more contemporary options. the dragon's claws (chicken feet) were intensely flavorful and meatier than i've ever had them. even though this meant that there were only 2-3 of them on the small plate, i'd much prefer this over skinny claws w/nothing but skin. we picked out both the steamed bbq pork buns (which T&J preferred) and the roasted bbq pork buns (which i preferred). both were scrumptious, though mine could've had a better meat: bread ratio. regardless, 2 of these buns (and a crispy spring roll) were a good use of my allowable carbs. the salt & pepper calamari dish (apparently a big fave of the aussies in sydney, as they were literally on every single menu i saw) was actually a bit too salty (though i'd never admit that to teresa) and definitely did not come straight out of the fryer. the thing was room temp, if not chilly to the tongue, and could've used a flash-fry or something before coming out to the table. (a nearby table also mentioned one of their dishes being too cold, so this may be something that management needs to work on.) the mango pudding was also in need of some serious sugar AND mango flavor, plus it could've done w/o the non-ripe cantaloupe & honeydew (which cameron promptly spit out). the fam did, however, enjoy the roast pork noodles, the pork ribs, and the shumai -- none of which i partook in, though i trust their assessment enough to mention it here. the rest of the dishes on the carts floating by looked delectable (and worth a taste in the near future), though the roast pork in san diego all seem a bit too lean for my tastes. what's w/the lean meat, folks??
the phuong trang gang did mention pearl as one of their top dim sum picks in the area (the other two being jasmine & emerald), so i'm glad i made it out. jerry also mentioned pearl & emerald having the same owners, so it seems like jasmine is next on the list to try. for now, this place gets two thumbs up. it was 11:30AM by the time we sat down on a saturday morning, and we still had TONS of elbow room -- a definite plus in my book!
pearl chinese cuisine
11666 avena place
san diego, ca 92128
http://www.yelp.com/biz/pearl-chinese-cuisine-san-diego
Friday, October 2, 2009
phuong trang - vietnamese heaven
after i was pretty much facebook pummeled for not having had pho before last weekend, i couldn't say no when dave suggested a vietnamese food outing this week. with some snazzy coordination skills, we were able to get a nice-sized group together. asian meals are best done family-style -- it's so much easier to sample stuff!
and sampling was priority, as i've only had vietnamese a couple of times, and andrew had never had it at all! (a total travesty, i know! ahem.) thankfully, dave & an were semi-experts, so we let dave pick everything (w/our suggestions, of course). and we ended up with a lazy susan that was, well, lazy. the poor thing was covered in so many dishes that we had to eat & clear, eat & clear, eat & clear.... well, you get the picture. plus we had to keep the fried rice (which was a total throwaway) on another table.
we weren't sure we'd get through it all, but we did a pretty good job jamming everything into our tummies. the highlights for me included: the cha gio (the fried egg rolls), the tom rang muoi (the fried salted shrimp), the goi sua tom thit (the shrimp, pork, & jellyfish salad), the ca kho (the catfish sauteed in fish sauce), the dan hu xao xa ot (the tofu w/lemongrass & hot pepper), the bo lu lac (the beef cube steak), and the suon ram man (the pork spare ribs sauteed in fish sauce).
now i know you all think that i just typed out the whole menu for you, but i assure you that the menu was GINORMOUS. thank goodness most of us had skimmed through it online. and thank goodness we were all so starved that we just let dave do all the work. [thanks, dave! ;)]
aside from the fact that the restaurant didn't have dungeness crab OR lobster available to us on a tuesday night at 7PM (i mean, seriously?), the service was actually quite impeccable. water appeared fairly quickly, our server was on top of his schtuff, and our food came out as soon as each dish was ready.
first things first, the apps were the perfect intro to the meal. the egg rolls were just greasy enough so that you knew they were fried, and they were *so* hot (as in, straight-from-the-fryer hot) that you had to be careful not to burn your tongue. that said, the skin offered an audible crunch as your teeth sank into the salty filling. the fried shrimp was also a big hit. after i was politely schooled by dave on how i should *not* take off the crispy shells encrusted with yummy salt, i had a much easier time. (i swear i was burning my fingertips!) these apps went quick, so it was clear that it was going to be all-hands-on-deck for the rest of the meal. (FYI to all those who are squeamish, the heads are left on and the bodies aren't de-veined. if you have issues, the shrimp aren't for you. ahem, chris, ahem.)
[btw, i'm glad some of the other folks were more polite, b/c otherwise i wouldn't have been able to get back for the necessary seconds and thirds!]
wendy & i had both skimmed rave reviews on yelp for the sauteed catfish & the lemongrass tofu, so they absolutely HAD to be ordered. dave & an had had the catfish on previous visits -- and both raved. after it came to the table, we ALL raved. i was just telling jerry & teresa the other day about how i didn't like catfish. well, let's just say, exceptions can be made. this catfish was absolutely PHENOMENAL. the sauce was practically lacquered onto the fish (in a good way), and the blend of sweet & salty w/just a hint of spice was heavenly. there was also just enough fat on the fish to make it go down super smoothly. wendy & i split a piece, and i swear my chopsticks went into the pot a few more times. (and apologies to all, b/c that was definitely NOT a very big pot.)
in similar fashion, the tofu was pretty much encased by the sauce (again, in a good way). the cubes came out with a thin crispy yellow exterior, a warm melting white middle, and a light coating of red spicy sauce. a great balance of textures and tastes that worked a whole bunch of tastebuds at once. as we were trying to cool down from the physical heat of these early dishes, the salad was a great last-minute addition. first of all, who doesn't love the jellyfish chew? (that's a rhetorical question btw.) secondly, i noticed that the kitchen actually took the time to cook the shrimp perfectly (not chewy like the jelly) and to halve them neatly! it was quite a contrast to the fried shrimp, but just as good.
and b/c wendy & i are carnivores, andrew eats at least 4000 calories a day, and the rest of the table was hungry too, we asked for LOTS of meat. my personal faves were the beef cubes & the pork spare ribs. i'm partial to pork, so spare ribs pretty much have to be ordered whenever they're on the menu. from what i can tell from the menu, the sauce may have been similar to the one on the catfish. this is likely as i found myself going back for more of the pork. there's something about this caramelized fish sauce thing that's got me hooked! at any rate, the beef was also very good, though anything that comes over to me sizzling is bound to grab my attention.
the rest of the dishes -- some plates of chicken, a catfish soup, the fried rice -- were pretty typical and throwaway and possibly American-ish. while this doesn't mean they weren't flavorful, they definitely couldn't compete w/the others i took time to describe. it would've been nice to try some of the desserts, but it seemed like everyone was a bit too stuffed by the end of the meal. granted, dave could still inhale a few bowls of rice soaked in caramelized fish sauce, but the rest of us were spent.
despite my lack of familiarity with vietnamese food, and my preference for virginia's homecooking, i have to give this place 5 stars. yelp can be temperamental, but i certainly swear by the suggestions offered up for this strip mall hot spot!
phuong trang restaurant
4170 convoy street
san diego, ca 92111
858.565.6750
http://www.phuongtrangrestaurant.com/
and sampling was priority, as i've only had vietnamese a couple of times, and andrew had never had it at all! (a total travesty, i know! ahem.) thankfully, dave & an were semi-experts, so we let dave pick everything (w/our suggestions, of course). and we ended up with a lazy susan that was, well, lazy. the poor thing was covered in so many dishes that we had to eat & clear, eat & clear, eat & clear.... well, you get the picture. plus we had to keep the fried rice (which was a total throwaway) on another table.
we weren't sure we'd get through it all, but we did a pretty good job jamming everything into our tummies. the highlights for me included: the cha gio (the fried egg rolls), the tom rang muoi (the fried salted shrimp), the goi sua tom thit (the shrimp, pork, & jellyfish salad), the ca kho (the catfish sauteed in fish sauce), the dan hu xao xa ot (the tofu w/lemongrass & hot pepper), the bo lu lac (the beef cube steak), and the suon ram man (the pork spare ribs sauteed in fish sauce).
now i know you all think that i just typed out the whole menu for you, but i assure you that the menu was GINORMOUS. thank goodness most of us had skimmed through it online. and thank goodness we were all so starved that we just let dave do all the work. [thanks, dave! ;)]
aside from the fact that the restaurant didn't have dungeness crab OR lobster available to us on a tuesday night at 7PM (i mean, seriously?), the service was actually quite impeccable. water appeared fairly quickly, our server was on top of his schtuff, and our food came out as soon as each dish was ready.
first things first, the apps were the perfect intro to the meal. the egg rolls were just greasy enough so that you knew they were fried, and they were *so* hot (as in, straight-from-the-fryer hot) that you had to be careful not to burn your tongue. that said, the skin offered an audible crunch as your teeth sank into the salty filling. the fried shrimp was also a big hit. after i was politely schooled by dave on how i should *not* take off the crispy shells encrusted with yummy salt, i had a much easier time. (i swear i was burning my fingertips!) these apps went quick, so it was clear that it was going to be all-hands-on-deck for the rest of the meal. (FYI to all those who are squeamish, the heads are left on and the bodies aren't de-veined. if you have issues, the shrimp aren't for you. ahem, chris, ahem.)
[btw, i'm glad some of the other folks were more polite, b/c otherwise i wouldn't have been able to get back for the necessary seconds and thirds!]
wendy & i had both skimmed rave reviews on yelp for the sauteed catfish & the lemongrass tofu, so they absolutely HAD to be ordered. dave & an had had the catfish on previous visits -- and both raved. after it came to the table, we ALL raved. i was just telling jerry & teresa the other day about how i didn't like catfish. well, let's just say, exceptions can be made. this catfish was absolutely PHENOMENAL. the sauce was practically lacquered onto the fish (in a good way), and the blend of sweet & salty w/just a hint of spice was heavenly. there was also just enough fat on the fish to make it go down super smoothly. wendy & i split a piece, and i swear my chopsticks went into the pot a few more times. (and apologies to all, b/c that was definitely NOT a very big pot.)
in similar fashion, the tofu was pretty much encased by the sauce (again, in a good way). the cubes came out with a thin crispy yellow exterior, a warm melting white middle, and a light coating of red spicy sauce. a great balance of textures and tastes that worked a whole bunch of tastebuds at once. as we were trying to cool down from the physical heat of these early dishes, the salad was a great last-minute addition. first of all, who doesn't love the jellyfish chew? (that's a rhetorical question btw.) secondly, i noticed that the kitchen actually took the time to cook the shrimp perfectly (not chewy like the jelly) and to halve them neatly! it was quite a contrast to the fried shrimp, but just as good.
and b/c wendy & i are carnivores, andrew eats at least 4000 calories a day, and the rest of the table was hungry too, we asked for LOTS of meat. my personal faves were the beef cubes & the pork spare ribs. i'm partial to pork, so spare ribs pretty much have to be ordered whenever they're on the menu. from what i can tell from the menu, the sauce may have been similar to the one on the catfish. this is likely as i found myself going back for more of the pork. there's something about this caramelized fish sauce thing that's got me hooked! at any rate, the beef was also very good, though anything that comes over to me sizzling is bound to grab my attention.
the rest of the dishes -- some plates of chicken, a catfish soup, the fried rice -- were pretty typical and throwaway and possibly American-ish. while this doesn't mean they weren't flavorful, they definitely couldn't compete w/the others i took time to describe. it would've been nice to try some of the desserts, but it seemed like everyone was a bit too stuffed by the end of the meal. granted, dave could still inhale a few bowls of rice soaked in caramelized fish sauce, but the rest of us were spent.
despite my lack of familiarity with vietnamese food, and my preference for virginia's homecooking, i have to give this place 5 stars. yelp can be temperamental, but i certainly swear by the suggestions offered up for this strip mall hot spot!
phuong trang restaurant
4170 convoy street
san diego, ca 92111
858.565.6750
http://www.phuongtrangrestaurant.com/
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