Tamarind

December 28, 2006
Cuisine: Thai

7970 University Avenue Suite 310
La Mesa, CA 91941

Phone: (619) 337-2581
Website: http://www.tamarindthai.com/

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Pad Thai - Stir fried small rice noodle with egg, tamarind sauce, leek, bean-sprout served with ground peanut on top ($8.50)

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My friends Kellie and Aaron along with Kel's husband Mike met for dinner at Tamarind to reminice about old times, catch up on new times, and eat some great Thai food.

Every time I eat at a Thai restaurant I make a conscious effort to order something other than Pad Thai. Sadly though, my efforts are usually futile because I REALLY like Pad Thai. Although I tried hard to order something new, this visit was no different, I ordered Pad Thai.

Tamarind makes a killer Pad Thai; I ordered mine with tofu. Other options include mock meat, vegetables, chicken, seafood, or beef. It must be noted that the noodles were superb due to their natural elasticity. I don't think I have ever had such great noodles. Additionally, the sauce was appropriately sweet and sour. But since I like my Pad Thai on the sour side, I squeezed some fresh lime juice on top. Lastly, the tofu was fried to a nice crisp and the fresh bean sprouts brought a lovely crunch. Overall, a perfect rendition of my old standby.

Kellie ordered a fantastic Green Curry. The taste of lemongrass permeated the entire dish.

A Chau

December 30, 2006
Cuisine: Vietnamese, Deli

4644 El Cajon Blvd Ste 111
San Diego, CA 92115-4432

Phone: 619-281-4066
Website: none

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Bánh Mì Dāc Biêt ($2.50)

Bánh Mì Thit Nguoi ($2)

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A Chau sells the best bánh mì on the planet. The bread is perfectly crisp and always fresh, the meats are high-quality, and the pickled carrots and daikon are crunchy and flavorful. I always pick up some bánh mì whenever I am home because Philly bánh mì doesn't stand a chance.

On my recent visit to A Chau, I ordered the Bánh Mì Thit Nguoi, which consists of cold cuts, pickled vegetables (carrots, daikon, onions, and cucumber), pate and cilantro. I always ask for my sandwiches without mayo. As always, the sandwich hit the spot and filled me up nicely. My other favorite sandwich at A Chau is the bánh mì bì cha, which comprises of shredded pork, slices of pork sausage and a drizzle of onion oil.

Cousin Phil and Danny ordred the Bánh Mì Dāc Biêt, which came with everything on my sandwich with additional slices of pork sausage (cha).

Old Town Mexican Cafe

Ladies making fresh tortillas on the griddle.

December 27, 2006
Cuisine: Mexican

489 San Diego Ave
San Diego, CA 92110

Phone: (619) 297-4330
Website: www.oldtownmexcafe.com/

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Appetizer I: Tortilla chips with Pico de Gallo

Appetizer II: Fresh corn and flour tortillas

Entree I: Machaca con Huevos - Shredded beef, eggs, onions, bell pepper, chiles, and spices; served with rice and beans.

Entree II: Burrito Colorado - Chunks of beef with red chile sauce

Dessert: Cinnamon and Sugar Churro with Vanilla Ice Cream

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As a small child, my aunt Ut used to take me to the Old Town Mexican Cafe. Even though my taste buds weren't full developed yet, I loved their fresh flour tortillas smeared with butter. While home for the holidays, we decided to see if the Old Town Mexican Cafe was still magical after all these years.

The restaurant is located in Old Town San Diego which has become quite the tourist trap these days. Plenty of souvenir shops and historical placards line the streets. We dined on a Wednesday afternoon around 2:30 PM but still had to wait at least 30 minutes for a table. Que popular!

We were famished by the time we were finally seated and quickly ordered some tortillas to snack on. We also enjoyed some complimentary chips and dip. The tortillas were just as great as I remembered them. They were warm off the griddle and amazingly pliable. Supermarket tortillas tend to tear easily, but these tortillas could be stretched and folded without harm. They also tasted wonderfully, especially the fragrant and earthy corn tortillas. My small cousins enjoyed the flour tortillas smeared with butter. The circle of life continues.

For my entree I ordered the Machaca con Huevos, which were served with a side of tortillas, rice and beans. I thought the meat and eggs could've used more salt, but the rice and beans were right on point. My uncle ordered the Burrito Colorado at the suggestion of my aunt. He found it a bit too salty, but since my entree was mild, I appreciated the saltiness. My aunt and cousins shared a steak quesadilla. I did not get a chance to taste it, but my cousin Madison proclaimed that it was "so, so good."

For dessert, my cousins Megan and Madison shared the churro with ice cream. The churro wasn't up to Megan's standards so she cast it aside and focused on the ice cream. Madison was also a big fan of the ice cream. In fact, she sipped up the melted ice cream with a straw.

Jasmine Seafood Restaurant

December 21, 2006
Cuisine: Chinese, Dim Sum

4609 Convoy St, Suite A
San Diego, CA 92111

Phone: (858) 268-0888
Website: http://www.jasmineseafoodrestaurant.com/

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Dim Sum: Sugar-Cane Shrimp, Fried Octopus, Shrimp Dumplings (Ha Gaw), Shrimp Sui Mai, Pork Sui Mai, Pork Pot Stickers, Shrimp and Beef Rice Rolls, Pork Spare Ribs, Chicken Feet, BBQ Pork Bun, Beef Pan-fried Noodles, Rice Porridge with Chinese-Style Donut, Turnip Cake, Stuffed Tofu Skin.

Beef Rice Rolls

Shrimp Sui Mai

Fried Octopus

Tripe

Sugar-Cane Shrimp

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I came to Jasmine Seafood Restaurant straight from the airport on my recent holiday in San Diego. I'm generally not a fan of dim sum because eating greasy meat in the morning feels so wrong. Thankfully on this occasion I was still on East Coast time (12 PM PST/3 PM EST), so I was totally game.

Jasmine was packed at lunch time even though it was a Thursday. Ladies pushing carts circled the noisy banquet room. Oh, how I love chaotic dim sum experiences!

I was dining with ten or so family members so we ordered a lot of food (see above). Our first order was the fried octopus, which was SO tasty. The fruits of the sea have such great texture! The rest of the ordering was a bit of a blur. I especially enjoyed the beef rice rolls, which is my all-time favorite dim sum dish. I also thought the pot stickers and stuffed tofu skins were exceptional.

I think I need to get over my "meat in the morning" complex because dim sum at Jasmine was delicious!

Souplantation

October 31, 2006
Cuisine: American

9158 Fletcher Pkwy.
La Mesa, CA 91942

Phone: 619-462-4232
Website: http://www.sweettomatoes.com/

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Tossed Salads: Caesar Salad Asiago (Non-Vegetarian), Green Chili Ranch Salad with Cornbread Bites, Won Ton Chicken Happiness

Prepared Salads: German Potato (Low-fat, Vegetarian), Joan’s Broccoli Madness (Non-Vegetarian), Poppyseed Coleslaw (Vegetarian), Tuna Tarragon, Wild Rice & Chicken

Soups: Big Chunk Chicken Noodle (Low-fat), Deep Kettle House Chili (Low-fat), Vegetable Medley (Low-fat, Vegetarian), Yankee Clipper Clam Chowder w/ Bacon


Pastas: Garden Vegetable w/ Meatballs, Macaroni & Cheese (Vegetarian)

Muffins: Apple Cinnamon Bran Muffin (96% Fat-free), Buttermilk Biscuits, Buttermilk Cornbread (Low-fat), Chocolate Brownie Muffin, Garlic Asiago Focaccia, Quattro Formaggio Focaccia, Strawberry Buttermilk Muffin

Desserts: Chocolate Pudding (Low-fat), Raspberry Apple Cobbler, Tapioca Pudding (Low-fat), Seasonal Fresh Fruit, Vanilla Soft Serve, Chocolate Frozen Yogurt

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Souplantation is an all-you-can eat buffet featuring a huge salad bar, soup bar, pasta bar, dessert station and breads station. It's one of my all-time favorite restaurants in San Diego because it's healthy, fun, and very tasty. I've been going here since I was a kid and will continue to return as often as possible when I visit.
During this visit to Souplantation, I was accompanied by mother and cousin Phil. Both of them are just as enthusiastic about the place as I am. Okay, maybe a little less.

I started off my meal (as always) with two salads: one plate full of Won Ton Chicken Happiness and another filled with hodgepodge salad items. My hodgepodge plate included raw spinach, Caesar Salad Asiago, Green Chili Ranch Salad with Cornbread Bites, and extra croutons. Cornbread Bites rock!

My second course was the Big Chunk Chicken Noodle. I added in some fresh green onions intended for the Deep Kettle House Chili. The best part of the soup were the noodles; unusually thick, but awesomely delicious.

My third course was a plethora of breads including a blueberry muffin with maple whipped butter (extra honey) and Quattro Formaggio Focaccia. The Focaccia was excellent. I've seen it for years at the breads station, but never tried it until this visit. The bread was crisp in all the right places and the cheese was wonderfully melted. I will definitely eat it on future visits.

I finished off my meal with the Raspberry Apple Cobbler. The topping was delectable and the filling was piping hot. Next time I will have it with some soft-serve!