Imperial Mandarin (late night menu)

Mar 142013
 

S and I are usually skeptical of Chinese restaurants – we have had quite a few experiences with overly salty and greasy dishes. However, one day after a full day of badminton, we were looking for a place to eat a quick and satisfying meal, and one of our friends suggested Imperial Mandarin. It is located in the same plaza on Convoy St. as Izakaya Sakura and Original Pancake House, although I never paid attention to it.

Imperial Mandarin serves mostly Cantonese-style dishes, with dim sum on the weekends. If you visit after 9PM, there is a special late-night menu (unfortunately all in Chinese, and I also forgot to take a picture… oops), with each dish priced at only $7. We ordered an assortment of dishes that my friends have previously tried out and liked. As I’ve mentioned previously, there’s no English version of the menu, so the dish names are just translated by me.

Salt & pepper fish fillet 椒鹽魚片

Salt & pepper fish fillet 椒鹽魚片

One of my favorite dishes of the night. The batter was nice and crispy, and each bite was really flavorful.

Braised pork belly with pickled mustard 梅菜扣肉

Pork belly with pickled mustard 梅菜扣肉

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Tajima Ramen House

Feb 192013
 

Tajima Ramen House is one of those places that S and I frequent, since it opens til pretty late and is quite friendly on the budget. (Also, they offer a 10% student discount for weekday dinner – yay for poor-student perks!) I know that quite a few people actually don’t like Tajima, but we actually think it’s (mostly) pretty good.

There are a few different ramen options: tonkotsu, soy sauce, miso, salt, and curry. You can also choose whether you want fat or thin noodles – I would recommend the thin noodles. Tajima’s noodles aren’t the best, and it’s quite evident in the fat noodles.

I usually get the spicy miso ramen, one of my favorites:

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Small spicy miso ramen with kakuni ($10)

I like that you can order a small-sized bowl of ramen (subtract $1.50 from the base price). Unlike Yakyudori, you still get the soft-boiled egg even if you order a small. I also always add kakuni, or stewed pork belly, to my ramen. It’s an extra $3, but that tender, soy-braised pork is definitely worth it.

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The Secret Cookie Service

Jan 082013
 

I recently had the pleaure of interviewing Agent Snickerdoodle, the founder of The Secret Cookie Service, a late-night cookie delivery service in San Diego. For those of you who haven’t heard of this phenomenon, it’s exactly what it sounds like: got a midnight sweets craving? Call up the SCS and get your cookie fix delivered to your door!

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This business was started by a former Ph.D. student at UCSD’s Department of Chemistry. He left the program after earning a Master’s and started this cookie delivery business – at first, sort of as a joke since he always said that he’d just sell his mom’s chocolate chip cookies. He started out with a few hundred Ziploc bags, 500 chocolate chip cookies, and some flyers around UCSD advertising home-baked cookies for sale. A few days later, he got his first order – and things just got big from there. Soon enough, he was baking out of a commercial kitchen, with a handful of hired staff for deliveries and baking. They started out at the UCSD campus area, but now have expanded to SDSU, and will be starting their delivery service at University of San Diego soon. I am incredibly impressed with how well his business is run; he oversees everything in the operation from new recipes to greeting customers at their front door.

As a Chemistry graduate student myself, I quickly connected with Agent Snickerdoodle and joked about our days in the lab. When I asked him how he manages to keep every batch of cookies consistent, he remarked that baking cookies is like a finely tuned science experiment – and it just takes practice. Once you’ve baked a few thousand cookies, it becomes second nature.

He was gracious enough to have me sample a few of their most popular cookie flavors:

Clockwise from top left: Snickerdoodle, Mint chocolate chip, Chocolate chip, and Cookies 'n Cream

Clockwise from top left: Snickerdoodle, Mint chocolate chip, Chocolate chip, and Cookies ‘n Cream

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[Alhambra/Monterey Park] Cafe Spot and ABC Cafe

Oct 242012
 

S and I love Hong Kong cafes. In Chinese, it’s called 港式西餐 (literally, HK-style Western cuisine). In the Bay Area, our favorite was Shooting Star in Oakland Chinatown. Here in San Diego, the only option we have is A Cafe, which pretty much pales in comparison. So when we were in LA last weekend for S’s badminton tournament*, we got to try out a couple of HK cafes with some friends who are native to the Alhambra/Monterey Park/San Gabriel Valley area. One of the beauties of HK cafes is that they are often open until pretty late, so it was the perfect place to visit after a whole day of matches.

An aside: In case you didn’t know, YES, badminton is a competitive sport! It’s super fast-paced – arguably the fastest racket sport – and very challenging. It’s unfortunate that most people think of it as a backyard sport. If you still have doubts, check this out.

Anyway… back to food. On the first night, we tried Cafe Spot.

Cafe Spot, located on W. Valley Blvd in Alhambra

The menu is pretty extensive – they serve many variations of the typical dishes you’d find at HK cafes: baked pastas, rice casseroles, curry, and some traditional rice and noodle dishes. I was a bit lost at first, but my friends suggested that I choose something from the dinner specials, which comes with a drink (lemon tea, Chinese herbal tea, or HK milk tea) and cup of vegetable soup.

Red wine rib steak (short rib) 紅酒燴牛骨扒

Friends ordered the red wine-braised short rib. The meat was really tender – definitely had been braised for quite a long time (or pressure cooked, I suppose.. haha). I couldn’t taste much of the wine in the sauce. Instead it was quite the traditional soy sauce-based Chinese flavors. Side dishes were two veggie medleys – stir-fried cabbage, and steamed frozen veggie mix. Not the most impressive sides, but considering all this was about $10, it was really worth it.

Grandma’s braised pork belly 外婆家紅燒肉

I can’t ever seem to stay away from pork belly. This actually reminded me of something my grandmother used to make, with dark soy sauce and five-spice flavoring. The pork belly had good texture, tender but not mushy. It was just a tad too salty, though – I was surprised since dark soy sauce is usually very mild, but they must have also added some of the saltier light soy sauce to add flavor. This was about $8, I believe.

S also ordered a baked spaghetti bolognese, which I didn’t get a chance to photograph. It was decent but not too memorable.

The next night, we ventured to ABC Cafe, located down the street, technically in Monterey Park. Their late-night specials were even cheaper than Cafe Spot. Our friend recommended the $7 rib steak.

Grilled ribeye steak, with black pepper sauce 香煎牛扒（配黑胡椒醬）

I didn’t expect much from a $7 steak, but this was actually some pretty good stuff. I requested the steak cooked to medium (not too sure about the quality of the meat so I had it cooked a little more than what I usually do), and it arrived just past medium, but not too tough. Again, two of the sides comprised of steamed frozen veggies and a scoop of mashed potatoes from an instant mix. But I also got 2 fried eggs (you could choose them any style), which was awesome.

Portuguese-style chicken casserole 焗葡國雞飯

S chose another baked dish. This time, he picked the Portuguese-style chicken casserole, one of his favorites from Shooting Star. The chicken is cooked with coconut and curry – actually reminds me a bit of beef rendang, but less heavy on the spices. Here, the dish is served with rice on the side, whereas at other places there is a layer of rice at the bottom of the dish. The curry was all right – I still prefer Shooting Star’s version, which was less oily and more flavorful.

After the meal here, I had an egg puff craving, so S and I actually drove back to Cafe Spot, which is supposedly famous for the egg puffs. I bought an order to go, which meant it was all wrapped in a small pouch and I couldn’t get a good photo :( But they were super delicious – crispy on the outside, and fluffy and chewy on the inside. I’ve been thinking about them ever since leaving LA. So if you’re in the area, definitely hit up Cafe Spot for their egg puffs! Best way to spend $4.

I wish I had gotten to eat more things in the LA trip, but I was very satisfied with these late-night meals. It’s too bad that we rarely have the time or opportunity to go to LA, but I do hope to to try out as many new and yummy things as I can!

Cafe Spot
500 W Valley Blvd, Alhambra, CA
(626) 308-3233

ABC Cafe
100 N Garfield Ave, Monterey Park, CA
(626) 573-0718

[SD Kearny Mesa] Studio Diner: upscale diner with down-to-earth food

Apr 222012
 

Yes, I know the title sounds quite self-contradictory.  How can a diner be upscale?  Well, I guess anything is possible in California.  If you’re like me, when you hear “diner” you think of Waffle House – but Studio Diner isn’t like that.  It’s nice.  The kitchen is actually in the back, so you’re not blasted with the smell of a greased griddle as soon as you walk in.  Consequently, the floors are not slippery due to the oil particles clinging to the tiles – in fact, the floors are not even made of tile!  Haha.

I came here with 6 people on a Saturday evening, and it was pretty crowded – we waited about half an hour for a table, and the restaurant’s staff was even turning away large parties that had walked in after us, because their list was just so full for the night…

Since I actually wasn’t hungry and did not plan on eating a full meal, I decided to try the Beef Brisket chili.  It sounded very Texan: made with chunks of brisket (not ground beef), and minimal beans (“If you know beans about chili, you know chili ain’t got no beans!”).  Awesome.

Beef brisket chili (cup) ~$3

This ended up being probably one of the best chilis I’ve ever had outside of Texas.  Seriously, no joke.  However, I do want to comment that chili is a very personal thing for people, and everyone is very attached to his or her own definition of what should be included in and left out of chili.  So, I am just going to say that this is my favorite chili, but it might not be what you are looking for or expecting ;)

Sk ordered the eggs & sausage, which is served with hash browns (yay!) and sourdough bread.

Eggs and sausage with hash browns sourdough bread, $7.95

Despite the slight disappointment (okay, more than slight) that they did not have sausage patties, Sk liked this a lot.  I tried some of the hash browns, and they were super yummy.  This whole dish looks so GAD (Greasy American Diner)… which I love.

Finally, because this is a diner, I had to get tater tots.  Because this is an upscale diner, they were sweet potater tots.

Sweet potater tots, $2.50

So. Good!!  I think I like these even more than sweet potato fries, possibly because tater tots have more surface area, which means more crispiness.  I wonder how sweet potato hash browns would taste…
On a side note, the chipotle mayo sauce did not pair well with the tater tots at all.  We ended up leaving the sauce alone and just devouring all of the tots.

Some of our friends tried the sandwiches, such as the prime rib sandwich, albacore tuna melt, burger – and all gave positive reviews.  All of the items came in pretty sizable portions, too – quite a few of us had leftovers.

This was definitely a great meal, even though it’s not quite the diner that I expected.  Still, I liked it and would definitely be back.  My list of “Open 24 hours” restaurants is expanding ever so rapidly…

What is your impression of a diner?  Have you ever been to a diner in San Diego?  Let me know in the comments!

Studio Diner
4701 Ruffin Rd, San Diego, CA
(858) 715-6400
http://www.studiodiner.com

Hours
24 hours/7 days

[SD Miramar] Yummy Burritos at Rigoberto’s

Apr 062012
 

Last week, I wrote about my burrito experience at Roberto’s Taco Shop – which we discovered by accident.  This time, we went to our original intended destination: Rigoberto’s Taco Shop, just slightly further down Miramar Rd.

(To add to the confusion, I believe that Rigoberto’s used to be called Roberto’s… haha!)

SK ordered his default, the carnitas burrito, and I decided to go for the adobada burrito.  We also shared an order of tortilla chips so that we could try out the salsa.

Various salsas

If you can’t tell, I know very little about Mexican food.  But it is delicious, and I am always ready to learn more about food, so I tried to look up these types of salsas.  On the top row (from left), I think they are: guacatillo, salsa verde, salsa roja, and salsa habanero; bottom row (from left): salsa de molcajete, salsa negra, and salsa ranchera.  Each one has its distinct flavor, but I think my favorites were the salsa verde, negra, and ranchera.  To me, they had the most complex flavors – especially the ranchera, which had a strong tomato and peppery taste.  It was SK’s favorite, as well.

Salsa bar

Warm tortilla chips, $2.50

(I’ve already rambled about my love for warm tortilla chips, so I’ll spare you this time.)

Carnitas burrito, $4.30

This was SK’s burrito.  I took a bite and thought it was pretty good – warm and soft tortilla, a good mix of meat, salsa, and guacamole, but SK said that after a few bites it becomes “soupy” – meaning that the juices start dripping out of the burrito.  Some people prefer their burritos that way, but we actually like it a bit drier – the juiciness makes it messy to eat and also leave my mouth with a greasy feeling.  SK says he definitely likes the carnitas burrito at Lolita’s or Roberto’s much better.

Adobada burrito, $4.30

The adobada burrito was a great choice.  The meat was very tender and well-seasoned without being too salty, and again, there was a good balance between the meat, salsa, lettuce, and guac (call me crazy, but I actually don’t like guacamole a whole lot, so I actually like it when there’s not too much).  Overall I’d say that it was a pretty good burrito.  And it’s big enough that it lasted me two meals – a pretty fine deal for $4.30, if you ask me.

Again, I’m very glad to have found yet another great Mexican restaurant in the area – there are just so many good places waiting to be discovered!  Rigoberto’s is also open 24 hours – it looks like I will have a difficult time choosing where to go next time a midnight burrito craving hits.  What is your favorite Mexican restaurant in town?  Let me know in the comments~!

Rigoberto’s Taco Shop
7094 Miramar Rd. Suite 119-120, San Diego, CA
(858) 271-0170

http://www.rigobertostacoshop.com/index.html

Hours
24 hours/ daily

[SD Miramar] Roberto’s Taco Shop

Mar 212012
 

SK and I are always searching for good Mexican food.  Of course, our favorite remains Tacos el Gordo in Chula Vista, but it’s a far drive, and sometimes we just want a good, filling burrito.  His current favorite is Lolita’s Taco Shop on Clairemont Mesa Blvd, where the carnitas burritos are “soo gooooood” – I actually don’t think they’re that good, since I prefer juicier meat and I find the carnitas at Lolita’s on the dry side.  But that’s a matter of personal preference, and I’m not reviewing Lolita’s here…

We tried out Roberto’s Taco Shop on Miramar Rd. – actually, we had meant to go to Rigoberto’s down the road, so Roberto’s was a total accidental discovery.  We were actually pretty disappointed at first, but once our orders arrived, were pleasantly surprised.

Tortilla chips, $1.85

My favorite part of these tortilla chips is that they were warm.  Such a simple thing makes them so much better.  There were 3 types of salsa: spicy, mild, and verde.  I actually liked the mild one the best (shocking!) because it had the most complex – the spicy salsa had no flavor other than… well, spiciness.

Carne asada burrito, $4.50

(Yes, I took a bite of it before I took the photo.  Let’s just say that it was intentional…)

I had no idea what to expect, but it turned out to be delicious!  There was plenty of guacamole, which should be appealing to you guys (I’m personally not a huge fan, though it’s starting to grow on me).  The meat was actually pretty good, too.  I also tried a bite of SK’s carnitas burrito and can’t really decide which one I liked better – it was very juicy, but I also like the beefiness of the carne asada.

Anyway, I’m very glad that we happened upon Roberto’s.  I talked to my friend about it later and he said that this place can be hit-or-miss, but clearly we went on a “hit” night.  They are also open 24 hours, so I hope that next time I come (probably for a late-night snack), it’ll be as good as this visit!

Roberto’s Taco Shop
6780 Miramar Rd., San Diego, CA
(858) 530-0800

Hours
24 hrs/ daily

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