Shuei- Do Manju Shop: San Jose, CA

Japantown in San Jose has always played a rather prominent role in my childhood. My parents own a laundromat which is practically around the corner from this community. Often times after school or on the weekends, my siblings and I would wander around Japantown and browse the gift shops, buy bento box lunches or treats at one of the several shops. One shop that I always fondly visited was Shuei-do Manju shop. Shuei-do was honored with having the priviledge of serving their manju to the Emperor of Japan on his last visit to the U.S. It is a quaint little shop with a lot of charm. They sell manju all year round and shaved ice during the warm summer months. The little old ladies are extremely helpful and can help arrange a box according to your taste or for that someone special if you are giving it as a gift. There is also complementary gift wrapping so don’t be shy to ask for it if you intend to give one of their lovely box of sweets as a gift.

Most of the manjus go for $1.10 /piece with a few going for more. I had been craving manju from this bakery for quite some time but my family doesn’t quite appreciate these subtle delicacies so I waited till my last day in town to bring back a box of 10 pieces to share with my guy. The ladies were helpful as usual with arranging a box they thought I would like and wrapped it with care. I was off on my way and in a few short hours I was in San Diego. I showed the box to Ernie but at first sight I don’t think he really thought he would enjoy it. However, like many things that I’ve introduced him to it only took the first taste to totally convert him. Instantly he became a lover and I had someone to share my love of manju with. Our favorite were the the pink mochi with smooth lima bean filling and the green one also filled with smooth lima bean and rolled in a thin layer of ground peanuts.


What isn’t to love about fresh manju? The mochi is so iresistably soft and tender. The bean filling is at just the right level of sweetness. There’s no preservatives! So you are just eatting honest to goodness manju meant to be eatten fresh and not left on the store shelves.

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Shuei-Do Manju Shop
217 Jackson St.
San Jose, CA 95112
(408)294-4148
 Tu: 11am-5pm
W-Sa: 9am- 5pm
Su:10am-4pm

Hoffman's Bakery: Santa Cruz, CA

So my sister and I arrived home fairly early and decided to drive out to Santa Cruz to pick up my brother since it was only a 40 min drive South West on the 17. I also wanted to check out this bakery that my family has been raving about out there. So we drive out there and hit the usual commuter traffic since a fair amount of people do live off the 17 and drive to work in Silicon Valley. It turned out to be a longish drive and I was not a happy camper to arrive at my brother’s place which he shared with 2 spoiled brats. My brother is a pretty clean dude considering he is a second year and an only boy in my family. Oh geez but the one of the guys left this gargantuan 50 gallon sized hamper of dirty laundry behind for the holiday weekend and I really need not say more since I’m sure you all can imagine. I’m so glad I’m a girl and left dorm living behind 3 years ago.

I was oh so glad to be leaving his dorm to head to Downtown Santa Cruz. I had never walked around downtown even though I had attended numerous summer programs at UC Santa Cruz but I was instantly jealous. This was a pretty chic downtown area which serviced quite a few socio-economic classes other than the ultra wealthy like Del Mar and La Jolla seems to cater to. It was also quite accessible and parking was not outrageous like Downtown San Diego. I spotted a night market… Santa Cruz residents are truly spoiled. I would love it if there were an easily accessible regular night time farmers market where I live. Well we finally arrived at Hoffman’s and start to salivate as I usually do when I see lovely baked goods. We discovered that this is actually a German bakery and has been around for many years. There was that distinct bakery - yeasty smell that lingered in the air… quite common with well established bakeries. Quite a few patrons were dining in the general dining area that night and perusing the show case to see what sweet delectable they would delight in at the end of their meals. The woman that helped us was quite friendly and helpful with suggestions. We ended up walking out with a Princess torte, some German spice breads, a few single slices of their other signature tortes and a chocolate meringue. I only took a picture of the Princess Torte because it survived the devastation otherwise known as my baby sis the next morning.

I convinced my parents to save the cake for Thanksgiving dinner which was only the next day and we did. We had dinner at Little Fat Sheep in Fremont since the kitchen is still going through a major overhaul. Dinner was so good that my parents asked for to-go cups to take the soup home. However, the cake was the true star of the show that night. Everybody, the people siting around us and the waiters couldn’t help but keep on admiring how beautiful the cake looked. If only they knew that this cake tasted as great as it looks. I have never been a fan of marzipan, suppose its because I’ve only tasted store bought marzipan and the one that covers the princess torte is made in-house. The marzipan was soft and lightly flavored, the genoise was airy and fragrant with vanilla. Mmm… there was just a right amount of cream and raspberry jam filling.

If I ever end up having my wedding in the Bay Area I will probably order my cake from here. It was decently priced at $18 for a 6inch, tasted great and looked gorgeous.

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Hoffman's
1102 Pacific Ave.
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(831) 420-0135
M-F: 8am- 9pm
Sa-Su: 8am-2pm, 5pm-10pm
http://www.hoffmansbakery.net/index.html

Pho 909: Milpitas, CA

There are a minuscule number of Vietnamese restaurants in San Diego compared to San Jose/the Bay Area. I just wanted to point out a peculiar thing… many Vietnamese restaurants up there like to incorporate numbers into their name such as the place I visited, Pho 909.

Anyways, I’m such Vietnamese food nut. Growing up at home I ate A LOT of home cooked Vietnamese food so I was sorely disappointed by the what was available in San Diego when I came down for school. There are two particular dishes that I really love and brings back found memories of childhood on lazy weekended when my mom would prepare feasts to eat the day away. One of these is the beloved bahn xeo.
My mom does some home care of elderly folks as a side job and one of her clients raved about this pho house that nobody goes to for the pho but for the bahn xeo and it turned out she instantly loved it too. You’ll find that since there are so many Vietnamese restaurants in the Bay Area that several places tend to develop a specialty and often patrons will only come for that even though there may be several other items on the menu.
On my last trip back to visit the family for Thanksgiving, my parents took me and and one of my sisters for lunch to try the yummy bahn xeo. They made it so perfectly! The crepe wasn’t too oily and was very crispy and the meat wasn’t cooked into the crepe so it wasn’t dried out. There was a pretty fair proportion of meat to bean sprouts. The mung beans still looked like mung beans and not some ground up paste. All the accompanying herbs and veggies were quite fresh and the dipping sauce tasted just right - not too fishy, salty, garlicky etc. A filling meal for $6.90!

I can see why one would come to this place for the bahn xeo alone. Making bahn xeo is such a labor of love because of the way the mung beans are traditionally prepared and also because of the dipping sauce. The beans should be soaked overnight and steamed so that they’ll be soft but still keep their original shape. Many restaurants will take a short cut on this as it is very time consuming considering the end product and just soak for a little while followed by boiling it down till it is a paste. I suppose that is why I really appreciate and fall into a childlike giddiness when I eat a scrumptious one.
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Pho 909
72 South Park Victoria
Milpitas CA
(408)946-1937

Rocky's: San Diego, CA

(Sorry… I got so excited I had to take a bite before I remembered to take a picture)

It’s been a hectic couple of weeks. I recently became obsessed with wanting to learn Mandarin. Mind you my parents can speak a whopping 9 languages between them but the only languages they can communicate on a fluent level together are English and Fukkien(a dying dialect of Chinese). My father speaks Mandarin among the languages he has a crazy command over. Sometimes I wish he would have spoken it to me when I was growing up even given the language situation at home. Now that I’m all grown up and have been working in the biotech industry for close to 3 years I realize that it is a necessity to learn this language. I run into quite a few superior colleagues who are from Mainland China or simply prefer to speak Mandarin because that was the first language they learned. I want to be able to connect with people outside of work talk so I find that this is quite a necessary skill I must learn if I’m to accomplish this goal. I would also like to empress my dad with my Mandarin skills one day too but this isn’t so important. So I’ve been busting my butt with a Rossetta Stone program but I don’t feel that I’ve gotten as much out of it as I’ve wanted to and have thus signed myself up for a traditionally taught First Year Mandarin course at Mesa College. So for those of you wondering why I’ve been so lagging on updating … I guess the above is a measly excuse for the back up of posts.

Now on to Rocky’s. I would assume most San Diegan have heard about this hole in the wall, no frills joint in the grapevine either from friends, coworkers or family. For those of you who haven’t tried out this place you must go. I promise you that this is the most juiciest and tastiest burger you will probably ever try. I’ve had plenty of burgers… in fact EHK and I have been on a mission to find the best burger. Every time we try a new place we keep on coming back because there simply is no better burger out there. The burgers really are a cover for this tiny bar to sell the beer but I think we wouldn’t even come if was just for the beer because it isn’t something to write home about. The burgers on the other hand are heavenly and normally I don’t like to get my hands super messy when eating but this is one of the few exceptions that I wouldn’t mind that oil, juices, mustard and ketchup are running down my hand and threatening to stain the sleeves of my long tee shirt. I swear its like crack cocaine… not that I’ve ever done that - I’m only basing it off of the numerous biology and psychology classes I’ve taken that discusses the effects. The first burger blows your mind away and every subsequent burger is also good but can never quite measure up to the first experience. Then the 2nd to the last time I went I heard a man order his cheeseburger with grilled onion. I had never thought you could make that order because their limited food menu of 5 items makes no mention of grilled onions. A few days ago I went back and I was determined to order mine with the grilled onions. Oh my goodness… I actually think this last burger surpassed the experience of the first burger. Grilled onions make everything taste better… well almost everything. All the juices were dripping down my hands and I took off my jewelry in preparation but I really didn’t mind because it was so sinfully good. There wasn’t to much filler like I find at other joints trying to hide their not so tasty burger, the patty was so plump and juicy cooked to perfection and the buns where soft and somewhat pillowy. I ate my burger in silence… one of the few dining experiences that I’m content to not converse with EHK.

I do have a few gripes with this place though. If only the fries were better! The fries are mediocre and I suppose the burger more than makes up for it but if the fries were better than it would elevate the experience to another level. Also the size of the place is a concern. It’s normally just EHK and I gorging on burgers but if we show up with friends than it can be somewhat of an issue to find a table to park at. One time there was a party of 30 celebrating a birthday there. I thought that was super inconsiderate. This place isn’t designed to hold that type of a celebration. I think a number of 6 in the party is more considerate for other patrons and also saves you the headache of trying to save tables.
Nonetheless, the gripes fade away once I sink my teeth into this oh so tasty burger and I think you will agree once you’ve tried one too.
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Rocky's
3786 Ingram St.
San Diego, CA
(858)273-9150

Milton's Delicatessen Restaurant: Del Mar, CA

Milton’s is a quintessential NY Jewish deli transplanted in San Diego and has been warmly accepted by the people as it is bustling on just about any day. Not coincidentally, Milton’s is also the name of the nationally recognized brand of baked good, all of which they also carry in the front of the restaurant. The front counter also carries various meats, cheeses and freshly baked goods so you can take a little bit of Milton’s home as well. After Leon and Michelle introduced us to Milton’s Delicatessen a few months ago, we have become steady patrons because of this lovely dish.

I love having this dish on a lazy weekend morning because that is exactly what you are going to be after you eat this… lazy! The corned beef is perfectly seasoned and there is a even proportion of veggies to meat in the dish. I live for the home style potatoes too… the crisped sides of the potatoes are a perfect compliment to the steaming soft mounds of white potatoes inside and taste just delish with some ketchup and a few squirts of hot sauce. You also get 2 eggs prepared the way you want, and a choice of a bialy/toast/or bagel. I always get the bialey…. a hole-less bagel (why would you get a bagel if you can get this?). All this for $10.95 and I usually end up not being able to finish the dish so I try to share or just save it for the next morning and make it a yummy left over breakfast.

A definite recommended place to hit up for some feel good food.

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Milton’s Delicatessen Restaurant
2660 Via De La Valle
Del Mar, CA 92014
(858)792- 2225
http://www.miltonsdeli.com/index.php
M-Th: 7am-8:30pm
F:7am-9:30pm
Sa: 8am-9:30pm
Su: 8am-8pm

Recipe: White Chocolate Cake with Fresh Strawberry Buttercream

I have always been somewhat deathly afraid to try my hand at making a layered cake. I have made most other types of desserts since my interest in cooking and baking began however there always seemed to be an aura of mystery about the layered cake. I did once attempt to make a layer cake with raspberries and some type of vanilla cream when I was about 9 for my dad’s birthday. That turned out disastrous. I was too anxious and took the cake out of the pan before it had cooled so it didn’t come out as perfectly as it probably could have… it was broken and cracked all over. I didn’t shave off the top so it had those cake tops . I tried frosting and placing the raspberries in the middle even after this so the heat caused the cream to melt and the berries to ooze its juices. My father is a simple man and me just even attempting to make a cake for him was a great present already. He ate my cake and said it tasted great. Even though he complimented it I was still embarrassed at how it looked. So it took me more than a decade to once again try my hand at making a layered cake.

Ever since I tried one of Elizabethan Desserts wonderful cakes… I became inspired that great cakes didn’t have to look like the ones at Extraordinary Desserts. I scoured epicurious.com for various recipes that I could use and adapt to the flavors I really liked in the cake that I had tried. These original recipes can be found at http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/108258 and http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/5378. Below is the recipe I adapted from the two pages I found.


Cake

• 8 ounces white chocolate, chopped
• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk

Buttercream

• 1 lb fresh strawberries ( about 1 cup chopped for butter cream and the rest sliced for layers and decoration)
• 1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Rum Syrup

• 1/2 cup rum
• 1/4 cup sugar

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups powdered sugar

For cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Stir white chocolate in top of double boiler set over barely simmering water until melted and smooth. Leave white chocolate in pot; turn off heat. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk in 3 additions, blending well after each addition. Add warm white chocolate and beat just until blended.
2. Divide batter equally between pans, smoothing tops with spatula. Bake cakes until tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 20 minutes (cakes will fall). Run small sharp knife around cake pan sides. Turn cakes right side up onto racks and cool completely.

For buttercream:

1. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in chopped strawberries and vanilla, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in powdered sugar. Cover and refrigerate until thick enough to spread.

For cream cheese frosting:

1. Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla in large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar. Cover and refrigerate until firm enough to spread, about 15 minutes.

For assembly:

1. Boil 1/2 cup rum and sugar in small saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar and until alcohol is gone. Cool syrup. Slice the remaining strawberries to place in the layers and on top.
2. With a serrated knife, shave the top of both cakes off so there is a flat surface to frost and decorate. 
3. Place 1 layer, cut side up, on 9-inch cardboard cake round or plate and brush with 2 tablespoons rum syrup. Spread 6 tablespoons fresh strawberry buttercream over cake. Cover buttercream with single layer of sliced strawberries. Spread 3 tablespoons buttercream over strawberries. Top with second cake layer. Spread cream cheese frosting over top and sides of cake. Cover top with remaining sliced strawberries. Chill cake 1 hour. (Cover with cake dome and keep chilled. Let stand at room temperature for about 45 mins before serving.)

The Mission: San Diego, CA

The Mission is perhaps my favorite place to hit up for pancakes. I originally learned of this place from one of my roommates way back in the day before I started my 2nd year at UCSD. You must, must, MUST get here early to assure your party a table without having to wait too long. This isn’t a problem for me as I usually love to get up around 7ish on the weekends… but a problem for most others I know as it seems a rather ungodly hour to rise if its not a workday. Arriving early also helps with the parking as Mission Beach can be quite a tough place to find a parking spot.

I arrived with AS around 8 in the morning which was perfect. I got a good parking spot and it wasn’t crowded yet so they had their “seat yourself” sign up. As you can see, the decor slightly minimalistic with small artsy touches about the room. We got a small comfy corner nook so we could do people watching while we ate.



I ordered some plain pancakes. They were so light and fluffy as usual. These pancakes remind me of childhood when my mom would wake up before the rooster crowed(yes we had chickens and rosters in our backyard in the Bay Area!) to make a yummy breakfast of pancakes or cinnamon rolls or croissants or whatever else. I didn’t have any syrup with mine as it comes with some yummy blueberry puree. The combination was absolutely heavenly… unfortunately I wasn’t able to finish the stack as it was quite monstrous. Anybody interested in practically having a meal for himself should join me.




AS ordered a stack of banana blackberry pancakes and made it a gargantuan meal by making it a combo ( rosemary potatoes, bacon and scrambled eggs). She said her pancakes were incredibly tasty… the essence of bananas and blackberries permeating throughout the fluffy cakes and were a delight to the senses. She also opted to use the puree instead of syrup and it proved a very good compliment for her as well. The potatoes were beautifully made and the smell of rosemary perfumed our small corner nook. I didn’t have any this time but I have at previous visits and I can assure that they are must have.


Perhaps if you have a lighter appetite as AS and I did than it may prove prudent to share a stack of pancakes and whatever else you plan to order.
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The Mission
3795 Mission Blvd.
San Diego, CA, 92109
daily 7am-3pm
(858)488-9060
http://www.themission1.signonsandiego.com/1.htm

Elizabethan Desserts: Encinitas, CA

Things keep on piling up. I’m so sorry again to those who keep on checking in and expect to see a new post. I seriously have pictures and awaiting posts piling up but its been tough finding the time to sit down and thoughtfully write about my experiences.


Anyhow, a while back ago a good friend recommended a bakery in Encinitas to me. The parentals stop by one weekend and it happened to be Moma Kwok’s birthday. She has a very particular discerning palate so I decided to go check out Elizabethan Desserts since the pictures from the website looked gorgeous and LH said its been getting good reviews on Chowhounds. I stoped by right before closing and I got lucky. Elizabeth (the owner) had a 5” white chocolate block cake with fresh strawberry butter cream frosting destined for me. That cake is the the second cake pictured. Sitting by the counter waiting for the cake to get frosted with a lightly sweetened vanilla bean cream cheese frosting, Elizabeth wasn’t to shy to talk to me about her experience leading up to opening the bakery. I really do admire her humble beginings which I will save for you to discover should you choose to visit this quaint little shop. I love the open atmosphere. On any given day you can stop by and see Elizabeth hard at work making her wonderful creations in an open kitchen. So she frosted my cake and topped it with fresh organic berries as well as gold leaf. The cake was soo tall for the box that she had to make a sort of tent and cover the opening with plastic wrap. Nonetheless the cake was still gorgeous. I rushed back home and after dinner we all took generous slices from the cake. I must say that it tasted as great as it looked. It was such a bargain too… $25 for a 5” cake which I was able to get 8 generous slices out off.


I highly recommend this bakery for awesome looking and tasting cakes at an unbeatable price! Call ahead though to allow enough time for Elizabeth to customize your creation just the way you want it.


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Elizabethan Desserts
155 Quail Gardens Dr.
Encinitas, CA 92024 
(inside the Sunshine Gardens Nursery) 
Tu-Sa: 10am-5pm
Sunday: 10-4 
(760) 522-4141
contact@elizabethandesserts.com
http://www.elizabethandesserts.com/

Recipe: Truffles

Who doesn’t love truffles? So I decided to go on the South Beach diet a few weeks ago for various reasons… most prominently I think its time for me to make some lifestyle changes as it seems diabetes runs in my family. I want to enjoy rice and desserts when I get old without worrying! So I had about 4lbs of chocolate to get rid of. We cleaned out the fridge and the snack cabinet but the chocolate was the one thing I thought would be a shame to just throw away. So I whipped up enough truffles (approximately 100) to split up between EHK and I. We spoiled our coworkers that day with these special home made truffles. Hah… I’m glad everybody who tried them couldn’t get enough of them and asked for the recipe. After all it was about 2 days worth of work and my back was aching… but it was aching with joy because making special treats like these puts a smile on my face. Special thanks to SA for visiting that night I slaved away and taste testing these morsels.

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
• 8 oz. chopped, semi-sweet chocolate + 6 oz. for dipping
• about 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted
• flavorings you like(vanilla, almond, coconut, etc.)

1. Mix the cream, butter and corn syrup together in a saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a full boil. Turn off heat.
2. Add 8 ounces of the chopped chocolate, and gently swirl the pan. Do not stir. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.
3. After 5 minutes, whisk slowly to combine. Mix in flavorings to taste (I used vanilla and coconut extract)
4. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and refrigerate for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. In the meantime, line baking sheets with parchment paper.
5. After 45 minutes, the mixture will start to thicken quickly, keep refrigerated another 11 to 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.
6. Using a mini ice cream scoop or two spoons, form the mixture into 1-inch balls and and place on the prepared sheets.
7. Chill until firm, about 10-15 minutes. While the balls are chilling, melt the remaining 6 ounces of chocolate. After it is completely melted, allow to cool slightly before continuing.
8. Place cocoa in small bowl. Remove the balls from the refrigerator. Using one hand, dip the balls into the melted chocolate. Roll it around in your hand, allow the excess to drip back into the bowl. Place the truffle in the cocoa. With your clean hand, cover the truffle with cocoa.
9. Lift it out and place on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining truffles. Place back in the refrigerator for 5-8 minutes to set.

To store: May be stored up to one week in an airtight container.

Recipe: Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake

I have all these reviews that are just waiting to get written but I decided today that I’ll post a recipe since it was such a success and I want to share it with you all. NCT and GS came down from the OC to visit today. We took them out to lunch at Arrivederci in Hillcrest and the food was gosh darn awesome and reminiscent of Roma as usual but the service was severely under par. We visited Coronado for a little bit to check out the skyline. We than grabed some coffee at Starbucks and headed home for some dessert which I slaved over last night. I’m glad I did make it though since it turned out wonderfully. I hope you all try this sometime as it turned out to be quite a treat for the senses for me. *Sigh*…there goes my diet. Oh well I really do eat healthy on a regular basis.

Ingredients

• crust:
• 2 cups
• 6 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/2 cup melted butter

filling:

• 10 oz. frozen raspberries
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups white chocolate
• 1/2 cup half-and-half cream
• 24 oz of softened cream cheese
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3 room temperature eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 shoot of Amaretto

Directions

1. Ina medium bowl, mix together cookie crumbs, 6 tablespoons sugar, and melted butter. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch spring-form pan.
2. In a saucepan, combine raspberries, 2 tablespoons sugar, cornstarch, and water. Bring to boil and continue boiling 5 minutes, or until sauce is thick. Strain sauce through a mesh strainer to remove seeds
3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt white chocolate chips with half-and-half, stirring occasionally until smooth.
4. In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Blend in vanilla and melted white chocolate. Pour half of batter over crust. Spoon 3 tablespoons raspberry sauce over batter. Pour remaining cheesecake batter into pan, and again spoon 3 tablespoons raspberry sauce over the top. Swirl batter with the tip of a knife to create a marbled effect.
5. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until filling is set. Cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refigereate for 8 hours before removing from pan. Serve with remaining raspberry sauce.

Sushi Ota: San Diego, CA

Sushi Ota…where do I begin? If you love sushi and are familiar with the San Diego area then you’ve probably heard of this place. It is seriously in one of the most nondescript locations ever tucked in between a Planned Parenthood and 7-11 with several loitering homeless people wandering around. There are several Japanese businessmen that find their way here for food to remind them of home when they are in town and many of my Japanese friends swear its the authentic stuff. When I was first introduced to this gem a little over 2 years ago I was rather unimpressed at first…. c’mon a 7-11 next door? It was our 3rd date and I’m betting he wish he never brought me here as after trying the delectables I’ve craved it regularly ever since. We try to sit at the bar when we manage to clear our schedules to make reservations. On busy nights they will only seat people with reservations so don’t bother just trying to show up as they will tell you make them and come back again. They emphasize well made traditional stuff which is a nice change from the flashy joints of La Jolla and the Gaslamp exhibiting their fancy non traditional creations. I had originally made the reservation for Mitsu but there was some error made in party reservations and they sat us with Akira which was fine. I was a little disappointed but I later realize there’s a reason for everything. We tried all the usual… salmon, unagi(eel), maguro(tuna), 0-toro(fattiest tuna), etc etc. They were all incredible as usual and I ordered seconds of the salmon and unagi because I just couldn’t get enough of them. This time however we asked our chef to make something special using tuna as the main ingredient…

I kid you not this array of tasties were the tastiest morsels I’ve ever had at a sushi place. On the left he made a sort of salad, wrapped it in nori then wrapped the whole thing in salmon. The middle one he covered the fish in pieces of rice noodle and flash fried it. The last one was pure heaven… he sliced an English cucumber into thin sheets and used it for a wrapper with the salmon and some avocados inside and topped it with some special slightly sour sauce. It was all so yummy and beautiful to look at as well. Sorry for not taking pictures of the other yummies but I didn’t realize till I had gotten to this dish that there were no photos to document this experience. Hopefully this special dish is enough to win you over.
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Sushi Ota
4529 Mission Bay Dr. 
San Diego, CA 92109
(858)270-5670
M 5:30pm-10:30pm
Tu-F 11:30am-2pm, 5:30pm-10:30pm
Sa-Su 5pm-10:30pm

Pinkberry

Those of you fortunate enough to live close to one of these gems are very lucky. Last week I met up with NCT to watch a live taping of the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. After dinner(I’ll talk about it in the next post) we went to Pinkberry in West Hollywood. Ok… before my introduction to this most marvelous place I totally wasn’t a fan of frozen yogurt. It tasted like soft serve or just ice cream…never like what the name says it should taste like… friggin frozen yogurt. So I’ve finally encountered a place the serves up something that really tastes like frozen yogurt. It was phenomenal and until just right now when I was reviewing the company’s website I was sad at the thought that I might not get to eat it very often since I don’t frequent LA as often as I used to and I thought this place was just an LA thing. For us San Diegans….there’s a location in Temecula. It maybe a little far depending on where you live but you must visit it! The frozen confection was just phenomenal…silky and smooth and with that slight tang characteristic of yogurt. Pinkberry only makes 2 flavors… original and green tea but that’s all they need seriously. You can also choose a variety of toppings to compliment the treat. They also sell shaved ice and smoothies but it was very apparent that they were know for the frozen yogurt judging from the customers that were hoarding such large servings. Nhu-Chi and I decided to share a medium 3 topping original frozen yogurt($4.95) and went with mangoes, strawberries and blueberries. I haven’t felt so satisfied with a frozen treat since I was back in Rome at Giollitti’s and that says a lot. The dessert was sinfully delicious and it was fat free as well so no worries about the waistline. Now that I’ve found out its in Temecula I’ll certainly be frequenting this joint more often.

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Pinkberry
(the one NCT took me to) 
868 Huntley Dr., 
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310)659-8285
there are serveral other locations in LA and New York
http://pinkberry.com/