Regina Pizzeria (North End) - Interrupt

Date of Dining: 10/2/2012
Price: $11-14 small pizza, $19-23 large pizza
Location: 11 1/2 Thatcher St, Boston, MA 02113
website

The Quick Bit

+ brick oven pizza -> great tasting crust

+ great selection of specialty pizzas

Δ wait can be long

While many people argue about the merits of New York pizza vs Chicago pizza, my friends from Boston have always insisted that Boston pizza was actually the best. Intrigued, I made sure to make a stop to try the Boston pizza from what was allegedly the best pizza in the city.

Regina Pizzeria has been open since 1926 and was mainly a family run operation until it was expanded in the last decade. While I did pass some of the mall locations, I noticed that those locations used conventional style ovens to cook the pizza. However, what makes Regina special is its brick oven that was built in 1888; the oven reaches temperatures in excess of 700 degrees, which makes the crust taste especially unique. Another specialty of Regina is that the sausage is made fresh daily.

St. Anthony - regina sausage, sausage links, roasted peppers, onions, mushrooms, garlic, mozzarella

As I dropped by Regina during the afternoon to avoid the rush, I only had space to sample a small pizza as part of a snack. I settled on the St Anthony because it contained the specialty sausage and was also a white pizza.

In the first bite, I knew that the crust was special. The style of the pizza isn't quite VPN - I'd say it's more of an Americanized version of VPN, which made the experience much more enjoyable. Moreover the flavor of the Regina sausage really stood out. It had a nice complex flavor of spice mixed into the pork sausage that made the flavors of the St Anthony special. 

Conclusion

While I haven't tried the best Chicago and New York pizzas to declare a winner of the best style of pizza in the US, if Boston Pizza is in the style of Regina, it will be hard to beat. The pizza had all the characteristics I enjoy of the VPN style pizzas, but were brought up a notch. Keeping in mind that Regina is a completely casual style restaurant, it was definitely one of the better pizzas I've had in my life.

Regina Pizzeria gets a bit award for the great tasting brick oven pizzas.

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Voltage Coffee and Art - Interrupt

Date of Dining: 10/1/2012
Price: $2.50 for pour over
Location: 295 3rd St, Cambridge, MA
website

The Quick Bit:

+ great atmosphere of an art gallery with a coffee shop

+ high quality coffee beans

+ convenient location

Δ Ordering can be difficult when there is a line

Voltage Coffee and Art is owned by Lucy Valena. Valena's premise is that coffee acts as a fuel for artistic innovation; by providing coffee in an art gallery ambiance, Valena hopes to jump-start creative works. Interestingly, Voltage was founded through a microloan program. Valena used this loan to establish a reputation to eventually secure venture capital for establishing a brick and mortar storefront.

The espresso drinks served at Voltage contain added flavors to take them to the next level such a the vanilla and burnt sugar in the Atticus Finch drink. However, the draw for me was the the Madcap pour over. I knew Madcap was an up and coming coffee roaster and I jumped at the opportunity to enjoy their coffee in the pour over method - a process that unlocks more acidity and floral notes in the coffee leading to greater body and balance in flavor.

madcap ethiopian pour over

When I sipped the Ethiopian Kochere, I knew I had made the correct choice as it had a great balance of acidity and floral notes to complement the toffee undertones. Even without added milk or sugar, the cup was extremely balanced, and more reminiscent of a strong yet balanced tea.

Conclusion

With its great variety of espresso and pour over coffees and excellent ambiance, I was extremely happy with my visit to Voltage. Even with a single visit, I am confident in awarding Voltage the bit award.

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Ramen Yamadaya - San Diego

Date of Dining: 8/26/2012
Price: $8-11 per ramen, $4-5 per appetizer
Location: 4706 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, San Diego, CA, 92117
website

The Quick Bit

+ great tonkotsu flavored broth

+ fresh takoyaki

+ high quality ramen

Δ seating space could be larger

Δ non-tonkotsu dishes could be improved

One month ago, Ramen Yamadaya opened in San Diego. You would think that I would have been on top of this one, but instead I was distracted by something called Boiling Crab. Fast forward a month, and Yao at {insert-food} informed me that he thought Ramen Yamadaya was on par with the Costa Mesa location. As I was generally happy with the Costa Mesa visit, I knew I had to try Yamadaya.

Ramen Yamadaya has two qualities going for it:

1. the tonkotsu broth is boiled for 20 hours
2. they save the good bits at the bottom of the stock pot to make the kottieri sauce

For some other San Diego blogger coverage, check out Kirbie's post as well as Dennis's

Appetizers

edamame - salt

This was your typical edamame appetizer with salt added for the extra flavor punch. The edamame came out piping hot, so we had to wait a little bit for it to cool down. 

takoyaki - ginger, katsuobushi

The takoyaki also came out piping hot, which was a good thing. Unlike other San Diego locations, I felt that these were not the pre-made frozen variety. The katsuobushi added some nice umami flavors to counterbalance the piping hot pancake ball with the chewy center surprise. Overall, a very fun and well-executed dish.

Ramen

Yamadaya Ramen - tonkotsu kottieri, bamboo, wood ear mushrooms, nori, egg

As I reviewed in the previous post, the yamadaya ramen comes with the traditional chasu topping as well as braised pork belly. We elected for the kottieri sauce as the table took my advice to sample that flavor combination over others. The soup was very nice and creamy and full of flavor.

kakuni ramen - tonkotsu kottieri, bamboo, wood ear mushrooms, egg

The kakuni ramen is the most expensive ramen on the menu and comes with an extra large sized portion of the braised pork belly. Again the soup was extremely tasty and full of flavor.

While you can't see it in my photos (you can in Kirbie's), the noodles for the ramen are special thin noodles. The noodles at our table were generally cooked well and had a nice texture, but the consensus at the table was that we missed the more traditional larger noodles.

While I understand that the thinner noodles have a larger surface area to enjoy the flavor of the soup, one element of enjoying a proper bowl of ramen is enjoying the noodles themselves.

tsukemen - chasu, egg, bamboo, nori

I opted for the tsukemen and got an extra large bowl of noodles so the rest of the table could share.

tsukemen noodles - the thick kind

As you can see, the noodles of the tsukemen were the more "traditional" thicker ramen noodles. When these thicker noodles were placed in the tonkotsu broth, the consensus was that people were generally happier with the taste.

The noodles were prepared perfectly and were extremely chewy in texture. This really added to the enjoyment of the tsukemen because it allowed the flavors to linger on the palate for a longer period of time.

tsukemen broth - kakuni

The tsukemen dipping broth contained the same concentrated tonkotsu flavors, but were modified additionally with a strong element of nori and other kelp flavors. The broth contained small bits of braised pork belly as well.

Unfortunately, when I asked the waiter to take the bowl to add hot water to my tsukemen, he had absolutely no idea what I was talking about. This is an absolute sin to enjoying the tsukemen as the advantage of tsukemen is that you get the noodles in soup from the ramen portion and additionally get the fully flavored broth to finish off the meal.

Conclusion

Ultimately Ramen Yamadaya in San Diego still has a few growing pain kinks to work out. However, the flavor of the tonkotsu broth alone easily makes the ramen the best I've had so far in San Diego. I'm really happy that Yamadaya is now in San Diego as it really shortens my drive for quality ramen.

Yamadaya San Diego carries forward the franchise bit award for the San Diego location on the strength of the tonkotsu broth alone.

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Half and Half Tea House - Interrupt

Date of Dining: 4/1/2012
Price: $2.85-$3.85 + $0.50 extras
Locations:

• 141 N. Atlantic Blvd #112, 91754  (reviewed)
• 3007 E. Huntington Dr. #104, 91107
• 17575 Colima Rd. #C, 91748
• 18558 Gale Ave. Unit #152, 91748

The Quick Bit

+ great boba drinks

+ drinks are made to order

Δ waiting times can be shorter

Δ phone in orders could be finished upon arrival

When I was in high school and in the prime of my geekiness, a certain Chinese food trend swept through Southern California; boba. As a young man with knowledge of the food trend, I suddenly found myself being asked about food from my culture for the first time in my life. I also found that others seemed to enjoy my explanations.

Embracing the role of the avid boba junkie, I tried all the various boba shops that popped up around town and recommended certain ones which I thought were better than others; it was perhaps gastrobits R&d only I didn't know it at the time.

When I went to college, the boba craze was still strong and I even joined a club with the slogan "bobalicious." I found myself with like minded individuals who all loved boba. I was even told of a story where one of the club members was playing basketball at the gym wearing the shirt and he was playfully given the nickname bobalicious for the session. Ever since that time, I've tried to curtain my boba consumption - it more or less lined up with my metabolism slowing down as I aged. 

It was with some trepidation that I was thrown back into the boba world during a recent visit to LA. While certain fields seem to never advance, boba drinks have continued to evolve over the years. The current lead innovater is Half and Half Tea House. With four locations in the Los Angeles area, they serve the widely accepted best boba drinks.

Half and Half's innovation is that instead of sweetening the tea itself, the tapioca pearls (boba) are dipped into honey before being added to the cup. This form of sweetening gives a more natural and rich flavor to the entire drink.

milk tea with coffee jelly, and honey boba

For my experience at Half and Half, I went with the most popular drink - milk tea with coffee jelly and honey boba. From the first sip, I knew that this drink was extremely special. The flavors were purer than any other boba drink I had previously savored. I felt like I have a flavor explosion and complete re-discovery of the boba drink when I enjoyed this cup. The inclusion of the coffee jelly was key as it added a nice smoky depth to the drink. The tapiocas were prepared perfectly and I didn't feel that the drink was too sweet (the previous three boba drinks I've had I always felt were too sweet, even with less sugar).

Conclusion

Half and Half's boba teas are truly eye-opening and set the bar for all other boba drinks. Despite having plenty of boba in my time, Half and Half's tea was a flavor epiphany; it's like someone teaching you a completely new way to cook chicken better than anything you knew previously.

For the truly awesome product, Half and Half gets the bit award.

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Ramen Yamadaya (Costa Mesa) - Interrupt

Date of Dining: 4/14/2012
Price: $4-6 per appetizer, $8-11 per bowl of ramen
Location: 1175 Baker St., Costa Mesa, CA 92626
website

The Quick Bit

+ great rich tonkotsu flavor broth

+ quick friendly service

+ good selection of ramen toppings

Δ broth was a little thick when cooled

Δ noodles where a bit too thin

While it has only been a month since my last ramen post, I was again impressed enough by another ramen-ya that I felt the need to report it. Even more exciting is the great ramen can be found about half the distance to LA and it is service all day every day.

Within all the different types of ramen, I have to admit that I am partial to a really good tonkotsu ramen. I love the richness and depth of flavor in tonkotsu ramen moreso than the other types of ramen. At Yamadaya, the pork for the tonkotsu ramen is boiled for at least 20 hours prior to service. The result is an extremely thick and rich tonkotsu broth. 

Yamadaya also continues the trend I noticed at Tsujita where the noodles for the tonkotsu were of the thin variety. On the website, it is mentioned that the noodles are thinner so that they absorb more of the pork flavor. While I'm somewhat skeptical of this are still partial to thicker alkaline noodles, I can see where the thin noodles to work.

Appetizers

agedashi tofu

I started the meal with some agedashi tofu. While the dish is very simple, I feel that a great agedashi tofu speaks volumes about the quality of a Japanese restaurant. The dashi in the tofu was really rich and flavorful, which suggested a good thing to come. Unfortunately, the tofu was a bit firmer than I expected. Additionally, the deep fried coating of the tofu seemed a bit soggy. Overall, the dish was still above average.

takoyaki

The last great takoyaki I had was in Japan. While this particular takoyaki didn't compare to the ones from Japan, this was the best one I've had in the United States. These takoyaki were made fresh and the middle had that signature hot boiling temperature expected from a takoyaki. The octopus filling was both generous and cooked properly.

Ramen:

yamadaya ramen - tonkotsu kotteri

For the ramen, I ordered the Yamadaya ramen, which includes a mix of toppings. From there, there is the option of having the ramen as just tonkotsu, shoyu, spicy, or kotteri. I opted for the kotteri, which is an extra scoop of all the pork fat/drippings/leftover on the bottom of the pot after the tonkotsu broth is cooked. The result was an extra infusion of pork flavor in the broth.

The soup was thick, creamy, and flavorful. While the soup was not as good as Tsujita's, it is close enough to suggest the drive to Little Osaka may be unnecessary. The pork toppings and the egg were well prepared as well. Overall, the ramen was a very impressive bowl of ramen - had I not just visited Tsujita, I would be calling this the best ramen stateside. 

Conclusion:

Although the ramen at Yamadaya isn't as good as Tsujita, it is pretty close. With a closer driver, easier schedule to work around and cheaper prices, it is an extremely attractive second option when you don't have to absolutely have the best. The takoyaki is also a reasonable substitute for what you would expect when ordering that dish.

For the great tonkotsu flavored ramen at affordable prices, Ramen Yamadaya is awarded a bit award.

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MIHO Gastrotruck

Date of Dining: 3/23/2012 
Price: $8-10 per item
Location: Two trucks, various location - check website

The Quick Bit:

+ high quality restaurant food in a food truck

+ rotating selection of menu items

+ most items made fresh

Δ some items were unbalanced

Δ restaurant quality food is still at restaurant prices

I've quipped about MIHO in the past in relation to what I viewed as their shortcomings (namely the small portions), but I never really did give them a fair shake. The reality is that MIHO was San Diego's first Gourmet Food Truck in the real sense of the word, and they are who many of the other food truck operators look to as the "top dog" of San Diego food trucks. 

MIHO is the brainchild of former Linkery Chefs Juan Miron and David Ho. Leaving The Linkery, they sought to establish a mobile restaurant in the same spirit of the restaurant where they worked; fresh, local, organic ingredients are used and everything that can be made from scratch is made from scratch. 

When I decided to visit MIHO for the blog, I decided that I would remove any past preconceptions from my mind and approach the food truck like any other first timer would. I enlisted the help of a coworker to make sure that I remained unbiased.

The Food

shrimp tacos - chipotle aioli, slaw

The shrimp was cooked to perfection, and the aioli was flavorful. Unfortunately, I felt that the dish did not quite come together in spectacular fashion. I was hoping for the sweetness of the shrimp to contrast with the spice of the chipotle and sing in my mouth, and those flavors did combine in such a way, but the resulting chorus was more of a pianissimo sound than the fortissimo.

fried chicken biscuit - free range chicken, local slaw. house made buttermilk biscuit

As people are starting to get to know, my guilty pleasure is fried chicken. Coupled with the biscuit and I knew I had to order this. The biscuit was made to perfection as it was moist, crisp, and full-flavored. The chicken was fried perfectly to retain moistness and tenderness. This was the best dish of the visit, and not just because it was my guilty pleasure. While I normally never order chicken from a restaurant, I was happy to have this dish and would readily order it again.

Perhaps most importantly, the serving size of the sandwich was a full portion. Eating this alone is enough for a normal person to get full.

Lamburger - all natural lamb, harissa aioli, goat cheese, caramelized onion, local arugula, local ciabatta

We ordered the lamb cooked medium rare and the chef complied to cook it exactly as per specification. The lamb was super moist and the medium rare cooking caused all the juices to overflow throughout the ciabatta. The combination of flavors really worked well in the context of the sandwich and was satisfying. While I was ready to anoint the lamburger the best dish, my co-worker pointed out that he was really put off by the bread to meat ratio in that the flavors of the ciabatta really muted the flavor of the lamb. Instead of being the best dish, the lamburger will have to settle for a close second.

bacon chocolate chip cookie

We finished with a dessert item. Other than the bacon chip visible on the top of the cookie, we detected no other flavor of back throughout as the chocolate seemed to overpower the flavor. Further, thought the price of the cookie did not justify what we received. This was easily the worst dish, and we both recommend against anyone ordering it in the future unless the price is dropped.

Conclusion

Overall, there were some hits and misses at MIHO, but I came out of the experience with a much higher opinion of the truck than I held previously. Most importantly, MIHO is now offering true restaurant quality food out of the truck in the proper portion sizes to be full. While the price isn't any cheaper than a restaurant,  the location of the truck in certain certain culinarily desolate locations may trump the higher price point - the food out of the MIHO Gastrotruck is easily better than most restaurants.

For the high quality restaurant food out of a food truck, MIHO is awarded the bit award.

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Jade: Thai and Mandarin

Date of Dining: 4/13/2012
Price: $5-7 appetizers, $11-16 entrees
Location: 10330 Friars Rd Suites 104-105, San Diego, CA 92120
website

The Quick Bit:

+ high value per dollar

+ no-MSG in all menu items

+ authentic Thai and Chinese flavors in dishes

+ good and friendly service

Δ menu could be simplified

Δ beverage selection could be expanded

When I received a tip that there was a good Thai/Chinese restaurant in Mission Valley, I thought the tip was akin to discovering a Hunger Games winner out of the Twelfth District. However, I was assured that the food was well prepared and that the restaurant was a hidden gem waiting to be found.

While the restaurant was described to me as "Jade Thai," I was somewhat surprised to pull up to the restaurant and see the restaurant was actually named "Jade Thai & Mandarin." I didn't really know what to make of the development: on one hand, the improper language suggested a foreign owner who was likely intimately familiar with authentic flavors, but on the other hand having a single restaurant that served both Chinese and Thai dishes separately seemed a bit unfocused.

When I sat down in the restaurant, I was greeted with an extremely helpful server who explained the concept of the restaurant. Apparently the restaurant is under new management. The previous restaurant had a very talented Thai chef, who was retained for the transition, but the owner really wanted to operate a Chinese restaurant, so they brought in a second Chinese chef. While I had been recommended the Thai dishes, the rarity of such good and helpful service at a Chinese restaurant convinced me to try some Chinese dishes as well. 

Thai tea

I started with the Thai tea at the waitress's insistence. The tea was a good rendition of the Thai tea with the milk tasting especially creamy. Somehow, I felt that the helpfulness of the waitress was akin to currying favor with sponsors.

satay - chicken, peanut sauce, cucumber salsa

One of the signature dishes of the restaurant was the satay, so I decided to try it. Being used to overcooked chicken on satay skewers, I was extremely surprised to find an extremely moist, flavorful, and well-cooked chicken satay. I tried the satay with each sauce individually and together and was impressed as well. The cucumber sauce was especially refreshing, but the combination of the peanut sauce with the cucumbers was a big triumph. There was a great mix of sweetness, complexity and crunch well all the sauces were combined together.

bowl of tom kah soup

Since it was a cold and rainy day, I decided that a large assortment of soups was in order. We started with the tom kah soup. While I've never really been a fan of coconut milk based soups, I enjoyed the flavors present in this bowl. There was a good balance of coconut milk, lemongrass, and fresh vegetables to give a complex bowl of soup.

beef with cilantro soup

Following the Thai soup, a Chinese soup was brought to the table. While I don't want it to be, I would be lying if I didn't admit this was my favorite dish of the evening. I probably drank about 2/3 of this large family-sized bowl of soup in addition to the other dishes I ate.

The soup was the epitome of good Chinese cuisine - none of the elements were overcooked, there were delicate just subtly complex flavors, the entire dish was balanced, and the ingredients were fresh. The fresh cilantro in the soup really brought out a freshness to the dish stimulated both my palate and appetite. 

Note: For those who don't normally order Chinese soups, ask for white pepper and add it to your bowl. The soups are purposely under-seasoned, but some white pepper really brings out all the flavors.

Overall, this soup was coursed properly in the progression that it was almost like a parachuted care package.

larb pork

With the Thai chef claiming to specialize in Northern Thai cuisine, I ordered the pork larb as a measuring stick against some other versions of the dish. While the result was not quite a home run, it was probably a 2 RBI triple. The larb was cooked well and much better than most versions of the dish I've had in the past. It is certainly a dish that I wouldn't mind returning to eat regularly.

cumin lamb

The cumin lamb is one of my favorite Szechwan preparations of lamb. I found this rendition interesting as it used cumin seeds as opposed to grinding the seeds. The result was a lamb that was not so strongly cumin flavored, but it was not necessarily bad since it allowed the flavor of the lamb to be featured more prominently.

pad talay

I decided to finish off with a Thai seafood dish. The technical execution of this dish was impressive as each of the seafood elements were cooked perfectly. Further, the resulting sauce of all the seafood and vegetables was an extremely flavorful combination that really enhanced the dish.

mango sticky rice

For dessert, another signature dish - the mango sticky - rice was served. I really enjoyed this dessert as the rice was not overcooked or overly sweet. The mango was ripe, fresh, and flavorful. This was a great way to end the meal.

Conclusion:

While I don't want to go overboard and attribute any sort of "best" labels to Jade Thai & Mandarin, I had an extremely enjoyable time with my experience there. The Thai food was well prepared and contained authentic Thai flavors. I consider the Chinese food to be in the edible category, which places the restaurant in the upper echelons of San Diego ranks. I am anxious to return again in the future and try some more dishes to see if the quality holds throughout the menu. Finally, the price for a meal at Jade Thai & Mandarin was extremely economical and affordable. If the flavor doesn't do enough to convince you, let the prices seal the deal.

For the tasty authentic food at tasty and affordable prices, Jade Thai & Mandarin gets a bit award.

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Surati Farsan Mart - Searching for Good Indian Food in SD Part 3

Date of Dining: 10/7/2011 
Price: About $5-7 per item
Location: 9494 Black Mountain Road, San Diego, CA 92126
website


The Quick Bit:
+ Exciting flavor combinations
+ Fully Vegetarian, but still satiates the appetite
+ Selection of Indian Sweets
Δ Some flavors can be a little aggressive for a western palate
Δ Food can be surprisingly heavy even for being vegetarian
Δ Variation in food was somewhat lacking

Blogger's Note: With next week being Christmas, I will not be updating the blog. I expect to have an update for New Years along with some potential blog changes in 2012.

While I visited Surati Farsan Mart in October, I really wanted to post about it after seeing this amazing video footage (watch the video, really). Unfortunately there were some higher priority posts that had to be done first. At the time of this posting, it is unclear to me whether Surati Farsan has re-opened for business yet. It wouldn't surprise me if they are already reopen at this point, but hopefully a helpful reader can provide an update on the situation.

Getting back to the search for Indian food, Surati Farsan has long been mentioned as a bastion for enjoyable  Indian fare in San Diego. Prior to this visit, I had never actually gone there despite hearing about it several times. The key part that prevented me from visiting is that whenever I mentioned it to some Indian friends, they would brush it off as "just being a snack place." I set out to Surati Farsan to find out if I could eat a complete satisfying meal that was completely vegetarian.

I enlisted a group of friends and coworkers to help me navigate the menu and recommend items for me to try. 

dahi puri

The first item I tried was the dahi puri. The puri is the shell that holds the ingredients and the dahi is the yogurt. The inner filling contained a mix of chickpeas, green lentils, potato, and there was a water infused with tamarind, dates and mint chutney. 

For being a relatively cheap snack item, I was very impressed with this dish. The tamarind, date, mint water was the key component to the dish infusing the elements with sweetness, freshness, and a tiny bit of spice. The key to the water was that it infused a lot of flavor without being overpowering. The puri itself had an enjoyable contrast of textures and flavors between the different components with the yogurt marrying the textures together. This was easily my favorite dish of the night and I imagine it would work as an amuse on most fine dining menus.

pav bhaji

The pav bhaji was an Indian curry mixture containing potato, pea, onions, and a tomato-based curry. The bhaji was accompanied with some hamburger buns spread with ghee and some chopped white onions.

I found this dish fairly aggressively spiced, and otherwise uninteresting. I can see where an item like this is a staple food that people would eat on a daily basis as it contains some cheap and filling ingredients that contain a nice mix of flavors. Ultimately, I feel that while there was nothing wrong with the dish, a Western palate may not take the aggressive spicing well, and that there are more interesting things to order on the menu.

chole samosa

The chole is the curry of chickpeas and tamarind sauce that accompany the samosas, which contained potatoes, corn, and mustard seeds. 

This dish was a great dish for me. There was a large play between the contrasting flavors of sweetness and spice throughout the course. The chole contained an aggressive sweetness from the tamarind infusion to the curry, which was more restrained in the spicing; this mix was juxtaposed with the samosa which had a light sweetness from the corn and an aggressive sweetness from the mustard seeds and other spices. This play on the components worked really well for me. I also enjoyed that the samosas were prepared well as they were fried crisply and cooked well.

selection of sweets

While Surati has some savory dishes, it is even more known for its selection of Indian sweets. Similar to the chocolate display case at Godiva, the sweets are available for order in some large quantities. Fortunately for me, the proprietor took mercy on me for being the clueless Westerner and allowed me to purchase a sample selection of the sweets.

My favorite of the sweets was the item on the upper left, which was a sweet containing mostly dates and mixed with pistachios, almonds, and cashews. I found the different contrast in nut flavors and textures blended with the date to be satisfying and not too sweet.

I also enjoyed the rolled candy on the far right, which I was informed was a cashew filling to a milk based outer shell. 

Conclusion:

While Surati Farsan is certainly a change of pace in relation to the other Indian food places I've been exploring, it does not mean that it cannot be part of the Indian food search. I came away from Surati with some mixed feelings; while I did enjoy the food I did feel there was the "comfort food" aspect of Indian food missing from the experience (which may be a good thing). I also felt that while I was able to take most of the aggressive seasonings, it may not be for everyone. While I can recommend Surati Farsan to adventurous eaters that are willing to experience an "unfamiliar" type of Indian cuisine, I don't believe that it will ultimately hold as the winner of the Indian food search.

Even so, for the exceptional dahi puri (a dish I think that could be served in a high end restaurant with a little more refinement), Surati Farsan is awarded with the bit award.

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Claire's on Cedros

Date of Dining: 6/25/2011 
Price: $8-12 per plate
Location: 246 N Cedros Ave, Solana Beach, CA 92075
website


The Quick Bit:
+ Fresh, Organic, Seasonal Ingredients
+ Bright and friendly atmosphere
+ Patio Dining available
Δ Parking situation could be improved
Δ Lines can be long if showing up late


While I tend to cover more of the fine dining, bistro, and food truck scene in San Diego, the historical food culture in San Diego actually revolves more around brunch. The story is that a large portion of San Diego revolves around the surfer culture where they need to get out into the ocean to catch the high tide around 6am. To arrive in time to surf, the surfers are unable to eat any breakfast. Then, they expend a lot of energy surfing and are starving around the time they finish surfing - just in time for brunch.
While the surfers are primarily responsible for restaurants needing to cater to hungry customers between the breakfast and lunch hours, the concept of brunch really caught on within the San Diegan culture. Instead of just the beach dives, the demand for better brunch options caused an evolution to more sophisticated brunch spots. Coupled with the farm-to-table organic and green movements, Claire's epitomizes the casual yet trendy San Diego Brunch Spot.

Claire's on Cedros focuses on providing organic and seasonal fair for brunch in an environmentally friendly atmosphere (Claire's is the first LEED Platinum certified restaurant in San Diego). Claire's is run by Claire Allison and Terrie Boley. Allison actually invented the recipe for Milton's multigrain bread before selling the recipe to the owners of Milton's. Boley is an entrepreneur who actually started up two technology companies. However, being a friend to Allison, Boley saw an opportunity to for a great restaurant and started up the business with Allison. I invited two friends along for brunch to check out the resulting product.

tuscan benedict - 2 poached eggs, sauteed spinach, roasted tomatoes, Italian sausage,
croissant, homemade hollandaise

I ordered the Tuscan benedict as it seemed to be the "deluxe" benedict - I'll usually order an eggs benedict for brunch places to be able to compare as it is a great dish to show off technique, creativity, and flavor all together. The Italian sausage actually had a nice kick to it, which was a welcome addition in the morning as a caffeine substitute for slapping you in the face to wake you up. The spinach was well prepared and the tomato added a nice amount of sweetness to balance the spice of the sausage. The earthiness of the egg yolk and the hollandaise really tied all the flavors together. Another aspect that can easily be overlooked was that the croissant was toasted perfectly. Usually croissants are either too well done or not toasted enough, but my croissant was right in the sweet spot of doneness.

mushroom and roasted tomato omelet - sauteed mushroom, spinach, shallot, thyme, brie cheese

The mushroom omelet was very well prepared and cooked well technically. The combination of flavors was very enjoyable and would definitely satisfy a vegetarian as well. At no fault of the chef, the particular tomatoes that were diced into the omelet were overly sweet, which ruined the balance of the dish. Still, the dish was very enjoyable and I would order it again. The brie cheese was a nice touch to elevate the dish from a traditional omelet dish.

stuffed strawberry french toast - brioche bread stuffed with ricotta with strawberries
and strawberry butter

The french toast was an excellent addition to those looking for a sugar rush. Like all the other dishes, the french toast was technically prepared very well. For the strawberry lover, the addition of the fresh strawberries and strawberry butter were a good way to create a great strawberry overload. While this was technically supposed to be breakfast, this dish was more of a great well balanced dessert. The flavors of the strawberry and the butter of the brioche and the creaminess of the ricotta really worked in a delicate harmony.


Conclusion:
Claire's on Cedros provides a great elevated brunch experience without breaking the piggy bank. The dishes were executed with high technical precision and the use of organic and seasonal ingredients definitely brought out all the flavors of the food. I can't wait to go back to Claire's to actually sample more of the lunch side of the brunch menu.
For the great brunch experience, I'm awarding Claire's the bit award. It is definitely one of the San Diego brunch spots to check out!

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Robata-ya Oton

Date of Dining: 7/29/2011
Price: $5-10 for each tapas dish
Location: 5447 Kearny Villa Rd #D, San Diego, CA 92123


The Quick Bit:
+ Good traditional Japanese ambiance with authentic seating
+ Wide variety of authentic Japanese dishes
+ Great friendly service even though you are isolated in a booth
+ Good selection on seasonal menu of specials
Δ Amount of reservations taken seems high
Δ Could be expensive to get full


In contrast to last week, this week I look at one of the ethnic cuisines that San Diego does well - Japanese. From fresh sushi to ramen to bento boxes, San Diego has some good to decent selections for all of these choices.


Robata-ya Oton is an Izakaya that specializes in some grilled dishes. The Robataya in the name is derived from the japanese word robatayaki which means that fresh food is grilled and served in front of you. However, I would say the experience at Robataya Oton is more just an Izakaya. There is a bar where you can see the fresh ingredients on display, but the main focus of the restaurant seems to be the 4-6 booths situated along the wall where once removes their shoes and goes to sit inside the booths. There is even a curtain to eat booth to provide privacy. We showed up right as the restaurant opened for dinner service at 5:30, and I was surprised that they had already had reservations for all the booths booked out. Luckily after speaking with the manager, I assured him that we would finish before the 7:00 reservation on one of the booths and we were quickly ushered into a booth.


Digression: I purposefully bought a tiny point and shoot camera for for casual dining where I want to try to hide that I am taking photos of the food, but at 5:30 the service was almost too attentive at the restaurant. There was no way I would have been able to take photos of the seating and bar without being noticed, so I unfortunately don't have any photos. However, if you do a quick google search on one of the San Diego blogs I have linked, the photos cover the inside of the restaurant rather well.


Additionally, Robata-ya Oton is owned by the same group that owns Wa Dining Okan. If I had to differentiate between the two, I would say that Robata-ya Oton is slightly higher end and has a large focus on grilled dishes while Wa Dining Okan focuses a little more on home-style cooking. I would still say each is more of an Izakaya, but each is just focused slightly differently.

Tamago with Umeboshi and Shiso

This dish was actually listed as "Japanese Style Egg Omelet" and I would probably never order this myself, but the person I was with absolutely loves tamago. The tamago here was good, but not spectacular; it was cooked well but the flavor of it was boring (I guess they used a cheap mirin?). The less than wow factor of the tamago was mitigated by the umeboshi dipping sauce and the shiso, which added some extra flavors. I felt that there could have been more umeboshi because it paired really well with the tamago. However, as a starter, this dish worked well as it left me hungry for more.

Karage - deep fried chicken

This was supposed to be fried chicken skin crackers, but the order was messed up and we received karage. Even though we said it was the wrong order, the restaurant gave us the dish for free since they had already cooked it. The chicken was fried and seasoned well the Japanese style karage. The fact that the chicken was free range chicken didn't really come through in the flavor though.

Shio Ankimo - Steamed Monkfish Liver (salt style)

This dish was offered as a shio or ponzu style and I chose the shio as I figured it wouldn't allow anything to be hidden. This monkfish liver was a little on the fishy side, but it was still enjoyable for the rich flavor that makes it known as the foie gras of the sea. However, had I known that it would be so fishy, I would have gone with the ponzu preparation. I wouldn't say that the ankimo was bad, but it definitely needed to be steamed to serve and it was probably close to being over.

Amaebi Sashimi

As spot prawns are in season, when I saw the Amaebi on the menu I knew I had to order it. This amaebi was at the peak of freshness and the flesh of the prawn was sweet, succulent, and had a nice texture. To top it off, my dining companion allowed me to have the head of the prawn. Thank you!

Chilled Tofu with Uni

This dish was another hit. The uni was extremely fresh and flavorful, and the tofu provided a medium to extend the flavor of the uni longer. I'm not sure what the sauce was, but it also assisted in keeping the flavor of the uni extended.

Braised Kurobuta Pork

This was another great dish. The kurobuta pork belly was cooked so that it was soft and tender, and the braising liquid was extremely flavorful. When eaten all together in one bite, the broth complimented the flavor of the pork. The mustard was a nice touch to add some variety, but it was not strictly necessary to enjoy the dish. I really enjoyed the mustard because it still retained some of the texture of the seeds of the mustard. It was also more concentrated in flavor to be more similar to wasabi.

Grilled Beef Tongue

Beef tongue is one of those well kept secret cuts of beef that is awesome when prepared well. The Japanese have nailed down that preparation of beef tongue when it is cooked over a yakitori grill, which it appeared that these were. I really enjoyed these skewers and almost felt the need to order more.

Deep Fried Chicken Skin Crackers

Since the order was messed up, this dish came out last. Unfortunately if I had known this was what the dish would be ahead of time, I never would have ordered it (I can see why the waitress brought out karage instead). The make matters worse, it appeared that this was a rush job in preparation of the dish, so not all of the chicken skin was fried properly and some of the middle pieces were still un-fried. This was easily the worst dish of the night.

Rum Raisin Ice Cream

This was just your standard ice cream (even though it was an unfamiliar flavor), but it was still a great way to finish off the meal.


Overall, the experience at Oton was very good (aside from the chicken skin). Looking at the menu now, I still see a wide variety of different dishes that I would order next time. Furthermore, even though we ordered a lot of food, the bill came out lower than I expected. The food at Oton was an authentic Japanese experience, a great variety, and a healthy dose of umami to satiate my umami craving.


Despite the miss of the chicken skin, my experience at Oton was enough to award it the bit award! The great service and the string of four great dishes made up for the one bad dish. If you visit, I would suggest ordering more dishes from the seasonal specials and the grilled dishes since those seemed to be the best.

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