OKAN revisited

After my first visit, I knew I had to come back to OKAN. And bring friends. More people must know about OKAN and eat there!

On my 2nd visit, the same coworker came along and I dragged two friends with us.  Since one of them was a pescatarian, we stuck mostly with vegetarian or fish dishes.  This time around, we ordered:
- 2 Kabocha pumpkin salads
- eggplant
- Braised pork – Nagasaki style ($8.50)
- Pan-fried pork homemade dumplings ($5.50)
- Grilled Hamachi cheek ($12.50)
- Green tea tiramisu
- Pudding with black honey
We also ended up with some grilled hamachi ($8.50) because the waitress didn’t realize we wanted the cheek.

So we ended up ordering pretty much all the same stuff as last time, but it’s because it was all amazingly delicious!!

OKAN - Kabocha salad

The Kabocha pumpkin salad was as good as I remembered.  I pretty much ate almost an entire bowl on my own.  This is one of the “must order” dishes if you ever visit this restaurant.  There’s just something about the perfectly cooked kabocha paired with the crunchy cucumber and whatever seasoning they use that makes this dish magical.

OKAN - Eggplant

The next dish was the eggplant.  We attacked the bowl before I got around to taking the picture.  While it does not look appetizing, it was pretty good.  The eggplant was nicely cooked and seasoned and had a lot of flavor though the texture was mushy.  I think this may be a “special” menu item rather than a regular one as I don’t recall seeing it last time I was dining here.

OKAN - Braised pork Nagasaki style

Here’s a much better picture than in the previous post of the Braised Pork Nagasaki style.  I would consider this another “must order” dish for OKAN diners.  This really showcases how well the chef(s) at this restaurant handle red meat.  The pork is perfectly cooked; it’s got lots of flavor and is never dry.  I like how they leave a thin layer of fat as that just adds to succulence of this dish.

OKAN - Salt and green tea salt

At this point, the waitress brought us grilled yellowtail.  We had ordered the cheek but that seemed to have gotten lost.  We told her we would eat it anyways since it was already at our table but we still wanted the cheek.  The grilled yellowtail (which I apologize for failing to nab a photo of…it was a beautiful piece of fish!) came with a side of salt and green tea salt.  I didn’t think the fish needed it as it was already seasoned well and had a bit of a soy sauce-based glaze on it.  I had to try the green tea salt.  Sadly, green tea being such a mild flavor, you didn’t really taste it.

OKAN - Pan-fried pork dumplings

OKAN - Pan-fried pork dumpling filling

The homemade pan-fried pork dumplings arrived shortly after we devoured the grilled yellow tail.  These were nicely fried with a crispy bottom.  The wrapper was not sticky or chewy and the filling was moist.  As you can see, there’s quite a bit of green stuff in there.  I think that overpowered the pork a little.  Not the best dumplings I’ve had but better than some I’ve had at other places.  If these were home-made, I couldn’t tell, because they were assembled as neatly as the store bought ones.  The only thing that would convince me that this was home-made is the filling as I’ve never tasted anything quite like it.  I’m not sure what the green vegetable in it was but it had a slightly peculiar taste I was not familiar with.  I would have asked but the waitresses barely spoke English. Most of the patrons are Japanese, which, in my book, is a sure sign that OKAN serves good and authentic cuisine.

OkAN - Grilled hamachi cheek

Our hamachi cheek arrived and it was just as good as last time.  Consistency!!  The top skin was cooked to a crisp; the meat inside was moist.  And as before, this was a huge serving.  The four of us did a number on this dish but we were already getting full from the previous entrees.  One thing about OKAN is that even though you think you’re not getting a lot because the servings seem small and you’re sharing, you’re actually getting quite a lot of good food for a great price.

OKAN - Green tea tiramisu

OKAN - Pudding with black honey

This time, they had the green tea tiramisu available.  We ordered that as well as the pudding with black honey.

The green tea tiramisu suffered an assault from 4 spoons before I remembered to take a picture so the perfect square was ruined.  However, you can see the nice green tea layers and the fluffiness of the lady fingers.  This was a tasty and light dessert.  You could actually taste the green tea which was nice.  However, I think the pudding is better.  The black honey…mmmmmm. For dessert, the pudding is imperative.

Overall, this was a better meal than my first visit because we didn’t have that horrible tuna and avocado roll.  The service was spectacular as always minus the order mix-up which actually turned out to be beneficial for us because we got to eat another great dish!

OKAN gets upgraded to 5 NOMs!!!

Wa Dining OKAN
3860 Convoy St., #110
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 279-0941
http://okanus.com

Decent inexpensive sushi in San Diego – Convoy Sushi & Fish Market

If you want decent inexpensive sushi, you can’t go wrong with Convoy Sushi & Fish Market.  I went here for lunch with some coworkers. One of them and I split
- a Rainbow box
- 3 orders of nigiri
- Kalbi appetizer
- two handrolls
and were comfortably full.

Convoy Sushi & Fish Market - Rainbow Box

The Rainbow box contains a rainbow roll, half a spicy tuna roll, some edamame and seaweed salad…all for $5. You can’t get a rainbow roll for $5 at most sushi restaurants! I won’t lie, this wasn’t the best RR I’ve had; the crab was a little overpowering. But the fish was fresh, the roll nicely packed, and the rice seasoned and cooked just right.  This would make for an okay sushi lunch for a tight budget.

Salmon, Yellowtail, Tuna nigiri

For the nigiri, we ordered salmon, hamachi (yellowtail) and tuna. These were also pretty good and tasted fresh. The fish to rice ratio was good although I’m used to more fish and less rice thanks to Sushi n’ Joy.  I had a spicy tuna hand roll and wished it had a little bit more of a kick to it but it was still good and rather plump. For $2.50-3.50 an order, this was a pretty good deal.

Kalbi "appetizer"

The Kalbi appetizer was a surprise. I was expecting a small plate with a few pieces of kalbi but instead, we got what could easily be a lunch entree for a single person. Rice, a good amount of marinated short ribs and kimchi filled the plate. The ribs were tender and well-marinated. The kimchi was good and slightly on the spicy side. And this was only $5-6.

The service was great. I never had to ask for a water refill. Our food arrived rather quickly (though I think it helped that it wasn’t super busy) as well.

I expect to come here more often as this is a quick, cheap place to get both good sushi for the price and delicious hot entrees.  It isn’t the best sushi and won’t compare to places like Sushi Ota but the price vs. quality makes this a bargain and worth coming to when you want sushi but have a thin wallet.

4 NOMs for Convoy Sushi & Fish Market because the bargain hunter in me was happy.

Convoy Sushi & Fish Market
7905 Engineer Rd
(between Brinell St & Mercury St)
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 634-3233
www.fishnsushi.com

Wa Dining OKAN

Tucked away in a small shopping center is one of the best meals I’ve had in a while.  Not your typical Japanese restaurant, OKAN offers a memorable dining experience for your eyes and taste buds.  OKAN means “mom” in Japanese slang and offers dishes that are reminiscent of home cooking rather than the usual teriyaki, curry, and sushi options.

My work friend and I had heard this place gets quite crowded, especially on the weekends, and because it is small, it would be best to have a reservation.  We didn’t need it for the time we chose to go (around 6pm on a weekday).  When we walked in, the tiny space was practically empty.  There was a large bar-seating area dominating the room with a few small tables along the walls.  We were warmly greeted and quickly seated at the bar which had several large dishes displaying some of the specials.

Ordering at Wa Dining OKAN is sort of like going to a tapas bar (no, not topless… ;P).  You pick several items off the menu and share with the rest of your party.  The portions aren’t large but enough to get a good tasting size depending on how many people dig in.  They have a rather large regular menu but offer several specials as well that are listed (in Japanese and sometimes English) on a chalkboard sign outside the door. There is no shortage of choices and the problem of  what to get is a common one because it all looks and sounds tasty.

Since there were only two of us, we decided to split 6 dishes.  We opted for
- Kabocha pumpkin salad
- Braised pork Nagasaki style ($8.50)
- Roast duck with green onion and yuzu pepper ($8.50)
- Grilled yellowtail cheek with ponzu ($12.95, if memory serves me correctly)
- Tuna and avocado spring roll ($8.25)
- Pudding with black honey

OKAN - Kabocha salad

It’s hard to decide which was the best dish of the night – the Kabocha salad or the pudding.

Made with Japanese pumpkin and cucumbers, this vegetable dish was simple and delicious.  The pumpkin was soft but firm, perfectly cooked and the cucumber not only was a nice compliment visually but texturally, adding a crunch to each bite.  This is one of those surprise dishes that seem like it wouldn’t be anything special but absolutely wows you with each bite.  I was very tempted to lick the dish clean and wanted more after we were done.

OKAN - Braised Pork Nagasaki-style

Next came the braised pork.  I’m not sure what “Nagasaki style” entails other than yum.  I believe there’s a soy-sauce based marinade involved.  Two pieces of pork (roughly about 2-3oz each) with a nice thin layer of fat on each arrived.  The pork was moist and tender and quite easy to bite into since we didn’t have forks and knives to use.  As you can see, we dug right in before I remembered to grab my phone to take a picture.  And you can see the empty dish that used to be filled with Kabocha salad.  I was still contemplating licking it…

OKAN - Roast Duck

The roast duck was one of the average dishes of the night, I think.  While it was cooked perfectly, the flavor was a little bland.  I tried eating it with the piece of grilled green onion but that overpowered the duck.  Adding the yuzu pepper (the little bit of green in the left upper corner) did help.  I liked the dish but I wasn’t crazy about it; there are other items on the menu I want to try before I return to ordering the duck again.

OKAN - Grilled Yellowtail Cheek

The grilled yellowtail cheek was a surprise.  I love hamachi whenever I go to sushi bars and some places have this on the menu but it was always on the pricy side for what you got – a cheek bone with a little bit of meat on it.  So when this arrived, I was quite pleased with the HUGE portion!  The rather large piece of fish was around the size of my hand.  The top skin was nice and crispy while the meat inside was moist; there was no fishy flavor which made me think that this fresh, not frozen.  Dipped in ponzu, each bite was light and mild but delicious.  It was a little troublesome to eat with only chopsticks but we managed.

The next dish ended up being the disappointment for the night.  While a tuna and avocado spring roll sounds delicious, the reality of it was not.  This dish involved wrapping tuna sashimi, some sort of green leafy vegetable and avocado in rice paper. The flavor of the unknown vegetable completely overpowered the tuna and avocado.  It was also a crunchy type of leaf so the texture overshadowed everything else.  Both the work friend and I were not impressed with it.

When it came to ordering dessert, we had heard they had a tiramisu variation that was to die for along with a heavenly pudding with black honey.  The tiramisu was not available so we opted to just get the pudding instead.  Oh my goodness, this was amazing.  The “pudding” was actually akin to flan in appearance, texture and consistency.  But instead of caramel, they used black honey.  I had never heard of black honey so some googling resulted in hits stating it’s actually “sugarcane syrup”.  Well, whatever it is, it is delicious.  Sweet like honey, there’s a bit of a taste to it that reminds me of coffee or something bitter like it.  We got a little bowl with extra black honey to pour over our pudding.  Needless to say, it was all demolished and we were licking our spoons to make sure we got every last bit of sticky goodness.  An excellent way to end a meal on a high, especially after the prior dish.

OKAN also has a decent list of alcohol including beer, sake and shochu as well as plum and yuzu wine.  It’s not a full bar though so you won’t find mixed drinks.  My work friend ended up with a red rice beer – Hitachino – that he liked. There’s also a white rice beer.

Overall, this was a splendid meal and not a very expensive one for the amount and quality of food we ate.  We were both stuffed to the gills; we could have done without the sad spring rolls and still been full.  I definitely want to go back and try other items on the menu that looked enticing.  And eat more Kabocha salad if they have it!!!

I give Wa Dining OKAN 4 1/2 NOMS.  It would have been 5 if we didn’t get that awful spring roll….that was a hairball.

Wa Dining OKAN
3860 Convoy St., #110
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 279-0941
http://okanus.com

Crab Hut

Based on Mmm-yoso’s blog, I gathered up some coworkers and we ventured here for lunch.

I have to say, first off, that the shopping center Crab Hut is located in is one of the worst for parking.  ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE PARKING.  1) Asian drivers (and yes, I can say this cuz I’m an Asian driver myself) 2) not enough spaces 3) ASIAN DRIVERS!!!  Once in a blue moon, you might find a spot but most likely it’ll be small and hard to get in/out of.  Save yourself the headache and just park on the street.

Crab Hut is a Vietnamese-owned place that serves up Cajun-style seafood boils.  Yeah, weird.  But that’s what it is.  There’s a huge neon sign in the window boasting Lousiana crawfish.  When we walked in, we were immediately greeted and seated.  The restaurant was practically empty so this place isn’t a big hit for lunch.  We found out why later on.  The interior was very clean and decorated with a fishing village island-type motif.  Anyways, the waiter took our drink orders and explained the menu and made suggestions since we were newbies. Really helpful and friendly.

The way Crab Hut operates is you order your seafood of choice by the pound with the exception of shrimp which you can order by the 1/2lb. They offer up shrimp, live and frozen crawfish, a shrimp and crawfish mix, whole Blue and Dungeness crab, Snow and King crab legs, clams and mussels.  The crawfish comes with sausage and corn.  Everything else is just the seafood.  There’s a selection of sides that you can add on for extra including Cajun fries, sweet potato fries, garlic bread, corn and rice.  After you select your seafood, you select a “flavor” – Cajun Sensation, Lemon Pepper, Garlic Butter, Full House, Old Bay and Plain (Boil Only).  Then you select your degree of hotness – mild, 1/2 medium, medium, hot, K.O.  If you want to start off with some appetizers, you can order some fresh oysters, fried catfish, shrimp cocktail, crabcakes, fried calamari and other things.

Our party of four all ordered the same thing – 1lb of the shrimp & crawfish mix with the “Full House” seasoning at varying degrees of hotness; I went with medium.  We also got Cajun and sweet potato fries which arrived first.  The sweet potato fries were good and a little overcooked to give it a little extra crunch which was nice, but without burning them.  The Cajun fries were the frozen crinkle-cut kind that you got  in the elemetary school cafeteria only sprinkled with cajun seasoning.  I -LOVED- these.  I dunno why but I just adore crinkle-cut fries.  And waffle-cut as well.  But there’s just something in me that regresses back into a little kid when I have crinkle-cut fries.  The Cajun seasoning brought me back to adulthood, though.  The fries were nicely cooked and not at all soggy like how they were in the cafeteria.  Fabulous!

Our bags of bugs arrived and when I opened mine, I could smell the seasoning…and a little bit of spice.  I started with the crawfish.  I had never had these whole before and got a little weirded out.  They looked a bit…creepy.  But I got over it and quickly figured out a shelling technique.  Rip off the heads, suck out the juices and then shell the tail and nyom nyom nyom.  The only problems with that strategy were 1)the Medium Full House ended up having the sort of spicy kick that hits the back of your throat if you inhale too much.  2) The crawfish tails were tiny so technically, all you got was more like nyom.  The crawfish was nice and juicy if small but the Full House was a very powerful seasoning so I didn’t really taste  the crawfish at all.  Overall, the amount of effort vs. the amout of meat made me decide I’ll stick to crawfish in other forms.  The shrimp, however, was a bit of a different story.  It had the same issue with the Full House flavoring overpowering it but the size of the shrimps were great and they weren’t as hard to shell.  The medium spiciness builds so by the end of lunch, my lips were a little tingly.  I don’t think I’d go any hotter than medium.

Now, I mentioned why this place wasn’t that crowded during lunch.  I’m guessing it’s because eating here is MESSY.  Crab Hut supplies everyone with giant plastic bibs and towelettes and there is a roll of paper towels on each table.   This is not a place for dainty eaters.  As you can see, we went thru quite a bit of paper towels…and crawfish n’ shrimp.  And we were trying to be neat!

As for cost, this place was not bad.  The shrimp/crawfish mix goes for $8.99/lb.  Given that this was all shrimp n’ crawfish, this was a deal!  You could go to Red Lobster and end up spending $18 on a 2-skewer shrimp entrée or something like that.

I give Crab Hut 3 1/2 NOMs. Not the greatest seafood boil but a great value for what you get and pretty decent taste-wise.  The parking situation gets a big fat hairball, though.

Crab Hut
4646 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 565-1678
http://www.crabhutsd.com

China Max

A couple of coworkers and I went out to China Max for lunch yesterday. I had been to this place a few years back for dinner but never got around to returning, even though it was a great Hong Kong-style Chinese restaurant.

I had read from Mmm-yoso’s review that dim sum was available and that’s what I and one coworker ended up getting and sharing, along with an order of their Beef Chow Fun.  The other coworker ordered a spicy chicken off their “Recession” menu ($9 for the entrée plus rice and egg drop soup).  While that may sound a little steep for a “Recession” menu, this was not a skimpy sized lunch special.  A large plate with the chicken over crispy noodles appeared and you could see the pepper seeds in the sauce denoting that this was not spicy on an American scale.  I tried a piece and yup, it had a kick to it.  Also, the chicken was nice and moist.  I don’t know if it was worth the $9 but it sure beat Panda Express.

China Max does dim sum a little differently.  Instead of ordering off carts that pass your table, you have a picture menu (handy for people not familiar with dim sum or know what they like but don’t know the name of it) and a sheet where you check off what you want.  The waiter collects the sheet and then a few minutes later, dim sum starts appearing on your table.  A lot easier and simpler than the cart places, in my opinion.  The selection of dim sum at China Max is decent and a lot of the classics like shrimp har gow (shrimp dumpling) and char siu bao (steamed bbq pork bun) are on the menu.  The cost is based on the items which are marked Small, Medium, Large and Kitchen.  Small dishes were priced at $3.75, Medium at $4.something, Large at around $5.75 and Kitchen varied from $8-11, if memory serves me correctly.

We ordered:
- shrimp har gow
- char siu bao
- pork and shrimp shumai
- fried potstickers
- bbq pork cheung fun (bbq pork wrapped in a rice noodle topped with a sweetened soy sauce)
- pork spare ribs
- turnip cake
- egg custard tarts

This coupled with an order of beef chow fun ended up being quite a large order for 2 people and we ended up with leftovers.

Some of the dishes like the pork spare ribs were a little milder in flavor compared to the other dim sum restaurants I’d been too.  Most of the dishes were steamed so they were not heavy or oily.  The fried potstickers were quite light and had a good crispy skin and moist filling.  The pieces seemed to be a little bigger than what you get at Emerald or Jasmine.  I really enjoyed the bbq pork cheung fun; I think that was my favorite. The beef chow fun was also quite good.  Altogether, the meal ended up a little less than $40, not counting the spicy chicken dish.

The only downside is the service.  I guess it’s not really that different from other Chinese places I’ve been to but they aren’t attentive and it’s really hard to flag people down to get something as simple as a water or tea refill.

Overall, I was quite pleased with the food experience and would come back for the dim sum.  It was a lot quicker coming here for a workday lunch than it was going to a cart place.

I give China Max 3 NOMs.

China Max
4698 Convoy Street #C101
San Diego, CA 92111
(858)-650-3333
http://www.chinamaxsandiego.com/

Chopstix

Chopstix has been on regular rotation thru my tummy since I was a college student almost 8 years ago…maybe even earlier than that.  I seriously think this place has some of the best gyoza in town. Nicely crispy browned bottom, moist filling, and the wrapper is of always perfect thickness and never doughy. And it’s only $3.95 for an order of 6. Not bad.

As for the rest of the menu, this place is serves up some good ramen, soba and udon. I’m a fan of the deluxe nabeyaki udon. The awesome thing is that they don’t serve the shrimp tempura in the bowl; it comes on the side so it doesn’t get all soggy by the time it gets to you.  Usually, I end up with the oyako-don, a huge bowl of rice covered with egg, chicken n’ onion. Put on some Sriracha sauce, mix it up and you’re all good to go. It comes with a bowl of miso soup and a salad.  There’s also katsu, katsu curry, yakisoba, and seasonally, hiyashi. They also serve up several different rolls if you want something sushi wise but I don’t think there’s nigiri.

The prices here are fair for the amount of food you get. $10 should cover you (sans alcohol) and you may even walk out with leftovers.

Service is good as well though sometimes it varies.

Parking sucks. Asian strip mall…not enough spaces, tiny spaces at that and then you get the people who can’t/won’t park properly. There is a lot in the back that may offer up an easier situation but good luck navigating to it.

I give Chopstix 4 NOMs.  Fast service, great simple cheap eats, consistent quality…can’t go wrong with a place like that.

Chopstix
4633 Convoy St Ste 101
(between Dagget St & Opportunity Rd)
San Diego, CA 92111
(858)569-9171

Dumpling Inn

Been craving dumplings for a while now so coworkers and I went to Dumpling Inn for the first time yesterday for late-ish lunch (got there around 1pm).

The place is tiny; fortunately, they had 1 table left open and it was large enough to accomodate our group of 5.   Even after we were seated, there were people coming in and out and at some point, there was a short wait.  I’ve heard this place gets crowded on weekends.

We placed an order of Xiao Long Bao, pork n’ chive dumplings, chow mein. I also added a request for jellyfish. The jelly fish here is excellent ($6.95). The sauce is refreshing and cool and the jellyfish nice and crunchy. The chow mein ($9.25) was okay but I felt that it was a little bland. The serving portion was large since it was meant to be shared family style. I loved the Xiao Long Bao ($6.95/10); however, do not shove it into your mouth right away as it is filled with super hot moist pork and a little soup. The pork n’ chive dumplings ($6.95/10) were a sad thing. The dough was extremely mushy and the taste – bleh. Skip these! I’ve been told the potstickers here are excellent and I did see quite a few people ordering them. Maybe I’ll order those next time.

The service here is excellent. I guess being a small restaurant means you don’t have to have worry about a lot of customers at one time.

As for the prices, not bad! For the two dumpling orders and chow mein, the total ended up being around $8/pp for a group of 4, including tax and tip. Not exactly a filling lunch but comfortable.

3 NOMs for Dumpling Inn.

Dumpling Inn
4619 Convoy St
Ste F
(between Dagget St & Opportunity Rd)
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 268-9638

Sushi n joy – why yes I will!

Sushi N Joy is a little, hidden away spot for good sushi for reasonably cheap. I had never heard of this place till my friend told me about it and suggested it for dinner. It’s now our spot for “Girls’ sushi night out”. Judging by how busy they always are, I’m not the only one that appreciates what they have to offer.

The fish is fresh and the portions generous (as in, with each nigiri order, they add in some extra slices of sashimi). Between the two of us, our bill hasn’t gone over $35-40 (including tax and tip) yet and we leave STUFFED. And trust me, we can pack away the sushi…

The only complaint I have about this place is that the service varies. When we sat at the bar, we had no problems or wait with getting our order and refills on our drink. However, when we sat at a table, there was definitely problems on getting refills; we had to remind the waitress a few times.

They offer up an all-you-can-eat option which I have yet to take advantage of, though so far, I haven’t had a need to what with their portions and prices being what they are.  Also, they do a lot of take-out orders, too, I noticed. So if it’s crowded and you don’t want to wait a while, you have the to-go option.

Sushi N Joy gets 4 NOMs for the excellent quality & quantity vs. price ratio.

Sushi N Joy
2530 Vista Way Ste J
Oceanside, CA 92054
(760) 721-1888

Dae Jang Keum

When it comes to Korean food, this is where my coworkers and I come for lunch when I’m in town. Why? Their dolsot bibimbap (hot stone pot with rice, meat and vegetables). For $10 (including tax and tip) we get a huge bowl of this yummy goodness. The bowl is always steaming hot so that you get that nice crust of crunchy rice at the bottom (provided you let it sit long enough). For you vegetarians, you can order it without meat. The bibimbap sauce they serve here is not spicy-hot; rather it is really flavorful and adds to the dish.

There are a lot of other items on the menu. The bento boxes (also $10 with tax n’ tip) are a good deal. The spicy pork bbq one has a lot of heat to it so only order it if you like to take a walk on the spicier side. The chicken and beef are safer bets if you want something flavorful but won’t burn your mouth. Sometimes, the bbq beef can be a little on the greasy side, though. It comes with rice, a large helping of salad, 2 pieces of California roll and vegetable tempura. And if available, there’s also a piece of shrimp tempura as well. Note, though, that the bento boxes are only available M-F during lunch.

Other dishes I’ve had here is the mul naeng myun (a cold buckwheat noodle soup), mandu guk (dumpling soup), bibim naeng myun (buckwheat noodle dish mixed with the bibimbap sauce) and kimchi jigae, all of which are good and remind me of what I grew up eating.

The banchan here is great and changes every time we come though the staple kimchi is always present.

There’s the “cook your own meat” option that most people think about when they hear “korean bbq” though I have not tried it here.

The service is typical of all Korean restaurants I’ve been to…you have to ask for what you want , including refills on water since they won’t come by to check on you.

3 1/2 NOMs for Dae Jang Keum!

Dae Jang Keum
7905 Engineer Rd
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 573-2585

Royal/T – a maid experience

A while ago, I met up with the husband and M. again for lunch in Culver City.  We walked over to Royal/T which is themed after the maid cafés in the Akihabara district in Japan.

Royal/T is in a space that can be described as part eatery, part store and part art gallery.  There’s a store off to the side that sells shirts, dolls (the collectible expensive kind), and other random items, including a giant stuffed squid and its smaller leather twin.  All over the place is artwork – sculptures and paintings mostly from the Superflat movement.  There was even some naughty sushi.  And based on flyers, artists use Royal/T to show off their work and hold gallery events.

When we walked in, we were greeted right away by a waitress dressed in a brown and white French maid uniform.  Sorry boys, they weren’t the super itty bitty kind made by Leg Avenue.  We perused the menu which isn’t huge but offers a nice variety.  There’s about 12 different types of teas offered in hot or cold form as well as coffees, sodas and juices.  As for food, they have a selection of salads, sandwiches and rice bowls.  They also offer breakfast items in the morning.

M. opted for the Wagyu Beef Burger lunch set.  Dan went for the Grilled Flank Steak Sandwich sans tomato and I ordered the Spicy Tuna Tar Tar (tartare?) lunch set.  The lunch set came with a side dish and we both went with the cucumber salad.  Since it was a Japanese eatery, we thought the cucumber salad  would be more like sunomono.  Instead, we got something that was more Greek – cucumbers with red onion and feta cheese with an olive oil dressing.  It was good but out of place.  As for the entrees, Dan liked his sandwich.  M thought the burger was a little dry.  My Spicy Tuna was quite good and I was happy with it.  It wasn’t particularly spicy but the fish was fresh, the tuna to avocado ratio was decent and the baguette was nice and crunchy.

As for drinks, I went with the Marocco Mint (I think they mean Morocco?) iced.  Instead of the sugar packets, they bring you simple syrup, which I loved.  It’s just an easier way of sweetening up your drink without having to deal with paper packets n’ grainy bits.  There’s also a container of sugar cubes on the table if you don’t want simple syrup.

Obviously, there was some Engrish items on the menu.  And our waitress was definitely not American and had a little trouble with her English.  Also, I don’t know if she was new but service was a little slow and hard to flag down.  But overall, the experience was nice.  It wasn’t very crowded, the food and drinks were good and reasonably priced and there were interesting things to keep our eyes occupied.

I don’t think we had quite the same experience as we would have if we were in a true Akihabara maid café, though.  From what I understand, there’s definitely more cosplay involved at those joints.

I give Royal/T 3 NOMs.

Royal/T
8910 Washington Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 559-6300
http://www.royal-t.org/