Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

Restaurant Review

04 Aug 2007

The Ramos House Café – San Juan Capistrano

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5 Comments

July 26, 2007
Cuisine: American (New), Southern

31752 Los Rios St
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675

Phone: 949-443-1342
Website: www.ramoshouse.com

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Cinnamon Apple Beignets ($6)

Mac n’ Cheese with Smoked Veggies and Lemon Gremolada ($16)

Southern Fried Chicken Salad with Corn Bread, Cranberries and Pumpkin Seed Buttermilk Dressing ($14)

Strawberry Basil Pain Perdu ($12)

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Not wanting to leave America without seeing one of my best friends, The Astronomer and I drove to San Jaun Capistrano to lunch with Esme on my final day in the states. She lives in Pasadena while I reside in San Diego, so we met exactly half way in the city of San Jaun Capistrano.

While researching restaurants midway between San Diego and Pasadena, I checked out eateries in Dana Point, Laguna Beach, and San Clemente, but they all seemed a bit too hoity-toity. Even though San Jaun Capistrano is technically located in the OC, it thankfully feels more rustic than silicone. The restaurant’s website provides further insight:

The Ramos House Café is situated in the heart of the Los Rios Historical District in San Juan Capistrano. It is the oldest remaining residential street in California, Los Rios dates back to 1794 when about 40 adobe structures were constructed to house soldiers and workers overseeing construction of the Mission.

The historical district was incredibly charming and a treat to walk up and down while waiting for Esme to arrive. When my friend finally came, we were seated promptly by the host. All dining at Ramos House is alfresco due to the abundance of sunshine year round.

Esme, me

The Astronomer insisted that we begin our meal with Cinnamon Apple Beignets because they are his weakness. The beignet batter contained tiny pieces of Granny Smith apples, which were deliciously tart and the cream fraiche and caramel sauces added another layer of sweetness. Perhaps a bit too decadent for a starter, but I’m not complaining.

For my entrée, I decided to have another dessert in disguise and ordered the Strawberry Basil Pain Perdu. An impressive mountain of freshly dipped and fried baguette rounds in a pool of strawberry puree topped with whipped cream appeared before me. It tasted as wonderful as it looked, but was much too big for one, so Esme and The Astronomer had to help me kill it. God, it was so good.

The Astronomer enjoyed the Ramos rendition of macaroni and cheese. The extra-large pasta and the roasted vegetables took this American classic to a delicious new level. His only complaint was the wimpy portion size. Esme really liked the cornbread in her salad, but found the chicken too spicy.

Restaurant Review

03 Aug 2007

Minh Ky – San Diego

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2 Comments

July 24, 2007
Cuisine: Vietnamese

4644 El Cajon Blvd #101
San Diego, CA 92115

Phone: 619-283-4180
Website: none

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Mi Bo Satay Kho – Thin egg noodles topped with beef, tomatoes and onions in a Satay sauce ($5.50)

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The main difference between Vietnamese restaurants in America and Vietnamese restaurants in Vietnam is specialization. In Vietnam, restaurants expertly execute only a handful of dishes from a specific region of the country, while Vietnamese-American eateries serve up dishes from a variety of places and operate much like a one-stop shop. Choices can range from pho to rice dishes (com) to every type of noodle imaginable in these restaurants.

Minh Ky is a prime example of a Vietnamese restaurant in America. They serve everything under the sun and even throw in a few Chinese dishes for good measure. However, if Minh Ky were in Saigon rather than on El Cajon Boulevard in San Diego, their specialty would definitely be Mi Bo Satay. I’ve been dining at Minh Ky for years and have never strayed from this dish.

Mi Bo Satay consists of a generous bed of tangled egg noodles topped with sautéed beef, tomatoes and onions in a savory satay sauce. The satay sauce is a bit oily, but wonderfully flavorful and not the least spicy. The noodles are garnished with cilantro and scallions. This dish can be served either wet or dry; I prefer mine dry (kho), which means the broth is served in a small bowl on the side rather than poured on top. I find that the dry preparation intensifies the satay flavors, while the wet tends to dilute some of the deliciousness.

Mi Bo Satay is pretty much flawless in my book.

Restaurant Review

02 Aug 2007

Saigon Restaurant – San Diego

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2 Comments

July 20, 2007
Cuisine: Vietnamese

4455 El Cajon Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92115

Phone: 619-284-4215
Website: none

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Appetizer: Bò Bía – stir fried jimica and carrots, Chinese sausage, shredded scrambled eggs, all wrapped in a rice paper roll and dipped into a peanut sauce ($3.50)

Banh Tam Bi – rice noodles with shredded pork, vegetable, & coconut milk ($6.75)

Bò 7 Món – Seven Courses of Beef

Course I: Bo Nuong Vi – lemon grass and sesame marinated beef cooked on a hot plate with butter

Course II: Bò Nhúng Dấm / Beef Fondue – slices of Tenderloin fondue at your table in a simmering vinegar sauce

Course III: Bo Cha Dum – steamed Beef Meat Balls
Course IV: Bo La Nho – beef wrapped in grape leaves
Course V: Bo Moi Chai – grilled Beef Sausages
Course VI: Bo La Lot – beef Wrapped in Wild Betel Leaf

Course VII: Chao Bo / Beef Rice Soup – a rich flavorful beef rice soup

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During my last weekend in America, my brother and his main squeeze came to San Diego for a brief visit. On his first evening in America’s Finest City, he was aching for some beef—seven whole courses of it. My family usually goes to Anh Hong Pho Pasteur in Clairemont for bò 7 món, but Cousin Phil suggested we try Saigon Restaurant due to a favorable review from his dad. Unfortunately, his dad forgot to mention that service was terrible at this restaurant. I guess we’ll just have to stick with our old stand by Anh Hong from here on out for good eats and prompt service.

While my dining companions enjoyed bò 7 món ($16.99—for two), I decided to order bo bia and banh tam bi instead. Seven courses of beef is six courses too many for a vegetarian-leaning, sprout-loving gal like me. The bo bia, like most of the food at Saigon Restaurant, were huge; perhaps twice the size of average spring rolls. I’m usually against super-sizing, but I may make an exception for Vietnamese treats. The extra-fatty rolls were stuffed with an abundance of carrots and jicama. Sadly, the disproportionate amount of vegetables to protein over powered the Chinese sausage and scrambled egg.

For my main entrée, I wanted to try a new dish. My mom suggested banh tam bi. Banh tam bi is reminiscent of classic vermicelli noodle dishes (bun), but with an unexpected sweetness. The coconut milk sauce in combination with nouc mam is what makes this offering extra special. I really enjoyed this selection and will be on the look out for it in Vietnam.

Even though I don’t like all seven courses of beef, there are a few that I am awfully fond of. The bo la nho is nutty and delicious and the final soup brings back fond memories of nursing childhood colds with a bowl of hot porridge.