Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

Restaurant Review

02 Jan 2007

Á Châu – San Diego

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December 30, 2006
Cuisine: Vietnamese, Deli

4644 El Cajon Blvd Ste 111
San Diego, CA 92115-4432

Phone: 619-281-4066
Website: none

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Bánh Mì Dāc Biêt ($2.50)

Bánh Mì Thịt Nguội ($2)

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A Chau sells the best bánh mì on the planet. The bread is perfectly crisp and always fresh, the meats are high-quality, and the pickled carrots and daikon are crunchy and flavorful. I always pick up some bánh mì whenever I am home because Philly bánh mì doesn’t stand a chance.

On my recent visit to A Chau, I ordered the bánh mì thịt nguội, which consists of cold cuts, pickled vegetables (carrots, daikon, onions, and cucumber), pate and cilantro. I always ask for my sandwiches without mayo. As always, the sandwich hit the spot and filled me up nicely. My other favorite sandwich at A Chau is the bánh mì bì cha, which comprises of shredded pork, slices of pork sausage and a drizzle of scallion oil.

Cousin Phil and Danny ordred the Bánh Mì Dāc Biêt, which came with everything on my sandwich with additional slices of pork sausage (cha).

Restaurant Review

02 Jan 2007

Old Town Mexican Cafe – San Diego

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December 27, 2006
Cuisine: Mexican

489 San Diego Ave
San Diego, CA 92110

Phone: (619) 297-4330
Website: www.oldtownmexcafe.com/

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Tortilla chips with Pico de Gallo (complimentary)

Appetizer II: Fresh corn and flour tortillas

Entree I: Machaca con Huevos – Shredded beef, eggs, onions, bell pepper, chiles, and spices; served with rice and beans.

Entree II: Burrito Colorado – Chunks of beef with red chile sauce

Dessert: Cinnamon and Sugar Churro with Vanilla Ice Cream

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As a small child, my aunt Ut used to take me to the Old Town Mexican Cafe. Even though my taste buds weren’t full developed yet, I loved their fresh flour tortillas smeared with butter. While home for the holidays, we decided to see if the Old Town Mexican Cafe was still magical after all these years.

The restaurant is located in Old Town San Diego which has become quite the tourist trap these days. Plenty of souvenir shops and historical placards line the streets. We dined on a Wednesday afternoon around 2:30 PM but still had to wait at least 30 minutes for a table. Que popular!

We were famished by the time we were finally seated and quickly ordered some tortillas to snack on. We also enjoyed some complimentary chips and dip. The tortillas were just as great as I remembered them. They were warm off the griddle and amazingly pliable. Supermarket tortillas tend to tear easily, but these tortillas could be stretched and folded without harm. They also tasted wonderfully, especially the fragrant and earthy corn tortillas. My small cousins enjoyed the flour tortillas smeared with butter. The circle of life continues.

For my entree I ordered the Machaca con Huevos, which were served with a side of tortillas, rice and beans. I thought the meat and eggs could’ve used more salt, but the rice and beans were right on point. My uncle ordered the Burrito Colorado at the suggestion of my aunt. He found it a bit too salty, but since my entree was mild, I appreciated the saltiness. My aunt and cousins shared a steak quesadilla. I did not get a chance to taste it, but my cousin Madison proclaimed that it was “so, so good.”

For dessert, my cousins Megan and Madison shared the churro with ice cream. The churro wasn’t up to Megan’s standards so she cast it aside and focused on the ice cream. Madison was also a big fan of the ice cream. In fact, she sipped up the melted ice cream with a straw.

Maddie

Restaurant Review

02 Jan 2007

Buddakan – Philadelphia

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December 31, 2006
Cuisine: Asian, Eclectic & International, Pan-Asian & Pacific Rim

325 Chestnut St, Philadelphia 19106
Btwn S 3rd St & S 4th St

Phone: 215-574-9440
Website: http://www.buddakan.com/

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Appetizer: Kobe Beef Satay with Vegetable Tempura ($16)

Entree I: Asian Barbeque Pork – slices of grilled tenderloin with chinese broccoli and giant panko crusted onion rings ($26)

Entree II: Japanese Black Cod with a miso glaze and cream cheese and arugula sushi rolls ($24)

Dessert: “Dip Sum” Doughnuts – five-spice sugar mini doughnuts served warm with blackberry jam, chocolate sauce and ginger cream cheese for dipping ($9)

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The Astronomer and I rocked in the New Year at my favorite Philly restaurant: Buddakan. The ambiance at Buddakan is too trendy for my taste (see: giant glowing Buddha statue, waterfall wall, two bars), but the great food keeps bringing me back.

We were seated at 11 PM in the upstairs dining room which I was really excited about because I had never sat there before. The room’s lit white curtains created a relaxed mood.

We began our meal with the Kobe Beef Satay; our waiter assured us that the beef was authentic Kobe. The meat was presented on wooden skewers and served with a side of vegetable tempura and a soy sauce-based dipping sauce. The beef tasted really fatty and not nearly as tender as the Kobe beef the Astronomer and I had at Nobu. The vegetable tempura saved the day. Asparagus, potatoes, and shitake mushrooms were battered and fried to a wonderful crisp. My favorite was the mushroom. Although the tempura was perfect in every way, the appetizer as a whole left a lot to be desired.

The portions at Buddakan are generous and served family-style. Our first entree was the Asian Barbecue Pork. The pork was moist, tender, and delicious. The barbecue sauce was flavorful upon the delicate slices of grilled tenderloin. The Chinese broccoli was stir fried to a perfect state and added freshness to the dish. My favorite side was the giant Panko crusted onion rings. The onions were thick and the savory batter was just salty enough. The Panko crusting provided a hearty texture that was fun to bite into.

Our second entree was the Japanese Black Cod with a miso glaze. The dish originally came with wasabi mashed potatoes, but our friendly waiter allowed me to substitute for some cream cheese and arugula sushi rolls. The fish was very good, the flesh was buttery and melted in my mouth. The carrot-slaw was quite flavorless so I mixed them with the pork’s broccoli, which made them much tastier. The sushi rolls were awesome! Cream cheese and arugula are a great combination.

My favorite dessert at Buddakan is the Banana Tower. Sadly, the Astronomer is not a fan of bananas so we compromised and ordered the Dip Sum Doughnuts and they were fabulous. The doughnuts were warm out of the deep fryer and evenly coated with sugar and a little spice, but mostly sugar. All of the sauces were great, but my favorite was the cream cheese with bits of crystallized ginger. Yum!

Here’s to a delicious 2007!