Sunday was an eventful day: I went surfing for the first time in a while and nearly got pulled into the ocean by a rip-current, I accidentally cut myself with my own thumbnail, and I had mediocre Southern California barbecue! Smokeyard has two locations now, one in Mammoth, and the one I visited in the new area of the UTC mall. My last few forays into the barbecue scene here have ranged from wildly disappointing (Phil’s a.k.a. the most overrated restaurant in the country with its copious layers of sickly BBQ sauce attempting to hide the dry, stringy meat below) to surprisingly delicious (Iron Pig Alehouse’s tender brisket… yummy!).
Smokeyard’s interior is incredibly spacious. The ceiling is dotted with different sized sphere chandeliers which keep the restaurant well-lit. Nearly every space is covered in something wood-textured (the light wood floors seem a bit out of place, but whatever). Bathrooms were sleek and modern except for the singly-ply toilet paper and only the bar area has TVs (TV-covered walls are my biggest pet-peeve of local restaurants). The service was friendly, but maybe a bit spacey – we asked for water with ice and she promptly returned a jug of iceless. Not a big deal, but a little head scratching.
In fact, that might be the theme of the restaurant. Everything is nice and acceptable, except for one little detail. We ordered the crispy rock shrimp appetizer – battered, fried, and covered with an American-Chinese Orange Chicken like sauce atop pickled banana peppers and thinly sliced cabbage. It seemed a little out of place in a BBQ menu (I was expected shrimp cocktails) but still delicious in the same way Panda Express takeout is. The main course was, of course, the meat. My dining partnered ventured towards the chicken and St Louis ribs combo while I ordered the beef spare ribs with a side of tri-tip, all slathered with the house BBQ sauce.
Honey butter cornbread
I’m by no means an expert on barbecue. I know nothing about the particulars of the regions, smoking techniques, sauce variations, etc. so I’m not quite sure what I was expecting from Smokeyard. Maybe I’ve been spoiled by short ribs, ribeyes, and the fattier parts of the cow, but my spare ribs were overcooked, well shrunk with barely any meat, and very dry. The sauce wasn’t even applied evenly – there would be a chunk of meat on the side of the bone completely dry and tasteless. The pork St Louis ribs were much better, moist with a satisfying bite but still tender, and the one-piece chicken drumstick and thigh was the star, a juicy and moist compared to the stringy messed served up at other joints. The side tri-tip was chewy and seemed to have sucked in all of the smoke flavor and left none of the juice and seasoned with just a dab of sauce. In fact, the sauce itself was a bit too tomato-y for me, sweet and acidic with a sloppy structure but at least it made the dry meat easier to swallow.
Does Smokeyard finally bring delicious BBQ to San Diego? Definitely not but considering it’s a sit-down restaurant in a mall, it manages to provide a relatively decent experience at an above-average price point. However, it does have some incoming tough competition as Din Tai Fung, True Food Kitchen, and other big-name restaurants open in Westfield UTC this year. We’ll see if Smokeyard’s formula can last. As for genuine delicious barbecue, you can always book a flight to Texas.
Shake Shack finally came to San Diego. And it’s pretty dang good.
Now hold your horses before you type up an angry response how X burger chain is simply the best and nothing else can compare and how can I even possibly have taste buds and so on and so on. This article isn’t a burger showdown (although that is a good idea for a post later), nor do I intend to insult California’s darling In-N-Out, East Coast staple Five Guys, SoCal native Habit Burger, Texas’s Whataburger, and all the other fine burger joints out there. In the culinary desert that is UTC, having a solid fast food burger joint is pretty dang handy and the previous options simply didn’t suffice. That Five Guys across the street from the mall? Someone tell them how to sear a burger; they prefer to cook them over such low heat that the patty comes out grey and bland. The McDonalds nearby? They have a tendency to screw up every single order you give them.
Clearly the head honchos over at Shake Shack corporate clearly saw the same thing and decided to open a new store in the newly developed area of UTC mall back in October last year. On opening day, lines were out the door and waits were an hour or more. San Diego residents’s first thoughts on NYC’s finest burger chain? Mediocre, but I would have to politely disagree. I think Shake Shack not only fills the void in UTC, but packs quite a punch in the flavor department.
The delicious Shack Stack
One of the common criticisms I heard from locals was: “their burgers are too salty.” Now you could reasonably chalk this up to inexperienced employees, but I think they mistook richness and savoriness for saltiness. Shake Shack burgers are topped with a deliciously melty cheese (which is probably some type of American?) and special sauce that compliment each other and create a unique mouthfeel. My personal favorite on the menu is the Shack Stack – a normal cheese burger stacked with a deep fried Portabello mushroom stuffed with muenster cheese. The potato bun serves its job well; it isn’t memorable but performs it’s function as a container. When you take a bite out of the burger, the fat and salt (and, let’s be real, probably MSG aka umami) burst all over your taste buds, the sauce oozes out of the sides, and cheese inside the mushroom escapes, finally free of its crispy prison. It’s worth indulging even though the calorie intake would terrify your nutritionist. Moderation, folks!
The french fries are nothing to scoff at either. Frozen ridge cut fries means a nice crispy exterior that delivers a nice crunch coupled with a soft, pillowy interior. In-N-Out’s fresh cut fries (too thin to deliver any meaningful flavor other than “potato chip” or “animal sauce”) and Five Guys’s Idaho potato fries (cooked and seasoned so that they taste and feel like cardboard) should bow in shame. The other mainstays on the menu are a bit hit or miss. The namesake shakes are creamy, sweet, and solid and the fried chicken sandwich provides a thick crispy and surprisingly juicy breast with lettuce, mayo, and pickles, but the bacon cheeseburger with tart cherry peppers, the only burger lacking the signature cheese, doesn’t quite provide the same oomph as the others.
Is Shake Shack pricey compared to it’s competitors? Definitely yes. And if you were looking for a great bang-for-your-buck, I’d recommend In-N-Out hands down, thumbs up, every day of the week, 365 24/7, capeesh. But even with the higher price tag, the array of options (you can even order their custom beer!) and quality items on the menu make Shake Shack a welcome addition to the San Diego burger landscape. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to futilely attempt to run off my last meal.
Last minute dinner changes on Thursday night – we were going to do a return trip to TRUST, but decided to try out something new (and constantly recommended) and walked into Richard Blais’s (a Top Chef All-Star winner) Juniper & Ivy in Little Italy. It was pretty crowded for a Thursday night; we weren’t able to score a table, but we managed to get a few seats at the lounge. The boisterously drunk ladies seated to our right on the same table added a little bit to the atmosphere (and, after bugging one of our dining partners to take multiple photos, generously compensated his drink). The place was definitely swanky to the max – I was dressed way too comfortably (I may or may not have taken a shower that day) considering everyone was wearing sports coats and dresses.
The interior is swanky to the swank-th degree. It’s a pleasant mix of industrial steel and rustic dark wood with a grey concrete floor and just enough atmospheric lights to make it seem like you’re in an hottest, most exclusive spot. The open kitchen covers the entire back of the building, and the restroom features a confusing door labelled “YES” which then leads to the communal sinks and gender-separated toilets. More than one guest knocked on the “YES” door while I was taking a leak. Different? Yes. Practical? Eh.
Wagyu short rib with romesco sauce, mushrooms, and greens
Maybe that’s the theme for the food as well. Instead of letting the ingredients speak for themselves, it seems as though Blais is attempting to wow with bold flavors, but they make each dish seem one-dimensional rather than have depth. The wagyu short rib was tender and moist, but the flavor of the meat was completely covered by the acidic, almost Indian-like spicy romesco sauce that was generously spread everywhere. It was the same story with the lamb leg (drowning in veggies and a bright vinaigrette) and agnolotti (filled with a powerfully sweet and lemon-y ricotta meant to cut the smokyness of side of morels). The technique and seasonality of these ingredients are lost somehow in the acidic bursts and buttery punches. The one dish that was executed well was the NY strip steak, cooked perfectly to our order with a crispy crust and sitting on top a bed of savory spinach and mushrooms with roasted sunchokes, a clever twist to the normal steak accompaniment of potatoes.
Lamb leg with wild rice, cabbage and other greens, and vinaigrette
It’s clear that Blais is an incredible chef and perhaps my snobby-ass palate doesn’t suit his culinary vision – but even with the bold flavors I couldn’t help but feel a bit… underwhelmed. The meal was excellent, our server was polite, our meals came out delayed but hey – we arrived at the last second and it was packed. I’m not gonna hold it against them. But while every dish was delicious, I felt as though some of the food was lost in the flavor madness. What’s the point of spending all this time on cooking extra-fatty wagyu short rib if you’re going to overpower it with a tangy sauce? I still plan to return in the future, but I hope the ever-changing menu can bring out a bit more flavor complexity to match the technical skills.
P.S. – One of my dinner companions had a minty whiskey cocktail that was quite refreshing, but I enjoyed a delicious Pinot Noir from the Finger Lakes. It was fruit forward, but not too sweet, but also didn’t have as much of an acidic bite like typical Pinot Noirs from Burgundy. It ended up being a delicious pairing with our food choices. I’ve never had a wine from NY and it was a great first try! If only I remembered to note down the name of the winery…
Lobster risotto with wild mushrooms, poached egg, pancetta, kale, and dill garnish
Right on the edge of Hillcrest and North Park on an awkward three-way intersection sits TRUST, an independent restaurant opened in 2015 and currently run by chef/co-owner Brad Wise and GM/co-owner Steve Shwob. I was a bit hesitant about eating out again after a few bad experiences at other, unassociated restaurants, especially those that boasts top notch hospitality and service (*cough* Whisknladle: the disappointing one-night stand and abusive ex all in one), but you can’t live in the past for too long! It was a quiet Sunday night when my lovely dining partner and I arrived and with so few people dining at the tables and bar, it was easy to score a table. I’d expect we wouldn’t be so lucky if it was a Friday or Saturday night. The decor is a rustic mixed with swanky; the light is dim but just bright enough to clearly see the elegant dishes and while the menu has a variety of wood fired dishes, the walls are either covered in a sleek modern tile or windowed to bring in natural light. What’s curious is the restroom; it was decorated like a college bar with a “Renaissance”-style painting of girls laughing at your man parts while you pee in the urinal and a framed “WT(fork).” Huh? Why? I guess whatever floats your boat, man. Maybe I’m too old to get it.
Some peculiar flair for the restroom experience
As for the hospitality, there was no need to worry – TRUST does have great service. In fact, they might be a bit too polite. We were welcomed in with kind words: “of course!” “no problem!” “first of all, thank you for choosing to dine with us!” The exuberant enthusiasm made it seem a bit disingenuous at first, but once we started ordering it was clear the wait staff wasn’t putting on airs. Our server immediately recommending not getting both the charcuterie + cheese board and the chicken liver with toast, since the board included toasted bread spread with andouille sausage. Good to know you’re on my side, not the owner’s pockets. Wine suggestions, however, were maybe not so great – I was interested in a glass of the Von Winning Dry Riesling 2015 since I’m not a fan of sweet, but it still ended up being a bit too sugary for me (I guess I should have known since it’s from Pfalz, instead of Alsace where the Rieslings are dryer?). My dining partner had a delicious lemonade-based mocktail which delivered a small burst of lemon tartness at the beginning that quickly gave way to a sweet aftertaste.
Assorted charcuterie and cheese board
But hell, forget all the decoration, drinks, vibes, and service – the food is really where it’s at. The charcuterie and cheese board had a healthy variety of in-house cured meats, dairy, jam, and mustard. The thinly-sliced duck ham’s mild flavor stood in contrast with the salty, thick slabs of salami. The aformentioned toast with andouille sausage was topped with a mountain of chives and added a good bit of heat and spice from the Cajun seasoning. Additional spreads included a fatty pork butter (essentially leaf lard), a sweet and savory blueberry jam, and a whole host of spicy pickled veggies. The fact there were only two cheeses was a bit disappointing, though the two offerings were decent. The blue cheese was young and mellow with just a hint of funkiness. If more blue cheese was like this, I’d eat it more often! The hard cow’s milk cheese was standard – young with quiet flavors but not very memorable.
As for main courses, we were told the plates are small and designed to share so that rich and savory dishes won’t be too filling. How millennial! The hot dishes were absolutely delicious. The Italians use egg to make their carbonara more creamy – why not try the same for the lobster risotto whose poached egg gives the whole dish a pleasant mouthfeel (not to mention the wonderful accompanied wild mushrooms and delicious seafood flavor on every bite)? And why hasn’t everyone made braised oxtail ravioli? The sauce, punctuated with dots of ricotta, still had the acidity from the tomatoes, but had a depth of flavor that can only come from hours of braising. The raviolini wrappers were the perfect thickness and oxtail inside was tender and well-seasoned.
Braised oxtail raviolini (miniature raviolis) with pine nuts, carrots, oxtail ju, horseradish, and whipped ricotta
The seemingly simple and well-executed twists on known dishes and reasonable price points and portions make TRUST a worthy addition to any local top dining list. It’s a restaurant done right; it makes the diner feel comfortable, excited about the food, and (most of all) satisfied with the meal – all for a reasonable price. I’m planning to book another table soon. Maybe I should try their brunch or vegetarian options?
P.S. – The wood smoke from the kitchen fires were barely noticeable when dining, but when I finally got home my clothes had smelled like I had attended a joint bonfire, barbeque, and smoking convention. We were seated right by the kitchen, but still… You’ve been warned!
What’s the best way to cure the winter blues? Spend loads of your savings and go on a getaway trip for two! I decided to take some extra days off during the Thanksgiving break and pay a visit to Hong Kong – a place I’ve always wanted to go to but never had the chance. It’s one of the few places in China you can visit without needing a visa, English is relatively widely spoken (so no need to worry about language barriers), and it has a reputation of being an amazing foodie city. Delicious Cantonese food, authentic dim sum, tasty desserts – it sounded like a delightful trip filled with nothing but good memories!
Turns out that wasn’t 100 percent true. By far, the worst thing about the trip was getting to and from Hong Kong. We took a rental car to fly out of LAX (since the tickets were way cheaper there), which meant leaving home around 5 in the morning. Then the flight itself was a nightmare. We had a grand total of 22 hours of travel time for our trip, which included a 5.5 hour layover in Beijing. If you’ve never been to the Beijing International Airport, don’t. It’s like a Chinese knockoff of what an airport should be. The security lines and checkpoints are incredibly cramped, but the terminals are literally spaced out between miles of nothing! We sat down to have some dinner at one of the restaurants at the airport, but the bowl of soup they served was pathetic. It only had one sad piece of soggy bok choy that needed some extra washing, and the broth seemed like it was seasoned more by the dirty bowl than anything else. The airport itself wasn’t insulated, so we suffered the full brunt of the Beijing winter cold while dressed in our measley California-suited clothes.
Nevertheless, we made it to Hong Kong around 2 in the morning safe and sound. After getting shoved through customs (the officer didn’t seem to take too kindly to my beard I think) and told there may not be a taxi available for us this late, we managed to grab a cab to our AirBNB in Pui O, a small, quiet beach town on Lantau Island.
Gorgeous scenery in Lantau Island
Lantau Island ended up being the secret gem of our trip. The city of Hong Kong, especially Central, is incredibly crowded, noisy, and high-strung. There’s constant stimulation, and it was incredibly exhausted. Lantau Island, home to the airport, Disneyland, and various other tourist-trappings, on the other hand was incredibly serene. There were times I looked around and thought I had accidentally gone to Thailand. It was a welcome relief to the bustle of urban Hong Kong.
However, all of the delicious eats were in the city itself. So several times during our week there, we took a short ferry ride to Central in order to stuff our stomachs and experience the city life of Hong Kong. And oh boy we did both to excess.
Wet (fresh produce) Market in Central
We ended up doing a food tour through Hong Kong Foodie Tours, a local tour group that guides food lovers like ourselves through the large and diverse culinary map of Hong Kong. I was a little worried it would be a tourist trap, but it ended up being the highlight of our trip. Lillian was our tour guide and not only was she warm and welcoming, but she apparently had a VIP pass into some amazing restaurants (and somehow knew every single person in all of Central).
Our tour first started out at Tsim Chai Kee Noodle, a local casual hotspot that serves some of the most savory, delicious broth I’ve ever tasted in my life. It was neither too fatty nor too salty, and apparently gets all of its glutamate content naturally (so no added MSG here folks!). Once we added the red vinegar provided table side, the broth immediately brightened up and became more aromatic, almost like pho. If you added a bit of the pepper paste, the broth went darker and much spicier. Don’t forget to mention the namesake noodles! They were cooked to a T, thin and long with just enough of a satisfying bite. Our initial bowl came with a few wontons stuffed with king prawns. The wontons were perfect – the wrapper was thin but didn’t tear if you accidentally prodded it with your chopsticks and the prawns had a nice snap to them. When we returned the following day, we tried it with the ground fishballs and ground beef. I thought the fishballs tasted a little too artificial (maybe because I got an actual piece of plastic in mine) and while the ground beef was okay, both toppings ended up distracting the rest of the dish. I’d recommend just getting the classic if you’re in the area.
Tsim Chai Kee Noodle Shop’s delicious wonton soup
The next stop was Dragon Restaurant, which gave us some delicious roast pig with rice. The accompanying sauce was apparently what made the place famous and, according to Lillian, the recipe was secret. I thought it tasted a bit like an experiment we did back at home where we deglazed some chicken with red wine and soy sauce – it tasted a bit fruity and sweet with some of that dark saltiness from soy sauce, but had that depth of flavor that normally comes from reducing alcohol. They were also kind enough to let us take a tour of the kitchen. Lillian warned us that it wasn’t up to Western food safety standards, but to us it didn’t seem too bad. The floor was quite slippery from the mix of soapy water and pig fat, but seeing the entire pig dangling in the specialized oven was worth it.
This little piggy went into my stomach
The next two places offered some sweet refreshments, which was welcome after all the savoriness. We first went to Kung Lee Sugar Cane Juice, a Hong Kong mainstay for decades. It was a family owned joint, with the youngest generation pressing fresh sugar cane in the corner, the mother sitting in the back, and even the family cat lounging lazily on the table. Even though the juice had a vomit-green color, it was incredibly sweet and refreshing. After a walking through Central and burning a few of the many calories we ate, we wandered into another family owned store, Wong Wing Kee. This one was a preserved fruits and candy shop with tons of cures for common ailments (ginger evidently does wonders for stomach aches!) or just to satisfy a sweet tooth. They also served a kumquat tea, which was a little too medicinal-tasting for me, but seemed to be a hit with the rest of the group.
Our tour ended with Dim Sum Square (crunchy baked pork buns were a welcome substitute to normally soggy steamed buns, plus the dumplings and wontons were expertly wrapped and delicious) and the most delicious egg tart I’ve ever had at Hei Lee Cake Shop. These egg tarts were fresh and had a gooey, custard-y texture to the filling that perfectly complimented the crispy golden crust. This was another spot we went to twice before leaving – it was just that good.
These egg tarts were worth the ticket price by themselves
There were so many other culinary wonders we experienced. We had an incredible, almost American-like abomination called Hong Kong French Toast at Wah Lok Cafe (essentially a peanut-butter sandwich fried like French toast, covered in butter and simple syrup) , dim sum at famous Tim Ho Wan (overall not bad, but the pork buns were cold… this place has a Michelin star?), a freshly fried cuttlefish ball off a street vendor in Tai O (it was like a tougher scallop I guess?), and an incredibly moist roast goose at Yung Kee Restaurant for our “Thanksgiving” dinner.
Hong Kong Style French ToastDelicious roast goose!
Honestly, it was hard to leave at the end of the trip. It felt like we had only peeled the first layer of the incredibly large onion that was Hong Kong. Hell, I feel like I’ve barely touched the surface of our week-long trip in the 1400+ words I’ve written so far. I wanted to stay for longer, maybe a year, and see what other wonders I could find. Even with all of the memories of stuffing our faces with delicious food, it was the small little moments on the trip that stuck out, like turning a street corner and finding an old man working what looked like a 19th century printing press or walking a little farther off the beaten path and finding a beautiful shrine at the edge of the fishing village. I didn’t really know what to expect going in, but Hong Kong ended up being an incredibly magical and memorable place. I need to find an excuse to go back!
A final rant – the return trip absolutely sucked. We had to run through security at Beijing airport since we only had 40 minutes between flights, I got pulled over right as we were boarding (I guess I look suspicious to Chinese authorities or something), the flight from Beijing to LA had the most uncomfortable seats I’ve ever sat on in my life, and our ride from LA to home was an hour late. But hey, that first In-N-Out burger I had after landing was pretty damn good.
A few nights ago, some friends and I went out to dinner to celebrate since one of our friend’s got a new job. I had picked out the restaurant – Whisknladle in La Jolla, CA. It had been recommended by family and other friends, had been around for ~10 years, and was on the nicer side (which fit our bill since we all normally don’t go out to fancy restaurants). I was genuinely excited since I hadn’t eaten out at a nice sit-down place in a really long time and had heard good things about the food and service. Their group owns another restaurant in the area (Catania, also in La Jolla) as well as a wine label and various other ventures in the food and hospitality industry. I thought this was an easy home run and it honestly started out that way.
Decor was modern with a few rustic edges. We were seating in the covered patio area which was incredibly dark (we needed to move around the candles on the table to even see our food), but overall it was a comfortable atmosphere and the noise level was appropriate even for a Friday night. We got a bottle of wine (Carmel Road Monterey Pinot Noir 2015, an peppery, acidic wine with a bit of pepper on the nose 3.5/5) and a cocktail, ordered a couple of starters (delicious mussels with a spicy Gochujang-based sauce and an assorted cheese board with some delicious chicken liver pate), and we each ordered a different main course after finishing one of the starters. Everything up until the main course was delicious and interesting and the service was amazing.
And then, our main courses came out. I had ordered seared scallops with pork belly. The plate had several cubes of pork belly and several coins of scallops. When I took a bite of one piece of the pork belly, it was roughly room temperature. Same with the scallop and the cooked vegetable sides. Everyone else’s food was hot.
My room temperature scallops and pork belly
I had only taken one bite of each item (and one of my dining partners also tried a bite and confirmed the temperature) so I flagged down our server and mentioned my food was room temperature. She immediately said she would fix it and took it away. She came back and mentioned it was being fixed, but wasn’t specific on the details. I think she also made a joke about the scallops still being alive?
After a bit of time, she comes back with the plate. All the meat and seafood were warm, but I noticed that the same scallop and pork belly that I had taken a bite out of were still on the plate (just now hot). When the server came by to double check, I asked if this was the same plate that I had sent back. She went to the kitchen and confirmed – it was the exact same plate. She asked if I wanted a new plate, but I said no since I didn’t want to make a fuss and seem like an entitled asshole after I had already sent the plate back once. We ended up getting charged for the plate as normal.
I left the restaurant really bummed. I wanted to like this dinner and up to that point, it was great! But serving me food I had already taken a bite out of? I understand the need to cut down food waste, but would it be difficult to replace the one pork belly and one scallop piece? Since I don’t eat out often, in the moment I wasn’t really sure what I should have done, but looking back I should have insisted on getting the dish compensated and having a new entree. However, my friends were already finishing up their dishes and it didn’t make sense to have them wait for my dish to be re-cooked and eaten.
The following day (after any threat of stomach illness passed), I went on the internet and got feedback from several people who have experience working in kitchens and they all said any self-respecting restaurant wouldn’t re-serve eaten food. I ended up sending an email to WNL folks and got a quick reply back from the general manager confirming my story and explaining that the server thought I just wanted the temperature brought up on the dish, not that I wanted a new entree. He didn’t acknowledge the potential sanitary risks of re-serving seafood and pork at all, but he did offer a gift card to retry the restaurant. I politely declined – after my experience, I wasn’t interested in dining there ever again and won’t recommend others do either. I think it was pretty obvious I took a bites out of the dish and it’s clear their restaurant policy is okay with serving guests food that was initially sitting there for a while and then re-serving potentially unsanitary food (and charging them for it!).
Guru of Gluttony 