ipsit's Profile
You are leaving San Diego forever; where would you eat?
"I would just eat a Big Tub of Guacamole for dinner at 6:30pm and say goodbye."
Amen!
ROADTRIP from SD to Austin Texas
Celia's makes a pretty solid quesadilla especial. I also like the one at El Zarape, in the town of Imperial, about a 7-10 mins drive from the I-8. Mariscos Puerto Nuevo is another decent option (and has the biggest selection of Mexican bottled hot sauces I've seen). I believe Sombreros is now gone.
A couple of other options in El Centro, if you happen to pass by at mealtime, are China Palace and Exotic Thai Bistro. The food is decent, but what is more interesting is the Mexican influence on Asian cooking (goes back to the history of the region's Asian community). The curries at Thai bistro felt like a cross between caldo and curry. Perhaps not a destination restaurant, but worth a stop if you're in the region.
Best ethnic restaurants in San Diego?
Punjabi Tandoor has had some quality issues lately. I believe they've lost some staff to their new Anaheim outpost and the food has suffered as a result. For Indian I would pick Surati Farsan Mart instead. If you focus on their chaat and Gujarati foods, it is very good.
Lunch after seeing His Holiness, the Dalia Lama..
Since an all-veggie diet has not always been feasible historically on the Tibet plateau, Tibetan monks are not necessarily vegetarian. His Holiness is actually known to like a good steak himself (especially when he travels outside of India)
I have had the privilege of hearing him speak on several occasions, and meeting him once. Quite an experience!
http://www.dalailama.com/biography/questions-and-answers/routine-day
Indian Restaurant for catering my son's first birthday party
2nd Punjabi Tandoor. Im not sure if Allen is doing catering while his truck/resto is closed, but I did notice a Copper Chimney catering van in that strip mall last month (www.sdcopperchimney.com)
San Diego - the 14th best place to visit for 2012?
San Diego was listed at #14 on the list of Top 45 places to go in 2012 by the NYT, largely because of the beer scene.
http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/travel/45-places-to-go-in-2012.html?hpw
A good chance that this may be moved to the Food and Media News Board, but perhaps we can get some thoughts in? Personally, I like the acclaim, but this kind of mainstream attention likely brings consequences...both good and bad.
Good Indian Restaurant in San Diego
Surati Farsan Mart has it on the menu - theirs is just about OK. The vada is passable, but the real issue is that they use regular buns for the bread, when it should really be crusty square loaves (kinda like the White Castle buns, but crusty, not soft)
Good Indian Restaurant in San Diego
PT can be inconsistent, depending on who is behind the stove on any given evening - but heat has never been an issue there. In fact we've complained that sometimes they dial up the heat for absolutely no reason...it adds nothing to the essential flavor of a dish.
Are there any Indian places outside of SD that you rate as adequately satisfying - just curious. It is no secret Indian food is not among the strengths of the SD food scene, but there are places that fall in the 'highly adequate' range, even if they are not outstanding.
Recommendations for tasty and fresh veggie pizza?
Caffe Calabria has a great veggie pizza. Blue Ribbon in Encinitas and Urbn in North Park also do very good veggie pizzas. Not sure about the whole wheat crust at any of those places though. Offhand I can't recall any place other than CPK that explicitly advertises whole wheat crusts.
Good Indian Restaurant in San Diego
We usually get 3 plates and share them all. Sev Khamni/Khandvi (when available), Ragda Samosa/Chole Puri and Delhi Chaat/Dahi Batata Puri in some combination is our standard order. Essentially - one cold chaat, one hot chaat and one farsan. We avoid everything south Indian.
I like the chaash and rose lassi to wash the food down. As for the sweets, we stick to the ones made from nuts and dry fruits. rather than milk - they use powdered milk, which gives all their sweets a somewhat powdery texture that I don't like. Magaj is made from roasted chickpea flour, butter and sugar. It is one of my favorite sweets per se but I've never tried theirs. I get a steady supply mailed from India, homemade by my mom. With due respect to the good folks at SFM, I doubt theirs will beat it.
Good Indian Restaurant in San Diego
The dosas, idlis, chutneys and sambar are generally a weakness for SFM - maybe you just ordered from the weaker part of their menu.
I was there last week, and did not notice any drop in quality in their chaat or Gujarati dishes.
Some of the windows are still boarded, but other than that, there was no sign of the damage.
Rumor has it that the driver of the car swerved away from the kitchen and the main counter, to avoid hitting the food, and only knocked over some tables and such. If that is true, it was an incredible presence of mind, considering that they had just driven straight into a restaurant!
Good Indian Restaurant in San Diego
Could you elaborate on the dishes that you found comparable to Vij's, or the Indian restaurants in London? My only experience with this place has been takeout, and it did nothing to inspire an eat-in. The menu is nothing like what Vij's serves, but then any reason to reconsider my original opinion would be welcome.
Bombay food itinerary - please critique
That tip could come very handy on a rainy day! Thanks.
Bombay food itinerary - please critique
I second Aswad and Idli House. Just about everything at any one of the old standbys in Kings Circle is good - Madras cafe, Mysore cafe or Anand Bhavan. I do advise against going there on sundays though.
Once upon a time I was regular enough, that my favorite server actually asked me to not eat there on sunday - by his own admission, everything was watered down!
Yummy, casual places like Urban Solace that are new to me?
Sessions Public in Point Loma - good drinks and a relatively small, but good menu.
Bombay food itinerary - please critique
That is an awesome old-school Bombay (yes...Bombay) list!
I would consider addng the berry pulao at Brittania and Co., Irani chai and bun-maska at Yazdani and the caramel custard at Military cafe.
I also suggest the vada-pao and bhaji-pao at Ashok's, outside Kirto college in Dadar - its just a shack, and does not have an official name, butthe owner is named Ashok, and you can't miis it - the crowd is a giveaway. Legend has it that Ashok's vada pao was responsible for turning Sachin Tendulkar into the player he became, when he was just a wee-lad practising in the nets at Shivaji Park.
I do like Rama Nayak, and an alternative, also located in the same area - is Mahabhog - similar food in a (relatively) more upscale environment (read: AC, marble floors, uniformed servers) Mind you, it has been over a year since I was there, so this info may be out of date.
To skinnylizard and Mumbaicentral - my compliments on your refined tastes!
I am an expat Bombayite (yes - Bombayite) myself, and while I return with some frequency, it is always reassuring to see the nouveau-cool abominations located in Lokhandwala conspicuous by their absence in your suggestions.
Late night options; Xmas Eve
Santana's/MXN was closed on X'Mas day last year - I tried the Hillcrest and Garnet locations and both were closed - don't know what closing time is on Xmas eve, and if all locations are closed, but may be worth checking in advance. I also know that at least the PB one is closed on thanksgiving too..
Surati Farsan plowed into by car!
Planning to go tonight - the view wont be the same, from the sound of it.
That video is crazy! Small wonder no one was hurt!
where to eat in El Centro and julian
There's a few threads on El Centro on the California board.
If you have just one meal in El Centro, trying a quesadilla especial is probably the way to go - it is one of the few (perhaps the only) true Imperial County culinary specialty. I have come to like the version at El Zarape in Imperial the best, especially with their enchilada or relleno sauce. Celia's is a good other option.
In other threads I have mentioned a couple of places - China Palace and Exotic Thai Bistro as options for trying Mexicanized variations of Asian foods. I also learned recently that the drink to get with Asian, especially Chinese is sangria - a non alcoholic sangria flavored carbonated soda, which is something of a traditional accompaniment to Chino-Mex cuisine.
Burgers and Beer on Imperial Avenue does some interesting variations on burgers, including grinding chillies into the patties.
El Centro is hardly foodie central, but there are some interesting choices.
(PS: if Chino-Mex is a politically incorrect term now, then I apologize in advance - hard to keep track these days)
Kathmandu Recommendations
Its been well over a decade since i was in Kathmandu, so my memories are likely out of date, but I recall a place called Nepalese Kitchen.
The classic Nepali dish is dal-bhat, which is rice and a lentil curry with condiments. Simple, but certain to hit the spot on a cold December day or night.
As such, there is a strong Indian influence in the food - Nirula's, a Delhi based Indian fast food chain has a few outlets in Kathmandu, and will probably worth checking out, if for no otehr reason than to get a taste of how American fast food is Indianized in flavor.
I also suggest looking for Tibetan restaurants while you are there.
Most hotel concierges are helpful, especially if you ask to go where the locals go.
Sorry to not be more helpful
Tropical, Hawaiian, Polynesian Venue Needed
I know nothing about it, but Roy's Hawaiian Fusion in UTC may be worth checking, and closer to North County
Condolences to you and the family.
I'm craving...
wow - the Indian coffee you mention - Malabar coffee - is very hard to find! exposing it to the monsoons makes the beans lose the acid and it becomes almost malty.
I'm craving...
How does that Caesar compare to the one at Romesco? Logic says that they should be close, but one can never tell
Top Ten Healthy Meals Around Town for People That Like Unhealthy Food!
Healthy means far too many things to different people. Between keeping calories and fats down, maintaining acceptable sodium levels, ensuring nutritional balance (i.e. enough protein and vitamins), getting the daily requirements of fruits and veggies, keeping all the harmful chemical stuff away, and minimizing the processed food intake, I think a case can be made for or against just about every restaurant in town.
That being said, I feel pretty good about myself after the healthy boiled tofu from Tofu House located on convoy. I like it with extra kimchi but that probably skews the 'sodium levels' angle. Still...gotta live a little! (besides, the dish has the word 'healthy' in its name!)
Good Indian Restaurant in San Diego
never tried it, but those who have say its not too different from a Big Mac. I suppose all meats become the same after a certain level of processing.
You CAN however, ask for a McTamarind sauce or McChutney to go with it (or used to anyway - I haven't kept track of the latest in the McDonalds menu!)
Tailgate suggestions
The game in question is actually in Foxboro - don't know what SD craft beers are easily found in the Boston area, and whether there are good carnicerias around there. Stone is probably the likeliest beer available.
If all else fails, just add avocado to whatever you make. For most Bostonians I know, that is SD enough!
Good Indian Restaurant in San Diego
A lot of the generalities above apply, but some of it may have to do with the young well-heeled Indian community in SD that you speak of, being relatively new. Qualcomm has exploded in the past 5-8 years, and longer-tenured people speak of how the Indian community pre-Qualcomm was considerably smaller. LA, by contrast has an older, bigger, more consolidated community and the Artesia strip reflects that. We've seen some of the older, less adequate Indian restaurants (India Princess) sink recently, and maybe that is a sign of changes afoot?
Good Indian Restaurant in San Diego
Excellent question with no clear answer. There's probably industry-related reasons, but at the risk of unfair stereotyping, I think some of it has to do with a preference for a certain type of food (greasy, spicy, rich, elaborate), that one is unlikely to cook at home. This can often segue into use of cheap ingredients, overcooking and masking bad quality with heavy spice...and I think is what frequently happens. In a properly made curry, the spices should dance on, not assault your palate (i.e. you should be able to tell exactly what spices are in there, because you can taste them all). Pre-blended and powdered spices are to be frowned upon and every masala should be toasted, blended and ground daily. Could all this be too much effort to put into a restaurant kitchen? The existence and survival of places like Kaito, Super Cocina and Ba Ren suggest that no, it is not!
Somehow, the idea of home-style cooking in restaurants or refined Indian or even Indian-influenced cooking hasn't caught on. Floyd Cardoz - arguably the best known Indian chef in America does not cook Indian or Indian-influenced food anymore. The arguably best "upscale" Indian restaurant in North America may be in Vancouver (Vij's) and is often dismissed by Indians as being "for non-Indians".
Ultimately, there seems to be a trend of "if excellence is not available, mediocrity will do". That being said, it may be just a matter of someone taking a chance on consistently good, quality and recipe-focused Indian food, introducing regional or ethnic specialties and not compromising on authenticity/flavor and there is likely to be an audience for it.
Oh well...
Good Indian Restaurant in San Diego
...and how does one snag an invitation to the pine household? :)
