Izakaya Sakura

There's no sign for the restaurant and it's in the same strip mall as the Original Pancake House and next to a military recruiting office. It looks like you're heading in to enlist, but you're heading into an izakaya or Japanese pub.

I've only been twice, but the food has been consistently excellent. The chirashi above was incredibly fresh and filling. The oyster was perfect, the shiso leaf a nice touch, and I even liked the uni (sea urchin), which I don't normally prefer.

All I can say is try it. I intend to return ASAP... anyone want to join me?

Izakaya Sakura
3094 Convoy St. #121
San Diego, CA 92184

Bite, revisited

Note: Bite has closed.
I haven't been since my first and previous visit to Bite and the happy hour has been so good that my friends and I have returned several times since. The patio's an awesome place to sit, sip, and catch up with each other. Our first visit was rather fortuitous, as we planned to have margaritas at Baja Betty's, but it was both packed and done with happy hour. Bite's next door, so we dropped by.

Champagne/sparkling wine cocktails are $4, which are a light and refreshing way to end a workday. My favorite is the Spring Bellini, which is prosecco with a scoop of strawberry sorbet in it.

The happy hour menu changes slightly, but one staple is this lovely puff pastry topped with caramelized onions and nicoise olives.

The CWG likes to order pates, which have been excellent. The following is a duck liver pate with dried cherries and pistachios. Accompaniments include the traditional mustards, capers, onions, and cornichons, or pickled baby gherkins.

During subsequent visits, she's ordered a duck liver mousse with a port-based glaze on top, which has been absolutely fantastic. No photos, but that's definitely a perfect dish for patio-seating and people-watching. It's decadent, pungent, and still very light.

Another great appetizer is their grilled flatbread with a white bean and roasted garlic hummus. The hummus falls a little flat, but the bread is warm, tender, and flavorful.

Tirrone ordered the restyled caprese salad, which was gorgeous. Check out those dark cubes... balsamic gelle. Who makes jelly out of balsamic vinegar? It's pretty fabulous.

Bite
1417 University Avenue
San Diego, CA 92103

Los Angeles: Pho Ly Truong Kiet, Sinbala

During our last visit to Los Angeles, my mother wanted to introduce us to Pho Ly Truong Kiet, a Vietnamese restaurant specializing in pho ga (chicken noodle soup). Imagine a big bowl of noodles in fresh chicken broth, served with poached chicken.

I think poaching chicken in its skin is a great method of preparation. If done well, the chicken stays incredibly moist. Even though it can be bland, Vietnamese preparations always serve the chicken with a pungent and/or spicy dipping sauce.

My mother had befriended the delightfully sweet owner, who runs the establishment with her family. She recommended that we order bowls of plain noodles in broth with half of a chicken to share, which would be cheaper than individual bowls of pho ga dui, which is the chicken noodle soup accompanied by chicken with skin/bone.

Mom also wanted to try their version of Hainanese chicken and rice, which was good, but the rice was a bit bland.

Also, their banh cuon, a rice flour mixture cooked into thin wrappers, then wrapped around a mixture of ground pork and woodear mushrooms.

Cooked bean sprouts, cha lua (Vietnamese pork sausage), and fried scallions top the dish. I'd say this was the weakest dish. The wrappers were overdone and the filling bland. The overall effect was a limp rice noodle roll.

Later that day, we finally found ourselves with a table at Sinbala. It's a Taiwanese restaurant with a healthy following, but I wouldn't know how the food is because we're not willing to wait ages for a table. Following a huge dinner at Chang's Garden, we crossed the strip mall in hopes of having dessert at Sinbala. Good thing we did, because I've been craving shaved ice like no other.

$5 buys five sweet items to pile the shaved ice on. I picked boba (tapioca balls), grass jelly, almond jello, flan, and some other gelatinous sweet that I can't remember. Yes, I tend to go for the jellies and not the taro, lychee, etc. On goes the shaved ice with a hefty drizzle of simple syrup and, my favorite, condensed milk.

Take that, Sno Cone.

I'll be back soon for some savory eats.

Pho Ly Truong Kiet
303 E. Garvey Ave.
Monterey Park, CA 91755

Sinbala
651 W. Duarte Rd., Ste. F
Arcadia, CA 91007