Indian and Mexican cuisines have a lot in common. Both are characterized by the layering of flavors through numerous spices and chilies. Both are born of economies where labor has always been cheap. In the U.S., an often-ignorant public expects both to be inexpensive and demands … [Read more...]
WORLD FARE: Himalayan Dine Inn is, oddly, in the right place
"A place for everything and everything in its place.” It’s an aphorism that reflects a different time and place and a peculiarly compartmentalized view of the world. And yet it’s somehow applicable to the dining scene in San Diego: fancy, pricey restaurants in Rancho Santa Fe, … [Read more...]
EATER SAN DIEGO YEAR END WRAP-UP, Part 3: Restaurant Gurus Name the Biggest Dining Surprises of 2016
Part 3 of Eater San Diego’s year end restaurant wrap-up asks local food writers to name the biggest dining surprises of the year: http://sandiego.eater.com/2016/12/28/14099648/restaurant-gurus-name-the-biggest-dining-surprise-of-2016 My answer: "For a town with a … [Read more...]
WORLD FARE: Parallels and contrasts at Sanvil Baja-Indian
Whether you call it “BajaMed,” “Cali-Baja” or something else, the new cuisine of Baja California is a fusion of Baja ingredients, Mexican tradition, European technique and flavors brought to the party by Baja’s Asian immigrants. It is the latter that often comes as the biggest … [Read more...]
WORLD FARE: ‘Chinese’ food done Indian-style
It crept up on us some time around the early 2000s—a growing recognition that P.F. Changs has little to do with "Chinese" food. Watered down Chinese? Perhaps. Chinese stylings for American taste buds? Certainly. Embarrasing? Definitely. But we're hardly alone in this … [Read more...]