One of the sadder things in dining out is going to that place that has a glowing review on the wall that’s faded over time. Sadder still is the realization the review isn’t the only thing that’s faded; so has the restaurant’s reputation. That’s how it went for China Max (4698 … [Read more...]
WORLD FARE: Szechuan Chef may not be all Sichuan but it’s good
For years, Chinese food in San Diego meant different versions of watered-down Cantonese and the sort of Americanized “Chinese” one might expect from a late-night delivery place in New York. Sichuan? Not so much. Hunan? No. Shaanxi? Not on your life. Today, though, things seem … [Read more...]
SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT: BEST OF SAN DIEGO (Racing at the velodrome and…vegetable foraging?)
Every year San Diego CityBeat, for which -- you might have noticed -- I regularly write, features a "Best Of" issue. As Editor Seth Combs put it: "In honor of our 15th anniversary, we asked some of our regular contributors to give us 15 reasons, in no particular order, why they … [Read more...]
CITYBEAT RESTAURANT GUIDE 2017: Off the Strip (San Diego’s best Asian food outside the Convoy District)
When most people think about Asian food in San Diego they think about the Convoy District. They’re certainly not all wrong to do so. San Diego doesn’t have a “Chinatown” or a “Little Tokyo” (though it does, supposedly, have a “Little Saigon”). In a sense, though, the Convoy is … [Read more...]
WORLD FARE: Japanese style comfort food at Santouka and Musashiya
"Edible art" is an idea often attached to Japanese high cuisine like sushi or kaeseki. But the notion that Japanese food is inherently precious and high-end is exaggerated at best. Hokkaido Ramen Santouka and Musashiya, both inside the Mitsuwa Marketplace (4240 Kearny Mesa Road), … [Read more...]