Asameshi Maeda Honten Ramen

Another belated post! This is from back when the Ramen tours were going on in Mitsuwas across California. Unfortunately, I came across news of the tour a bit late and was only able to catch the last shop--Asameshi Maeda Honten Ramen--as they finished their tour in San Diego.

Mitsuwa, San Diego

This was a tonkotsu-shoyu ramen, which is my favorite type by far! I love the meaty broth of a good shoyu ramen. Dadami Ramen from 688 Baker St, Costa Mesa is the best shoyu ramen I've had in the States, so I'll be using their noodles as comparison.

Here's what Asameshi Maeda Honten served up:

Okay, so it ain't the prettiest picture of ramen. Sorry! It was 2pm and I was famished, so I dug in before realizing HEY! I BROUGHT MY SLR.

As you can see this bowl is topped with the usual boiled egg, bamboo, green onions, and slices of pork. Okay I paid a little over $7 for this bowl of ramen, and all I get for toppings are a meager paper thin serving of meat and a QUARTER of a boiled (AND unseasoned) egg? Come on now... Dadami charged the same price and was quite generous with the pork and also served a great seasoned egg(whole).... Regardless, I enjoyed what little meat there was. For such thin and lean slices, I was pretty impressed at how tender they were. Probably goes without saying that the slices of pork were pretty damn flavorful.

Noodles here weren't quite al dente (they were on the soft side), but that's partly my fault...I guess? Maybe I should have specified how I wanted my noodles done when I ordered--much like how you order at Shin Sen Gumi. Despite these shortcomings, the broth totally blew me away. This was by far the richest broth/soup base I have ever tasted...such intense pork flavor! Overall, a good bowl of ramen...it would have been a great bowl if more meat was given and that quarter of an ordinary boiled egg was replaced with Dadami's.

What a damn shame I missed the other ramen shops' tours... You guys can read about them here.



Asameshi Maeda Honten Ramen @ Mitsuwa Marketplace
4240 Kearny Mesa Rd. #119,
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 569-6699

International Market & Grill

This little joint is right across the street from school (UCSD) so it's just natural to give it a try! Despite negative reviews from some friends, I still decided to go. I did mention in the past that they ALWAYS disappoint me when I let them choose a place to eat? Yes I sure did. Check the Eclipse Chocolat post. Okay. So if they think something is good and it's clearly not....would something they think is crappy actually be great? I put it to the test. Twice.

International Market & Grill isn't exactly "International". The store primarily sells Middle Eastern fare and makes some mean Persian grilled meats. On two separate visits I've tried the House Kabab Plate, Chicken Kabab (a la carte), and a grilled fish wrap. On both occasions I walked away very satisfied.


House Kabab Plate:

As you can see, the Plate comes with generous servings of salad and rice. Some folks like having half their plate filled with carbs, but I'd much rather see more meat. The (really long) kebab consists of seasoned ground beef and was absolutely mmm-yoso! It was very well seasoned and I could still taste the natural sweetness of the beef. Great stuff. Now if only I could get more meat, please?

The chicken kebab and grilled fish wrap aren't pictured. I always forget to take pictures when I'm ravenous... But, I'll tell ya this: the chicken was also well seasoned and grilled. It was SO juicy. I don't know how the grill-guy (owner) does it, but he really knows how to seal in the juices of grilled meats. I've never had grilled chicken this juicy before. Seriously.

I bought the fish wrap to-go as lunch for the drive back to L.A. and really enjoyed it. I think toasted lavash bread is used as the wrap. It's been awhile, so I don't recall what kind of fish is used, but I do remember it was a white fish. Tilapia? I don't know. Probably. Like the beef and chicken kebabs, the grilled fish was really juicy as well. Veggies inside the wrap include the basics: lettuce, tomato, and onions (red). Yogurt+cucumber spread comes in a separate container...this made driving and eating at the same time a bit more difficult as I applied the yogurt before each bite. Overall, a really tasty nutritionally balanced lunch.

Despite negative reviews, though from unreliable/inaccurate sources, I still gave this place a shot and ended up with a completely different conclusion than my sources. See guys, don't believe every word you hear from normal folks. Heck, I'm sure y'all are familiar with inaccurate posts from Yelp. Unless the general consensus (from folks who know what the hell they're talkin' about) of a dining establishment is negative, why not go try out food from somewhere you've never been?


International Market & Grill
3211 Holiday Ct # 100
La Jolla, CA 92037
(858) 535-9700

Beverly's Best Bakery

Beverly's Best Bakery is run by Carmela and Carmen Cella and specializes in gorgeous wedding cakes. They also make "Specialty Cakes" which I guess are decorative cakes for just about any occasion. But, the purpose of my visit wasn't for their cakes. There really was no reason for me to buy a huge cake anyway. I just wanted to pig out on their delicious pastries--eclairs, scones, cookies, brownies, cannoli, cheesecakes, etc etc.

It's been awhile, but I do remember buying two large double-chocolate cookies, an eclair, a New-York Cheesecake, and a brownie. The cookies were still warm when I bought them, so I just HAD to eat 'em right then and there. The others I brought home for a photo-shoot on my mom's good china. (DON'T TELL HER.)


Brownie:

Brownies from Beverly's are richer and more chocolaty than the ones from Extraordinary Desserts. They also get big points from the addition of thinly sliced almonds (stuck on by a thin layer of ganache). As with all good brownies, these were of the perfect thickness and consistency. It's pretty amazing how so much chocolate flavor is packed in here while still retaining some fluffiness. I know I said in my previous post that I don't like overly sweet desserts, but I make an exception when it comes to brownies and chocolate cake...usually. (Ew. choco lava cake from Roy's.) Brownies here aren't sugar-bombs, anyway.


Eclair:

Oh my eating this eclair was just orgasmic. The dough was light and delicate like that of a good donut but was still sturdy enough to hold up the cream filling and thick layer of dark chocolate on top. Each bite contains a near-perfect ratio of dough, chocolate, and cream filling. I had to scoop out some cream with my finger since I'm not all that into sweet cream. Plus, doing so helped to create a better balance of flavor by letting the chocolate come through. Did I mention I <3 chocolate?

The cheesecake I bought is not pictured. I think I might have eaten it while driving back home... I might have also eaten another item on the way back, but I don't remember. Oh and the cookie I ate while buying the rest of these goodies was fantastic--warm, soft, with slightly melted chocolate chunks buried in the dough. Awesome.



Beverly's Best Bakery
3020 Brea Boulevard
Fullerton, CA 92835
714-529-3989

Eclipse Chocolat

I've been hankering for some good desserts for awhile now, since eating four donuts--as good as they are--in one sitting from the nearby Golden Donut (on Governor) just doesn't get me off anymore. I originally intended to drop by Extrarindary Desserts for the 20th time, but a post from Alice Q. Foodie caught my eye. She mentioned a relatively new dessert cafe just around the corner from Mama's Lebanese Deli & Bakery. Y'all know me. I'm always game for trying someplace new...unless its a "recommendation" from my UCSD pals. (Sorry guys. I've been let down every goddamn time.)

The owner and chef of Eclipse Chocolat is a really cool/hip guy. He even posts updates on his creations or upcoming special events on the cafe blog. Some info straight off his profile:

Will Gustwiller is the owner and head chocolatier of the San Diego-based Eclipse Chocolat. Established in 2004, Eclipse specializes in creating exotic chocolate infusions in truffles, solid bars, and other exciting confections. Eclipse strives to expand the boundaries of chocolate flavors while operating in an eco-friendly manner and donating 10% of its annual net profit to the the development of local and regional non-profits and charities.

Seriously. What an awesome guy. He's really interactive with his customers and even asked me for my opinion concerning each dessert on the Spring Tasting Platter. I was flabbergasted, and being the shy guy that I am, I only managed to stammer out a fraction of my thoughts. Well, here's the rest, Will!

There's Will coming out with my plate! To be honest, I didn't even realize he was in the frame until I started writing this blog entry. Darn. I could have snapped a much better photo.

Customers have the option of dining in (and enjoy FREE WiFi!), or buying some of his signature truffles and chocolates to savor at home. As you can see, there's quite a selection of treats. Details of each item can be found on the website:

And a close-up of the fresh pastries:

Boring pictures, I know. This is just to give a general feel of the place. I'm doing a real photoshoot next time since I didn't bring some essential gear during this visit (notice the awful glare?)


Eclipse offers seasonal tasting plates, so I ordered the Spring Dessert Tasting Platter:

White Chocolate-Macadamia Pudding with Butterscotch Rum Sauce
airy white chocolate pudding+toasted macadamia+burnt caramel & muscavado butterscotch rum sauce

Curried-Peanutbutter, Marshmallow, & Milk Chocolate Panini
masala curry infused peanutbutter+vanilla bean marshmallow+36% milk chocolate panini, grilled to order

Frozen Chile-Burnt Caramel Semifreddo
frozen chile-burnt caramel semifreddo mousse+dark chocolate brownie crumb crust+burnt caramel topping

Dark Chocolate Brioche Bread Pudding with Creme Anglaise
dense dark chocolate-chocolate chip brioche bread pudding, warmed+vanilla bean creme aglaise

If heaven could be served on a plate, this is one of the many forms you can find it in. The white chocolate pudding was phenomenal. As its description suggests, it was very light and airy but still packed a good whallop of flavor. I didn't find the pudding to taste like typical store-bought white chocolate though, it was kind of a mix (white/dark). I like it better this way. Paired with Butterscotch Rum Sauce and you have yourself a fantastic mix of flavors that complement each other extremely well. Macadamia nuts found on the bottom of the cup lend their subtle flavor to further enhance the dessert's taste and also provide a delightful crunch as a contrast to the smooth pudding--how fun!. You haven't had good pudding 'til you have this pudding. It's so wickedly delicious I think it should be offered as an individual item on the regular menu. I'd order two per visit.

One of my favorite items on the plate was the panini. It's such a simple concept: brush peanut butter on whole-grain bread. Add chocolate and marshmallows. Grill it. But Will took this to a whole new level by blending the peanut butter with a touch of curry to give it somewhat of a more exotic taste. The combination may sound weird, but I assure you, it was the best damn peanut butter I've ever tasted. This is coming from a guy who loves PB so much that he's tried every brand from the supermarket (+ Trader Joe's!) and always keeps three different types in his pantry. I must try to replicate this dessert at home. It can't be that hard...can it...?

Best. Panini. Ever.

The semifreddo was an item I wasn't overly excited about. Don't get me wrong, it tastes great and is skillfully made. But, I personally do not like having spiciness in my desserts. I have to say though, the slight spiciness of this dessert does pair nicely with the curried peanut butter panini. In any case, it was an interesting and complex mix of flavors and though I tried to imagine the dessert without its spiciness, I realized that it would just lose its flair and character. Try it! You may very well like it.

I've haven't had many opportunities to eat bread pudding so my experience is very limited and I won't be able to offer any comparisons or analysis for this item. But I will tell you this: It's pretty damn good. It was like a really soft and moist warm brownie, though not as sweet and with the texture of bread pudding. This would make great comfort food on cold days if you eat eight of them. The vanilla-bean creme anglaise was very light and delicate, giving each bite a hint of vanilla without overwhelming your taste buds. I enjoyed this very much!


BRAVO! Eclipse Chocolat is edging out Extraordinary Desserts as my #1 dessert cafe in San Diego now. I'm a big fan of Western-style desserts, but many establishments just make them way too sweet for my tastes. This is partly why I love Japanese renditions of Western desserts so much. They make them lighter and more delicate. (Remember Cafe Blanc?) Extraordinary Desserts makes fantastic desserts and I do enjoy their creations, but the desserts there are just a tad too sweet. I'm sure many people will disagree with my previous statement, but hey. That's my opinion, so shut up. Also, I personally like to experience as many tastes as possible instead of ordering one slab of cake or a bowl of pudding/creme brulee/etc. This makes Eclipse Chocolat's seasonal dessert platters very appealing to me--I get to tease my palate with a wide range of flavors and textures. Isn't that what enjoying food is all about?


Will gave me a small stack of coupons, so UCSD students, contact me for one so you have an excuse to try out Eclipse Chocolat!

Coupon1 - FREE Espresso, Tea, or Pastry with any dessert purchase.
Coupon2 - FREE Box of (4) Exotic Truffles ($10 value) with any chocolate purchase of $10+.

Hurry! coupons expire on 5/9/08.


Additional visits to Eclipse Chocolat:
The second time.
The third time.
The Blogger Mixer.


Eclipse Chocolat
2121 El Cajon Boulevard
San Diego, California 92104
619.578.2984