Sunday, October 21, 2012

Red Moon Noodle House

FIRST VISIT

Milk tea.  I (Jenne) liked how it wasn't mixed up--I enjoy having a job to do.

Singapore noodles--guess what sold Miko on this dish?

Salt and pepper shrimp--again, not fried hot enough!  What is with the Convoy fryolators lately??  But the shrimp itself was good.

We don't really like Chinese-style rice anyway, but it was dry even so.
Rating: Two sideways thumbs
Date: 10/20/12
What we ordered: Milk tea, salt and pepper shrimp, Singapore noodles, rice
Number in our party: 2
Final check amount: About $12
Notes: 
  • I lost the scrap of paper that I wrote my Red Moon Noodle House notes on.  Fail.
  • Jenne and I both love curry-flavored Singapore noodles, and when I saw that there was an EGG on it, I couldn't resist.  I would've really liked the noodles if the seasoning wasn't still powdery on them -- it lingered on the tongue.
  • The lady who served us was very nice.

SECOND VISIT

Singapore noodles again!  The egg was especially good this time.
We also had the champon (Japanese noodle soup) but I forgot to take a picture.
Xiaolongbao -- not on the menu!


Rating: Two thumbs up
Date: 11/19/12
Time in: 8:40 PM
Time out: 9:34 PM
What we ordered: Singapore noodles, champon, xialongbao sample
Number in our party: 2
Final check amount: $18.09
Notes: 
  • This day, Jenne and I decided that we should meet in this plaza and have dinner in one of the restaurants there.  Despite the fact that we gave Red Moon sideways thumbs last time, we found ourselves skipping our RakiRaki revisit and coming here instead.
  • Thomas (the owner) is a super-nice guy who speaks Chinese, Japanese, and English fluently.  Impressive.  He was curious to know how we heard about Red Moon and amazed to hear that we were trying every restaurant on the street.  He immediately sat down to check out our blog on his phone, and he was fascinated by our project.  We are definitely not immune to flattery.  Thankfully, he didn't take our previous lukewarm reviews on Red Moon personally.  "As long as you're fair and honest, and you were," he said.  Which made us like him even more.  
  • The Singapore noodles were STELLAR this time.  There was no powdery seasoning residue, and the vegetables were crisp, but cooked through (which my mom tells me requires frying at very high temperatures.)  The shrimp in it was also cooked well -- not overdone and chewy, like it often is at other restaurants.  This dish is a great comfort food, and I've gone back for it several times.
  • We wanted more salt in the champon, and I wanted shichimi to add to it. 
  • We'd like a bigger assortment of condiments on the table; specifically, we request chili paste, sesame oil, and sriracha. Especially since they have a...
  • SECRET MENU ITEM: XIALONGBAO!  Sick of waiting in line at Dumpling Inn?  Red Moon is right across the street!  There are few good choices in San Diego if you want soup dumplings.  Dumpling Inn's xiaolongbao has a more refined flavor, but Red Moon's gives them a run for their money.  Plus, because Red Moon is careful to space out the individual dumplings in the steamer, they don't rip on you as easily.  After all, a torn xiaolongbao is pretty much ruined. 
    There's no line here, and the staff at Red Moon is miles friendlier! 
     
RESTAURANT INFORMATION
Address: 4646 Convoy St
Phone number: 858.576.7466
Accepts credit cards? Yes
Parking: Private lot shared with rest of plaza -- it can get a little crazy, but you can usually find a spot if you drive around a few times.  But the spaces are teeny.
Ideal group size: 1-4
Noise level: 1.5

Bonus secret menu item--daigaku-imo!!  These are candy-coated sweet potatoes and they are AMAZING.  Thomas says they can only make them when it's not busy so they aren't on the menu.

7 comments:

  1. I love your blog! Husband and I are going to try China Max tomorrow based on your recommendation. I have eaten at Jasmine and Emerald and found both to be extremely lackluster.

    And by the way, have you seen this month's issue of San Diego magazine? Their food critic reviewed several restaurants along Convoy. He did an okay job, but your blog is much better reading.

    Thank you for the excellent reviews!

    Dagney Taggert

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    1. Thanks so much! Glad you're enjoying the blog. We have a lot of fun writing it!
      How was China Max? That was one of the first places we went, almost 2 years ago--hope it holds up!

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  2. Jenne-

    China Max was wonderful. The service was spot-on. Our server asked if we had dined there before (No), so he gave us a quick instructional on their menu and ordering options.

    Our lunch was EXCELLENT. The dim sum was soooo good. I am convinced they added some kind of addictive narcotic in the steamed pork buns and the rice-noodle crueller. I kept thinking about it all day, wishing I had brought some goodies home. We were going to go to Up2u, but the sweet rice cake at China Max crushed us!

    Keep up the great work,
    Dagney Taggert

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    Replies
    1. Awesome! I'll have to go back sometime soon.

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  3. Somehow I only just found out about this blog, I'm excited.

    Yeah, we wandered into Red Moon accidentally and were pleasantly surprised. I'm sure you talked to the guy, too, but he said that his father was a chef in Japan when he was growing up. He's got an interest in bringing all the flavors together.

    I'm excited to hear about the xiaolongbao, do they make them for anyone who asks...?

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    Replies
    1. I bet they would! That guy is super nice.

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    2. Yeah, just ask them, they always have them and they are sooooo good. There are other dishes that aren't on the menu, like an egg-battered fish, stir-fried Chinese rice cake, and a more Chinese-style bean curd (which may not be your cup of tea if you prefer strong flavors). Victor is the chef, one of the owners, and the one who is Chinese but grew up in Japan. I love that he knows both cuisines and can create some really tasty dishes. One time he gave us a complimentary Japanese "appetizer" of various fish cakes and soy sauce stewed Kabocha. I really liked the Kabocha. We eat there regularly, and last time he gave us some candied yams on the house! Now they're open for lunch!

      Thanks so much for your blog! What a great idea! :)

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