Off-Convoy: Up2Yoü

First Visit:

Snow ice with mango.  Never had snow ice before but it was pretty tasty, though way more than I could eat. The mango was kind of woody and underripe.

We LOVE these birdcage lamps!  They did all the decorating themselves, Miko found out.

Milk tea--kind of blah.

OKAY THIS IS THE THING!!  The honey toast is the most delicious honey toast that has ever honey toasted.  All other brick toast is dead to us now.

Second Visit:

 Adorable teapot with a candle to keep it hot!

omg just look at itttttt

Part of their Halloween decorations--this is on the bathroom wall so you see it in the mirror.

Twenty-Fourth Visit:

Okay, it wasn't actually the 24th visit, but we've been coming here for dessert whenever we eat on Convoy. And the toast is plated differently every time! Like here, when they made cocoa silverware silhouettes! How cute is that??                           

Rating: Two thumbs up! 
Date: 10/10/12
Time in: 7:30 PM
Servers' recommendations: Honey toast with condensed milk
What we ordered: Honey toast with condensed milk
Number in our party: 2
Final check amount: $4.58
Notes: 

• This dinky, adorable cafe is owned by a couple in their mid-20s (although they look like they're 18).  They found the beautifully mismatched furniture and fixtures on Craigslist and at Ross, and they painted the walls themselves.  We've been won over by how cute this place is.  Plus, it has a nice, cozy, laid-back vibe.  We would've come back to hang out, even if it weren't for the honey toast. 
• But GOOD GOD, the HONEY TOAST!  Because they cut the bread into squares before toasting, each piece is crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.  It is also drenched in butter, which is always a win.  After eating Up2Yoü's version, the brick toast at Tea Garden and Tea Station tastes like ashes.  (And we genuinely liked Tea Garden!  But why go there when Up2Yoü is right down the street?)  I tried my best to recreate their toast for Jenne's birthday, but it was total crap; I don't know what Up2Yoü does differently, but there must be an art to it.  Jenne and I are addicted.  I might have gone three times in the last seven days. 
• Their teas are VERY sweet. I like the pure white tea (unsweetened), and it goes very well with my toast.

RESTAURANT INFORMATION
Address: 7770 Vickers St, Ste 101 (Okay, it's not EXACTLY on Convoy, but close enough.)
Phone number: 619.663.6388
Website: https://www.facebook.com/Up2youCafe
Accepts credit cards? Yes
Parking: Small shared lot; there's usually a space nearby.
Ideal group size: 1-4
Available vegetarian options: Lots
Noise level: 2-3, depending on how crowded it is

Walmido - CLOSED

Truffed?

We really really wanted the popcorn lobster roll
...but we had too many things already by the time we noticed it.

Miko with the Miko roll!

Closeup on Miko.

Yakisoba!  The best one we've found so far.

Seared tuna and salmon.  The tuna was TERRIBLE, really weird texture.
The salmon was a solid effort -- would eat again! 

These little rolls were tasty and half price!  PRACTICALLY FREE!

Seafood pancake.  Not the greatest.

Rating: Two thumbs up, solely due to the yakisoba

Date: 6/17/12

Time in: 5:39 PM

Servers' recommendations: Miko roll, seafood yakisoba, nigiri and happy hour rolls (because they're super-cheap!)
What we ordered: Miko roll, seafood yakisoba, avocado roll, California roll, spicy scallop roll, seared tuna nigiri, salmon nigiri

Number in our party: 3 (with Sarah M.)
Final check amount: $57.38
Notes: 

• There is apparently a Korean menu we didn't get to see! 
• The yakisoba is the best we've had on Convoy, and we'd come back just for that.  The seafood is a little fishy to Jenne.  Sarah and I found it fine.
• The salmon nigiri was decent.
• The seafood pancake was giant, expensive, and not very good.
• The edamame was cold and unsalted -- double-fail.  Although maybe we shouldn't complain, since it was free.
• The rolls tasted good -- lots of avocado, lots of crab, and lots of spicy!  But they were so deformed!  We had to laugh at how lopsided they looked.
• The seared tuna was truly terrible.  It might have been blow-torched?
• There's a longer wait than I'd like between dishes.
• The water is room temp, which we didn't find enjoyable.
• The server and the sushi chef were very handsome.
• The server boxed up the leftovers for us, which we always appreciate.
• Walmido has a very pleasant atmosphere--it looks much nicer inside than outside.

RESTAURANT INFORMATION

Address: 4367 Convoy St 
Phone number: 858.571.1888
Website: http://walmidosushi.menutoeat.com
Accepts credit cards? Yes
Parking: Crowded lot -- hard to find spaces!
Ideal group size: 2-6
Noise level: 3

Izakaya Sakura



Salmon nigiri.



Agedashi mochi -- so delicious!!!

Chicken karaage, with many dipping options.

Omlet & rice, or "Omrice."

Yakisoba is a bit greasy.

FIRST VISIT

Rating: Two thumbs up! 
Date: 7/3/11

Time in: 7:09 PM

Time out: 8:30 PM

Servers' recommendations: Omlet & rice [sic], spicy fish salad
What we ordered: Omlet & rice, chicken karaage, agedashi mochi, salmon nigiri, yakisoba 

Number in our party: 2 
Final check amount: $37.18
Price per person: $18.59Notes: 

• This restaurant doesn't have a sign.  Not even in Japanese.  That is totally badass.
• The agedashi mochi is SO delicious.  We could eat this every day and dream about it in between.  In fact, this makes Sakura a kind of one-dish wonder.  We like their other food too, but the agedashi mochi is what makes it a gold star and keeps us coming back.
• The salmon sushi is adequate.  After Sushi Dokoro Shirahama, we are ruined.
• The Omrice is good for someone who grew up eating it and needed comfort food, but for everyone else, it might just be weird.  The miso soup that came with it was yummy though -- good tofu with perfectly seasoned broth.
• The chicken karaage is awesome.  It's crispy but not too greasy.
• The yakisoba is too oily, and Jenne wants more cabbage in it.
• The service is slow, so don't come here when you're not a tight schedule.

SECOND VISIT

Rating: Two thumbs up!
Date: 7/3/11

Time in: 7:06 PM

Time out: 8:45 PM

What we ordered: Uni pasta, agedashi mochi, salmon onigiri, chicken karaage, albacore tataki, nikomi hamburg, tebashio, black sesame ice cream, green tea

Number in our party: 5
Final check amount: $71.28
Price per person: $14.26

Notes: 

• Our official Convoy Conquest visit (above) was probably the worst meal Jenne and I have ever had at Sakura.  We felt we should do an official revisit so readers might know why we like this place.  For photos, please see our Convoy Day post.

RESTAURANT INFORMATION

Address: 3904 Convoy St, Ste 121
Phone number: 858.569.6151
Website: http://izakayasakura.menutoeat.com/
Accepts credit cards? Yes
Parking: Private plaza with plenty of parking
Ideal group size: 2-8
Available vegetarian options: Plum onigiri, edamame, baked mushroom? eggplant gratin?

Noise level: 2
Who not to bring: Vegetarians (almost everything is cooked with bonito broth)

Ichiro Happy Japanese Restaurant



Ginger eggplant appetizer



Seafood dumplings

Free salad

Combination #1

Nabeyaki udon

Rating: One thumb up (Miko), one sideways thumb (Jenne)

Date: 5/6/11

Time In: 7:45 PM

Time out: 8:59 PM

Server's recommendations: Combination #1 (tempura, California roll, and salmon yakizakana), teriyaki steak, nabeyaki udon, champon

What we ordered: Ginger eggplant appetizer, seafood dumplings, Combination #1 (Jenne), nabeyaki udon (Miko)

Number in our party: 2

Final check amount: $40.73

Notes:

• The server was adorable -- she actually clasped her hands with joy when we ordered her recommendations.  Very enthusiastic in her recommendations.
• The nabeyaki was delicious; it was probably the best udon I'd had in San Diego. The broth tasted like my mother's.  Great comfort food!  The only criticism I had was that the egg should be on top, not the bottom.  (Miko--thumbs up)
• The rice was dry and a little hard.
• The salmon was overcooked.  (Jenne--sideways thumb)

RESTAURANT INFORMATION
Address: 4344 Convoy St, Ste Q
Phone number: 858.565.8603
Website: http://www.yelp.com/biz/ichiro-japanese-restaurant-san-diego-3
Accepts credit cards? Yes
Parking: Private lot shared with a plaza 
Ideal group size: 2-8
Available vegetarian options: Veggie sushi options. With everything else, you never know if something might have bonito in it...

Noise level: 4, but only because of a rowdy party that sounded like a whole lot of fun on the other side of the restaurant.

Chopsticks: Come with the meal

B.H. Chung - CLOSED

Gyoza.

Seafood tofu soup.

Panchan.

Katsu curry.

Katsudon.

The special order our neighbor was eating!
He was very interested in our work and wanted us to take a picture.

Rating: Two thumbs up because of the curry and service

Date: 1/28/11

Time In: 1:30 PM

Time out: 2:15 PM

Server's recommendations: BBQ beef & chicken, seafood tofu soup

What we ordered: Seafood tofu soup, gyoza, katsudon (Jenne), katsu curry rice (Miko)

Number in our party: 2

Final check amount: $30.42

Notes:

• B.H. Chung looks like crap from the outside (especially with the awful sign), but inside, it is airy, comfortable, and clean, with lots of natural light.
• The menu is extensive and has a lot of appealing choices.  Good for groups that don't know what they want to eat.
• The katsu curry is DELICIOUS in a simple, mom & pop cafe kind of way.  The katsu on it has crispy breading, which makes it extra-yummy, and the curry itself is well-seasoned, with a slight hint of cinnamonyness.  It's the best Asian-style curry rice I've had outside the house.  The portion-size was also ginormous, so it's perfect to split with a friend.  (Note: our craving for this katsu curry drove us back to B.H. Chung three days later.)  (Miko)
• The katsudon is good, especially with the zucchini, but it's a little on the bland side.
• The gyoza tastes nice, but it's not amazing.  
• The stew is also fine, but the fishy taste is a little overpowering.  There are much better versions of this dish at both of the Tofu Houses.
• The server is extremely handsome and pleasant.  We call him "the son" because the place has a family-owned vibe, but we have no idea if any of the employees are actually related to each other.  He is really quick to notice if we need water refills.
• This is the restaurant that inspired the idea of the "one-dish wonder" (which Spicy City also qualifies as)--a place that probably wouldn't wow us except for that one dish that we HAVE TO come back for.

RESTAURANT INFORMATION

Address: 4646 Convoy St, Ste 110

Phone number: 858.495.0059

Website: http://www.bhchung.com/

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: 2-6

Noise level: 2

Chopsticks: On the table

Spicy City Chinese Restaurant

Shredded pork with Szechuan peppers

Deep fried chicken cubes

Cold noodles

Warning!

Rating: Two thumbs up

Date: 11/19/10
Time in: 7:30 PM

Server's recommendations: Twice-cooked pork with garlic shoots, casseroles, deep-fried chicken cubes, shredded pork with Szechuan peppers

What we ordered: Cold noodles, shredded pork with Szechuan peppers, deep-fried chicken cubes, sauteed baby bok choi

Number in our party: 3

Final check amount: $36.84

Notes:

• Expect a line--we had to wait about 15 min.
• Most of the food was just okay, but the cold noodles were SO AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS that it made the trip worthwhile.  When we go again, we're just going to each get an order of that and inhale it.
• The server was very knowledgeable and had lots of recommendations.  We got the feeling he had literally tried everything on the menu.  And the menu is, in a word, extensive.
• It was very like Ba Ren, only the flavors were more American-friendly.  Sweeter, maybe.
• The deep-fried chicken cubes were very spicy.  Miko had to eat them with the baby bok choi.

RESTAURANT INFORMATION

Address: 4690 Convoy St, Ste 107 (Plaza del Sol)

Phone number: 858.278.1100

Website: http://spicycitymenu.info/

Accepts credit cards? Yes

Parking: Private lot shared with rest of plaza--spaces available

Ideal group size: 2-8

Available vegetarian options: There are a number of vegetable-only dishes, but make sure to ask because there can be hidden meat.

Who not to bring: People who can't eat spicy food -- there are non-spicy options, but the really good stuff is spicy.

Noise level: 3.5