Off-Convoy: DaoFu

Your meal always comes with a free salad that includes incredibly delicious braised tofu.

We were charmed by the adorable soy sauce pitcher and matching salt and pepper shakers.

We loved the tofu in the salad so much that we asked for other tofu recommendations.  This fried tofu was so good that we ate the entire block and wished we had more.

We had to ask for the tofu rice pot to be made with chicken since that wasn't an option on the menu.  Tofu is not just for vegetarians, people!

Me: Miko, what is this a picture of?  A fried hand??
Miko: That was fried fish.  Remember, you said it tasted like fish fingers!
Me: I do not remember that.  But it sounds like something I would say.

You also get free ice cream!  I think there was a choice of flavors, but I don't remember exactly what they were.  We think it was probably pineapple...with mango and strawberry sauce?  Whatever it was, it was good.  I think we went with whatever the tall waiter suggested.

Rating: Two thumbs up

Date: 7/17/2015

Time in: 8:49 PM

Time out: 10:10 PM

Servers' recommendations: Tofu rice pot, chicken curry, eggplant tofu.

What we ordered: Chicken rice pot with tofu, garlic fish, fried tofu.

Number in our party: 2

Final check amount: $26.27

Price per person: $13.14

Notes:

• The tofu is just so very delicious here. We could eat a mountain of the braised tofu in that complimentary salad. The fried tofu appetizer over a bowl of rice would make a fantastic, ultra-cheap meal.
• The chicken rice pot tastes like something a traditional Japanese housewife might make for dinner on a weekday for her family. A bit bland, but homey, simple, and nutritious.
• The restaurant has a nice, cozy feel, with low lighting and Sharpie scribbles on the walls. It would be a nice place for a date.

RESTAURANT INFORMATION  

Address: 3332 Adams Ave

Phone number: 619.281.6888

Noise level: 3

Accepts credit cards? Yes

Parking: Street parking only. Luckily in walking distance of Miko's apartment!

Ideal group size: 2-8

Available vegetarian options: TONS

Off-Convoy: San Francisco!

We went to San Francisco partly for a library conference...but mostly to eat things.

"Paul Reubens" sandwich from Ike's Place-it was giant and I saved the second half, which I was very happy to have when I came back to the hotel...rather tipsy...from a vendor party at the Tonga Room with an open bar and a lackluster buffet.

Creme brulee and peach ice cream from Bi-Rite (with my charming and elegant college roommate Maria's coffee almond chip cone in the background).

Gorgeous pho from Pho 2000--we were going to go to Tu Lan but there was a huge line and this place was next door.

Almond butter, caramelized banana, and bacon toast from the super cozy Grove Cafe on Fillmore St.

Soft serve from the Straus Family Creamery in the Ferry Building.

Beard Papa!  I miss the SD location. :-(
I was excited that their flavor of the week was my favorite, caramel!

Burma Love in the Mission

Platha & dip -- this was DELICIOUS.

Chili lamb, yum.

Tea leaf salad-this is their famous dish but we thought it was kind of...too busy?

Izakaya Sozai -- we loved this meal so much that the taxi driver who took us home remarked that we were the happiest people she'd seen all night. 

Not too bad for three people!

Fried ramen egg!!

You really should have seen Miko's face while eating this.  It was blissful.

Ramen

I will always order yaki-onigiri if I see it on a menu.  SO GOOD.

We may have gotten two orders of the chashu fried rice. 
Because chashu fried rice.

I'd never had corn yakitori before!

We were super excited about this bacon-wrapped mochi, but we weren't actually that wowed by it.

Bacon-wrapped okra, on the other hand, was amazing.

Simmered snapper with bacon broth and pea shoots

Seabass yakitori -- this just melted in your mouth.

Caramelized banana -- this was just okay.
Order another fried egg instead. Or several.

Taste of Korea, 70 Bobcha

Beautifully fried chicken wings...but they didn't inspire me to obsession,
which is what I want in a wing.

Spicy rice cake -- just okay.  We missed the ramen and egg at Chon Ju Jip.

Stir-fried shrimp.

Panchan -- the thing in the upper right corner was VERY fishy.  
Predictably, Miko liked it and I didn't.

Corn cheese!  We thought Gorilla's was better.  
This wasn't sweet enough and the cheese wasn't all the way melted.

Toast and chocolate milk--most adorable menu item ever! 
We really wanted to order it but we were too full.  
We'll probably have to come back just to try it.

Apologies for the particularly bad photos this time--the lighting in here was very...romantic.

Rating: Two sideways thumbs; from guest: one thumb up
Date: 
Time in: 9:05 PM
Servers' recommendations: Chicken with sauce, boneless chicken feet, stir-fried beef tongue, chicken gizzard, spicy chicken with cheese (considered the BEST), steamed pork, pork hock, beef intestine
What we ordered: Stir-fried shrimp, spicy rice cake, chicken with sauce, corn cheese, beer
Number in our party: 3 (with Erik as a guest judge) 
Final check amount: $50.71
Price per person: $16.90 each
  
Notes: 

• The servers were very pleasant.

• The music was at a nice level, not too loud like everywhere else.  We appreciated that the sound on the TV is off.

• It had a relaxing atmosphere.  They would have X-factor if they'd wall off half of the restaurant.  It's too big.  One large portion is pretty much unused, with a few pieces of random furniture and kitchen equipment sitting there. Kind of eerie.

• I did like the squid panchan (which Jenne pointed out as being very fishy).  It reminded me of baby anchovy tsukudani, which I used to eat straight out of the bag.

• We didn't get the dish that was recommended as THE BEST because it had a ton of chili peppers next to it on the menu.  No way could I have handled the spice.

• The chicken and sauce: the breading was light and crispy and yummy, but the actual chicken underneat was mostly gristle and not enough meat.

• I thought that the shrimp was REALLY overcooked. (Erik did like it.)

• The corn cheese needed sugar and a milder cheese.

• We wanted eggs and ramen in the spicy rice cake!

• Guess what -- this was the last restaurant on our route!  We have finished our Convoy Conquest!!! (Although not really, because a lot of places have closed and new restaurants have popped up, but still, we have made it all the way down and all the way back!)  On Saturday, August 24, we shall celebrate CONVOY DAY.

RESTAURANT INFORMATION  

Address: 4805 Convoy St

Phone number: 858.436.4985 

Noise level: 2

Accepts credit cards? Yes
Parking: Parking lot with lots of space!!
Ideal group size: 2+
Available vegetarian options: Corn cheese, toast and chocolate milk, spicy rice cake without fish cake?