Palomino #3

Surfo (steak and shrimp) burrito

Rating: Two sideways thumbs (Glennis gave them a thumbs up, but she's a huge softie.)
Date: 10/2/11
Time in: 6:45 PM
Time out: 7:12 PM

Servers' recommendations: Milanesa, Surfo Burrito, California Burrito
What we ordered: Surfo Burrito   

Number in our party: 3 (Glennis is guest critic today.)
Final check amount: $7.49
Notes:  

• The food is fine, but it doesn't distinguish itself from any other taco shop in San Diego. 
• The staff was really nice, though, so I felt guilty writing the sentence above.
• The carne asada in the burrito was not grilled -- that was Glennis's one criticism.

RESTAURANT INFORMATION

Address: 3860 Convoy St, Ste 101
Phone number: 858.279.4025
Website: http://palominosmexicanandseafood.menutoeat.com/
Accepts credit cards? Yes
Parking: Private plaza, teeny tiny spaces
Ideal group size: 1-4
Available vegetarian options: Mexican food standards, e.g. chile relleno

Café Hue

Waffles with gelato.  The gelato is strangely mild in flavor (Sarah said they all tasted alike), but the waffles are interestingly yeasty.  Sarah didn't like the waffles, but we did.

Nutella banana crepe.  Jenne likes this one better, but Miko prefers Crepe World.

Rating: 2 sideways thumbs
Date: 9/18/11

Servers' recommendations: Banana nutella crepe, waffle with gelato and mixed berries
What we ordered: Banana nutella crepe, 2 waffles with gelato and coffee
Number in our party: 3
Final check amount: $5.12+$5.12+$5.33 (3 different checks)

RESTAURANT INFORMATION

Address: 3860 Convoy, Ste 106
Phone number: 858.571.7947
Website: http://www.yelp.com/biz/cafe-hue-san-diego
Accepts credit cards? $5 minimum, $.35 surcharge.
Parking: Crowded lot with the tiniest spaces ever.
Ideal group size: Any.
Available vegetarian options: Lots except the savory crepes.

Noise level: 2.

Tsuruhashi

Assorted vegetables.

Tsubo kalbi.

Skirt steak.

The rice is pretty good.

Seafood Assortment.

Grilling time!

Complimentary dessert!  Sarah can tie the cherry stem in a knot with her tongue.

Rating: Two thumbs down (and one down from Sarah)
Date: 9/18/11
Time in: 5:40 PM 
Time out: 6:45 PM

Servers' recommendations: Tsubo kalbi
What we ordered: Assorted vegetables, seafood yaki (salmon, scallop, squid, shrimp, and green mussel), prime outside skirt

Number in our party: 3 (Sarah is the guest critic today!)
Final check amount: $47.99
Notes:  

• Sarah liked the mussels, and the skirt steak was delicious. 
• It does not come with endless rice, which we now expect from eating at Korean BBQ restaurants.
• The salmon tasted too fishy.
• The marinated meat was chewy. 
• It would have been helpful if the vegetables had been par-cooked.  They took forever till they were done.
• It was frustrating compared to other BBQ experiences -- there was just so much hungry waiting involved! Gah!

RESTAURANT INFORMATION

Address: 3904 Convoy St
Phone number: 858.279.8929
Website: http://www.tsuruhashibbq.com
Accepts credit cards? Yes
Parking: Private plaza -- crowded during the day.
Ideal group size: 2-6.  You can make reservations for bigger groups.
Available vegetarian options: Assorted vegetable yaki, organic mushroom, ice cream
Who not to bring: People who don't like interactive food.  (You need at least one person who knows how to grill.)

Yokohama Yakitori Koubou

Check it out, if you order alcohol they give you a shot of milk first to avoid hangovers!
 We were charmed.

See?  It's very scientifical.

CHICKEN CRACKERS.
CHICKEN CRACKERS CHICKEN CRACKERS CHICKEN CRACKERS.
So fun to say.

Sorry about the weird photo.  From L to R:
Chicken wings, asparagus wrapped in pork (so good!), beef tongue,
chicken with mayonnaise shrimp on it (why?), chicken thighs, chicken meatball.

Miko thinks this saying is amusing, but she can't really translate it.
Something like, "finding passion/emotion in life will keep you young forever"? 
Hmm.  My Japanese is not good enough to be also amused.

Pork wrapped with shiso (yay shiso!), and chicken hearts (not gross at all!)

Yakisoba with an egg!  Why didn't we think of this before?!
The miso soup in the background comes with.

They bring you green tea at the end! 
This convinced Miko to give them a gold star, even though she doesn't like green tea.

Rating: Two thumbs up!
Date: 9/11/11

Servers' recommendations: Instead of taking the server's recommendation, we decided to go with the "omakase," where they give you 6 skewers of their choosing.
What we ordered: Big bottle of Asahi Super Dry, chicken crackers, omakase skewers (meatball, chicken thigh, chicken with shrimp mayonnaise, beef tongue, asparagus wrap, wings), shiso, jidori chicken heart, yakisoba   

Number in our party: 2
Final check amount: $40.72
Notes:  

• The yakitori itself is actually better at Yakitori Yakyudori, but Yokohama Yakitori Koubou has a more comfortable, cozy vibe.  The service is friendlier and more laid-back (at Yakitori Yakyudori, the waitresses are frankly annoying).  We felt like we were being taken care of, and we could sit back and enjoy our meal.
• It's very hard to find good yakisoba. It's a bit sweet, but the best we've found in San Diego so far.  The meat and vegetables in it are well-seasoned, and the noodles are good quality.  And there's a fried egg on top!
• The menu is full of homey dishes that we want to try. 
• They use fancy charcoal.

RESTAURANT INFORMATION

Address: 3904 Convoy St, Ste 108
Phone number: 858.277.8822
Website: http://www.yokohamayakitorikoubou.com/
Accepts credit cards? Yes
Parking: Private plaza -- crowded during the day
Ideal group size: 1-10
Available vegetarian options: Quail eggs, peppers, eggplant, yaki onigiri, plum onigiri, deep-fried cheese wontons, potatoes, natto omelet, potato salad

Noise level: 3.5

Imperial Mandarin

"Imperial Soup" -- very tasty and nourishing, but maybe not exciting.

Server-recommended fish filet with black bean sauce.  Delicious!

Salted fish fried rice. 
We like it better at Sab-E-Lee, but maybe just because we had theirs first?

Salt and pepper chicken wings.  Totally good enough for when you don't feel like driving to Chula Vista.

Rating: Two sideways thumbs
Date: 9/10/11

Servers' recommendations: Imperial soup, fish fillet in black bean sauce, filet mignon, salt and pepper shrimp or chicken wings
What we ordered: Salted fish fried rice, salt and pepper chicken wings, fish fillet with black bean sauce, imperial soup

Number in our party: 3
Final check amount: $36.65
Notes:  

• They have two menus: a boring one (with "safe" American choices like orange chicken) and a more interesting one.
• The fish was especially tasty. 
• Excellent fortune cookies with actual FORTUNES.  (There are way too many advice/proverb cookies out there.)  For example, mine said, "You will soon be on a secret mission of the heart."

RESTAURANT INFORMATION

Address: 3904 Convoy St, Ste 102
Phone number: 858.292.1222
Website: http://imperialmandarin.menutoeat.com
Accepts credit cards? Yes
Parking: Private plaza -- crowded during the day
Ideal group size: 2-4
Available vegetarian options: Buddha's Delight, braised bean curd in brown sauce

Noise level: 2

The Philadelphia Sandwich Company



It's one of those places with a bunch of stuff on the walls.



Including this freaky outfit.

Half-sandwich.

Still life with iced tea and ketchup.  In the background, you can see the official Convoy Conquest binder!

Rating: Two thumbs down
Date: 9/9/11

Servers' recommendations: Cheese steak.  There was no question about it.  "That's what we sell the most of," she said.

What we ordered: We split a cheese steak combo with fries and a drink.

Number in our party: 2 
Final check amount: $9.09
Notes: 

• Being the soft-hearted librarians that we are, Jenne and I hate giving thumbs-downs.  Especially if the restaurant owners and servers are nice, and The Philadelphia Sandwich Company staff are!  For example, they served us the sandwich that we decided to split on separate plates, all cut for us, with the fries divvied too!  So sweet of them! 
• That said, the sandwich was not very tasty.  I couldn't have finished a whole one on my own.  The untoasted bread was too fluffy, and the meat was dry.  A cheese steak that doesn't have enough cheese on it?  Unacceptable.  And the fries needed more salt. 

RESTAURANT INFORMATION

Address: 3904 Convoy St, Ste 112
Phone number: 858.571.0888
Website: http://philadelphiasandwichco.com
Accepts credit cards? Yes
Parking: Private plaza -- crowded during the day.
Ideal group size: 1-4
Available vegetarian options: Four-cheese veggie, four-cheese salad, sides

Noise level: 2
Who not to bring: Fancy people, cheese steak fans

Seoul BBQ Restaurant

It's SO hot.

We thought this little condiment shelf was charming.

Good rice, and this soup was delicious!

Here are the meats.

Panchan.  Could be better.

Here's what you get for $9.99.  There's also a $14.99 option.  Dinner is something like $19.99 and $24.99.  

Rating: Two thumbs down
Date: 7/29/11

Servers' recommendations: N/A
What we ordered: Lunch A

Number in our party: 2 
Notes: 

• The daikon soup that came before the meal was tasty, with lots of black pepper.
• The panchan wasn't terribly good.  Nothing unique or unusual was served, and other restaurants do better with the standard dishes.  For example, the potatoes in the potato salad were undercooked and chewy.
• The marinated meats they served had good flavor, and the chicken was nice and juicy.
• The pork belly was kind of tasteless and chewy.
• The food was okay, but this place was missing something...  We came out of the restaurant feeling underwhelmed by the whole experience.  If this were the only Korean barbecue in the area, maybe we'd love it.  But with Jeong Won and even Manna nearby, there would be no reason to come here, even if the lunch special is cheap.

RESTAURANT INFORMATION

Address: 4344 Convoy St, Ste I

Phone number: 858.505.8700
Website: http://www.seoulbbq.com/
Accepts credit cards? Yes
Parking: Plaza with plenty of parking.
Ideal group size: 2-6
Available vegetarian options: Some of the panchan?

Noise level: 3 
Who not to bring: Vegetarians

The Original Pancake House

Eggs Benedict.

I love you, bacon.

Dutch baby!  It comes with butter and lemon slices.

Rating: Two thumbs up
Date: 7/15/11

Time in: 1:15 PM

Time out: 2:00 PM

Servers' recommendations: Eggs Benedict
What we ordered: Eggs Benedict, Dutch baby with a side of bacon, coffee

Number in our party: 2 
Final check amount: $28.55

Notes: 

• The restaurant is charming -- much more so than you would expect from the outside.  It looks like Grandma's house, with flowery curtains and quaint tableware (and the silverware looks like real silver, even though it's not). 
• The bacon is nice, thick, and chewy.  Jenne gives it a thumbs up.  Miko actually prefers that her bacon be thinner and crispier. 
• The eggs Benedict is yummy.  It isn't anything original or amazing, but it is INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT to find decent eggs Benedict.  (Common problems include: instant hollandaise, stingy sauce portions, chemically ham/Canadian bacon, undertoasted English muffins, and unnecessary creativity with ingredients.)
• The Dutch baby is expensive for what it is ($9.50 for a small one) but there is nowhere else you can get it in San Diego!  And they are delicious!
• The coffee is fine, as are the potatoes. 
• For regular breakfasts like bacon and eggs, you can get pancakes instead of toast as a side!
• The portion sizes are just right.
• The service is friendly and prompt, and they are ON those water refills!

RESTAURANT INFORMATION

Address: 3906 Convoy St

Phone number: 858.565.1740
Website: http://www.originalpancakehouse.com/phloc_sandiego.html

Accepts credit cards? Yes
Parking: Shared lot with a good number of spaces
Ideal group size: 1-4, but they could probably put tables together for more. But don't bring a large group unless you make a reservation (not sure if they even take reservations). There will definitely be a long wait on weekend mornings even for small groups.
Available vegetarian options: Lots! Pancakes, crepes, omelettes, oatmeal, etc.

Who not to bring: Vegans

Noise level: 3