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Posted for Dave

“Hey Dave, you watch Sam the Cooking Guy much?”
“Nope. Never seen the show. Why?”
“He does a recipe with seared ahi tuna you gotta try.”
“Mmmm… ahi. Sounds good.”
“Yeah, he rolls the ahi in Cap’n Crunch.”
“I do like ahi. I should… wait, say again?!”

Yes, you read right. Seared ahi tuna covered in crushed Cap’n Crunch cereal. Some friends recommended it so I pulled the recipe from the Sam the Cooking Guy site. Granted, it is an odd combination, but hey, I’m the guy who thinks that aerosol cheese deserves its own food group so I’m willing to try anything. Turns out it’s pretty good. Check it out.

Cap’n Crunch Seared Tuna

1/4 C mayonnaise
1 T yellow mustard
1 lb. sushi gradi tuna, in 2 rectangular blocks
1 C regular Cap’n Crunch
fresh ground pepper
chili sauce
oil

Mix the mayonnaise and mustard and set aside. Crush the cereal in a plastic bag until fine and put on a plate and top with fresh ground pepper. Lightly oil the tuna then press down into the cereal making sure it’s covered wll on all sides. Heat a non-stick pan really will first and then add about a tablespoon of oil. When it just starts to smoke, add the tuna and sear quickly on all sides until lightly browned. Slice and serve along with the mustard/mayo mix and some chili paste.

Who would ever buy shrimp from the back of a truck? Well, I did and all I can say is you don’t know what you’re missing out on.

I’m pretty sure there’s like only one road to Poipu from Kalaheo. Savage Shrimp is parked in the dirt, right before you get to all the fancy resorts. There’s construction going on there now. They’re building condos. Sorry I can’t be more specific.

Personally, I wouldn’t have stopped, but my friend said that his uncle thought the food was good, so we decided to give it a try. They basically only offer 3 dishes: regular garlic, the hot “grasshopper,” and a “bahia” with coconut milk and Thai-like spices. All the dishes are about $12 and come with rice and a little salad.

Grasshopper - This is good. Not too spicy.

Bahia - At first, I thought this was really good, but there was too much sauce on the rice. It got to be a little too much by the time I finished it all, but the shrimp are a nice size and very delicious. I wanted more…

We took our food to go, but you can eat there if you don’t mind the wild roosters roaming around. There are a few tables and chairs in the dirt, but no one was using them.

Savage Shrimp offers good meals without all the fuss. The meals are cooked right in the back of the truck and you can watch while you wait. I believe there’s even a discount for locals. Apparently, shrimp trucks are more common in Hawaii than on the mainland. Something to try and if you don’t like it, then at least you’ll have a story to tell about how you ate shrimp from the back of a truck…

Indigo Grill Website
1536 India Street, San Diego CA 92101. 619-234-6802.

My friends and I went to Indigo Grill last night for their $20 three course menu special. It is a current anniversary special by the Cohn Restaurant Group for their participating restaurants until January 10th. More information can be found at the Cohn promotion page.

Pipian Crusted Brie. Jalepeno jelly, honey roasted garlic, grilled nopales, mole negro and scallion flatbread.

This brie was fantastic! I had never eaten brie before and the rest of the group hadn’t eaten it with this kind of crust! Warm brie oozed out when we sliced it and it went well with the flatbread, which was the perfect blend of soft bread and subtle sweet flavor.
Christina and Lynn loved the honey roasted garlic, which surprisingly had little of the expected strong garlic taste! The insides melted in your mouth and the crunchy skin could either be eaten or removed beforehand. The brown sauce at the edge of the plate was boring. It had a flat taste that just seemed to disappear the moment you tasted it.

Shrimp and Scallop Ceviche. Cured in lemon juice with cucumber pico de gallo.

The presentation looked great for this ceviche and chips. The taste was within expectations too. But the portion was lacking. Is this your money’s worth? NOooo.

Alderwood Plank Salmon. Cucumber dill moleto, squid-ink pasta and smoked aged farmer’s cheese.

The first crispier bite of the Salmon had Lynn thinking that the fish was overcooked, but once past that corner, the juicy and tender salmon had her feeling quite happy with the meal. This salmon also had quite a bit of sweet flavor in it, which reminded us of the roasted garlic. A nice change in overall flavor was the interesting ink squid pasta mixed with a complimenting cheese. We’ve definitely never had cheesy pasta that tasted like that before! The only part Lynn didn’t like were the vegetables in the middle but pickled food hardly ever receives her praise.

Wild Mushroom Fettecini. Roasted bell pepper pasta, leek and fennel cream sauce, sauteed spinach, hazelnuts, and cotija cheese.

For a vegetarian meal, this was absolutely scrumptious! Christina and Lynn really loved the mushrooms and hazelnuts that were buried in the dish. The vegetables and pasta created a unique blend that was fun to eat. The only thing Lynn didn’t like about it were that the spinach pieces were in large lumps and not as spread out as she would have preferred. Who said you have to have meat for a good meal?

Hickory and Apple Smoked Pork Ribs. Morita-kahlua glaze, indian corn pudding, shaved pear and walnut salad with cilantro viniagrette.

Eugene and I both ordered the Pork Ribs entree. It was served in a unique rectangular plate that was somewhat difficult to eat off of. Every time I stabbed my fork into the mountain of salad, some other parts of salad would fall off the edges of the plate.

The Indian corn pudding had a fantastic and very familiar taste. I especially liked the outer parts near the rim. It had a nice texture that counterbalanced the warm and gooey center. I wish they had served this during the Taste of Downtown event last year. This is definitely a new favorite for me.

As for the ribs themselves, they were delicious and tender. The flavor was interesting and portion was just right. I was quite full by the end of this entree but eagerly awaited my dessert!

Roasted Plantain Cheesecake Flautas. With firewater dipping sauce.

The outside of the flautas were crispy and tasty. The inside had a subtle cheesecake flavor to it. Everyone really liked the dipping sauce. It had an Asian kind of flavor to it. Alcohol flavored figs? I’ll pass!

Chocolate Pistachio Torte. With rasberry Sorbet.

Nothing out of the ordinary for this dessert but it was still tasty. The dark chocolate was surprisingly not as strong as I thought it would be. The girls really loved the chocolate. The sorbet reminded of me of the Razzmatazz flavor at Jamba Juice, just without the seeds.

We came in to this restaurant hungry. We left full (and with to-go boxes!). If anybody is interested, I would highly suggest trying out the $20 three course special. If not at this restaurant, then at least at another one of the participating Cohn Restaurant Group restaurants. Its such a great deal! BTW, I believe there is some San Diego restaurant gift card at Costco where you can buy two $50 gift cards for the price of $79.99. Please correct me if I am wrong but I believe this restaurant is on that list of restaurants. Good Eating!
Taste: 9/10
Presentation: 5/5
Atmosphere: 4/5 (crowded)
Total: 18/20

http://www.kingshawaiian.com/

2808 W Sepulveda Blvd, Torrence, CA. (310) 530-0050

Have you ever tried King’s Hawaiian bread? Well, did you know you can have it warm and fresh at their restaurant?

We started off with some classic King’s Hawaiian Bread. Having it fresh was so much better than buying it at a supermarket. It was very soft.

Royal Platter ($10.95) - this huge, plentiful platter offered samples of five of their menu items, which included teriyaki chicken and beef, Spam masubi, wings, and fried calamari. The teriyaki chicken was tasty and the jumbo-sized wings were crispy and delicious.

Won Ton Min ($7.75)

Saimin Teriyaki Chicken ($7.65) - I thought the noodles were nice and thick. I didn’t realize that the Royal Platter came with the same teriyaki chicken. I should have ordered regular Saimin noodles. There was too much food for two people.

The bakery has assorted goodies, such as cakes, pies, cookies, and bread. As you can see, they were ready for Halloween!

I took home a Rolled Florentine ($1.30) and Chocolate Dipped Butterfly Cookie ($1.55). The Rolled Florentine was delicious! I bit into one end and to my surprise, it was filled with chocolate cream. The Butterfly Cookie was crisp and flaky. The desserts are reasonably priced.

They also have a cafe called “The Local Place” located at 18605 S Western Ave, Torrance, CA. (310) 523-3233. It’s a smaller and faster version of the restaurant featuring Porky Boy Sandwiches and authentic Hawaiian Shave Ice. I need to try that next! While I was in Kauai, I had Hawaiian Shave Ice with ice cream at the bottom and it was delicious! Sort of like creamsicles!

The service was very relaxed and friendly. There’s plenty of space… nice large booths. This was definitely a great casual dining experience!

Taste: 8/10
Presentation: 3/5
Service/Atmosphere: 4/5
Total: 15/20

http://burgerlounge.com

1101 Wall St, La Jolla, CA 92037. (858) 456-0196
4116 Adams Ave, San Diego, CA 92116. (619) 584-2929

I bought a gift card at Costco which I can use at over 100 restaurants in San Diego. Burger Lounge was one of the restaurants listed and it caught my eye. Unfortunately, when I went, I did not have my camera. These pictures are from a cell phone.

Grilled Lounge Burger with American Cheese ($6.95). “All natural beef, crisp iceberg lettuce, tomato, and house-made 1000 island.”

1/2 and 1/2 Onion Rings and Hand Cut Fries ($4.95) and Grilled Turkey Burger with Fresh Basil and Cheddar Cheese ($6.95). I did not like the traditionally made French fries. They are extra crispy on the outside which makes it seem like they’re hollow inside. The portion was small. I’m not a fan of onion rings, but these did look larger than others. Both burgers were plentiful. My turkey burger was dripping with juices. It was delicious, but I’ve had others which were just as good and less expensive.

We also had a Chocolate Shake ($4.95). It wasn’t a thick shake. It was a little watered down. Chili’s has a thick and frosty chocolate shake with chocolate sprinkles for under $4.

I’m sorry, but I do not expect to pay $25 for burgers for two at a place where I walk up to the counter to order. Also, the menu is limited. They offer 3 burgers, chicken tenders, fries, onion rings, and 3 salads. For about $7, you can go to Carl’s Jr and get a Double Western Bacon Cheeseburger with large fries and a large drink. The service will be faster and you’ll save some money.

Taste: 7/10
Presentation: 3/5
Service/Atmosphere: 3/5
Total: 13/20