At Least They Had Karaoke

It finally happened. After all the years of holding out and being the oddball ordering a teriaki plate, I gave in to eating sushi. It took place at a very appropriate place for me, Sushi 80's in Fresno. Since Fresno is the place that I was first encouraged to try sushi, I think it was only right that my first sushi experience was there. Another reason this place was especially fitting for the occasion is that Sushi 80's has karaoke after 8 everyday, for those who know me, know I love karaoke. So let's get into it.

The only thing that I was looking for was something with the raw fish but without crab meat...but it seemed like EVERYTHING had crab. So i found something that seemed safe enough, but asked them to leave out the crab. It was an Asuka Roll, it was compsed of Spicy Tuna, Cucumber, Avocado and Crab meat(that i had taken out) with fresh Tuna on top with some kind of sauce...it might have been eel sauce(which sounds kinda nasty when you think about it). That is an actual photo by the way.

I don't know why in the hell people go out to eat this stuff! The best thing about it was the crazy mixture of sauce that I dipped my roll in(Ginger, Soy Sauce, Wasabi). The roll itself had a kick to it from the spicy tuna, but that was about it. I think something that I was concerned about, that most people told me wasn't true about sushi, was the fishy taste. And they were right, it doesn't taste like fish at all, actually you can't taste a damn thing! It was like, hey how about we give you a bunch of stuff that doesn't have taste aaaaand you do something to it to make it taste good. I'll give it to them for the presentation though, sushi is probably one of the coolest looking things you can eat. But unfortunately I base my eating decisions on taste.

I think sushi is going to be one of those foods that I only have once. I don't see myself going out to get another roll anytime soon. I'm glad I did it though, but I'm sticking to teriaki plates guys. Until next time everyone. Stay hungry.

This Just In

I found a drive thru mexican spot!!! I went there for lunch, had a "Super" Carne Asada Burrito. Not bad, very big. I'll have to try a few other things before I draw my final conclusions on it. But there is one here, and I am excited about it.

Big "Pho"kin Deal

I didn't hear about Pho (pronounced FUH) until about junior year of college. I had a good number of Vietnamese friends that constantly told me how great it is. But it seemed too far outside of my comfort zone, so I never went. About month or so ago I fiiiinally went to a place called Pho Queen for lunch. The line to get in was out the door, which is pretty common at most places at lunch time where I work. But the people I was with told me that the lines move fast at pho places. And I found that to be true.

So first off at the table, I noticed there are A LOT of extras that you can put in the soup: garlic flakes, about 3 different kinds of hot peppers, hoisin sauce, soy sauce(regular AND reduced sodium), siracha, salt and pepper. What this said to me was the food was going to be pretty bland. Trying to not let that hinder my decision, I took a gander at the menu. I went for a basic dish, the spicy noodles with flank steak (by the way, this was not spicy, see "Black Thai Affair" for my definition of spicy).

So they brought out a big bowl of boiling broth, big enough to bathe a baby in (Nice use of alliteration, I know) that contained my noodles and meat. Apparently the logic behind the super hot broth is to cook the meat as it is served. You're supposed to order the thin strips of meat medium rare and they will cook more thoroughly in the soup. I found that quite interesting. As to no insult the cooks, I tried my pho without adding anything to it, which you should ALWAYS DO PEOPLE! It's a slap in the face of anyone that prepared you food, to automatically conclude that the food will be bad if you don't add a dash of salt before you partake. So after my test run, I had to hit my pho with this red paste packed with chili peppers, mixed with the hoisin and garlic chips. This gave it a little kick. So I got the taste to where I wanted, then proceeded to dig in.

OK, so I couldn't really dig in. I don't know who said it was a good idea to eat soup with chop sticks, but that person was definitely not hungry or concerned with eating quickly. But I struggled through it and finished about 2 hours later. I kid I kid. But it did take a while, even though they did give a little spoon/bowl to aid in the transfer from bowl to mouth. I felt a little bit lied to/disappointed about the whole thing after all the build up about pho. But hey, they can't all be winners.

Wrap up, pho to me was basically top ramen with meat. It may have received too much hype from people, so my expectations were a little elevated. Maybe a good side dish, if it came in smaller portions, by my standards pho is not a main dish. That's that for my pho experience, it's about lunch time...and I'm starving. Stay hungry.

Black Thai Affair

All Asian foods were not created equally! I discovered this after sending my taste buds on a spicy trip at Krung Thai next to Valley Fair. You will not find flavor lacking here. Let's give a little overview first, then I'll get into the nitty gritty. Off the bat, parking was pretty sparse, waiters we we're seated pretty quick for having a full lot, and everything on the menu was fairly priced for the portions...but I'm not here to talk about the logistics of the means to my delicious end.

What I ordered - Spicy Basil Beef with a side of Rice

I'm not sure what is going on with the combination of spices in other Asian dishes, but Thai has it DOWN! NOTE TO PLACES THAT PUT SPICY NEXT TO MENU ITEMS ---Spicy does not, I REPEAT, does not mean that you can taste a hint of spice in the food. You know a dish is spicy if, when you take a bite and it's like a child around the age of 6-7 slaps you in the face. You know you just got hit, but you saw it coming and you're able to continue your day without any lasting effects other than a strange feeling of amusement over what just happened. This coupled with an almost soothing flavor of the basil took the dish from B+ to A. I was surprised, however, by the rice not being included in the meal itself, but it was only $1.50 extra. They didn't give me any chop sticks to use though. It's probably a safe assumption that not many non-Asian prefer to use chop sticks. Nonetheless, it was a great meal topped off with a Singha to wash it down.

If this were a track meet, I'd say Thai food is much quicker out of the blocks than other genres of Asian food in the race to my stomach. I would suggest you give Thai a shot wherever you may reside. I had a great Thai food experience, but I'm still starving. Until next time, stay hungry my friends.

Extreme Disappointment

I did this one a month or so ago, but I think it's appropriate to add.

Being from Chula Vista, I have had the privilege of being exposed to great mexican food. Since I left CV 5 years ago there have been places that come close to what I have grown to love from home. The noteables from Fresno, Arsenio's which used to be Albertos on Blackstone and Herndon or Alberto's, the one on Cedar and Dakota and to a lesser degree Robertito's. Those places made Fresno that much more tolerable. Another thing that made these places stand out, hours of availability!!! When it's 2 A.M. and you just left ROE or you're leaving a T.I.U. event (Shout's to Ed and Marc) there was nothing better than mexican food on the way home to devour in your drunken hunger. Which brings me to the point of all of this... SAN JOSE HAS LET ME DOWNYou would expect that, with the population of Mexican's in the area, there would be decent mexican spots to hit up during those late nights, or even during the day when you're in a hurry. I know I've only been up here for a year, but that is copius time to find somewhere to quench my thirst. Now, the people up here that I've met know 2 spots basically, La Victoria's, more commonly known as La Vic's, and Iguanas(you may have seen it on an episode of Man vs. Food). Not bad places to eat, La Vic's is a little more authentic, good burritos and enchiladas. My main beef when it comes to the food is with Iguanas. Now one of my favorite things from mexican fast food joints are Carne Asada Fries. Granted, these are more of an Mexican/American love child, however it is a staple in fresno and CV. I had yet to find one in San Jose until this Saturday, I heard from a friend that Iguanas have them, needless to say, I was juiced. Here enlies the disappointment. I should have known right away not to order them when I asked what they put on them: Fries, Carne Asada, Guacamole, Sour Cream and Cheese "SAUCE!!!!" Red flag went up, but I went against my better judgement and reluctantly ordered them. #1 YOU DON'T PUT CHEESE SAUCE ON MEXICAN FOOD!!! Even the nachos, we're not at a baseball game. #2 This was the size on a large cheese fries at your local little league field. When you're in CV, go to Moss and 3rd and visit Los Panchos or(even though they sold out a little) hit up Lolita's. Those are as big as large pizzas FOR THE SAME PRICE! I was so upset I LOST MY APPETITE. Those who know me, know this doesn't happen easily. That's about enough on Iguanas. Now on a grander scale, the biggest problem with mexican food in San Jose.There are no drive through mexican spots! I'm sorry, Taco Bell is good sometimes, but that can't compare to a Carne Asada Burrito after a long night. If anyone knows where I can find good Mexican food with a drive through in San Jose, PLEASE LET ME KNOW! So, all you Fresno and Chula folks. Don't take these luxuries for granted! You have been blessed with mexican that is A) Delicious B) Fairly Priced C) Accessible so take advantage. Please frequent (if you're in Fresno) Robertito's, Alberto's, Arsenio's and any other O's you may find. And while in CV stop by Los Panchos, Asada's, Lolita's, ROBERTO'S and although it does not have a drive through, but the quality makes up for it - Tacos El Gordo. I'm glad I got this off my chest.

Up To Speed

Hey everybody, first off, my name is B.J. Roberson. I grew up in Chula Vista, Ca which I recently discovered was voted as one of the top 10 most boring cities in the US, so props to us. Also, we just won the Little League World Series. Thinking about it, there isn’t much to don in the actual city of Chula Vista, but when the city of San Diego, Mexico and numerous beaches are within 10 minutes away, you don’t realize the lack of things to do. I moved from there when I was 18 and went to college at CSU Fresno (huuuuuge change of scenery). I did my time there, graduated and now reside in the Bay area. I did not realize the challenges associated with food that would come with growing up and moving to different cities within Ca, which is the reason I am starting this blog. I’m not much of a writer, but I thought I’d be fun to try this whole blogging thing out. Starting out, I’m just catching you up to where I am right now, then I will subsequently document my new experiences.

I think that I am a very basic person insomuch as I don’t do or try many things that are out of my comfort zone. Of course this stemmed from how I was brought up, and how I viewed the world. My parents were very supportive of the things I did, and if I didn’t like something, even if it was something they preferred, they wouldn’t force it upon me. This applied to most things that came about in a “typical” kids’ life: school, sports, friends, music etc. What I took from my parents was, (when it came to choices that weren’t vital to my future) if you’re good at something and you like it, stick to it, if you don’t like it, move on. It’s only logical that I applied this to the foods that I ate!

I love to eat, but apparently the dishes that I tend to eat are more on the pedestrian side of the food spectrum. I am definitely the “steak and potatoes” type of eater. I found things that I liked, and did not deviate, basically, if the meal consisted of beef, chicken or pork and a starch I was all for it. Nothing fancy, don’t ruin my spaghetti with mushrooms; there’s no need for bell peppers and olives on my pepperoni pizza; no, I would not like grilled onions on my 3 by 3 and how about you take those tomatoes off as well. This worked out perfectly when I was living at home, but it became problematic when I went to college.

For some reason, it was the thing to do to get into Sushi when you start college. Being new to the city, and pondering the idea of trying to reinvent myself, I thought I’d do it. I was wrong. Took a look at the things used to make the various rolls and only found one constant ingredient that I liked…rice. “Yea, I’ll take the chicken teriyaki, thanks.” It took a couple months before someone convinced me to try a California roll, which is one of the more plain rolls that are available. Not very impressed, I discovered that it would take a little more effort on my part than anticipated to develop a more sophisticated palate. During college, trying sushi was the extent of my new food experiences, when I graduated and moved to the bay area was the when I would have to do some adjusting.

You can’t go 2 blocks without seeing a Thai, Korean, Cambodia, Vietnamese or Indian restaurant. That being said, I figured it was inevitable to eventually have to eat at one of these places, as my new peers were vastly more cultured than I. When the day comes that I try these various cuisines, I will update you on the experience and let you know how this simple, burger and fries eating, guy handled it. Hope you enjoy.