San Diego Fall Food Truck Festival: Fantastic Fun Fare for All

Since the last visit to the Del Mar Fairgrounds for the San Diego Craft Beer Festival in September, my buddy Mark (since upgraded from Uber driver status) and I have been eagerly anticipating more events at the racetrack.  Lucky for us the Bing Crosby season at Del Mar just started, and the Fall Food Truck Festival was storming out of the gates.  Another beautiful day in Sunny Southern California meant a quick trip down to the Del Mar Fairgrounds in blue-skied San Diego to soak up some sun, stuff our stomachs full of food, and wage a few bets on galloping equestrians.

Over 30 food trucks arrived including local favorite Carnitas Snack Shack, Food Network Food Truck Face-off winner Mess Hall Canteen, and the ever popular Cousins Maine Lobster.  These three had the longest lines as they were the most well known, but there were no lines for beer... none.  That meant that the queues were all but forgotten about by the time the last sip of brew was consumed.

We headed straight for the pork.  What's better than an ungodly combination of shredded pork, bacon, and deep fried schnitzel? Nothing, I tell ya.  Nothing.  The carnitas, its house special, was so tender, juicy, and flavorful that the bacon was barely noticeable.  The Triple Threat Pork Sandwich cannot be passed up.

In addition to the Triple Threat sandwich, the Carnitas Snack Shack also makes a mind blowing Pork Belly App.  Upon first glance it looks like nothing more than a slab of charred pork, but one bite will make you fork the pork immediately.  The sweet and spicy glaze that glistens atop the slow cooked sexiness is what pulls the entire dish together.  The salad on the side, although overshadowed, is light and refreshing.  The frisee, apples, radishes, and lemon vinaigrette were a somewhat healthy balance to the substantial amount of sinful swine that we had just ingested.

We jumped at the chance for a lobster roll and clam chowder from Lobsta Truck.  The traditional split top roll was overflowing with New England's finest crustacean dressed lightly with seasoned mayo.  There was no mistaking the fresh lobster claws.  They were pointing straight at us from within the bread saying to us... you.  You... eat me... eat me nowww.

Every so often we would exchange glances (compliments in the food world) at others' food.  One item that caught our attention was the Kobayashi fries from Chop Soo-ey.  Criss-crossed golden waffle fries with crisp fatty bacon, streams of ranch dressing, and pico de gallo made for the perfect Asian fusion.  Wait, what's Asian fusion about these fries? Nothing, I don't care.

Think we had enough? Not us.  A trip to the fairgrounds requires a funnel cake.  It's obligatory to close off an already life threatening meal with more fat, sugar, and carbs.  Ice cream? Check.  Chocolate syrup? Check.  Whipped cream? Check.  Powdered sugar? Yes, please.  And strawberries to make the funnel cake healthy.  Oh, who are we kidding...

We interspersed the bites of food with chugs of beer and horse races.  There may even have been a few shots of Maker's Mark here and there.  (If your buddy's name is Mark, the Maker's Mark has to happen.  Gotta follow the rules, man.)  The biggest bet was made on Race 5, which was when Ice Cream Truck took the win.  It's only fitting that a horse named Ice Cream Truck wins at a Food Truck Festival.  More money for food and drink now... I'd call that #winning.

San Diego Fall Food Truck Festival
Del Mar Fairgrounds
2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd.  Del Mar, CA 92014
(858) 755-1167

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Taiwan Day 9: Childhood Memories of Stewed Pork Rice / 懷念三元號圓環老店 (Taipei: Datong District / 台北市: 大同區)

When my aunt finally had some time to hang out, I asked her to bring me somewhere that she and my dad used to eat when they were younger.  She led me to a restaurant that used to occupy a space within the central ring of shops at the intersection of Chongqing North Road (重慶北路), Nanjing West Road (南京西路) and Tianshui Road (天水路).  It has relocated just off the roundabout (圓環) due to the municipal government's mandated renovations, which many of the older generation locals in the area gripe about.  How often have you heard the elders mention that things just aren't the way they used to be?

The location may not be the same, but the flavors of its stewed pork rice (滷肉飯) have remained constant.  The stewed pork rice is old school here.  It is easy to see.  The meat is minced, ground, or chopped into bits and pieces and stewed in a sauce of soy and sugar.  When it is spooned atop the rice, it seeps into any space that it finds.  It is fully incorporated.  The meat is nowhere close to the glossy chunks or gleaming cubes of pork belly that are found in restaurants elsewhere.  The pork used here is lean ground meat.  It is far from greasy, but still... this is a hot mess.  It is saucy; it is soupy.  It is home style.  It is the way my dad, my aunts and uncles ate when they were little.  It is delicious.

It is hard not to imagine the thoughts, goals, and ambitions that ran through my father and his siblings' minds when eating a bowl of this messy, saucy pork rice.  Back then there was silence during meal time for my parents.  Not only was the pork stewing away in the pot, but the burrowed desires of a better life were stewing away in their heads as well.  Even to this day it is not easy for the elder generation of Taiwanese to express or communicate their emotions explicitly.

The only time a hint of their childhood memories come to light is when my dad makes this saucy, sliced garlic pork (蒜泥白肉).  This is another dish that elicits family history whether it is happy or painful.  For me, I only know this dish when cooked in our home kitchen in America, but my dad his siblings know of this dish the way that I experienced it.  The thin cuts of blanched pork are laid out on a platter before being drenched in sweet soy sauce paste, minced garlic, and a mound of freshly shredded ginger.  The raw biting garlic will undoubtedly leave a lasting taste on your tongue for a while... much like the memories of eating at the roundabout shops have left for the Lin family.

If this strangely emo post has not already turned the glories of pork upside down for you, continue reading... there's more! Not everyone is fond of their childhood memories, and not everyone appreciates the lingering garlic flavor on their tongue.  Fortunately, there is a pork spare rib soup (排骨湯) available to cleanse your palate and wash away bad memories.  The deep fried pieces of spare rib sink down deep into the depths of the soup, adding flavor and substance to the mild broth brewed from daikon.  A hearty yet mild flavor, the broth is substantial enough to rinse away any flashbacks of which you are not fond but just subtle enough to remind you that there were no regrets.

Oh, wow, that was a cliff of a conclusion.  Until next time, let's dream of getting S.O.F.A.T.

Read the post on 三元號 by TaiwanWalker in Chinese here.

三元號 (San Yuán Haò)
台北市大同區重慶北路二段11號
No. 11, Chongqing North Rd., Section 2, Datong District, Taipei City 

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172. Taiwan Day 5: Lan Family's Pork Belly Guabao Is the Best / 籃家割包最好吃 (Taipei: Jhong Jheng District / 台北市: 中正區)

On my last trip to my parents' homeland way back in October of 2011, I brought my friend Rina, a first time visitor to Taiwan, to Lan Family Guabao (籃家割包) for a taste of a traditional treat that I knew she would enjoy.  After this first experience with their pork belly buns (割包 / Taiwanese: gua bao), Rina swore that it was the best thing she had ever eaten in Taiwan.  This time I went back for a visit with my friends Grace and Brian to share one of my favorite foods with them.  I can see Rina turning green with envy already.  (See the post from the last visit here.)

Located in the Gongguan area near several schools and universities, the family owned shop sees high foot traffic and is very popular with students.  One of the pork belly buns costs only 50 NTD (less than 2 USD) and is a tasty snack that will satisfy a hungry student until dinner time.  If dinner seems too far from now, then add a sticky rice tamale (肉粽 / Taiwanese: bah-tsang, Mandarin: ròu zòng) and a piping hot four gods soup (四神湯 / Mandarin: sì shén tang) to your guabao for a satisfying meal that costs just 160 NTD (a little more than 5 USD).

In front of the shop sits the street stall where the buns are steamed in bamboo baskets and the pork belly gets stewed in a large steel cauldron.  Any passing pedestrian can see the Lan sons hard at work, packing the bun's pockets with either lean shreds of pork or fatty chunks of belly, whatever your heart desires.  This display of divine deliciousness undoubtedly attracts the passers-by with the visuals of succulent pork and the aromas of stewed soy, sugar and swine.

These guabao are also known locally as ho ga di, which roughly translates to tiger bites the pig.  Why, you ask? Well, the Pacman shaped buns are similar to the curvature of a tiger's jaw, and it seems to almost swallow the pork into its cavernous pit.  The pork seems absolutely helpless while the tiger devours it entirely... all the tender fatty bits included.

Just writing about guabao makes my mouth water.  If I'm craving a mouthful of this monstrosity, I long for the one from Lan's in Taipei.  No other pork belly bun is quite the same.  Just look at this thing... chopped up, juicy, succulent fatty pork, nestled against pickled mustard greens with crackling, crushed peanuts and fresh, crisp, green cilantro... all of it, all of it enveloped by an ungodly soft, fluffy, steamed bun.  Drooling or otherwise? Please, grab the Kleenex.

I want to be the tiger that bites the pig.  Until next time, let's all get S.O.F.A.T.

Lan Family Guabao (籃家割包)

台北市中正區羅斯福路三段316巷8弄3號 

No. 3, 8th Alley, Lane 316, Roosevelt Road, Section 3, Jhong Jheng District, Taipei City

MRT: Gongguan Station, exit no. 4 / 捷運公館站, 4號出口 

ML - 20130704

160. Please Experience the Softness of Kakuni Pork at Tsujita LA (West LA: Sawtelle)

Grace and I stopped by Tsujita LA Artisan Noodle for their ever popular tsukemen for dinner, but we found out that this main location serves the famous noodles only during the lunch rush.  We were not the only guests that were met with this unexpected news... but while everyone else crossed the street over to Tsujita Annex where the ramen is served during dinner, the two of us stayed to explore the evening menu.


The uni tempura with matcha sea salt combined some of my favorite Japanese ingredients with an adored method of preparation.  For this dish, a shiso leaf is dipped into tempura batter on one side only and deep fried to an unbelievable crisp.  Next, luxuriously creamy pieces of fresh sea urchin roe top the delicate and crunchy shiso.  Finally, sea salt blended with traditional green tea powder is sprinkled over the top.  The sea urchin itself is not actually cooked, thankfully, because only raw uni is ever so rich and creamy.  This uni tempura is unforgettable and must be ordered.

Since it was promised to be super fresh, we also got the sea urchin in uni shooter form.  Hidden under the cover of quail egg and green onion was fresh urchin with ponzu sauce.  It was cleverly presented, but it isn't my preferred way to savor fresh uni.

Okay, hold onto your chopsticks.  The one dish that Grace and I could not stop fawning over was the pork kakuni plate.  It is basically a cube of fatty pork belly that is slowly stewed in soy and sauce along with other spices until the fat renders down and infuses itself back into the meat.  The menu suggests to "please experience the softness," which is exactly what we did.  When we tried to break off pieces of it to eat over the rice, the sinews of the pork pulled apart the way melted cheese would on a pizza.  It was juicy beyond comprehension, succulent beyond compare, and tender beyond all possibility.  It melts in your mouth.  It really melts.  You barely have to chew.

The eggs and greens are a nice addition, but they pale in comparison to the pork.  Because the pork is so fatty, the greens perhaps may have been better served outside of the sugary soy sauce... and to really complement the supple texture of the pork, a soft boiled egg with the orgasmic runny yolk would have been a wise choice.  But forget about the sidekicks.  The star is the soft kakuni pork.  I don't even recall picking up the miso soup.

While it isn't something many would think to order, the handmade tofu with green onions and grated ginger is highly recommended as well.  Anytime tofu or cheese is made my hand, there is extra depth to the flavor possibly due to the naturally imperfect textures of the curd.  It tastes much fresher and less processed.  But who wants tofu when you can have delicious pork belly? It's not to be missed.  Until next time, let's all get S.O.F.A.T.

Tsujita LA Artisan Noodle
2057 Sawtelle Blvd.
Sawtelle, West LA
Los Angeles, CA 90025

ML - 20131017

156. Bay Area - Gathering for Bo Ssam at Namu Gaji (SF: Mission)

While waiting in line for Bi-Rite Creamery, have you ever peered in through the windows of the restaurant next door to see what those happy hipster looking people are eating? Well, near the windows it is likely that you will find an interesting array of Asian American fusion cuisine based on Korean roots, like a grass fed burger with kimchi relish or a bowl of handmade ramen with 4505 hot dogs.  At the communal table in the center of the restaurant you may find a crowd pleasing bo ssam pork belly dinner.  This is what Namu Gaji is known for.  The dinner feeds at least five hungry hippos with divinely crisp pork belly, raw oysters, fresh local vegetables, pickles, kimchi, and all the lettuce, cabbage, and sauce imaginable.  It is similar to the bo ssam dinner from David Chang's Momofuku Ssam Bar in New York, but unlike Momofuku, it doesn't take forever and a day to get a reservation for the meal.  And rather than just being a hip spot to meet up, Namu offers a nostalgia from the Lee brothers' childhood that gets transcended into the food. 


I gathered my friends from my study abroad program for a little catch up dinner in the city.  It has been five years since we left Shanghai, and it was time for a family style meal for us to share food and share updates on our lives.  Just like old times, Joyce suggested the restaurant, and I did the ordering.  Before we began our extravaganza of wrapping pork belly in various vegetables, we started with the Sichuan pepper chicken wings and the okonomiyaki.  The chicken wings wowed with its numbing peppery spice, and the okonomiyaki awed with its ever eerie dancing bonito shavings.  The Japanese quiche like pancake was more authentic than it was modern Asian, and I can appreciate that.  It was hot in temperature (it comes on a skillet) but warm in the emotion that it was served with.

The homeyness of the food on the menu was just enough to make my friends from Fudan feel comfortable and right at home, which made for an ideal spot to convene and connect.  Until the next gathering, let's all get S.O.F.A.T.

Namu Gaji
499 Dolores St. @ 18th St.
Mission District
San Francisco, CA 94110

ML - 20130903

Post 118: Portland - Best Sandwich Ever: The Cubano at Bunk Sandwiches (Portland: Southwest/Downtown)

I had a mouthgasm at Bunk Sandwiches in Portland.  It was the first that I have ever received from a sandwich.  Hats off to the Pork Belly Cubano for giving me this mind blowing experience.  So glad this is the one we chose to have over all the other sandwiches on the menu.

All that is between the bread is pork belly, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard.  For something that has no more than five ingredients, it is pretty incredible that this seemingly simple sandwich could rock my world.  It must have been the pork... the succulent, succulent pork.  I still have dreams about this sandwich.  I am literally drooling as I type this.  No joke.

I guess it could be the bread too... the crusty, toasty, warm bread.  I can usually pinpoint what makes or breaks my experience, but this time I really don't know.  This is one of those experiences that I haven't quite figured out.  Perhaps that's what made it so good.  Who knew that this small, unassuming shop in Downtown could produce an amazing-delicious sandwich? Well, I guess we know that it's not the size of the shop that matters but what it does with its ingredients... eh?

If you just had the best sandwich ever, would you go back for more as soon as you could? Or would you not want to risk it for fear that the second time around would disappoint? Okay, we got way too philosophical here... if that makes any sense.  Anyway, long story short... best sandwich of my life.  I said it.  Until the next sandwich induced mouthgasm, let's all get S.O.F.A.T.

ML - 20120915