Okay, last Thursday, I went to lunch with one of my friends to check out a new Thai place in downtown Chula Vista. Actually, it turned out that she had eaten there a few months earlier with her husband but didn't mind going again. Downtown Chula Vista has recently been undergoing a revitalization. There are some new shops along with the old standby's. For example, Tortas La Especial on Third is now gone and has been replaced with a Deli/Mini Mart (I forget the name). I used to like going there to eat their tacos al vapor (steamed tacos). They also served mole tacos which I didn't see at a lot of other places. Anyways, it's gone. Also, along Third Avenue is this new Italian restaurant (below), Mangia Bene, which just opened. It is located at the site of the former Educational Supply Center. I used to buy little things for TC and her cousins here. When TC was a baby, I bought educational posters (fruit, birds, modes of transportation, vegetables, etc) and hung them around her room and in our family room so she could learn different things. So, maybe one day, Bert, TC and I will check out this new place.
We parked at the free parking place on Third and F (behind Marie Callender's) and walked the block and a half to the new Thai place, Mea Kwan. It's right next to the now defunct Vogue Theater. Mea Kwan used to be "Edelweiss", an old Austrian restaurant that we (us and Lotus/Shogun) ate at about a year and a half ago. Apparently, Mea Kwan has been open for about six months, but I never knew it was there (despite driving past it at least once a week when driving TC home from dance practice). I was suprised to hear of their half year existence when I spoke with a woman, who I believe is the owner, during our visit. She said she had complained to the city that her sign wasn't big enough and that's why she wasn't getting enough business. Finally, she said, she received a bigger sign and things were better for her. At last week's Lemon Festival, I noticed the signs and was curious about this place. The old storefront is still the same and looks jarringly out of place as a "Thai" restaurant. Where's Heidi? Yodel-ay-hee-hoo!
Right when you enter, there is a smiling green diety that greets you.
We were seated at a booth towards the front of the restaurant. There was new paint and pretty wall hangings (although you can't see from this photo). There were wooden carvings, sequinned tapestries of elephants, village life, and beautiful Thai textiles with metallic threads serving as table cloths. Behind us was a China cabinet filled with delicate Thai china pieces. 
We both ordered the lunch specials which came with soup, salad, an egg roll with sauce and your main entree. The service that day was quick. The owner was friendly and came back periodically to ask if everything was alright. She was interested in knowing where we were from. Turns out we're all from Eastern Chula Vista; she was from the Eastlake area. My friend and I ordered two lunch specials which start at $5.95 for just the basics. If you wanted veggie or tofu, it was just $5.95, Then the price rose a dollar or two or three more if you wanted chicken, beef, shrimp, or some other seafood.
While we were waiting, the waitress came by with our soup. At most Thai places, you either get Tom Kha (Hot & Sour) or Tom Yum (spicy coconut). We were served neither version, not that we should have. I figured this soup was something new so I'd be open minded. Unfortunately, this was a rather bland, almost flavorless soup. It had cubes of tofu, sliced carrots, cilantro and very thin glass noodles at the bottom. I was disappointed by this soup because it didn't have anything to offer: no spice, no texture (other than the tofu), or flavor.
I ordered a Thai iced coffee (($2.75). When my husband ordered this same drink yesterday (Saturday), he had "whipped cream" on top! I had never seen whipped cream on Thai iced coffee. Perhaps this is some new thing? I thought my iced coffee was a bit too sweet. I prefer Vietnamese iced coffee because I enjoy the bitter flavor more.
Here was my lunch special: the Panang Curry ($5.95) which had bell peppers, kaffir lime leaves in curry sauce with basil. There were no other vegetables in the sauce. I thought it tasted okay, but it was quite tame. Again, there was no spice or "bite". I was beginning to suspect that this place were catering to xenophobic "American" palates (i.e. bland, boring and scared of flavor). The rice was blah. I was expecting jasmine rice which has an aromatic smell and nutty flavor and is normally served at Thai restaurants. This rice was almost as bad as Uncle Ben's. The egg roll was standard but nothing great. The salad was iceberg lettuce with carrot shreds with a thin peanut sauce. What I did like was the portion. It wasn't gigantic. The presentation was rather blah.
My lunch companion ordered the Yellow Curry with Chicken ($7.95). Inside the little bowl were carrots and potatoes which added heft to her meal. The sauce tasted almost the same as mine. We joked that the only difference in our sauces was the color.
Yesterday, when I went with Bert and TC, I ordered the Som Tum ($7.95), also known as Papaya Salad. This is young papaya that is shredded and served with lime juice, fish sauce, chopped peanuts, tomatoes, chile, AND, according to their menu, salted preserved blue crab or dried shrimps. When we tasted the salad, we both found it to be VERY mild. So mild that even TC ate it. I suppose we could have asked for it to be spicy, but at most Thai places we've been, it's always been spicy. We've never had to ask for it that way. Not this salad. Not only was it NOT spicy, it contained neither the shrimp nor the crab. I kept prodding my fork in the papaya strands thinking it was hiding somewhere. Finally, Bert asked the owner if the items were included.
And here is where I feel my suspicion that this place dumbs down their cuisine is correct. The owner apologized and said that she does not include the salted preserved blue crab or dried shrimps because the "smell" offends the customers. WTF! I'm making a very broad assumption here and feel that she means the "American" (i.e. white) customers. She then said that having the crab or shrimp was a choice and customers could pick which one. I told her (nicely) that the menu was not clear in giving the customers a choice. My understanding from the menu description was that the salad came with both items. The reason I ordered the salad was because I actually like shrimp and crab - salted or dried or whatever. She offered to make us a new salad, but I just asked her to include some dried shrimps with the salad we already had, which she did. Her assumption that customers wouldn't like the shrimp and crab in the salad (that's supposed to have it) was lame. Why even offer it on the menu?
What I like about places that don't cater or bow down to conventional "American" tastes is that they don't care about offending their customers with the "smell" of their food or the "wierdness" of their ingredients. They don't understimate their customers' intelligence. They assume most people go to those places anyways, because they know what they're in for. If they order something they end up hating, they'll know not to order it next time or they can eat elsewhere. I consider eating other cuisines a learning experience, not something to be sheltered from.
For example, Sang Dao (the Laotian/Chinese place in the hood) doesn't ask you how spicy you want your shit. They just make it. Unless you tell them, the cooks are going to make it the way they make it. I respect that. I also respect that they will adjust it if you ask. But they're not going to dumb down the way they season their food because of some pussy customer.
Anyways, going to this place was worth a look see but I don't think I'll be going there again. Bert? I'm sure other people who doen't eat Thai food too often will find it satisfactory or even great because they have nothing else to compare it to, but I'm willing to travel to farther venues in San Diego to get better food with a nicer presentation. I don't mean to be too harsh on this place because, after all, this is a new place and I'm definitely not a professional food critic. I'm just a Joe-Blow with an opinion. I realize that this place is pretty new and perhaps the owner may just want to attract an initial customer base and not scare them away with all that "spice" and "smelly" ingredients. So be it and I hope she gains a lot of customers in Chula Vista looking for an "exotic" place to go...I just won't be one of them. Sorry dude!
We parked at the free parking place on Third and F (behind Marie Callender's) and walked the block and a half to the new Thai place, Mea Kwan. It's right next to the now defunct Vogue Theater. Mea Kwan used to be "Edelweiss", an old Austrian restaurant that we (us and Lotus/Shogun) ate at about a year and a half ago. Apparently, Mea Kwan has been open for about six months, but I never knew it was there (despite driving past it at least once a week when driving TC home from dance practice). I was suprised to hear of their half year existence when I spoke with a woman, who I believe is the owner, during our visit. She said she had complained to the city that her sign wasn't big enough and that's why she wasn't getting enough business. Finally, she said, she received a bigger sign and things were better for her. At last week's Lemon Festival, I noticed the signs and was curious about this place. The old storefront is still the same and looks jarringly out of place as a "Thai" restaurant. Where's Heidi? Yodel-ay-hee-hoo!
Right when you enter, there is a smiling green diety that greets you.
We were seated at a booth towards the front of the restaurant. There was new paint and pretty wall hangings (although you can't see from this photo). There were wooden carvings, sequinned tapestries of elephants, village life, and beautiful Thai textiles with metallic threads serving as table cloths. Behind us was a China cabinet filled with delicate Thai china pieces. 
We both ordered the lunch specials which came with soup, salad, an egg roll with sauce and your main entree. The service that day was quick. The owner was friendly and came back periodically to ask if everything was alright. She was interested in knowing where we were from. Turns out we're all from Eastern Chula Vista; she was from the Eastlake area. My friend and I ordered two lunch specials which start at $5.95 for just the basics. If you wanted veggie or tofu, it was just $5.95, Then the price rose a dollar or two or three more if you wanted chicken, beef, shrimp, or some other seafood.
While we were waiting, the waitress came by with our soup. At most Thai places, you either get Tom Kha (Hot & Sour) or Tom Yum (spicy coconut). We were served neither version, not that we should have. I figured this soup was something new so I'd be open minded. Unfortunately, this was a rather bland, almost flavorless soup. It had cubes of tofu, sliced carrots, cilantro and very thin glass noodles at the bottom. I was disappointed by this soup because it didn't have anything to offer: no spice, no texture (other than the tofu), or flavor.
I ordered a Thai iced coffee (($2.75). When my husband ordered this same drink yesterday (Saturday), he had "whipped cream" on top! I had never seen whipped cream on Thai iced coffee. Perhaps this is some new thing? I thought my iced coffee was a bit too sweet. I prefer Vietnamese iced coffee because I enjoy the bitter flavor more.
Here was my lunch special: the Panang Curry ($5.95) which had bell peppers, kaffir lime leaves in curry sauce with basil. There were no other vegetables in the sauce. I thought it tasted okay, but it was quite tame. Again, there was no spice or "bite". I was beginning to suspect that this place were catering to xenophobic "American" palates (i.e. bland, boring and scared of flavor). The rice was blah. I was expecting jasmine rice which has an aromatic smell and nutty flavor and is normally served at Thai restaurants. This rice was almost as bad as Uncle Ben's. The egg roll was standard but nothing great. The salad was iceberg lettuce with carrot shreds with a thin peanut sauce. What I did like was the portion. It wasn't gigantic. The presentation was rather blah.
My lunch companion ordered the Yellow Curry with Chicken ($7.95). Inside the little bowl were carrots and potatoes which added heft to her meal. The sauce tasted almost the same as mine. We joked that the only difference in our sauces was the color.
Yesterday, when I went with Bert and TC, I ordered the Som Tum ($7.95), also known as Papaya Salad. This is young papaya that is shredded and served with lime juice, fish sauce, chopped peanuts, tomatoes, chile, AND, according to their menu, salted preserved blue crab or dried shrimps. When we tasted the salad, we both found it to be VERY mild. So mild that even TC ate it. I suppose we could have asked for it to be spicy, but at most Thai places we've been, it's always been spicy. We've never had to ask for it that way. Not this salad. Not only was it NOT spicy, it contained neither the shrimp nor the crab. I kept prodding my fork in the papaya strands thinking it was hiding somewhere. Finally, Bert asked the owner if the items were included.And here is where I feel my suspicion that this place dumbs down their cuisine is correct. The owner apologized and said that she does not include the salted preserved blue crab or dried shrimps because the "smell" offends the customers. WTF! I'm making a very broad assumption here and feel that she means the "American" (i.e. white) customers. She then said that having the crab or shrimp was a choice and customers could pick which one. I told her (nicely) that the menu was not clear in giving the customers a choice. My understanding from the menu description was that the salad came with both items. The reason I ordered the salad was because I actually like shrimp and crab - salted or dried or whatever. She offered to make us a new salad, but I just asked her to include some dried shrimps with the salad we already had, which she did. Her assumption that customers wouldn't like the shrimp and crab in the salad (that's supposed to have it) was lame. Why even offer it on the menu?
What I like about places that don't cater or bow down to conventional "American" tastes is that they don't care about offending their customers with the "smell" of their food or the "wierdness" of their ingredients. They don't understimate their customers' intelligence. They assume most people go to those places anyways, because they know what they're in for. If they order something they end up hating, they'll know not to order it next time or they can eat elsewhere. I consider eating other cuisines a learning experience, not something to be sheltered from.
For example, Sang Dao (the Laotian/Chinese place in the hood) doesn't ask you how spicy you want your shit. They just make it. Unless you tell them, the cooks are going to make it the way they make it. I respect that. I also respect that they will adjust it if you ask. But they're not going to dumb down the way they season their food because of some pussy customer.
Anyways, going to this place was worth a look see but I don't think I'll be going there again. Bert? I'm sure other people who doen't eat Thai food too often will find it satisfactory or even great because they have nothing else to compare it to, but I'm willing to travel to farther venues in San Diego to get better food with a nicer presentation. I don't mean to be too harsh on this place because, after all, this is a new place and I'm definitely not a professional food critic. I'm just a Joe-Blow with an opinion. I realize that this place is pretty new and perhaps the owner may just want to attract an initial customer base and not scare them away with all that "spice" and "smelly" ingredients. So be it and I hope she gains a lot of customers in Chula Vista looking for an "exotic" place to go...I just won't be one of them. Sorry dude!
2 comments:
Canine,
I do agree with you about a dish that is traditionally served a certain way shouldn't be modified for everyone just because some people can't handle the spiciness.
Screg and I use to go to a Japanese restaurant on Bonita Rd (They folded about 2 years ago) and I would always order the spicy pork.
Well, we went there for the last time before they folded and I got my usual. The pork was watered down and had no flavor. I stopped the waiter and confronted her about the pork. I told her that I always order this dish and it's always spicy except for now. She said that they've had to tone the spiciness down because some people complained that it was too spicy.
I just confronted her and said from my perspective was that if some people can't handle the spiciness of a dish then they really shouldn't be ordering it in the first place.
I said it's really sad that your restaurant has to modify a recipe that is served traditionally in your culture for everyone because some people can't handle the spiciness.
I told her that I can understand if you want to tone down the spiciness down for that individual that can't handle it, but you shouldn't have to do it for everyone because some people can't handle the spiciness; afterall there are people out there that like it spicy.
And for someone to have the audacity to say that the odor of a certain dish is offensive to them, then what the FUCK are they there for. If I were the owner of the restaurant I would just tell them the truth and that would be "This is how we traditionally cook it in our culture or this is the way the dish smells and we can't change that."
I remember Kilatzin's wife telling Screg and I a story about a chef one visit when we went to their house several years ago.
That story was that she was so offended when Emeril cook 'Pho' on his show one time and you know how he always have to "Top it up a notch" with alcohol. We'll not only did he put alcohol in the Pho but he also put cinnamon in it too. She said that not only was she offended but embarrassed as well because that is not the way of how you would traditionally cook Pho.
I sometime feel the same way about Gumbo. One of my co-workers who is Muslim wanted to try it but she doesn't eat pork and smoked sausage is one of the main ingredients in Gumbo. Not a problem, I told her that I would put beef sausage instead; but if she would have asked me to eliminate sausage entirely I would have told her "No."
Screg doesn't eat spicy foods so he knows better not to ever order it from the menu. And he would never ask them to alter the recipe just for him considering he just doesn't like spicy foods; plain and simple!
Amen to that HotFudge!!!
I think that restuarants shouldn't water down their food because of pussy wimps. but for those restaurants that do, i usually don't eat at those places anyways.
if the damn menu item says 'spicy', and if you don't like spicy food, then don't order it! it's as simple as that. and if you do and you don't like it, then don't blame the restaurant. wah-wah wah.
i wonder what that restaurant was that you went to? was it that japanese restaurant run and owned by koreans (i forgot their name)? i went there a few years agoand i swera, i had FKN food poisoning from them. put it this way, i was throwing up WHILE taking a watery dump (many times that night)!!! it was that bad!!!
for some restaurants, watering down their food is their attempt to make their food appeal to the wider masses. and so be it. it's business, they want to make money, but at the expense of authenticity. now, i won't claim to only eat at authentic restaurants, but i try to go to mom and pop places; those hole in the wall type joints. the "chain" restaurants are just to blah and boring for me. it's the same anywhere. it's more fun trying something out of the ordinary.
i had so much fun going out with you (along with lotus) this summer at the various eateries we went to this summer.
emeril is so annoying. i hate how he overdoes everything and everyone claps like it's the greatest thing. just like trained seals. just because he says 'bam' or 'kick it up a notch' or whatever the hell he says. yes, i would agree that pouring alcohol in pho is so NOT RIGHT.
Post a Comment