Review revisit - Awash Ethiopian restaurant

A few years ago, shortly after starting this blog, I did a review of Awash Ethiopian restaurant. I've been back several times since but thought it was time for an update. Not much has changed since 2009. It's still comfortable and relaxed and serves really good, authentic Ethiopian food.

We went there for dinner tonight and I purposely chose a menu item I had not tried before. I ordered the fried beef ribs. These were very different from what I have ordered in the past. Instead of small bits of meat mixed with spices these were slices of rib with bone that were seasoned and fried with jalapenos and onions and awaze (spicy sauce which tasted very similar to the sauce meats are mixed with in other dishes.

The ribs were served fajita style. First they brought a plate covered by a piece of enjera and a bit of salad and accompanied by a side of the awaze. Next, the waitress brought out a sizzling platter with the ribs, onions and jalapenos, and spooned it all on top of the enjera. The ribs were very good and seasoned nicely, but I think I prefer the other dishes I've had in the past. Although the awaze had that same flavor I'm used to, it didn't have as big a flavor impact served on the side as the dishes that are cooked in sauce.

In my previous review I stated that I had not tried the tej. I have since tried it, but not tonight. It was good, but not something I would drink on a regular basis. It's not too sweet as I feared it might be, but if I'm going to drink wine with dinner, I prefer something dry.

I also wanted to try wot this evening. I had ordered the collard greens wot, unfortunately I never got it. Although the waitress apologized profusely, somehow it didn't get in my order. Oh well, something new to look forward to next time I go. This is an example of the one problem I have with this restaurant. The waitresses are very nice but don't have a good grasp of English and this is not the first time my order wasn't exactly correct. This evening, after we were finished eating the waitress and I did a little "Who's on first" regarding taking our leftovers and ordering baklava to go. I'm willing to overlook this because the food is so good, it was just a side dish and the order has never been so wrong that I was completely unhappy, but if you're a stickler for perfect service you may be quite disappointed.

All in all, I still highly recommend this restaurant for those with adventurous taste buds. Just remember to wash your hands before dinner.

Review - Crab Hut

Kind of disappointing…Crab Hut

I was really looking forward to going to Crab Hut. A friend of mine who usually has similar tastes to mine recommended it enthusiastically. Even though the name of the restaurant is Crab Hut, they describe themselves as a Louisiana crawfish kitchen. Seems weird to me but that’s not important. What’s important is when I read that description I was immediately craving Cajun crawfish with all the fixings. Unfortunately that's not really what I got.

So, having said that, the place is cute and the wait staff is friendly. It’s decorated to feel like a casual seaside eatery. There are nautical signs and decorations and the cash register area was covered by the façade of a grass roof. The acoustics of the dining room make it quite loud which is fine considering the fun and casual feel. Surprisingly there wasn't a wait for a table when we showed up even though it's not a very large restaurant. Tables are covered with paper and there’s a roll of paper towels and a little table sign which shows the prices for the day. One of the waiters comes around with a bowl of lime wedges and plunks some down on the table. Another came around with a pail full of little plastic containers with salt and pepper in them and he gave us plastic seafood bibs with a picture of a lobster (odd since lobster's not on the menu) holding a slice of lemon in one of the claws and it reads “Let’s get cracking”. Very cute. Your entrée is brought to the table in a plastic bag which holds in the flavor of the sauce and shells are left on the table. Another thing I thought was cute is the t-shirt our waiter was wearing. It had a picture of a crab with a halo and said “Holy crab”.

What did I get?

We started with the Cajun fries which are basically crinkle cut fries sprinkled with hot chili powder. Not bad but not as spicy as I was expecting and they needed salt. Next we tried a bowl of clam chowder. It was fine but not anything special other than the bowl it was served in which was square and black. For our entrees I ordered the crawfish with the Cajun sauce, medium spice and my roommate ordered clams with garlic butter, mild. This is where the disappointment comes in. The menu says the crawfish comes with corn and sausages. I was expecting crawfish boil like I’ve had many times before at other restaurants with a whole cob of corn and a whole piece of sausage. Most places also include potatoes. There was a small cobbette of corn and 2 thin slices of smoked sausage, it wasn’t even andouie. Expecting to see an actual sausage, when I got my food I didn’t think there was any sausage in it so the waiter brought me some. He said he gave me 4 instead of 2 because of the mistake. Once I got close to the bottom of my pile of crawfish I realized there was sausage in it. Oops. The sauce was spicy enough but it really needed salt. Adding both containers of salt and pepper that they gave us helped a little but it would have been better if it had been incorporated in the sauce. Other than the quality of the crawfish itself I didn’t enjoy this nearly as much as the Louisiana steam pot at Joe's Crab Shack, even though I usually don’t tend to eat at chain restaurants.

My roommate’s clams were pretty good. The sauce was definitely garlicky. My biggest complaint here is it seemed there were too many empty shells considering you’re paying by the pound.

What's cool?

The atmosphere is definitely fun. I’m always up for eating seafood with my fingers and leaving the shells on the table. They also offer sweetened or unsweetend iced tea which isn't common around here. Their sweet tea must not be as sweet as you would usually get in a Southern restaurant because I ordered it half sweet & half unsweetened and there was just a very light sweetness to it. That works for me. Most places that offer sweet tea make it way too sweet for my taste.

Rating...I’d give it a pass and go somewhere else.

Review - Awash Ethiopian restaurant

A tasty adventure...Awash Ethiopian restaurant

Awash Ethiopian restaurant is sparsely decorated but clean and comfortable. Their menu offers a pretty long list of authentic Ethiopian food. If you’re new to Ethiopian food but are adventurous, you’re in for a treat. What makes Ethiopian food unique is the spices they use and the way the food is served. All the entrees are served on enjera, a thin bread with a spongy texture and a tangy taste. You’ll also get plenty more enjera on the side. The enjera is the utensil they use to eat. After tearing a piece off you use it to pick up your food. Some might be afraid this would be messy, but the enjera prevents the sauce of the food from getting all over your fingers.

They offer entrees made with beef, chicken, lamb, a large variety of vegetarian options and fish (only served Wednesdays and Fridays). To start try a sambusa, seasoned beef or lentils wrapped in a flaky pastry and fried, served with a really spicy hot sauce on the side. The portions are large enough that they can be shared by two. With the most expensive dish being $16, it’s quite a good deal. Most dishes run around $9 or $10. They offer beer and wine from Ethiopia as well as American beer and wine and a few popular import beer brands. There’s a happy hour on certain weekdays with $2 beers including imports.

What do I get?
I love lamb and they offer a few different lamb entrees so I usually choose one of those. I also love their sambusas and their home made baklava is great. It’s served warm and isn’t as sweet or as rich as Greek Baklava. I like it much better. Someday I’m going to try Tej, an Ethiopian honey wine, but haven’t yet.

What's cool?
If you’re a true coffee lover you’ve got to try their Ethiopian coffee. They roast the beans when you order it and bring them out in the pan for you to smell before grinding and brewing. It’s served in an African pottery pitcher with demitasse sized cups. As you might imagine it’s very strong.

What sucks?
Their American wine choices. At the same price as their Ethiopian wines ($4 per glass and $14 per bottle) they only offer Charles Shaw wines, commonly referred to as 2 buck Chuck. Some of the Charles Shaw wines are pretty good, but it’s difficult to see paying $14 for a $2 bottle of wine.


Rating...You must go if you’re ok with eating with your fingers.

Review - Bangkok Spices

Inexpensive Thai food...Bangkok Spices

Bangkok Spices is the go-to place for inexpensive Thai food to go. The food is good, there’s a great selection on their menu and you can order almost any dish with whatever protein you like. They offer a few different vegetarian protein options including mock chicken and mock duck. You can also order beef, pork, chicken, seafood and duck. Like many Thai restaurants, you can order your food with whatever level of spice you want on a scale of 0-10. I’ve never been disappointed with any of their entrees, noodle dishes and curries. I haven’t found most of their appetizers to be very good though. I prefer to order to go. This place doesn’t offer much in the way of ambience, just good food. The building they’re in was originally a Pizza Hut and you can still tell it was. Brick walls and floors and wood paneling don’t read as Thai. The music they have chosen to play is easy listening and singers and standards. I find the look of the place and the music they play to be incongruous with the food they serve. They serve wine and beer and of course Thai iced tea. You can never go wrong with Thai iced tea.

What do I get?

My usual order is sweet basil with duck. The first time I took a friend of mine there I ordered my usual and after tasting it he ordered the same to go several times the following week. I’ve tried a couple of their curries and they were both very tasty. I also like their Pad Thai and Tom Yum soup.

What’s cool? They have duck! Their Thai iced tea is good, not too sweet but not watered down.

What sucks?

As mentioned earlier their appetizers have almost always been disappointing. In addition, they don’t have a web site so I suggest getting a copy of their menu to have at home. You’re going to want to order by phone for pick up. If you order there, you might have a bit of a wait.

Rating…Order to go and eat in your sweats or pajamas with a friend

Review - SDMA Sculpture Court Cafe by Giuseppe

Lunch and Art at reasonable prices...SDMA Sculpture Court Cafe by Giuseppe

The SDMA Sculpture Court Café by Giuseppe was a very welcome surprise. While spending a pleasant day walking all around Balboa Park, we asked about places to eat inside the park. We had already checked out the Japanese Friendship Garden’s tea room, but found nothing we really wanted. I’ve been to The Prado before, but didn’t want to spend that much money. The Sculpture Court Café turned out to be the perfect place for a sunny day in San Diego.

With tables going from the walkway in front of the museum, through the covered courtyard and into the sculpture garden every table provides a nice breeze and something to look at. The entrance to the café is beautiful. Huge open-work metal gates in a pattern of half swirls separate the crosswalk from the courtyard. The courtyard is covered by a huge sail shade keeping the diners comfortable. Butcher paper is laid over the tables and a small bucket of crayons is provided for those who like to doodle. I drew a picture of a goldfish which I think came out pretty good. They also offer a Grab n’ Go counter where you can purchase pre-made salads and sandwiches that you can take into the garden to eat.

The menu is a nice selection of Italian inspired sandwiches and salads and artisan pizzas. For those who aren't walking around the park all day, they offer a few pasta dishes, a steak dish, salmon and a large burger. They have a few specialty cocktails and wines listed on their menu, but I don't think they have a full bar. They also have a good selection of desserts, although I didn't get a chance to look at any of them. I don't think anyone there was ordering dessert today. And of course, there's coffee drinks for those who do venture into dessert territory.

What did I get?

I wanted to start with Calamari fritti but was told they were taking it off the menu so it was no longer available. Just as well. What I did get turned out to be quite enough. I ordered a drink they call a Balboa Paloma. It’s grapefruit soda, tequila and lime juice. It was a good choice for a warm day, light and refreshing. Both my roommate and I both ordered their “Ultimate Grilled Cheese” sandwich. It was delicious and not too heavy. Grilled sourdough bread with prosciutto, mozarella, fresh tomatoes and pesto. On the side we chose their green salad. A mixture of organic greens and a balsamic viniagerette which wasn’t too sweet. It was just the right lunch for a warm day that involves a lot of walking/biking.

What's cool?

It’s all cool. The food and the setting are both great and it's always fun to have crayons at your table.

What sucks?

Well, not so much as sucks as it is an inconvenience. They’re only open for lunch 11:00 - 3:00 and there was a bit of a wait for a table with nowhere to sit while waiting.

Rating...Mmmmm mmmm good, casual yet sophisticated and not too expensive.

Review - Lido's Italian Foods

Good, inexpensive comfort food...Lido's Italian Foods

When I walk into Lido’s it’s like I’m walking into childhood memories. It’s like a mixture of places I remember going to dinner and homes of relatives I haven’t seen in years. The décor doesn’t seem to have changed since the 70s. There’s nothing about this place that doesn’t scream family, with the exception of the bar which is small and closed off from the main restaurant. The main dining room is full of booths and most of the people sitting in them are with family. You’ll almost always see at least one group of people dining there who are chatting with the owner’s daughter. So many of the diners here are regulars. There’s another dining room behind accordion room dividers that has tables and chairs and often is filled with large groups. The food is simple and good. In addition to traditional Italian American dishes like pasta and pizza, they offer barbecue and steaks as well as a couple of seafood items.

What do I get?

I always get the Chicken a la Florentine. You can order half a chicken or a whole chicken for just $5 more. The chicken is great. It’s full of spices and lemon juice and is always cooked just right. They even give out the recipe for this dish both posted on a wall in the restaurant and on their website. The dinner comes with soup and salad. The soup is always minestrone and their salad always comes with the house dressing. You also get garlic bread and a side of pasta or fries. I get the pasta with olive oil and garlic. Definitely not date food. I usually only eat one piece of chicken and a bite of pasta before boxing it up to take home for 3 or 4 meals.

What's cool?

Nothing. This place is about as cool as your mother’s housecoat, but that’s what this place is all about, comfort food and family.

Rating...Good anytime. Be sure to bring Grandma when she visits from out of town.

Review -The Tin Fish (Imperial Beach location)

Good food at the beach...The Tin Fish

The Tin Fish is just what I thought had been missing in San Diego; Good sea food without fuss or high prices. They have several locations in San Diego as well as a few locations outside of California. The Imperial Beach location is completely casual. Just the right vibe for a sunny weekend day. The restaurant is at the end of the Imperial Beach pier. There are a few tables outside, stools at a counter on both sides of the front wall and a few more tables inside. Orders are taken at the register and numbers are called to advise diners to pick up their food. The menu offers alternatives for those who don't like fish but the fish is what it's really about. Their menu calls their fish & chips famous but they not only serve the traditional cod, but also swordfish, salmon or halibut & chips. You can also order various seafoods with chips, several types of fish tacos and burritos, fish sandwiches, fish/seafood soups and grilled fish selections.

What did I get?

Clam chowder and fish & chips. The clam chowder was good. The fish is battered then dipped in what I'm assuming is corn meal before frying giving it a unique texture. The chips, while not traditional are really good. Instead of a thick cut french fry they server crisscut fries that are really crunchy. They even held their crunch after being drenched in malt vinegar. On the side came cole slaw. Their version is different from other cole slaws I've had. There is nothing creamy in the dressing, just vinegar and seasoning. Unusual but good. Their serving sizes are hearty. Their were two of us and we shared a bowl of clam chowder and an order of fish & chips and both of us were satisfied. Actually, I was pretty full.

What's cool?

You can order 1/2 orders of some of their items. I really thought that was great because the fish & chips came with five pieces of fish. I never could've eaten that much. I also loved being able to sit outside and watch the surf while we ate. Luckily we had lunch rather late in the day so we didn't have a problem getting an outside table. All their seating is at a premium during the usual busy periods.

What sucks?

Unfortunately their iced tea was terrible. Since I'd never been their before I don't know if that is usually the case or not. It was over brewed, way too bitter. Even after adding some water to try to tone it down and some lemon, which I don't always use when I drink iced tea, it was still pretty bad. I wound up throwing more than half of it away after we finished eating.

Rating...Definitely the place to go if you just want some good, unpretentious fish and seafood in San Diego.

Review - Onami

Sushi bargain...Onami

Onami is an all you can eat buffet featuring sushi and Japanese food. The front entrance features a bit of kitsch, but the rest of the restaurant is subtle and modern. They also have a small patio for outside dining. The menu differs a bit from day to day but the majority of offerings stays consistent. Featuring four different food stations. Salads and crab claws, sushi and sashimi, hot foods and soups, and dessert. They also have a limited offering of pastas. All the food is included in the price of your meail. Drinks are available for a separate charge. They offer sodas, hot green tea or iced passion berry tea, beer and wine, sake and plum wine

What do I get?

I usually start with some of their salads. Sumi salad, shrimp/cucumber, kimchi and smoked salmon. Next is tempura, shumai, fried calamari, gyoza, sweet spicy crab and a deep fried roll with shitake mushrooms. I just eat the shrimp and green beans from the tempura. Next is sushi and sashimi. I usually have a little bit of all the types of sashimi then pick a few types of sushi. Normally I will also have a piece of chocolate cake, maybe some fruit and chocolate covered strawberries for dessert.

What's cool?

The dessert station offers Japanese green tea or mango ice cream. I don’t eat them, but it’s still cool. I also like the women’s restroom. It’s not particularly large or well decorated, but each stall is a little room with walls and a real wood door. However they blew it with the sinks. They’re in a tight space and tend to send water all over the place. The coolest thing though is a smoking area. There’s a somewhat hidden door that leads to a little fenced off are where smokers can smoke…reminds me of an exhibit at the zoo…The great North American smoker. Status: Endangered

Rating...If you like sushi and want a lot of it cheap, go. Just be sure to wear your eating pants.

Review - K Sandwiches

Fast and cheap but oh so good... K Sandwiches

K Sandwiches offers next to nothing in decor or atmosphere with the exception of a few tables you can sit at outside, but the food makes it well worth going to. Fresh baguettes and croissants are not only the bases for their tasty sandwiches but you can buy them on their own as well. Vietnam is known for great French bread. The baguette sandwiches feature an interesting selection of meats with Vietnamese pickled vegetables, cilantro, jalapenos and spiced mayonnaise. They also offer a huge drink selection including a whole refrigerated wall of all your favorite bottled and canned drinks, French coffee, traditional Vietnamese drinks, Boba, smoothies and slushes. There are also ready made Vietnamese specialties to grab and go. It's almost always crowded but they turn orders out quickly.

What do I get?

#9 Grilled Pork Sandwich or # 11 Grilled Chicken Sandwich...no cilantro. I like a little spice so I get it with the jalapenos on it but take them off once I get home. They leave just enough of their oils on the sandwich to add some heat but aren't overpowering.

What's cool?

A number calling system with a TV featuring a woman calling your number out in English and Vietnamese...what a trip, sure ain't like the deli

Rating...You gotta go!