Christine P.'s Profile

For $5.06 you can walk away with about five pounds of greasy but oh-so-tasty Chinese food. That is a DEAL, folks!

I watched in amazement as the guy behind the counter piled my takeout box sky-high with noodles, beef and broccoli and mapo tofu. It really was a mountain of food.

Don't forget to bring cash, that's all they take.

Shake shake shake...SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE! Shake your bootay...! Oops, I mean, shake your tea!

Not enough reviews mention that Tea Station workers mix their tea drinks in shakers. I've watched them in action during a busy weekend and it was impressive at best, AND they brew the tea fresh in separate pots. Give these guys some credit!

What's up with these reviews all up and complainin' about bad service and whatnot? I got my tea just fine.

After a few disappointing trips to Tapioca Express, I'm kinda feelin this Tea Station place.

Yes, there is such a thing as a water store!

If you value pure distilled drinking water, then this is the place to go to. I bring my five-gallon jug and pay about $1.75 for it. It's an amazing deal and the people who run the business are very kind and welcoming. One of the employees always offers to carry my heavy jug back to my car when I need help.

It's clean and there is a special spout that you could use to give your jug a nice refreshing rinse. Come here now! It's a great deal folks!

Sometimes you just want a slice of cake and might I say this dessert shop's red velvet cake is MONEY.

For one thing, it isn't freakishly red. It has a nice dark, cocoa-red as a proper red velvet should be. Their coffee is good too.

I've gone to Shimashi's about three times now, and one thing I highly recommend is going to this place during sundown. Get yourself a seat at the bar, order a drink, and watch the sun settle right on down into the Pacific Ocean. The bar faces west, toward Del Mar's beach and the way the large windows display the ocean view is marvelous. Sip on your drink while you watch the sky change colors.

Speaking of the sun, Shimashi serves a delightful cocktail called the "Del Mar Sunrise," made with shochu, blue curacao and Calpico. It's really quite wonderful.

Their small dishes are well prepared and delicious. I've gotten the slow-cooked pork belly dish and the deep-fried squid legs -- both of which are perfect with that ice-cold Asahi on tap. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

Oh and on another occasion, I ordered a plate of lima beans served with delicate sea salt. Just that. It was one of those rare, simple dishes that you don't forget.

What can I say that hasn't already been said among these great reviews? I'll just write something so that I can chime in on the rapture over this delightful little place. If you're craving real down-to-earth Japanese food, go to Izakaya Sakura this instant!

They have sushi and bento meals but the best things to order are the small tapa-like dishes. There's also a wide selection of yakitori, from asparagus wrapped in bacon, to beef tongue. I recently had their uni spaghetti and it was surprisingly scrumptious. The pasta was cooked perfectly al-dente and the uni added that delectable taste of the sea. And on those days when all you want is a drink and a nice yellowtail cheek or a slab of sea bass cooked in miso to eat it with...they have it. They have it all.

The list goes on but everything you order will be good. It's as simple as that. Drink-wise, they have fresh Asahi and Sapporo beer on tap that come in tall frosty mugs. AAAAAHH...now that's refreshing.

As for location, my friend fondly calls this izakaya "the secret place," as it has no signage in front of the restaurant, nor is there a mention of it among the lit-up sign block for the small business complex it is housed in. So, all you have to do is drive into the same complex where the "Original Pancake House" is. Then you're right there!

Somehow, the restaurant having no sign lends the place an underground aura that only a select few know about, but all these 100+ reviews probably prove otherwise. Hmm...yeah. Yelpers sure got the word out.

If you pick soju as your poison, Min Sok Chon is the place you must check out right now. It is *the* Korean place to drink and eat in San Diego.

You can get a bottle of soju straight-up for about 12 dollars but they also offer a long list of various flavored soju drinks that arrive in tall carafes. They're mixed drinks, essentially.

Some examples:

Pineapple soju
Iced coffee soju
Mojito soju
Soju mixed with Calpico-style yogurt drinks -- these include flavors like peach and blue raspberry.

The last time I was there, our waiter told us about the new soju mixes he had just concocted -- these include green apple yogurt soju and the Arnold Palmer soju. Both, I must say, were very good. That is, if you like soju. I don't always like it but these were very inventive. If you're into sweet drinks, get down on it.

Our waiter's name, by the way, is Abraham -- one of the best waiters I've encountered at Korean restaurants/watering holes, simply because he was so attentive and fast. Look out for him.

If you're not into soju, Min Sok Chon has a diverse list of Korean food, from galbi to budae jjigae.

And if you 're not into soju or Korean food, there are karaoke rooms inside. So get that mic and sing the night away!

Stays open til very late -- 4 am on weekends.

I agree. "Hidalgo Flowers" is fantastic, and so much of it -- besides the beautiful flowers themselves -- has to do with the Alfredo Hidalgo, the owner of the blooming enterprise.

He is quite the charmer, this guy...and his passion for flowers comes through the moment you get near his flower stand at the La Jolla farmer's market. It's like what you see in the movies or something. Alfredo does indeed cry out, "beeeauuautiful flowers!" to approaching customers. It's irresistible.

Besides the pleasant patron, the flowers are gorgeous to behold and very fresh. There's also a wide variety. The last time I was at the market, I saw stargazer lilies, dahlias, roses, tuber roses, daisies, lavender...the list goes on..and in springtime he had the best sweet peas.

There is also a nice feature on him here: http://www.californiac...

Please look out for Alfredo and his flowers at the farmer's market. You won't regret it!

I went here once for dinner and it was tasty but wow. Talk about a strange experience with Szechuan peppercorns.

These peppercorns apparently numb your palate. Drinking cool water only heightens the feeling. It's a bizarre experience for those who are unaccustomed to it but still very interesting and surprisingly stimulating.

Nice decor in what is seemingly a dive bar (from the outside at least).

Avoid the cucumber martini and order the Starlite mule, which seems to be popular among Yelpers.