Terry "Crunchy" M.'s Profile

They give you a ton of food.  I had the Kalua pork.  I thought it was sloppy tasting and just alright.  The spam musubi was solid.

The atmosphere is very homey and unorganized looking.  They sell candy on the counter and have random decorations all around.  There was this really strange aspect too- the iPhone of the friendly girl taking my order.  Her iPhone was connected to the stereo system.  It was pumping out island and reggae music.  When my finished my order, I gave her my credit card to pay.  She disconnected her iPhone from the stereo and attached a credit card slider.  As a result, the music just stopped.  She slid the card through and charged me.  The credit card thing was cool.  She gave me the option to have my receipt sent to my email.  But it cut the music completely.  This happened several times throughout my dining experience.  I suggest they get a seperate iPod.

Hane is the sister restaurant to Sushi Ota.  I live closer to Hane and it's easier to get a reservation, so it's a good option.  They have a limited printed menu, but everything on it is done well.  

Everything is sleak and clean in Hane.  Ota feels like a contemporary take on traditional Japanese aesthetics.  Hane just feels contemporary.  

I recommend the chirashi sushi, hamachi kama (baked yellowtail cheek) and any nigiri sushi.

Surprisingly, most taco shops specializing in tacos have a very weak carne asada taco.  Los tacos carne asada taco is delish.  I think it's possibly the best around these parts.

Skip the pollo asado.  It's void of taste and on the dry side.

The pastor taco is savory and comes with a fitting bit of pineapple.

The shrimp taco is aaight.  It is served with a cheesy spicy sauce.

The t.j. Dog is nice.  I'm not a white sauce kind of guy.  So i wont comment on that one way or another.  There's some that on top.

There's always a breeze that blows through Los tacos because the doors are always open.  I'm not a big fan of that.  The workers are friendly.  Word.

My pho had filet mignon slices in it!  word.

The menu has all of what you would expect at a Vietnamese restaurant- Vermicelli, Broken Rice and Pho... but this spot has some other crazy mixed Asian options- yakitori, wings, lemongrass garlic fries, papaya salad, shrimp ceviche... what?  I'm very curious to try all of these.

The menu is in English, Japanese, Korean and Chinese... pretty progressive- catering to other Asian ethnic peoples.

The draft beer selection is great for a pho spot!  Blue Moon, Sapporo, Stone, Arrogant Bastard... plus, they have soju... happy hour specials...

The decor is very chic with solid design all over- very contemporary.

My favorite Carnitas taco.  It's moist inside, slightly crispy on the outside... the best way to enjoy carnitas.  

They got rid of the taco truck in the front.  I loved that thing.  It added to the ambience.  They still have the outdoor grill and have moved the patio to the back of the parking lot.  Bring back the taco truck!

Don't leave without eating some of the grilled onions on the grill outside- they are most delicious.  

I recently discovered that their tamales are really good as well!

My favorite Adobada/ Al Pastor taco resides here.  

The Lengua is great as well... i like a little tongue, especially from El Gordo...

The carne asada is solid but skipable... it's a little on the chewy fatty side minus the delicious fatty taste.  

My friend JB is all about the mulitas... but i don't dig on the cheese so much.  I think that it may just be a personal preference thing for me.  For those unfamiliar- a mulita is like a very large child that is conceived from the marriage of the taco and the quesadilla.

I have a pet peeve about places charging for rice.  I have never eaten yellow curry WITHOUT rice... I personally don't know anyone that wouldn't want to eat their yellow curry without rice.  I would guess that 99% of all people ordering yellow curry would want rice with it... so why not include the rice in the price of the dish.  

The charge for rice was only $1, but it just annoys me.  The yellow curry with chicken was $9.95.  Just make it $10.95.  Because i don't ask them to charge me $9.75 because i don't want the garnish on my plate, don't charge me extra for something that should already be included.  

Aside from that, the food was alright.  There was no one else in the restaurant except for my party (it was a Tuesday night though).  I imagine this place to be more of a lunch spot.

As a local musician, I have been to or played at most music venues in San Diego.  The Casbah is my favorite venue to play at and see shows.  

At some venues, when I have to sit through a shitty ass annoying band, I will wonder to myself- "Do they let anyone play here?  Why don't they just book bands that have their shit together and are doing something interesting?"  Well, that's what Tim Mays does.  

He actually listens to the music submitted to him.  He matches up bands well.  Meaning, if you go to a show to see some band that you already like, you are likely to become a fan of some other band that is playing the same night.  TIm builds and nutures a music scene rather than just responding to it.  

The sound system is great.  The sound guys are also great and care about their craft.  As an independent musician, you are treated with respect.  The independent spirit lives and thrives at the Casbah.

Aside from that, the drinks are reasonably priced.  The venue itself has a cool atmosphere.  The lighting is dim, so everyone looks good.  The Atari lounge has Ms Pac Man, Donkey Kong Jr and Robotron.  If I ever have my childhood dream of having my own arcade like in Silver Spoons, i'd probably start with those.  

They also host one of my favorite dance parties- JiveWire.  They'll only do it twice a year or so, but it's rad- a mix of New Wave, Funk, Electro Clash, Old School Hip Hop...

Their tonkotsu ramen is delicious.  The noodles aren't as tasty as some other spots.  But the soup is solid.  And they also give you the very unique Japanese style sweet boiled egg.  If you've never had it, it is very interesting.  The ramen is a bit inconsistent though.  Sometimes it's great, sometimes it's just alright.  Another thing I like is that it's available late at night.

Other dishes are hit or miss- normally I love chicken karaage and takana fried rice... but not here.  They are very mediocre.  A lot of Japan's takes of American dishes, like hamburg (short for hamburger, not Hamburg, Germany) steak, are not really made for American tastes.  Skip 'em.  Go for stuff like hamachi kama and okonomiyaki (especially since it's very difficult to find okonomiyaki in San Diego).

2nd best ramen in town.

Their chashyu is intentionally very tender and fatty.  Creamy shio (salt) pork broth soup.  delicious.