My pick for this year

Some of you may notice there's been a break in posts and with that is good news, I'm officially a nurse on a hospital unit and have been slammed with work and a new schedule!  Hopefully this post can make up for my recent absence, with a place I've definitely identified as a favorite in my neighborhood and a favorite for many locals.

Found in the University corridor, Carnitas Snack Shack has been lauded as top newcomer, a must stop and one of the best eateries in San Diego.  Accolades don't stop there, individual dishes have been considered must eats with special attention to great prices and high quality food.

Snack shack has a great laid back atmosphere and the seating has even been expanded since this picture was taken.  Whether you're under the heat lamps on a chilly day or lounging in the shade on a hot day, you'll find a comfort zone for yourself in the spacious open seating.

If you're looking for something light to start with, I highly suggest the beet terrine.  This little cube contains layers of tomato, beets, spinach, goat cheese and balsamic glaze.  Not only is this refreshing but the richness of the goat cheese really adds a creamy layer that rounds the whole dish out.

You might be so inclined for something a bit more...meaty?  This little cube of goodness is roast pork belly with a sweet chili glaze and an apple radish slaw.  This has been one of the best preparations of pork belly I've ever had (and trust me I've been around.)  The meat melts in your mouth and the slaw is the perfect tart accompaniment to take you into the next rich bite of meat.  I understand a lot of people get turned off by the layer of fat in pork belly, but even if you simply went for the meat on this one, it'd still be worth it purely on great flavor.

The sandwich that's been speaking to a lot of patrons is the Shack pork sandwich. This is a loaded meat sandwich with tender pulled pork as the base, then crunchy schnitzel next and smoky bacon to top it all off.  All the meats are distinct yet really blend well to make a cohesive sandwich without being too overpowering alone.  The peperoncini-pickle relish is that tart element to the rich pork, very consistent in the dishes around here.  For even more contrast, theres creamy morsels of corn on the side that can change things all together.

The shack is even taking classics and adding their own twists.  You couldn't have an eatery sporting excellent pork without a good ol' BLT.  Here the sandwich is elevated with brioche bread, crispy ham and aioli.  This is the definition of simple goodness, bringing all the elements of the classic with just a few mix ins to make unique and a must try.

Ok I get it, maybe pork isn't your thing at the moment.  How about some red meat?  The steak sandwich brings thin sliced ribeye (my favorite cut,) grilled tomatoes, pickled serranos, jalapeno jack cheese, with chipotle aioli all on jalapeno-cheddar bread.  I was lucky enough to have the steak cut thin but cooked rare, if that's your thing I highly recommend asking for it this way.  Every bit of the sandwich is just a win in flavor from head to toe and will knock you out at the end of finishing it.

Ok you've heard about my favorite dishes but don't forget some tasty fries on the side.  The fries are pretty standard shoe-string, but with a nice little peppery dusting.  The real twist is the "ketchup," which is more like a gazpacho or cold tomato soup.  However you see it, it just makes these fries a must order.  I consistently ask them to bottle and sell because I could put that stuff on anything.

This final dish is a special that seems to pop up on mondays at the shack.  This cheesy goodness is a riff on Canada's beloved poutine fries.  They take their seasoned fries and top them off with pulled pork, white cheddar bacon gravy and a bacon crumble.  If there's any special you're going to seek out, patrons and staff will agree this is it.  A perfect combination of crunch and richness from cheese gravy and the salty rich flavor of the pulled pork really make this a perfect dish.  I think any Native San Diegan familiar with Carne Asada fries will really find a comfort zone with this dish and can really enjoy this one.

Carnitas Snack Shack has unique dishes made with great fresh ingredients available to the masses.  I see this place as somewhere to go for great tasting food with hits of gourmet flair but very friendly to the wallet with the menu all under $10.  Chef Hanis has done an excellent job with this place and look out for this name because it's constantly being published.  With that, this place is gaining popularity by the day and they just recently reached their one year anniversary so you know they're still climbing.  For all these reasons, the Snack Shack is my pick of the year (2012,) and a place to be for 2013 when I nurse those cravings.

Carnitas Snack Shack
2632 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92104 
(619) 294-7675
Check out their site

It's a Celebration Meal!

Ok folks, let's face it, I have been very erratic with my posts! No schedule or regularity and I truly apologize.  With nursing school coming to a close my priorities have been elsewhere but at the cost of my beloved blog!  I plan on creating more regular posts, so hopefully not too many of you have moved on!  On that note, thank you to loyal readers.  Also, just so you all know, this sacrifice was not wasted.  In the past month I passed my exit exam for school, graduated, studied my booty off for state boards and am now a legitimate license holding Registered Nurse!  It's only natural I have a celebratory meal and this post is definitely a doozy, so sit back, relax and take a peek at the meal that literally ranks as the best I've ever had!

Despite my deep love affair with food, I rarely find myself in a fine dining situation, not only where fancy food exists but often the most innovative.  I pride myself in finding the small spots, the local favorites where innovation and taste meet for a friendly budget.  This night definitely was no regular night for me, and I mean that in the best of ways.

This brings us to Aburiya Raku, found in the corner of a strip mall center in Chinatown, soo inconspicuous you could miss it if you weren't looking for it.  Despite it's low key appearance, Raku has been considered a top restaurant in the city of Las Vegas, often recognized as a semi-finalist for the national James Beard award.  Their specialty revolves around traditional Japanese charcoal grilling, using Binchotan charcoal.  Binchotan charcoal is shipped straight from Japan, the only place it is found, and offers a unique flavor found with no other charcoal.  All their dishes are classic, some with modern gourmet twists, each prepared with their own special sauces and rich flavors.  The restaurant itself is very small and intimate, offering up their dishes in small well thought out presentations.

The new kid in town: Ramen Sora

I'd like to start by saying this one is gonna be a long one kids, so let's make sure we've got our snacks ready and a comfy chair in place.  Many don't know that I lived in Okinawa, Japan for almost 6 yrs because I was a Navy brat, and because of that, I have a love for Japanese food and culture that will probably follow me for the rest of my life.  Here in Vegas I've been a strong advocate for Monta's creamy tonkotsu ramen and to be honest, the day I decided to visit Sora Ramen was simply due to the fact Monta's line was way too long.  Am I happy with the decision? Well you'll have to read on to find out!


 The restaurant is not big but has a typical Japanese feel to the decor and is staffed by mostly Japanese people (sometimes a good sign).  There is a deceptively good amount of seating and could easily accommodate large parties although no private rooms are available.










Sora's claim to ramen is having it's roots as one of the most popular shops in the Sapporo area of Japan offering a clear pork broth Shio soup base which is noted to have pork bone boiled into it over a day, and a Miso broth that integrates some of the pork shio.






The Ramen Menu is pretty decent with Nori (seaweed,) Negi (green onion,) corn and butter (self explanatory,) Chashu (bbq pork) and Menma(bamboo shoot,) to go along with the Miso and Shio broth choices all ranging between $7.50-9.  Green onion, bambo shoots, half a semi-boiled egg and a few slices of pork are standard in all soups with a few variations towards whatever specialty you decide on.  There's even a deluxe ramen for $10 which seemed to be bigger with a little extra everything, had I been hungrier this would've been my choice.

Our soup order ended up being a Spicy Shio and a Corn and Butter Shio ramen.

The backside of the menu contains small bowls, fried rice, and other sides.  Here we opted for the mini chashu curry bowl and seared premium pork chashu.  I'd like to note that you can order a hot barley tea fresh brewed from a pot instead of a can, many won't notice this but to those who are frequent tea drinkers, this makes a huge difference.

The first thing to come out is the mini chashu curry bowl.  Yes it's small but for $2.85 you have to keep expectations in check.  The curry sauce itself has great flavor and consistency.  I was never great at determining whether curries are made from scratch or not but either way I liked this one.  There are a few standard veggies like carrots, onions and potato with the real star being the little chunks of chashu pork which was not as tender as I'd like but still had great pork flavor despite the strong curry sauce.


 Next to come out were our soups, the first I'll talk about is the spicy shio ramen.

The spicy shio is a decent size and comes with the standard toppings listed earlier with some ground pork added in and a little bit of spicy oil giving a dash of red tint to the bowl.  The shio broth was a bit oily but still had a light flavor to it without overpowering, and you do get the slight flavor of the pork bones they boil into the broth.  The bamboo shoots are plain and the egg is cooked to have a slightly soft cooked yolk although I enjoy it more "rare."  The slices of pork are tender with just a thin layer of fat in it, you can tell it was roasted without much seasoning to flavor the meat so it went well with the mild broth lending to more porky goodness.  The spicy factor was mild to non-existent and I had to order extra hot oil but that isn't a deal breaker, overall the experience was still tasty.

 I've always been a fan of butter and corn in my ramen, the butter usually adds a depth of flavor to ramen broth that plays well with the corn.  I think maybe the clear shio wasn't the best choice for this, the miso might have been a better mix for the two flavors due to the unexpected oily nature of the shio ramen.  As you can see, a few additions and this soup could've been called a "spicy," ramen as well but I digress, it still had good flavor and all the toppings were well executed.


My only gripe with the ramen would be the noodles.  The noodles were thicker than I'd like and they had a chewy texture that I didn't enjoy.  I prefer a bit thinner noodle and a bit softer texture, but i suppose details like this are very personal as I understand others might be the opposite.

The best dish of the meal ended up being the side of premium seared pork chashu.  The order comes on the side with some green onion and a sweet bbq sauce drizzled on top.  Unlike the chashu in the ramen, these pieces had a bit more fat on them.  They tasted great, soft enough to breakaway with chopsticks and a sweetness from the drizzled sauce that set off the flavor of the pork.  I was a little disappointed by the steep price of $3.98 for only three pieces, but if you're a pork fanatic like me you might not mind the cost.


I'll definitely be back to try more of the menu and definitely go for the miso broth next.  It seems the reigning champ has competition although really the choice is going to come down to personal preference.  The real winner here is Las Vegas as we have another excellent alternative to choose from, and not only because the line is too long at your original choice.

RAMEN SORA
4490 Spring Mountain Road
Las Vegas, NV 89102
702.685.1011