Seeking Food - By Ketojinic

  On the second day of our epic Tijuana trip, we head to the famous Caesar's restaurant for a "light" breakfast.  Call me ignorant, but I never knew that this was the place that the Caesar's Salad was invented. I always thought it was Italian, or at least European. Who woulda thunk that it was created in this small restaurant on Calle Revolucion in Tijuana. The interior is really vintage and there are pictures of its history all over the walls. We file into the separate room and try to squeeze into this gigantic table. Impossible. We add a few more sections to make it a bigger table. When the bread and pastry come out, I think this is the light breakfast so I eat more than I should. But then the fruit comes out. Well, that's also "light" so I eat it all. Then the chilaquiles, mushroom and cheese omelette, and refried beans come out. Now I'm screwed. Especially since we're about to head out to the B...

Sometimes, I'm impulsive. But, I also know I have an impulsive BFF who'd be down for anything. When Bill Esparza ( Street Gourmet LA ) posts a trip to Tijuana, I know we are getting on that bus. This isn't any regular road trip, it's a foodie road trip to attend the first ever Baja California Culinary Fest.  The bus was full of food bloggers, food writers, and food lovers.  After scrambling to get to Union Station on time (that's another story all together), we get on the private chartered bus to go south of the border.  Bill appoints Gourmet Pigs as the official carrier of the tequila Volcan,  and it gets passed around for the official start of #borrachageddon. After a few naps, a few swigs of tequila, one rest stop, catching up with some food bloggers, and tweeting out our last messages before we start roaming, we are finally in Tijuana! Bill surprises us and tells us that we've been upgraded to the Grand Hotel in Tijuana , the twin tower h...

Whenever I crave "REAL" Korean food, you can find me at Olympic Cheonggukjang. Not only was I the first to review this place, I kept it a secret for a long time because hell, this restaurant is NOT for everyone. But, Jonathan Gold reviewed it early this year  so the droves of people are already flocking to this restaurant. The moment you walk in, you will be greeted with a pungent smell that can only be described as nasty sewage poo fart. The reason for this is the Cheonggukjang, a way stinkier and more fermented version of Daen Jang jjigae (but also, apparently, much healthier). You will also realize that for the most part, this restaurant is full of old people. I first came here with my health nut dad and mom because my dad was in the mood for Cheongukjang, a specialty that even many Koreans cannot stand to smell or eat in the same vicinity (hence, most restaurants with typical Korean menus will not serve this dish. Think of it as offensive as Durian).  ...

One of my favorite places in Tijuana is Erizo Cebicheria. The seafood here is so fresh.  The Callo. Bill introduced us after I had eaten its cousins. They are a type of scallops that are local to Baja that have a totally different texture from the scallops we are used to. It's in between a scallop and a fish.   tamarind margarita, found in a few of Javier Plascencia's other restaurants, shows up on Erizo's menu as well. I can't help but order it so I can finally try it. Probably the best thing that's ever happened to a margarita. This is simple and yet so good. At the bottom of this tangy, limey yellow juice lies the sea urchin. the cucumber and the tuna jerky contrasted really well with the sexy sea urchin. some olive oil, red onion slices, and lime  juice came together in an interesting symphony of flavors. chicharron and callo ceviche The marlin tostada, probably now my favorite kind of fish...