Rating 7/10
Date visited: July 7, 2009
Party of four
Dinner
Zip Fusion is our friendly-neighborhood Korean Restaurant. This was the second time we went to the restaurant. The first visit was couple weeks back when we first moved to this area. Both times we went when we were quite hungry and enjoyed the meals. I will describe both experiences here.
On the first visit we had ordered the Zip Fusion Bowl. I went for the pork and my husband tried the beef. Shredded vegetables (sea weed salad, carrots, cucumber, nori, mushrooms) and meat (marinated and boiled?) over rice in a the traditional hot stone bowl, served with a red sauce (supposed to be hot, but not for us!). We loved the meal - very fulfilling and simple. For $13+t, it seemed a bit too pricey, but we were satisfied overall.
This time we took our friends there. We were a party of four. My husband and I decided to get the same dish - Classic Bulkogi Special Bowl ($11+t). One of our friends ordered Vegetable Tempura with Udon ($9+t) and the other ordered the Curry Rice ($13+t).
Our dish was exactly the same as the Zip Fusion bowl, only served this time in a deep dish instead of the hot stone bowl. It was good, as expected. I wonder why they have two dishes with same food and different names - just because they are served in different platters?
The curry rice was a very simple preparation of cubed chicken, with vegetables (broccoli, carrots, green and red peppers, and cauliflower) in a typical curry gravy. There was nothing special about the curry sauce - you can actually buy the curry seasoning at any grocery store and cook this dish at home. It was freshly cooked, and the chicken was quite juicy. The vegetable tempura was well prepared - crisp and flavorful. The noodles in the broth was standard - light and flavorful.
We were hungry and the company was good - we enjoyed the dinner. We did not order any drinks - we had some beers and margaritas at home before we went out for dinner.
Zip Fusion serves Korean - Japanese cuisine. I am not sure what is really 'fusion' about the whole affair - may be the fact that local cuts of meat are being cooked and served with Korean and Japanese spices and techniques. I have actually been to some really good and true 'fusion' restaurants and so I can say that this restaurant does not qualify for the term at all. Well, whatever misnomer the restaurant may be, it is true to "zip" (Korean for 'home') - it sure feels like simple home-made Korean food - just like the lunches I used to share with my Korean friends in grad school.
May be next time I will try their sushi. We will definitely go there again. Especially since they are so close to home. I wish, however, that their prices would not be so high - I fee that they are about $2 overpriced for most meals (can't comment on sushi).
Address: 11130 East Ocean Air Drive, San Diego CA 92130
Website: http://www.zipfusion.com/san_diego/index.htm
Ph: 858 755 3130
Timing Lunch and dinner
Soju, Sake, Beer, and wine available. Special cocktails available too. Corkage $18!!
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On this post Puja and post retirement morning I thought I would have a look at your blog mentioned in Bentech. I shall read all the food reviews even if I wont be in San Diego ever. The narration style is very nice and will make interesting reading.
ReplyDeleteObviously the Korean food page is 1st on the list as I spent 4 years in Korea and unlike most of my non Korean friends there, I ate a lot of Korean food all the time.
The "Fusion" word ( not the food as such) has been my area of interest. The true meaning is, if one lands elsewhere in taste, texture, look etc after cooking a dish, one adds the word "Fusion" before the name of the dish. This is basically to ward off the critics and Connoisseurs of traditional food. Of course the taste may be very good and you would love to eat again.
So I just add the word Fusion when the taste is not as expected.
The other day, while cooking a favorite Reshmi Biriyani (No Onion or garlic is used)for a Hydrabadi friend and tried a variation (fusion) by adding onion and garlic. Unfortunately an old Kashmiri friend arrived before lunch. So I had to tell him it was Fusion Reshmi Biriyani as this Biriyani was a traditional Kashmiri dish. He liked it.
I go to a Italian joint and once ordered Fusili in red meat sauce and Parmesan. He uses a fusion cheese (Cedar, Mozzarella and other "fission" cheese products") as he has only heard Parmesan and does not know what it is. I think I shall advise him to add a pre-fix fusion to all his Italian dishes.
The Zip fusion menu doesn't show any Korean dish except two words, the Bulgogi and Kimchi.
But they must have perfected a good dish.
If you are interested in Korean food try these
(The Korean script is for the Restaurant people only)
(Dont worry if you don't try Korean food, you wont miss any thing)
sam-gye tang (삼계탕)(Chicken stuffed with rice in soup)
sam-gyeop sal (삼겹살)( thin Pork strips with 3 layer meat grilled)
jji-gae (찌개) Tell them to add Khmchi and fish)
dalk galbi (닭 갈비)( stir fried chicken).
You can see some of my fusion dishes (??) on my Blog.
Let me enjoy reading the other food review posts and then I will switch to your more serious blogs.
Regards