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Joyee’s Dumpling House may be closer than you think
Dim sum, noodle, hot pot, and Mongolian beef for that military brat nostalgia
Dan dan noodles from Joyee's Dumpling House
A man will drive at least three and a half miles for soup dumplings, it seems. I will, anyway, because Joyee’s Dumpling House has recently added new location just about that far from my home. What used to be a little café in the corner of Ranch 99 Market has has spent the past five years growing into a county-wide chain. But it did so by way of North County, opening locations some 20, 30, 40 miles away. Poway, Vista, Oceanside.
I probably should have made the drive. But did I mention it was deep Oceanside?
But I will waste no time on regret. What matters is the present, because now, there’s a Joyee’s Dumpling House on El Cajon Boulevard (at 60th Street, about a mile south of the SDSU campus). And it's loaded up with all kinds of noodles and dumplings and hot pot; all pretty straightforward and tasty.
Pork soup dumplings—xiao long bao—from Joyee's Dumpling house
My pork xiao long bao were not the most delicate ever soup dumplings, for those who care about such things. But they didn't need to be a stunning achievement to hit the spot. Small jugs at the table emboldened me to add hot chili oil along with black vinegar to my ginger. Spice me up and watch me go back for more.
It's easy for groups large or small to make an all dumpling feast here, as there's a whole "dim sum and then some" array of dumplings offered: hargow, shumai, steamed and fried buns, and more, mostly around $14 for a steam tray or platter. Better yet, add one of the $17-$21 hot pot spreads to share (including vegetarian).
There are also noodles, and I'm always a sucker for dan dan. I would have gone for what looks like a very satisfying Taiwanese style braised beef noodle soup, except the menu had a "chef's choice" option I couldn't resist: Mongolian beef ($19).
A new location for the mostly North County chain—a mile from SDSU
No real dining options remained consistent through my childhood, but every Officer's Club on every Marine Corps base I lived on offered a weekly Mongolian BBQ night. It was the sort of deal where you go through what looks like a salad bar buffet, except it's mostly slices of meat.
In retrospect, there were vegetables too, particularly peppers and onions. But to young eyes, this became a ritual opportunity to fill a stainless steel bowl with a partially thawed mix of beef chicken and pork, hand said bowl to a man at a wok station, and just nod your head yes any time he asked if you wanted more of something. And if I hadn't had been a kid, I'm sure he would have let me have it.
Mongolian beef with bao buns at Joyee's Dumpling House
Joyee's Mongolian Beef fills in a few gaps for me, and I'm talking about jalapeño and dried red chili pepper sliced tossed into the mix of beef (only) and onions. Unlike the military base, Joyee's Mongolian beef is served on a round platter, surrounded by bao bun "petals."
Almost nothing beats the hit of nostalgia, but take away the memories, and my sneaky favorite of the day may have been those dan dan noodles ($11) I mentioned. There, the street food is plated with thick noodles topped with distinct portions of ground pork, crushed peanuts, green onions, fermented greens, and chili-sesame-garlic sauce that you mix together yourself (remembering that little ceramic of chili oil).
Here's something you might be interested in.
Joyee’s Dumpling House may be closer than you think
Dim sum, noodle, hot pot, and Mongolian beef for that military brat nostalgia
Joyee’s Dumpling House may be closer than you think
Dim sum, noodle, hot pot, and Mongolian beef for that military brat nostalgia
Dan dan noodles from Joyee's Dumpling House
A man will drive at least three and a half miles for soup dumplings, it seems. I will, anyway, because Joyee’s Dumpling House has recently added new location just about that far from my home. What used to be a little café in the corner of Ranch 99 Market has has spent the past five years growing into a county-wide chain. But it did so by way of North County, opening locations some 20, 30, 40 miles away. Poway, Vista, Oceanside.
I probably should have made the drive. But did I mention it was deep Oceanside?
But I will waste no time on regret. What matters is the present, because now, there’s a Joyee’s Dumpling House on El Cajon Boulevard (at 60th Street, about a mile south of the SDSU campus). And it's loaded up with all kinds of noodles and dumplings and hot pot; all pretty straightforward and tasty.
Pork soup dumplings—xiao long bao—from Joyee's Dumpling house
My pork xiao long bao were not the most delicate ever soup dumplings, for those who care about such things. But they didn't need to be a stunning achievement to hit the spot. Small jugs at the table emboldened me to add hot chili oil along with black vinegar to my ginger. Spice me up and watch me go back for more.
It's easy for groups large or small to make an all dumpling feast here, as there's a whole "dim sum and then some" array of dumplings offered: hargow, shumai, steamed and fried buns, and more, mostly around $14 for a steam tray or platter. Better yet, add one of the $17-$21 hot pot spreads to share (including vegetarian).
There are also noodles, and I'm always a sucker for dan dan. I would have gone for what looks like a very satisfying Taiwanese style braised beef noodle soup, except the menu had a "chef's choice" option I couldn't resist: Mongolian beef ($19).
A new location for the mostly North County chain—a mile from SDSU
No real dining options remained consistent through my childhood, but every Officer's Club on every Marine Corps base I lived on offered a weekly Mongolian BBQ night. It was the sort of deal where you go through what looks like a salad bar buffet, except it's mostly slices of meat.
In retrospect, there were vegetables too, particularly peppers and onions. But to young eyes, this became a ritual opportunity to fill a stainless steel bowl with a partially thawed mix of beef chicken and pork, hand said bowl to a man at a wok station, and just nod your head yes any time he asked if you wanted more of something. And if I hadn't had been a kid, I'm sure he would have let me have it.
Mongolian beef with bao buns at Joyee's Dumpling House
Joyee's Mongolian Beef fills in a few gaps for me, and I'm talking about jalapeño and dried red chili pepper sliced tossed into the mix of beef (only) and onions. Unlike the military base, Joyee's Mongolian beef is served on a round platter, surrounded by bao bun "petals."
Almost nothing beats the hit of nostalgia, but take away the memories, and my sneaky favorite of the day may have been those dan dan noodles ($11) I mentioned. There, the street food is plated with thick noodles topped with distinct portions of ground pork, crushed peanuts, green onions, fermented greens, and chili-sesame-garlic sauce that you mix together yourself (remembering that little ceramic of chili oil).
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