Tasting East Homecoming

We came home from our San Diego birthday weekend to cards, well wishes and some birthday fun money, which we decided to use for a low-key late afternoon dinner our first night home. We decided to hit up Tasting East's Bar in the Paramount Hotel downtown. Described as "an exploration of Far East street plates" meaning lots of comfort food, full of flavor, filling and for a reasonable price. That's exactly what we got, familiar, comfort food served up with a twist and, of course, a couple of cocktails.

With such reasonable prices in the bar, (hence no happy hour) we ordered way too much food, but finished it all! Everything just hit the spot. The even-smaller-than-shoestring sweet potato fries were crunchy, sweet and salty. The karage chicken was one of our new favorites. The pan fried gyozas' crispy skins went well with the juicy sweet pork filling. The salty spam matched the nori's distinct flavor. Our favorite of the night was the curry hotdog! The clovey curry common in Japan was matched well with little Vienna sausages and really soft dough bread. Tasting East's Bar atmosphere, drinks and menu was a nice way to ease back into reality, post vacation.