Lots of exotic grocery items here. Reminds me of the small grocery store attached to Andre’s.
What caught my eye were the exotic soft drinks.
I tried the Iron Beer. I was hoping for an exotic root beer but instead Iron Beer seems like a Coke variant. There was a medium strength sweetness and cola flavor. Tasted a bit like an RC Cola.
Next I tried a papa rellena. Hot out of the fryer the outer shell was crunchy while the inside was creamy delicious potato with nicely marinated beef. The strongest flavor was black pepper. Very tasty appetizer. Porto’s is my favorite spot for this dish.
Lomo saltado was a mix of French fries, tomato, rice, and beef. Beef was nicely marinated but not as tender as I’d like. Rice was moist how I like it and had a mild flavor. Tomatoes were fresh and had a bold flavor. Fries were crispy except the one with sauce on them and had a nice potato flavor. Pretty good lomo saltado.
2nd visit. I ordered the lomo saltado again. I couldn’t eat the fries. Way too salty. Beef had a texture that was a bit off. Reminds me of one time I had a cheap cut of beef and I soaked it in pineapple juice to get it tender. So the soaking made the meat not chewy but I could tell there was something not quite normal. Rice had a nice mild flavor but I’d prefer a bit more moisture. The tomato was fresh, juicy, and full of delicious flavor. My favorite part of the meal.
I also ordered a papa rellena. Loved the crispy outside and the creamy inside. Lots of potato flavor. Not much beef inside.
Goya Guava soda was sugary and only tasted a bit like guava. I much prefer fresh guava, guava juice, or guava nectar.
My first visit was before the apocalypse and tasty. My last visit the omnicron variants are in the news and only the tomatoes impressed me.
Kirk from mmm-yoso!!! has visited too.
Tropical Star Restaurant & Specialty Market
6163 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 874-7827
Wonder if they’ve changed chefs recently. That’s terrible it’s not as good as it used to be.
It’s been a long time since I’ve had fries that salty.
Another place with quality-control/consistency issues. I’m afraid we will see a lot of this moving forward as restaurant kitchens and staffing has changed.
It’s too bad the chef didn’t execute the recipes properly. The food can be very good.