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There is a Thai food phenomenon known to the residents of San Diego's Mission Hills neighborhood; one the locals would likely prefer you didn't discover: Su-Mei Yu's Saffron Noodles and Sate' and Saffron Thai Grilled Chicken restaurants. Truth be told, though, it is Su-Mei herself that is the real phenomenon!

For over 20 years, this dynamo of Asian cooking has scoured the far reaches in search of new and authentic homemade food creations with origins in Thai, Malaysian, and other Southeast Asian kitchens, bringing them home to her adjacent India St. establishments (one sit-down, the other take-out) and winning an impressive roster of famous devotees in the process. If you've missed her appearances on Good Morning America or The Today Show, with Julia Child or Martha Stewart, she is known to pop up as well on the local San Diego stations to spread the word and pass the sauce. She is doing for Thai cooking what Julia Child did for French haute cuisine and has the cookbooks to prove it!

In addition to her books (Asian Grilling, Cracking the Coconut, and soon-to-be-released Earth, Water, Wind and Fire, The Thai Natural Path to Heath and Spiritual Well-Being), Su-Mei has had her share of articles published in such journals as Fine Cooking Magazine, Food and Wine magazine, and the prestigious British journal Petits Propos Culinaire.

Sit down to eat at Saffron Noodles and Sate' and you'll know what all the fuss is about as you dig in to a stir-fried noodle or noodle soup entrée (with choice of pork, beef, chicken, or tofu, of course), skewers, or curries of all description and flavors. Hankering for a Fish Curry? How about Wonton Soup? Papaya Chicken Salad? It's all Duck Soup down at Saffron Noodles and Sate' - in fact, why not order the Duck Soup Special? It's on the Daily Specials menu every Friday! And the Spicy Laotian Sausage is worth traveling to Laos for if Su-Mei weren't serving it every Monday.

Meanwhile, for those of you on the go, right next door is Saffron Thai Grilled Chicken for take-out that is out of this world. With soups and salads, rolls, and a variety of finger foods to choose from, the real focus of Saffron Thai Grilled Chicken, of course, are their grilled chicken combos and specialty sauces. Peanut, sweet pepper, and Sriracha sauces, as well as chutney, salsa, and their own egg roll sauce compliment this traditional Thai grilled chicken dish every bit as well as they do all the wonderful dishes found at the sit-down tables. So even if you're staying you're sure to be going back—again and again and again to Saffron Noodles and Sate' and Saffron Thai Grilled Chicken.