Monday munchies: Mexican-Filipino fusion

By Amy Granite

Feb. 23, 2015 2 PM PT

Longanisa fries from MJ’s Yogurt Time & Deli are something of South Bay lore. They’re half legend, half secret, but one thing’s for sure: No one who eats them will ever forget.

Chances are, if you make the trek out to MJ’s from the city, it’s because you have the munchies-which might make reading and deciding on the menu a bit of a hurdle, especially for first-timers.

But staff is pro at dealing with special cases who are ravenous and indecisive. A nice gentleman explained the various modifications one can make to the fries; in a blur, we went with the Buddha fries and took a seat within the dining space which had us giggling between concert-decibel, female pop-star music videos on the overhead TV, and the double row of old school toy machines-you know, put in a quarter and turn the knob, except in 2015, it’s $1 to play.

The food comes in a Styrofoam container as if to predict that you won’t be able to finish. It looks completely unlike anything you’ve ever eaten-the fries are pretty much buried-and you just have to trust that MJ’s knows what’s good for you, and dig in.

Yes, there’s the pieces of the namesake Filipino sausage, longanisa, throughout, but also pork sisig-tender, sweet and sour meat with a confetti of bell pepper; stringy, melted cheese, a sour-cream-like sauce and an Asian style coleslaw topping one side of the fries, two over medium eggs on the other. It’s spicy, sweet, rich and creamy, and comes with four house hot sauces on the side.

Longanisa fries at this Mexican-Filipino fusion shop are somewhat of a head scratcher, especially for gringos. Eating it plays into the mystery-what exactly... is this? Perplexing, delicious and giving you something to ponder into the night, make these fries the pinnacle of stoner food in San Diego. You will return for it.

MJ’s Yogurt Time & Deli 1550 East H St., Chula Vista. (619) 600-3560