*** Pho Viet Cali has closed
Ok, let's see we got Pho' Hoa Cali, Pho T Cali, just plain Pho' Cali, and now here's Pho' Viet Cali! What we actually have here is a whole lotta' confusion. So much confusion, that I really don't even remember what brought me back to this Mira Mesa Strip Mall. But like Ed from Yuma says(I'm paraphrasing, of course), "I can't remember very much from a month ago, but I remember just about every meal I've had in the last 10 years!" It helps that I carry my handy-dandy camera around as well.
Viet Cali is located right next to Sorrento European Bakery, and the Plaza Sorrento Food Court that Amarin Thai is in. The interior of Viet Cali is what I call generic "Formica Pho' in design. Clean tile floors, generic tables with "numbers", large "bar", that is used as a counter, and of course the requisite cash register counter. And like many of these types of restaurants Viet Cali is alot smaller then it looks like from the outside.
Despite the seemingly generic beginning, Viet Cali was the scene of a first for me. The first time I've ever paid more than 6 bucks for a bowl of Pho'. Yep the Large Pho Dac Biet (combination), was $6.15. But first here's the garnishes:
Pretty skimpy, and no Ngo Ngai, only 2 slices of Jalapeno. The Pho' arrived piping hot, topped with a good amount of green onions and cilantro. The broth was very much the generic broth, and nothing in the flavor of the broth stood out. The most interesting item in the Pho' were the presence of "meatballs" which were nice and "meaty". The rare steak (6 slices) were also quite quite tender and not in the least bit dry. I did think that this was probably the largest amount of "meat" I've had in any bowl of Pho' to date. Check out the "clump" of tripe:
Unfortunately two of my favorite "cuts", the brisket and tendon, were pretty scarce. Speaking of clump; as I am finding is pretty much the norm, the noodles were located in a large solid clump in the bottom of the bowl.
Luckily they weren't cold, and still had a very nice "pull" to them. Though this is a pretty expensive bowl of Pho', there is a bit more meat then the usual bowl, and I enjoyed the meatballs. But other then that, the broth, noodles, and overall flavor didn't set this bowl above those bowls of Pho' over a dollar cheaper right down the road in Mira Mesa.
I also noticed that I was the only Asian eating in the dining area, but many Asians dropped by to pick-up take-out orders, consisting of mostly Banh Mi. This past Saturday, I had a pretty late start, and all of the places I wanted to eat at on Mira Mesa Boulevard were either filled, or had people waiting outside. So I decided to grab a Banh Mi at Viet Cali. I choose the Banh Mi Thit Nguoi, at $2.95, it was a bit more expensive then the sandwiches I've had in the past.
On the positive side; the bread was nice and crusty, and the pate, head cheese, and pork sausage was fine. Also, the cilantro in the sandwich consisted of mostly leaves and thin stems removing the irritating "stringy" and tough texture. On the negative, there was a large slather of mayo on the bottom of the sandwich which overpowered all the other flavors. The portion of pickles was very small to render them inconsequential, ditto for the cucumbers, not only affecting taste, but texture as well. I also lamented the lack of hot chilies in the sandwich. The sandwich was also on the small side, about 7 inches long.
This Banh Mi was not bad, but the version at Kim Chan was much better. And about $1 cheaper.
Pho' Viet Cali
6755 Mira Mesa Blvd. #113
San Diego, CA 92121
Hours – Mon-Sat 830am-9pm
Closed on Sunday
You get excellent food of all ethnic cuisines in nyc except for Vietnamese. A banh mi at any price sounds delicious now. Why is the grass always greener on the other side? (or rather, why does the banh mi looks better from the east coast! lol)
Kirk, who has the best banh mi in San Diego? I’ve only made my own (nonauthentic but extremely yummy shrimp and beef versions) and would love to try a good/authentic one. I just checked out several of your banh mi posts and you didn’t seem thrilled with any of them (K, Lee’s, this one). Any suggestions?
by the sound of it, you guys know your banh mi….coming from me who never ate a banh mi before, albeit. I’ll stick around for the discussion, though : )
I love how you guys have different types of banh mi. Here in Oz there is only “pork, chicken or vegetarian” banh mi. There is no grilled meat or anything like that. Its always cold cuts.
I love noodles with pull! And I love tendon and tripe *drool* I also love the beef balls which have tendon pieces in them. Now you have made me have “pho envy” 😉
Hi Kathy – I’m sure you’re having a great time in NYC! The Banh Mi will be waiting back home.
Hi Kady – My favorites so far are Cafe Dore and Kim Chan. I think Banh Mi’s are different for each person – it’s a combination of taste and texture that makes it so enjoyable.
Hi RONW – It’ s more of a case of we know what we like. After you’ve had a few(if you do enjoy them), you kinda figure out what you enjoy. I’m sure you could drop by Ba-Le, and try them out. People keep emailing me about the Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi back home, casue they can’t find them here.
Hi Rachel – Mushy noodles are a big no-no. Most Pho’ here in San Diego are Beef-based, and the only options are your combinations of meat.
Oh Kirk, I am DROOOOLING!
And all I have for lunch is my boring cafeteria food. What I wouldn’t give for a hot bowl of pho!
I’ve always thought that this place looks too nice and generic to be a pho restaurant. Never been inside though.
For me, the thing that really distinguishes a banh mi from some other sandwich is the pickled vegetables and the chilis. Mmmm this is sounding good right now…and I can eat it!
Hi Colleen – Funny, cafeteria-type fare would be a normal lunch for me a few days of the week as well.
Hey Jack – The Pho’ is not bad – there’s alot of meat in the Dac Biet. But compared to what’s down the street, I think it’s a bit on the expensive side.
This is my least favorite Pho shop. The last time I visited, my friend and I were forgotten and walked out. I’ll drive the extra 5 minutes to Pho Ca Dao with no regrets.
Kirk, it’s about time for that Banh Mi Comparison Chart you suggested a while back. It’s interesting how much variety you’ve found. I should try Kim Chan next.
I’m sorry the Pho wasn’t anything special. I’ve noticed that you haven’t yet picked a Pho place for your usual rotation. Which one do you like best so far?
Hi Jason – There’s no excuse for being ignored in a restaurant.
Hi Joseph E – I’ll get that comparison done, I’ve got a few more Banh Mi to do before a summary. My favorite Pho’ so far is coming up – though I enjoy Pho Ca Dao and Convoy Noodle House.
I can’t stand the suspense! I was hoping to go out for lunch today and try some more Pho. It looks like we’ll have to wait for your top recommendation. Is there often a delay of several days or a week between your meals and your blog posts?
Hi Joseph – I’m sorry, if you email me I’d be happy to let you know my favorite so far! Sometimes there can be a delay of “weeks”, especially if I make several visits before posting, but usually it’s a few days.
You guys are crazy who don’t like this restaurant. It’s good! Complaining of expensive pho’? Are you kidding me? $6.15 is not expensive, even though it is a few cents more than other pho’ places.We go here all the time and the are very nice to us and we love the Pho’. Our favorite item now is #77…it’s good. I eat at all the Pho’ places around town and this is one of my favorites and plus it is close to my work.
#77 is awesome! i’M NOT A BIG pHO FAN but I do liek the Pho with a lot of meat and onions and if you run out or get a small portion of Peppers for the Pho, you just ask for some more and they bring it out….Yes Chris, they are crazy! Viet Cali rocks!
Hi Chris and Charlie – Sounds like you both enjoy the Pho’ here. I thought the broth was average, and overall overpriced. I’m glad that you both enjoy the Pho’ here. But, both of you share the same IP address???
Good call, Kirk…apparently they aren’t too tech-saavy..The one thing (of many) I like about your blog is you always put a photo of the front of the building. It helps when I can’t see addresses…and yes, the price is a tad high in comparison to the rest of the county…
Hi Cathy – Not to subtle, was it?
I don’t like saying bad things about places, but this isn’t one of my favorite pho places. It could be I was unlucky the one time I went, but the meat was tough and the broth tasted strange to me.
Maybe I needed to order the famous #77? 🙂
Hi Howie – #77 is Stir-fried beef and vegetables over steamed rice….. it’s also $6.50.
Kirk-
That’s because we work for the same company. We go there all the time. I know what you mean about the broth…most of the time it’s great, but sometimes it’s just ok. I ate pho’ for 5 years, but now I religiously get #77 and #34 (appetizer). I really like #77 big time. My friend Charlie and I are addicted to it…
Kirk-
I get #77 with a twist. They also add Shrimp for the same price for me. They are all cool there too. The owners knows us well and they take care of us. Lately we have been going there to eat and watch the World Cup. Another plus of this place compared to others, its not as crowded. It does get busy and stuff, but not anywhere near other Vietnamese restaurants.
Kirk-
What is your favorite Vietnamese restaurant in SD? The place on Convoy? That place is popular big time, but not close to my work. We work right next to Pho’ Viet Cali.
Hi Chris – I understand, convenience does play a significant role in where we eat – especially during the workweek. As for my favorite Vietnamese Restaurant….it’s hard to say. I have favorites for particular dishes. And no, Phuong Trang is not our favorite….though it’s clean and consistent. I think if you look through all the various Vietnamese Restaurants I’ve posted on so far(I’ve been to many more), you’ll understand my dilemma. I’m really not even thinking about Pho’ right now, it’s so darn hot here.
Hahah, “the place on Convoy”….I can’t stop giggling…I once said that to someone…’you know, the cheap Chinese place on Convoy Street…you know which one, right?’…it was my own joke…
Well Cathy – Maybe I meant you know, the Vietnamese place on ECB…. ;o)
Wow! Very funny Kathy! I eat at a lot of Vietnamese places around town. If you were a big Pho’ fan, you would know what restaurant I am talking about. It’s very popular and my Vietnamese friends say it’s their favotire in San Diego (even though I dont necessarily agree with them). I don’t know every single name of all of them, but Charlie and I eat at these places about 4 times a week.
I used to eat Pho’ for 4 years straight and I never used to get anything else. Charlie and I are addicted to #77 now though. It sounds so basic, but it’s so darn tasty. I get it with Shrimp and beef and they give use xtra large portions because we eat there all the time.
I don’t know if you were making fun of me or not, but I took it as if you were….. If you weren’t sorry for taking it that way.