I guess you could say we've been eating alot of Vietnamese food recently…..not much Pho, but alot of other "stuff". It also seems that I've got a terminal case of food photus obsessia, and can't help but take photos of food. I think I need to seek some help for this…what do you think? In the mean time, here's few updates on a few of the Vietnamese Restaurants along El Cajon Boulevard.
Thien Thanh
*** Unfortunately, Thien Thanh has since closed. What a bummer.
I've already posted on Thien Thanh twice, on our first visit, and on another visit when I tried the Bun Bo Hue. I hope you don't mind this third post, which is actually comprised of several visits. I excluded anything that I've posted on before. So let's get started.
The Banh Mi Bo Kho($5.50):
Yes, during our cooler evenings a nice bowl of beef stew with french bread sure hit the spot. The version at Thien Thanh is chock full of herbs and seasonings, I pulled out large pieces of cinnamon and other stuff from the medium thick broth. The oil content was not overly high, and I enjoyed the flavor….I needed another loaf of french bread to help me finish this. Currently my second favorite Vietnamese Beef Stew next to the version at Lucky Pho.
One of the reasons we enjoy Thien Thanh is that along with the good service, the garnishes and vegetables are always fresh. So it almost goes without saying that the Bun Cha Ha Noi($5.95) at Thien Thanh is our favorite.
The meatballs may be kinda tough, but the sauce is nice and mildly sweet. And the veggies are always fresh.
Of course the Missus loves her Bun Rieu($5.50):
As with the Bun Bo Hue at Thien Thanh, the Bun Rieu has a more assertive sour-tangy flavor than other versions, with the pungency level on the low side. The Missus wanted to make sure that I took a photo of the large shrimp-crab cake in the Bun Rieu.
The noodles were okay, on verge of being too soft, but passable.
The Bun Mang Vit(Bamboo and Duck Noodle Soup – $5.50):
The Bamboo was under hydrated and tough, and the duck much too bony. The broth had a decent flavor, but because the bamboo hadn't fully steeped, the earthy flavor that the bamboo brings to the soup was hidden in the background.
Can't beat the garnishes though:
A generous portion of Rau Ram(Vietnamese Coriander) for my soup.
There are still several dishes that I need to try at Thien Thanh, the Bum Mam, Bun Nuoc Leo, De Nuong(goat), and the Canh Ga Chien Bo(chicken wings), so I may end up doing another post in the future. I hope you don't mind……
Thien Thanh Vietnamese Restaurant
4658 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115
Saigon
I'm pretty sure most people know Saigon, it's pretty much a fixture. With the huge menu, and inexpensive seafood it's favorite of many. Here are a few other dishes we've had at Saigon recently.
The Ca Ri De Banh Mi(Curry Goat with French Bread – $7.95):
Too much coconut milk, too little curry flavor, and too watery for my tastes. There was a good amount of goat meat though.
One of our favorite dishes at Saigon is the Thit Nuong(BBQ Pork with Rice Paper – $8.95):
Thinly sliced marinated pork is rolled into a tight "roll" and grilled, it is served on a bed of vermicelli noodles, and with a huge plate of pickles and vegetables, and a plate of rice paper. It's one of those, "make your own spring rolls" kinda thing. All served with Nuoc Mam Cham for your dipping pleasure…we always make a huge mess and enjoy ourselves, though on occasion the pork has been very tough and sinewy, that is the exception and not the rule.
The Bo Bia(Chinese Sausage Spring Roll – $3.25):
This has got to be the tightest stuffed spring roll in San Diego, it should say "contents under pressure", I was sure it was going to explode when I bit into it, but it didn't. Pretty good overall, with a ton of filling.
Now what do you think the Missus ordered? One guess…
Bun Rieu($5.50) of course! The Missus enjoys the Bun Rieu at Saigon, it's tied for second with the Bun Rieu at Thien Thanh. Her favorite is served at Mien Trung. The broth is a bit more fishy in flavor, and the Missus enjoy the seafood cake, which has the texture of almost being steamed. The two things which bring this bowl of Bun Rieu down are the over cooked noodles and the Missus would rather have fried bean curd, instead of the just plain old tofu in the dish.
The Bun Mang Vit($5.50):
My least favorite Bun Mang Vit, from the mushy noodles to the hard bamboo, to the almost flavorless broth. As with most of the soups at Saigon, the Bun Mang Vit had a generous amount meat in it, in this case duck, even though it was mostly bones.
Still, with over 300 items on the menu, you're sure to find something you'll like at Saigon. Though according to this sign, you should make sure that you'll eat it.
Saigon Restaurant
4455 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115
Da Nang Food to Go
*** Da Nang Food to Go has closed
During a recent conversation with John from Sandwich Emporium, he mentioned that he had heard that the Bun Mang Vit at Da Nang Food to Go was really good. So of course I headed down there as soon as I had a chance. I arrived early(they open at 7am) on a recent weekend morning so I could snag one of the few available parking stalls in the strip mall.
I was amazed at the take-out traffic the place was getting. I looked over the menu and ordered the Bun Mang Vit($5.00), and my garnishes arrived in but a minute.
Pretty much status quo…I felt bad for that lonely chili, all on it's own.
The Bun Man Vit took a while to arrive, but it was piping hot when it hit the table.
It was a very surprising bowl of Bun Mang Vit. Instead of the usual clear broth, this version was quite spicy, in fact it tasted almost like Bun Bo Hue! The coarse ground pepper also added a alot of flavor. I thought that the spicy flavors overwhelmed any of the woodsy-earthy flavor that the bamboo shoots add to the dish, and this ended up tasting like Bun Bo Hue with dried bamboo shoots and duck.
There were some very meaty pieces of duck in the Bun Mang Vit, which tasted fine with the Nuoc Mam Cham that was provided. But still, it didn't seem like I was having a bowl of Bun Mang Vit. Still it was different, and maybe you'll enjoy this version.
On this morning I had a short but very nice conversation with the owner, we mostly spoke about the Gio Lua he makes. Right now he's selling a ton of the stuff because of Tet. I still have to pick some up for my own use…if I can find a parking stall!!!
My original post on Da Nang Food to Go.
Da Nang Food to Go (aka Quan an Da Nang)
4745 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115
Thanks for indulging me(as always), I hope you all didn't mind some revisits.
Hey what's for dinner?
I'm starving!
Say what! Vietnamese again!
DietChiliCheeseFries is right, all you ever eat is Vietnamese! You better get this fixed soon or I'll report you to Aunt Passionate Eater! And she'll fix your wagon!
Sheesh, what does it take to get a dog something good to eat around here?
