**** Cafe Dore has closed
Cafe Dore has been a favorite of mine when it comes to Banh Mi. And though there's been the odd day when the bread perhaps did not quite live to billing, I've been content to just roll into Cafe Dore every now and then. As is my habit, after visiting a place, I usually keep my camera stowed, and go on with life. But after having discussions with a few friends, some of them quite humorous, I thought I'd do an updated post on Cafe Dore.
One of the first things I noticed at Cafe Dore(other than the huge television), is that typical of Vietnamese Coffee Shop culture, the place is male dominated. Guys out-number the Gals about 8-12 to one. On our visits, the Missus has been the token female in the place….not that it bothered Her one bit. The other amusing thing about Cafe Dore, that I noticed, was the amount of attention paid the two "video game machines" in the back of the place. It immediately dawned on me that middle aged men had no reason to be paying so much attention to a video game…sometimes there's a little crowd around the game. I'll stop there……you get the point!
FOY John told me that other than the television, Cafe Dore hasn't changed since he's been going there….over 10 years…..same video games, same carpet, you get the idea. The giant TV has either various info-mercials, or Vietnamese Variety Shows on. Once, while waiting for my Banh Mi, I found myself watching a nice travelogue….I didn't understand a word, but thought to myself, "wow, that place really looks like Vegas…." Until I realized it was a Vietnamese travelogue of Las Vegas! Another constant at Cafe Dore is the total disregard of the "No Smoking" signs posted around the place. You'll several Guys smoking with surreptitiously hidden ash trays at every table. And yet, where I would normally find these quirks and habits irritating at other places….here at Cafe Dore it's just another day. I'll even go as far to say that there's a kind of charm to it; during the busy mornings you'll see bleary eyed Guys waking up with their morning Cà phê sữa đá, and having their breakfast Banh Mi….by 10am, there's usually at least one card game going…or checkers. And because English is not the primary language you'd hear at Cafe Dore…..if you have a vivid enough imagination, you'll feel transported.
Here's a run down of some recent(last 4 months) eats from Cafe Dore.
Hu Tieu My Tho($5.75):
The somewhat mushy rice noodles were covered with chicken(very soft), BBQ Pork(the stuff you find in their Banh Mi – yum), and some shrimp that needed some fattening up. The sauce was a savory tomato based concoction that featured minced pork and dried shrimp. The dried shrimp was a burst of flavor that always caught me off guard. The whole shebang was served with Tong Ho (Garland Chrysanthemum – what I grew up calling Shingiku), some lettuce that was really in need of a wash, and sliced Jalapeno Peppers. Overall, this wasn't the most inspired Hu Tieu I've ever had, but it sure wasn't bland!
The Hu Tieu also came with a nice and rich broth, with some pretty good meatballs:
On another occasion when the Missus was having Her favorite Banh Mi, I ordered the Banh Mi Bo Kho(Beef Stew with Baguette – $5.75):
I found this version of the beef stew to be not as oily as others, if a bit weak in the spices and flavoring department as Bo Kho goes. The meat was moist and fairly tender, but lacked a beefy punch. I did enjoy the pieces of tendon that were soft and buttery.
And I like the bread at Cafe Dore, which more than made up for any shortfalls.
On one visit the Missus tore Herself away from Her usual Banh Mi and ordered the Com Tam Bi Cha Thit Nuong(Broken Rice with shredded pork, steamed egg cake, and grilled pork – $6.75):
I found the Com Tam to be dry, and not very fragrant…and the Missus told me it was like veggies provided had been moved from plate to plate uneaten.
The big winner was the steamed egg and pork cake, which was soft. moist, and bursting with flavor.
Don't ask me about the Bi….I never got a chance to taste it.
The grilled pork had decent flavor, but was on the dry side:
All of this came with a very nice Nuoc Mam Cham, and a small bowl of bro
th which was a bit on the salty side this time around.
So did I just pick stuff off the Missus's plate…..of course not. In a moment of Banh Mi envy, I ordered a Banh Mi I saw someone else eating….I don't even know what it's called….I don't even know if it's on the menu. But I just knew I had to have it. I mean, how can you resist this?
Nice runny egg, Cha Lua that had been on the griddle, the same with some fatty pork, cilantro, cucumber, a dash of Maggi(like I needed any more salt?)………pretty good stuff.
As you can see, for me it all comes back to the Banh Mi at Cafe Dore, and though you can read about the Banh Mi Dac Biet here, I thought I'd provide another photo:
Than there's the Missus's favorite at Cafe Dore, the Banh Mi Bi($2.75):
I tried the Banh Mi Xiu Mai one day(Meatball – $2.75):
And even though the meatballs were studded with large pieces of shrimp, I'm just not a fan of the tomato sauce used for flavoring this Banh Mi. I prefer the version from Saigon Sandwiches and Deli next door.
We consider most of the food(minus Banh Mi) at Cafe Dore to fall into the Vietnamese Diner category….not a bad category by any means. Like the place or hate it; you gotta say Cafe Dore has got tons of personality.
Cafe Dore
4135 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92105