I mentioned this place waaay back in November 2007, but was never able to eat there for one reason or another. I found myself in the area fairly early during the recent rainy weather, and a nice bowl of Pho sounded great. So why not?
The interior is relatively dark, sleek, and modern. You can read more about it on FOY, Caninecologne's blog, here.
On this day, I went with the large bowl of "Chin Nam Gau Gan Sach"…..let's just call it "Brisket, Flank, Fatty brisket, Tendon and Tripe" shall we? At $6.95 it was a bit on the expensive side, but still not as pricey as a bowl in La Jolla.
The garnishes arrived, fresh, bright, and shiny. The quantity provided was more than adequate.
As with Pho Hoa Hiep in Linda Vista, the broth in this bowl is clear, and low in oil,and fairly light. The flavor of beef comes through fairly well, as does a mild clove-ainse flavor. The broth is also a bit darker than it's namesake in Linda Vista.
The noodles were routine, if a bit hard and undercooked, which was remedied by a further steeping. Undercooked is preferred to overcooked and mushy in my book anytime.
The meat ranged from pretty good (fatty brisket), to decent (tendon), to mediocre (the tough and dry flank), to non-existent (one tiny strand of tripe).
All in all, a decent bowl. If I lived in the area, I'd drop by for a bowl of lighter, low oil Pho. I think the Pho Hoa Hiep on Linda Vista is better(and closer to us, and cheaper), but this is a decent facsimile.
Service was decent, if a bit "sleepy"…..the folks looked really tired on this weekend morning. By the time I left folks were starting to move with a bit more conviction, and even smiling. So if you're in the area and craving some Pho, Pho Hiep and Grill may be the remedy.
Pho Hiep and Grill
539 Telegraph Canyon Rd
Chula Vista, CA 91910