**** Pho Nhu Y is no longer
Taking advantage of that last couple days of rain we had a few weeks ago, I finally made it over to Pho Nhu Y, the Clairemont version for some Pho….well check that. I actually did want the Bun Mam, but had totally forgotten; I was the ummmm, "Korean Guy", that wanted to order Bun Mam before 3pm and scare off all their lunchtime customers. My bad….
I think the garnishes….the single sprig of basil and small amount of bean sprouts are an good indication of Pho in the area and San Diego in general….
The actual bowl of pho looked pretty good. I got number 19; rare steak (usually a mis-steak), well done steak, tendon, tripe, and flank.
The bowl actually looked pretty good when it hit the table. The broth was dark, but clear, and I liked the amount of fat. Another hallmark of San Diego pho is a totally defatted product, which just kills the richness.
Another unfortunate hallmark of San Diego pho is the sodium/MSG level. And of all the bowls I've had recently, this was probably the worst, way too much MSG…..it made the broth unpleasant. Too bad, because the color looked right and all….but man, I really couldn't taste much.
There was an amazing amount of noodles in this bowl….which was a "regular" ($6.69). Which was way too overcooked and mushy. Man, I really couldn't get a break here.
The proteins were decent, though the tendon was way tough and the tripe really hard. The rare steak was even ok.
In total, a disappointment. I'm not going to beat that "can't get decent bowl of pho in Kearny Mesa" dead horse…..well, I'm going to try not too do that.
So yep, 300 more words of pho……
I'm going to stick to the Bun Mam here.
Pho Nhu Y Vietnamese Grill
5375 Kearny Villa Rd
San Diego, CA 92123