February 2019 – mmm-yoso

Lana’i – A Revisit to Richard’s Market

February 27, 2019 mmm-yoso Lanai, Poke, Travel

We slept in a bit on our last morning on Lana'i. I could see my In-laws out the window walking and enjoying the peace and quiet. While the Missus slowly woke; I went and filled up the Jeep. The Hotel Lana'i provides breakfast; but the Missus and I just had some coffee and then headed out…..our flight didn't leave until 11; so we had some time to just hang out and enjoy.

You could say Dole Park is the heart of Lana'i City. Built in the 1920's, most of the businesses surround the park. There are a couple of interesting places in the park like the Community Center and the Lana'i War Memorial that honors those from Lana'i who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

We met up with the In-Laws while crossing Lana'i Avenue and we walked on over to the Lana'i Cultural and Heritage Center, which I mentioned before. This might be the only place where you'll actually see a pineapple plant on the island. They decided to plant some in front of the building; which used to be the Dole Administration Building because, as the really nice volunteer working this day told me; "folks think pineapples grow on trees, so we thought we should show them what a pineapple plant looks like!"

My Mother In Law was especially interested in the displays and I had a great time chatting with the woman volunteering…she is just a bit younger than me; so there's a lot to talk about. She also filled me in on what Pulama Corporation is doing on the island……and other stuffs like why there's so much wire mesh around trees and plants…it's because the Axis Deer are quite populous and bold enough to walk down the street to get some "good grindz".

After a really fun time we decided to get "breakfast". You know what we were having, right? Yep, it was back to Richard's Market…..

For the large poke bowl – 3 different poke…real poke, not the mainland "chi-poke" stuff on brown rice, and the Missus wanted some kimchi on top, which they gladly added no charge.

Maybe it's because I can't get a decent version here; but I enjoyed the Ahi Limu. Decent quality fish and a bargain for $9.99, enough for the Missus and I.

Richard's Market
434 8th St
Lanai City, HI 96763

After eating we wandered around a bit. Soon enough, it was time to head to the airport and our flight back to Honolulu. At the airport; I left the Jeep as I had found it; in the 72 hour parking, unlocked, keys and paperwork under the mat.

It was a refreshing joy to revisit Lana'i….a different slice of life; sort of how things used to be. It was great to recharge, refresh, and, well…..slow down. Things we all need to do sometimes!

Revisits – Chicago Fire Grill and R & B Filipino Cuisine

February 26, 2019 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants, Hot Dogs, Sisig

A couple of revisits for a quiet Tuesday

Chicago Fire Grill:

I'll often just drop by to hear what the owner has got on his mind….he's a hoot! And doesn't hold back.

And of course; for a totally decent Chicago Dog.

This place has gotten better over time. The roll, while not being the classic "S Rosen Mary Ann Poppy Seed Bun" was less crumbly and not as dry as usual. It was "dragged through the garden" in the typical Vienna Beef style; with all the typical players in place….fluorescent green relish? Check. Sport Peppers? Check. Celery Salt? A nice amount. Tomatoes? A bit riper than usual. The typical Vienna Beef dog had a decent snap as well.

The natural fries; while not my favorite; is done in thypical Chicago style.

And for dessert; well, I get to listen to the owner……this time he was grumbling about all those online food ordering and delivery platforms: "Geez, what the hell is going on with those Uber eats and stuff? Don't people get out from behind a desk and actually go get lunch these days? That's why they are so f*&%#@g f@+. They need to get out from that desk." I quickly and gently reminded him that he isn't the skinniest guy in the world. He stared at me; squinted and said; "hey, I like you….." I told him, "yeah…for now…until I order some ketchup on my dog." He cracked up. Priceless.

Chicago Fire Grill
8935 Towne Centre Dr.
San Diego, CA 92122

R & B Filipino Cuisine:

Speaking of getting fat eating behind my desk……

Well, it had been awhile since I've had anything from a turo-turo place and even longer since I'd had anything from R & B. Plus; I ended up giving away half of my plate anyway.

The beef mechado was greasy; though the slices (cut too large) of beef were tender. The carrots weren't cooked, but at least the stew had a nice bit of tangy-acidity.

I got half rice – half pancit. The pancit was very mild and on the bland side; though at least it wasn't mushy and over-cooked.

Timing does matter with these type of places and we lucked out as a new tray of sisig came out of the kitchen when we were in line. Like I mentioned in my previous post; I think the sisig here has gotten better over time. It's still not top notch; but the chopped lechon kawale wasn't to waxy and had both crisp pieces and some with a nice chew. Good vinegar, pungent onions, and a decent spice. The person I gave half my plate to came by later and asked me what this was….I guess he'd never had sisig before. He loved it….I told him he "needed to get out more."

R & B Filipino Cuisine
11257 Camino Ruiz
San Diego, CA 92126

Lana’i – Dinner at Nobu

February 25, 2019 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Japanese Restaurants, Lanai, Seafood, Travel

My In-laws had really enjoyed Lana'i so far….there was something about the freshness of the air, the relaxed vibe, and for us, being about 8 degrees cooler than Oahu. After a nice nap; we awoke and decided to take a short stroll.

Dole Park is basically the center of the city. Most of the businesses line the street around the park. As do buildings like the city's district court.

Let me ask you; have you ever seen a Court House that looks like this?

Soon enough it was time to head off to dinner. Initially, I had wanted to try the Lanai City Bar and Grill which we had tried on our previous visit. I'd heard some really good things about the new Executive Chef. Unfortunately, it was Monday and the restaurant was closed. So, I decided to make dinner reservations at Nobu….yes, Nobu, which opened several months after our previous visit.

We arrived for dinner reservations; the dining area is very nice; with great views of Manele Bay.

Our Servers were excellent; professional and yet quite friendly.

I started with a perfectly decent Pisco Sour; though the Missus lamented the lack of "eggy-richness" like what She's had in Peru.

For pupus we started with the Grilled Shishito with Den Miso ($10) and Edamame with Truffle ($12).

We'd have preferred our shishito peppers with a bit more color to them as they weren't "grilled" enough to develop the deep roasted pepper flavor, nor make them more tender. The peppers had retained too much of the chlorophyllic green flavor. The miso-sugary Den Miso did fairly well on this, but would have been even better had the peppers been roasted/grilled properly.

The Edamame was fine; still very firm and had a light drizzle of truffle oil…..a very light drizzle.

The Whitefish with Dry Miso ($28) was next.

One of Nobu's signature dishes; a firm whitefish is topped with dehydrated miso; olive oil, sliced garlic. The fish was super dry and tough….even for shiromi. The garlic chips make things a bit too bitter and for some reason; the miso powder was very bland.

One of the dishes the Missus, a real mushroom lover, wanted to try was the Crispy Shiitake Salad ($26).

The deep fried mushrooms were really mild in flavor; lacking that sweet-earthiness. The greens were very fresh and lovely, but the dressing had too much rice vinegar for our taste and really over-shadowed the truffle oil in the dressing….you barely knew it was there.

Our favorite item of the evening was the Warm Mushroom Salad($29).

Again; the greens were excellent, crisp, fresh, with a sweet-bitterness. The mushrooms were sautéed to perfection; not overdone, the texture firm yet yielding. There was the perfect balance of seasoning, salt to acid to really bring out the best in the mushrooms.

Our least favorite dish of the night was the Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna ($28).

Man, that rice was hard, not crisp, hard, and the centers; which should give way to some softer-creamier rice was also hard. And this coming from a guy who loves Yaki-onigiri. The scrapings used for the spicy tuna was more fishy than we prefer.

Since there were four of us; I ordered the Black Cod Miso in Butter Lettuce ($9/piece – $36).

This was fine; though the fish wasn't as fatty as I prefer. Still, not bad, mild richness, balanced sweet-umami tones. My MIL agrees with the Missus that they prefer my (based on my Mom's) recipe as this was on the mild side for them.

The last dish was the Pan Seared Opah, Crispy Ong Choy, with Truffle Yuzu Soy ($32). Man, this could have been a winnah! However……

We were forewarned that this was going to come out medium; which made my heart sing. Opah is terrible when over-cooked, making it leathery and dry. When this arrived; well, it had been overcooked, and was so dry. The yuzu-soy; though again very light on the truffle had a nice savory-umami-sour-light sweetness and went quite well with the super tender and almost sweet broccoli; which I'm assuming was local.

In the end; our service was great….which is what made the meal, as the food was uneven and somewhat disappointing; especially at this price-point. The Missus and I have had several meals at different locations of Nobu over the years and for some reason have never been "wow'd" by our meals. Not sure what it is as I've made items (with some adjustments) from a couple of his cookbooks over the years which have turned out well.

Nobu (at the Four Seasons Manele Bay)
1 Manele Bay Rd
Lanai City, HI 96763

Well, at least it was a beautiful night in Lana'i City!

Yes, It’s Jury Duty – Coava Coffee, Abandoned Horton Plaza, and a Return to Sultan Baklava

February 24, 2019 mmm-yoso Caffeine Fix, Exploring San Diego, Turkish Food, yoso-silly

**** Coava Coffee has closed

Yes, it was that time again, and I caught the bus, then trolley downtown to perform my civic obligation.

I decided to stop for my caffeine fix at Coava Coffee Roasters, a branch of the very popular Portland based roastery/café which opened up in the Westin on Broadway.

Had a very inexpensive Kenyan pour-over; which while as distinctive in flavor as what we get at Birdrock had a nice mild fruitiness and acidity.

And gave me just enough of a boost for the morning.

You can read CC's post on Coava here.

Coava Coffee Roasters
400 W Broadway
San Diego, CA 92101
Hours:
Mon – Fri 6am – 6pm
Sat – Sun 7am – 6pm

This was my first JD since they moved things over to the Central Courthouse where the "lounge" is located on the third floor. Of course, we were excused for like a two hour lunch break. I had a place in mind and took my time getting there. Last time, I walked over and checked out Horton Plaza Park. I'd read that Horton Plaza had been sold and have also read of it's impending demise, so I thought I'd take a look.

It was quite eerie; all the closed shops, not a single customer. It reminded me of some movie set.

The only two main shops still open are Macy's on the North side and Jimbo's on the Southwest corner.

I took a look at the directory to see what tenants were still in place. It was very sparse and quite deceiving…..take a quick look and you'll see Macy's listed 10 times!

Both Cathy and CC mentioned remembering when Horton Plaza opened back in 1985.

It was quite sad.

Even Horton Plaza Park was quite empty….this on a very sunny (it was before the last storm system hit) day. Seems that the businesses there were closed down as well.

I'm hoping the proposed redevelopment is successful.

As I made my way to the South end of the mall; I noticed that 24 Hour Fitness and Jimbo's was doing well. I also noticed that the mall was quite clean and in good shape.

It was, as a whole depressing….I needed some lunch.

Call me a creature of habit; but just like last time I headed back to Sultan Baklava. When Sultan was opened in El Cajon it was a regular stop for us. These days….well, we're older and sometimes just getting around downtown is a hassle. But Jury Duty is the perfect time for another visit.

The owner was setting up the baklava when I entered and greeted me heartily, I had a seat, and quickly got some warming Tea.

The fragrance of bergamot wafting up to my nose.

Being the fairly boring person I am…plus not wanting to over eat because I still had an afternoon (and what turned out to be another full day) in front of me. I ordered the same two items I did last time.

Starting with my favorite meze; the Antipezme (acili ezme). This was much better than what I'd had on my previous visit; nice smokey tones of paprika, good acidity, and a surprising dose of spice. The lavas however was too hard and crumbly; lacking any stretch.

I was worried about my Lahmacun, but it was very well done and quite satisfying.

From the nice crisp edges to the tender center. Nicely balanced and well seasoned meat, this turned over some nice memories for me. Sweet-savory-acidity, it does the trick. I know I always say this….but I gotta return more often.

Sultan Baklava
770 4th Ave
San Diego, CA
Hours:
Mon – Thurs 11am – 1030pm
Fri – Sum 11am – 1130pm

Sultan was one of those places for the Missus and I….it inspired us to travel to Turkey, not once, but twice all those years ago. Sitting, finishing up my tea all those memories returned.

From the bustling and historic Istanbul.

To the exotic land of "fairy chimneys", "underground cities", and cathedrals build into mountainsides; Cappadocia.

To the historic ruins of Ephesus and even the wonderful Mediterranean city of Antalya.

We saw, learned, and ate so much. Those images are imprinted in my mind…….

Bologna – Trattoria Tony

February 21, 2019 mmm-yoso Emilia-Romagna, Italy, Italian Restaurants, Italy, Travel

After exploring San Petronio Basilica and having a snack at Sfoglia Rina we wandered around a bit. There is quite a bit to see in Bologna and we only scratched the surface during our time here. We were ending our trip to Emilia-Romagna in Bologna and we still had two more fairly busy days ahead, so we decided just to take in the city a bit and wander around.

When visiting the city; you really can't miss "Le Due Torri"; the Two Towers one of the symbols of the city. It is said that there were once over a hundred of these towers in the city which were used to symbolize wealth, power, and for a more practical purpose; to protect and watch over the owners holdings. Today there are about 20 of these left.

We headed down bustling Via Rizzoli and took a random right on Via dell'Indipendenza, then took another left and ended up at what looked like a church.

This is the Chiesa dei Filippini Madonna di Galliera e Filippo Neri….wow, talk about a mouthful. Curious, we decided to take a look.

The structure was badly damaged by bombs in 1944, but was painstakingly restored to its current state and reopened to the public in 1999.

It was a fun stop for us; a nice little respite on this walk.

It was time for us to check into our apartment; so we headed back.

Down this somewhat ominously named street.

The street of "discontent"?

As we got close to the apartment; we noticed a crowd around his window.

So we took a look…..and saw….well, what looked like a stream?

Apparently there once was a whole system of canals throughout the city….most of which are now underground. This is one of the few places where you can catch a glimpse of Bologna's "hydraulic" system that once powered the city.

We relaxed a bit and took a short nap. We decided to stay fairly close by for dinner and just randomly chose this little Trattoria.

The place soon filled up with people who looked like they were headed home from work; the odd family, students, and well, us….the token tourists.

The menu had all of the regional standards. We read that this little trattoria has been here since 1968.

Soon enough the paper bag of bread landed at our table.

We never really enjoyed the bread in Emilia-Romagna; it's hard, dry, and pretty much tasteless. Though we did try the one that looks like it belongs at the end of a medieval weapon.

The Tagliere Salumi e Forgaggi was quite good; especially the Parmesan Reggiano; it was obviously aged a bit because of all the tyrosine crystals.

The mortadella was the best of the salumi.

This time it was the Missus who went with the Tortellini en Brodo.

The pasta was nice and tender; the filling well flavored. The broth was a little light and needed salt.

You do not get Spaghetti Bolognese in Bologna….in fact, there is no such dish in Bologna…except perhaps at a tourist restaurant. What you do get is the tagliatelle al ragù.

Hand made fresh pasta; with a slow cooked meat based sauce. The pasta was quite nice; good pull and texture. The meat in the sauce was rather hard and chewy. I enjoyed how the pasta was dressed as this could be on the rather rich side.

Overall, an okay dinner, it was also perhaps one of the cheapest meals we had on this trip. And, as you can tell, we didn't leave hungry.

Trattoria Tony
Via Augusto Righi 1/B
Bologna, Italy

We headed off to bed rather early…..tomorrow was going to be quite a busy day for us with lots of food involved.

Stay Tuned!

Harmony Pot Sticker

February 19, 2019 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants

**** Harmony Pot Sticker has closed

Last week I read in Eater San Diego that guotie shop had opened on Engineer Road. So, having some time on my hands this past long weekend, I decided to check them out. According to Eater, Harmony Pot Sticker is part of a chain from Shenyang. I showed the Missus photos and She told me it does look like that style of guotie.

The shop takes the place of Korean Meat Market.

The menu is fairly tight, pot stickers, soups, liang cai, porridge, and some drinks.

The pot stickers range from the $8.99 – $9.99 price range, which is definitely not cheap. The young folks working here were very polite and quite a pleasure.

I decided to start with the Smacked Cucumbers ($4.99); which turned out to be a pretty hefty portion.

This was a decent version of the dish; balanced flavors, and not to salty. So, I guess if you're not feeling like making whatever version of Pai Huang Gua (派黄瓜) at home, this might do it for you. It's also quite refreshing and helps cut through any greasiness….which is something I needed on this day with the Pork and Cabbage pot stickers ($8.99).

These did somewhat resemble the Qingdao Guotie that I enjoy; except that these are quite elongated and open at both ends so you can see the filling. The wrapper is decent; nice texture with a bit of "pull". It was pretty greasy and the filling really lacked flavor….to the point that I had to actually pour black vinegar into the pot stickers which added some oomph and helped to cut the grease.

Since I was behind on work; I went in on President's Day and decided to reward myself with lunch afterwards….I thought I'd give Harmony another try.

This time I started with the Jiang Niu Rou; the classic cold sliced braised beef ($6.99).

This was much more moist and tender than other versions I've had recently. Nice beefiness; that sauce added a touch of pungent spice. a very nice dish.

This time; I decided to have the Pork and Suan Cai Guotie ($9.99); to see if the Missus would like these.

The filling was much better this time around; it actually had a bit of flavor from the pickled cabbage which really added to things. And while this wasn't greasy at all; it wasn't crisp enough….notice how the bottoms are too light in color; it just lacked the crunch I was looking for. Also, ten bucks for this was kind of pushing it….we were heading into DTF pricing here.

At this point; I think I'll give this place a rest for a couple of weeks. I think it shows some potential and surprisingly; it's the non-guotie items that I enjoyed the most. And then maybe I'll be able to take the Missus here.

And while this is more of a "snack" type of place; two orders of guotie and one side dish might do it for two of you….if you're not big eaters.

Harmony Pot Sticker
7905 Engineer Rd.
San Diego, CA 92111
Hours:
Mon – Thurs 11am – 3pm, 5pm – 930pm
Sat – Sun 1130am – 930pm

What’s the Missus Craving? Santouka

February 18, 2019 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

Enjoying the wet and cold weather? I'm not minding it too much….though give me a couple more days of it and I might change that opinion. The colder weather had the Missus wanting ramen. Her choice? Well, if you've been reading this blog for a while that's an easy one, we even made to the tiny flagship shop in Japan. So nope; it ain't Menya Ultra….it's Santouka of course.

It's the shio toroniku all the way here. The drill is ordering a large bowl and natto-gohan and the Missus and I share. The pork cheek was especially flavorful this time around; the tongue-coating broth scalding….the thick sided bowl makes sure it stays that way for a while. The noodles were good, with a decent chew and stayed that way for the entire meal. Even more consistent….that egg….well, it's always over-cooked, but at least it's free.

Here's to consistency!

Santouka Ramen
4240 Kearny Mesa Rd(In the Mitsuwa Marketplace)
San Diego, CA 92111

Keep warm everyone!

Bologna – AF Tamburini, San Petronio Basilica, and Other “Stuffs”

February 17, 2019 mmm-yoso Emilia-Romagna, Italy, Italy, Markets & Grocers, Travel

While we were sad at having to leave Modena, it was time to head back to Bologna, and what was to be the last leg of our trip to Emilia-Romagna.

Our apartment was located just north of the city center, which made it quite convenient for us. We'd arrived a bit early, but were able to drop off our bags and head on out to get some lunch. We headed into the area called Quadrilatero; a wonderful maze of streets and home to the oldest market in Bologna. There are tons of little shops and we walked into the Librerie.coop Ambasciatori, a bookstore and home to Eatlaly in Bologna….no not the crazy Eataly World, but an interesting food shop in the middle of a bookstore.

Where you could browse the aisles for the latest bestseller…..for some reason, I still love bookstores….aaah, the fragrance of new books in the air….and perhaps, like us, purchase some porcini cream.

Librerie.coop Ambasciatori
Via degli Orefici 19
Bologna, Italy

And just steps away, next to the plaque of Father Marella, whom I read used to collect money for the poor and homeless on this corner is AF Tamburini; a pretty well known deli and wine bar.

And walking through the door….well; I could smell heaven.

There an interesting mix of locals and tourists here. The tourist go for the Prosciutto and Mortadella and other stuffs; while I had a few other things on my mind.

And of course we got some mortadella…..

Tamburini
Via Caprarie 1
Bologna, Italy

And while we wondered around a bit more……

But in the end, we headed back to Piazza Maggiore.

To sit with the folks on the stairs of San Petronio Basilica and watch the crowds of Bologna pass by.

I gotta say; the ciccioli….all the wonderful parts of the pig was my favorite; like the best head cheese.

Such amazing diverse textures, so "swiney"….wonderful!

The Mortadella isn't your Mom's baloney….it was porky, but not salty.

The Culatello di Zebello was fine; cheesy,porky, slightly briney-sweet…..but perhaps by this time I was getting a bit jaded?

After our impromptu lunch; we decided to check out the Basilica.

And we're glad we did. As with so many of these historic religious structures there is so much to see and so many stories. For us; there was one thing that really stood out….it was on the floor.

It was a roped off interesting line that we tried to figure out.

In a roped out section of the Basilica is Cassini's meridian line. In which Cassini got permission to make a hole in the roof of the Basilica of San Petronio and put this strip on the floor.

Which is; in simple terms an astronomical calendar.

It was quite an interesting visit.

After our nice visit we headed back out and wouldn't you know…..we came across another church.

This one is the church of Santa Maria Della Vita.

As we wandered the city, we came to appreciate the vibrant youthful feel along with the history.

And soon enough, we came upon a bustling shop where the Missus grabbed a snack.

So, the Missus enjoyed Her snack….what is interesting is that Sfoglia refers to old style pasta made by hand in the region. So perhaps next time.

Sfoglia Rina
Via Castiglione 5A
Bologna, Italy

We were enjoying our time in Bologna!

Clearing Out the Memory Card – Revisits to Tribute Pizza and Aqui es Texcoco

February 16, 2019 mmm-yoso Italian Restaurants, Mexican Restaurants, Pizza

Just clearing out the memory card of places I've posted on numerous times.

Tribute Pizza:

It had been over six months since we'd been to Tribute and the Missus had burnt out on pizza (if you notice that visit to Tribute was "pizza-less"). But finally She was ready to have some pizza again recently and requested a visit to Tribute.

We did the usual….the Sea Salt Foccacia with 'Nduja

The Meat, Cheese, and Veg Board….with all the veggies. Loved the venison salumi and Drunken Goat ("Queso de Murcia") is another cheese we enjoy.

I'd forgotten that the board came with focaccia as well.

Since it was Happy Hour; we also ordered the Biancoverde; which turned out to be just too much food.

But the Missus enjoys cold pizza…… And we enjoyed our visit.

Tribute Pizza
3077 N Park Way
San Diego, CA 92104

Aqui es Texcoco:

Another place I hadn't been to in ages….like almost a year! Since the Missus's work schedule changed, we didn't have time for breakfasts on weekends anymore or were just too tired when Saturday came around.

I finally got back right after Christmas. And it was as good as ever.

Which was relief since it seems that many of our "regular" spots have been starting to disappoint us recently.

Aqui Es Texcoco
1043 Broadway
Chula Vista, CA 91911

Hope you're keeping warm and having a great weekend!

Revisits – Pho Lucky and Pho King

February 15, 2019 mmm-yoso Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

Man, talk about some rain! Hope everyone made it home or to their destinations safely this week!

Here are a couple of revisits for you.

Pho Lucky:

Well, even though the Bo Kho was good on my last visit; I was still wondering about the last couple of bowls of pho I had there. One bowl was terrible; the other barely ok. Our recent chilly and then wet weather made for a nice opportunity to revisit what was once my favorite place for pho in San Diego.

I ordered my usual; the #4; well done flank, brisket, tendon, and tripe….or perhaps as they spell in on the menu "stripe". Soon enough the herbs and spouts arrived, the ngo gai and everything else was sparkling fresh. Then the bowl arrived…and…..

It was seriously defatted, extremely dark, and while it had a mild beefiness and light anise tones, it was much too sweet. Sigh……what a bummer.

The noodles were nicely done and not in a clump; "hallelujah".

The flank was too tough, though the brisket quite nice, beefy and tender, the tripe was passable, but the tendon, once a strong point here was too hard.

Oh how the mighty have fallen. I need to start searching for a go-to pho place….. Because other than the bo kho…well, the pho doesn't seem to cut it any longer.

Pho Lucky
9326 Mira Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92126

Pho King:

About every six months or so; I just want the Hu Tieu Mi Kho from Pho King.

Over the years; this bowl of textures, the slightly crunchy egg noodles (mi), and the stretchy, starchy, tapioca noodles (hu tieu). Also, the bowl here has changed over the years as it no longer has any "krab" in it….which to me is no loss. Also, the amount of sprouts and Chinese celery has gone down a bit as well. Still, when the clear broth is not too salty or sweet, it makes for a satisfying meal for me.

On this visit; I noticed the pork and soy sauce broth, didn't have as much pork in it as usual. The clear broth was nice….not too salty nor artificially "sweet". The shrimp was cooked nicely, the squid….well, as usual, "meh". As I mentioned in a previous post I take my time with this dish (you can read about how I eat it as well). It was nice; nothing spectacular….but that's not what I was looking for on this day.

There used to be a really friendly, rather short guy working here….I believe he's the owner's son. I last saw him maybe 5-6 years ago. As a bonus, he was here on this day…apparently he'd been in Vietnam for the last couple of years. It was nice seeing him!

Maybe one day I'll try the Hieu Tieu My Tho again. But for now, I just wanted my "fix"

Pho King Restaurant
4658 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115