My lunch at Izakaya Sakura had me missing the "good 'ol days"….times when gas wasn't hitting seven bucks a gallon, when I wouldn't give a second thought to dining in, and all those places I used to frequent. I'd been craving the Bun Bo Hue from Mien Trung. I'd done takeout from Mien Trung a couple of times since the pandemic started, but for me; it just wasn't the same. With the recent cooler weather, I decided to head on down at around 9am and take a peek to see if they were busy.
The place was empty except for two "regulars" who were joking around (quite loudly) with Boo, the gentleman who has taken over running the place from his mom and dad.
He was quite pleased to see me actually sitting at a table that he came out and shook my hand, then chided me for not coming more often! After all; I'd been a regular customer here since 2006! Man, can you believe the Bun Bo Hue here used to be $4.99 back then? It's now $12; which in consideration of prices these days, I think is relatively reasonable.
Anyway, I placed my order….you know what I got, right? And Boo came over and we chatted about the last couple of years, how costs have gone crazy, and so forth.
When my Bun Bo Hue arrived he said "time to eat" and left me to enjoy my scalding, spicy bowl of Bun Bo Hue. It used to be that I'd have to add chili oil to my soup, but these days it's more than spicy enough. I think my tolerance has waned over the years. The veggies are added, I give things a good mix…….I love to track the change in texture to the veggies as the hot soup slowly works its magic. I do still add a bit on mam tom for that savory "kick".
The rustic slices of meat, the chewy pork hock, the firm but slippery bun………
In case you're wondering if I enjoyed this…..
For a few minutes everything seemed right in the world. Perhaps I should have worn a light colored shirt in honor of Ed from Yuma who would without fail always wear some light colored shirt when we ate here. He'd leave full and happy, with red specks all over his shirt; a badge of honor, perhaps? Well, maybe next time. As I'm pretty sure and hope that they'll be many "next times".
Mien Trung Restaurant
7530 Mesa College Dr
San Diego, CA 92111
This post is for "FOY" – KT, who enjoys the Vietnamese food options in San Diego!