I was quite happy to see that Pho Lucky was reopening. Once upon a time we enjoyed the pho so much at Lucky that it was on our regular rotation. Over the years it did "pho" out of favor with us (sorry, I couldn't help it) but, at least for me I replaced the pho with the banh mi bo kho which was was my favorite version in San Diego. I was quite excited at the possibility of having the bo kho so I headed over the first chance I had.
Man, they've done a pretty nice job renovating the interior.
Being used to the "old" Pho Lucky, I was a bit taken aback when I was greeted with a smile and lead to my table. Everyone was quite pleasant.
I was given a menu…and sadly, there was no bo kho on it. When I asked, I was told that "maybe it might be added in the future". For now; it's almost all pho. So, since I was going to get the pho, I went with a small bowl of the #3 ($10.95)….which used to be the #4 in the good old days, the well done flank, brisket, tendon, and tripe….which they spell as "stripe" on the menu.
One left over procedure from before is the delivery of utensils and napkins in a basket.
What was totally different from days of yore, is that metal bowls are now used to serve the pho.
In terms of appearance, the broth wasn't cloudy if a bit overly defatted.
In terms of flavor, I took a quick sip of the broth just as it was delivered and…..sigh…..just slightly beefy and it had that feature of "San Diego Pho"…..the broth was overly sweet and quite thin.
I was glad to see not one, but two leaves of ngo gai….I must have hit the jackpot!
I then went to check the noodles….and sigh number two….it was in a clump in the bottom of the bowl.
I did notice something interesting as I went to add the bean sprouts to my pho. It was studded with ice! I guess this is what keeps those sprouts fresh and crisp? Not a great move to add to your pho though…..
As for the proteins….well, the two items I really enjoy were on the endangered list. The tendon was nice and tender; but only two small slices, and only two little wisps of tripe. I guess they might have a "two per customer" limit? The flank was decently tender and quite beefy, while the brisket was on the drier side.
Sadly, the noodles were mushy.
And sad kind of sums my feeling; though I did feel a bit out of sorts. When I thought about things, I wondered when was the last time I actually dined in and had pho…it was in March of 2020! Before the pandemic. Keep in mind that we have over 145 pho related posts. Geez, it had been so long. I'll give Lucky a "pass" this time around and drop by in a couple of months to see what's up.
Meanwhile, I need to drop by Duyen Mai, after all….
Pho Lucky
9326 Mira Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92126
Have a great week everyone!
