Bun Bo Hue – Page 6

The Revised Rotation

July 25, 2007 mmm-yoso Bakery, Bun Bo Hue, Chinese Restaurants, Japanese Restaurants, Korean Restaurants, Lao Restaurants, Plate Lunch, Salvadoran Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

I’ve been blessed by blogging. Through our humble little food blog, I’ve gotten to know so many wonderful, kind, and generous people. It’s also great to know that I’m not the only (slightly…) food obsessed person out there. I’m very happy to call Howie, who does the Foodieview, a friend.

Case in point, over the last year (yes, year…) I’ve received a few emails and comment, asking me when I’m going to update "My Rotation". Those would be the restaurants the Missus and I think about when we make plans to eat, whether it’s the two of us, or dinner with friends, or something similar in nature. I had thought that a post was in order, but didn’t quite know how to approach the whole thing. Suddenly it came to me(though it could have been gas….but we’ll never know), I remembered Howie’s post on embedding restaurant maps in posts. I thought it was pretty neat, and Howie was nice enough to demo what mmm-yoso’s map would look like…..it did look like 300 map links stacked on one another….it seemed like I’ve been eating in the same place like a couple of hundred times! Now, I know Howie’s a really busy guy, but I mentioned updating my rotation to Him, and sent him a list of places on our revised rotation, and to my surprise a short itme later I received a response. And there was a map! You can see a more detailed map with info here. So without further ado, here’s Howie’s work:

Pretty cool, huh?

The Bun Bo Hue Dossier – My Favorites

July 11, 2007 mmm-yoso Bun Bo Hue, Vietnamese Restaurants

I thought I'd do a quick "top-two" post of restaurants that serve my favorite versions of Bun Bo Hue in San Diego. Bun Bo Hue has sort of become one of my "new comfort dishes", I enjoy the spicy and deceptively "rustic" broth. I say deceptively rustic, because at first glance Bun Bo Hue broth appears quite mundane. But when sipping the broth of a good bowl of Bun Bo Hue, you'll realize how finely nuanced this soup really is……the upfront spiciness, the aromatic, bright, and faux citrus tones of lemongrass, the earthy saltiness of fish sauce, and sometimes a touch of fermented shrimp paste. Okay, back to planet Earth…..here are my two favorite versions of Bun Bo Hue in San Diego.

Mien Trung:

Since we've been eating at Mien Trung about once a week, I'll need to add it to my "rotation" whenever I get around to updating it.

Recently, Mien Trung was closed for almost a month. I remember parking in the lot, walking over, reading the note announcing closure, and pressing my face against the window, a junkie in need of his Bun Bo Hue fix! Luckily, Mien Trung reopened on the 27th of June. Why were they closed? Per the really nice young man who always seems to serve us: "Mom was on vacation. No Mom, no soup!" LOL!

For a more detailed post please read either this post, or this post. To get to the point, the most balanced, flavorful, broth, noodles that are always served a perfect al dente, and we always get a piping hot bowl. It seems that all the little things are thought of. The only items that I really have any issue with, is the sometimes dry beef, the think and hard beef tendon, and a pork hock that is tough and sometimes without meat. I've been told that the food at Mien Trung is what "very good home cooking should be like".

I received a email that warmed my heart, and brought a smile to my face a while back. It was from one of my favorite FOYs(that would be Friend of Yoso). Here's what Trang had to say about Mien Trung:

"My sisters and I only get together about once a year and usually it is during the Thanksgiving week. This past month, I forwarded your post about Mien-Trung restaurant to my sisters with a short message "we will go here when you come".

Last Sunday, the three of us excitedly got to Mien-Trung. You should have heard the way we ooohed and aaahed at each item while looking at the restaurant menu (You probably would have thought we had not eaten real food in years). We ordered a feast of bun bo Hue (special large bowl of course), bun rieu, banh nam, banh bot loc, and banh beo.

What a tasty lunch we had. The bun-bo at Mien Trung tasted exactly like it is supposed to taste. The banh beo tasted like the afternoon snacks I used to eat at food stands in central Vietnam over thirty years ago. But the star of the meal was the banh bot loc, we absolutely loved the generous portion of the filling, its slightly chewy dough, and how they used meat broth rather than plain water to flavor the dough.

After the meal, I got up to pay but what I really wanted was to hear the cashier’s accent so I could locate his origin. Unfortunately, the cashier was a high school age young man who spoke to me in 100% California accented English. As we leave, my sister pointed to the TV and asked the older gentleman behind the cashier about the DVD that was playing in the background. He answered back in his perfect Hue accent. All three of us sisters agreed that there had to be a Hue woman cooking in the kitchen."

I really don't have anything to add, except to thank Trang, for such a wonderful story!

Mien Trung
7530 Mesa College Drive
San Diego, CA 92111

Open Tues-Sun 9am-8pm

Hoai Hue Deli/Food To Go:

Located in a slightly dicey location on El Cajon Boulevard, right below an Alcoholics Anonymous and a Tattoo Parlor, Hoai Hue Deli makes my second favorite version of Bun Bo Hue.

Ed from Yuma takes over from here:

"The bun bo hue ($5) was quite good. The sliced beef was as tender and flavorful as any I ever remember having in bbh. The 1” slice of meaty pork hock replaced the usual meatless pig foot. Instead of slices of tendon, the soup had two huge knots of chewy tendon that I liked a lot. The spicy broth had bits of red chili floating in it and presented a nice balance between chili heat, meaty flavors, citrus tang, and fermented shrimp paste funk. When I thought that Kirk would probably like it more funky, I looked over at the condiment tray and spied a whole small tub of fermented shrimp paste. While not packed with noodles, the amount was certainly adequate for a $5 lunch."

My post can be found here. If not for Mien Trung, this would be my favorite.

Hoai Hue Deli/Food To Go
4776 El Cajon Blvd Ste 106
San Diego, CA 92115

There are times when I'm feeling quite tired, burnt out, just out of places and ideas. It doesn't happen very often, but I'm human, so it does occur. But it seems that every time I feel that way, I get an email that inspires me…usually with a combination of infectious enthusiasm, wonder, recommendations, or the like. Back in January, I received this email from JonO, and I couldn't help but smile:

"Had my first bowl of bun bo hue last night"

"And was it ever the good stuff… I don't need to tell you how good, it'd be preaching the choir, but it was good… really good. One of those ahhhhhhhhhhhhyeah! food moments…"

A few months later:

"Mein Trung

Finally! Got the bun bo hue and a lemonade. I see what you mean about the broth… lots of subtleties in there. Lots of nasty bits – gristle, well done flank, and a yummy knuckle to gnaw of. Great atmosphere on a Saturday late-morning, bright light and lots of families showing up to grub. I'll be back here for sure, wanna try that Bun Rieu."

Jon has kept me up to date with a running commentary on his "noodling around" , and it keeps me inspired.

So, I'd just like to thank everyone, Pheth, Carol, Jon, Trang, and all those who send me those wonderful, funny, enthusiastic, heartfelt, (oh, I could go on and on) emails! This post is for all of you!

Pho Van

December 27, 2006 mmm-yoso Bun Bo Hue, Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

If you drive on El Cajon Boulevard, you must have passed Pho Van many times, and if you’re like me, I’m sure you’ve wondered, "Hmmm, Pho Van I wonder how good the Pho is there…." And have just driven off down the road. After all Pho Van is located a few blocks away from the main "strip" of Vietnamese markets, restaurants, and businesses on El Cajon Boulevard.

But, if you’re like me…I think my buddy, Diet Chili Cheese Fries recently called me a "Pho Whore"(Check out the comments), though I prefer "Pho Bo Ho", you will actually make an effort to stop and check out the Pho. Pho Van is located in a pretty quiet location, and though it seems that parking may be at premium, there is a small parking lot down the alley, to the rear of the restaurant.

The interior is not quite as small as you think, but the decor screams generic Pho kitchen.

I entered and found my own seat, and almost immediately a menu was slapped onto the table, and the Server stood there, poised, pencil in hand, tapping his foot, and I hadn’t even opened my menu yet….but being an experienced Pho-nephile, I knew how to handle the situation, so it was going to be really easy. I opened the menu…….. and couldn’t find any Pho! What the Pho??? Now with a pair of eyes staring unwaveringly upon me, I was thoroughly discombobulated, I had to order something, and got the……

Bun Bo Hue($4.50), what else?

The garnishes were on the skimpy side, though it did include Tiet To(Purple Perilla) and Mint. I found the amount of shredded cabbage and bean sprouts to be pretty small.

The Bun Bo Hue arrived piping hot, but it wasn’t much good. The broth was nice and spicy, but very flat, and other than the heat, didn’t have much flavor. The pork hock had some tender meat, but the meat tasted a bit "off", the Gio Lua (Lean pork sausage) was fine, but any thick cut beef was a rare find indeed.

The noodles were overcooked and mushy.

I had also ordered some Cha Gio($4.25 for 4), and in keeping with the meal, they arrived when I was almost done with my Bun Bo Hue:

I could’ve gotten 2 for $2.50, but what I should have done was get 0 for $0.00. I really didn’t care for these, it seemed to be mostly filler, and the wrapper was too thick, having been folded over several times. What do you think?

So much for feeding the Pho obsession….as I paid for my meal, I grabbed a menu, and there it was, Pho…..I was given a menu that was missing the first page, the page with the Pho on it!

So being the Pho-natic that I am, I paid another visit to Pho Van, and this time ordered the Pho Dac Biet Xe Lua (Special – Extra Large Bowl, $5.00).

The garnishes arrived first, and though there was only one sprig of Basil, the garnishes included Ngo Gai, which was very fresh. I found the various meat to be on the very tough and fatty side, and the amount of Tripe to be minuscule. The noodles were in a clump in the bottom of the bowl and was very mushy. At first glance I thought that the broth would be pretty good, the color was good, and the oil content looked to be adequate. But the broth turned out to be way too salty, I couldn’t even finish half of the broth.

Bummer, I’m always on the look-out for a good bowl of Pho, especially with the recent cooler weather.

So what can I say about Pho Van? Well, the prices are very reasonable and the service is very fast, though cool and detached, no different from any number of restaurants. Since everyone else I saw eating at Pho Van was getting Pho or another noodle soup, I really see no reason to return.

Pho Van Restaurant
4233 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92105

Oh, and this post is dedicated to Diet Chili Cheese Fries……one of my favorite lines is from a movie that is a favorite of ours…"Eat the Pho!"

Da Nang Food to Go

November 6, 2006 mmm-yoso Bun Bo Hue, Vietnamese Restaurants

*** Da Nang Food to Go has closed

I'm not quite sure how many times I've passed this little restaurant on El Cajon Boulevard. And I've lost count of the times I've attempted to find parking within a reasonable distance to Da Nang Food to Go. This little restaurant has but 7 little parking stalls that is shared between 3 businesses, and maybe the few stalls in the parking lot of the 7-11 next door, and the curb out front is a no parking zone. So, each time we drove past Da Nang Restaurant, we'd always end up somewhere else…possibly Nhu Y, which is right up the street, or Thien Thanh. But there's a reason we've been pretty persistent about getting a meal here….just read the signs.

Yep, it says Banh Bot Loc, Banh Beo, and most of all Bun Bo Hue. A quick look at the map and you'll see that the city of Da Nang is located in Central Vietnam, South of Hue, and right smack dab on the South China Sea. Even more reason to try and grab a meal here.

We finally figured that we would need to eat there during the evening when the businesses around the restaurant were closed, and indeed on a recent Monday evening the entire parking lot(all 7 stalls) were empty. We felt like we hit the lottery! The interior of this little restaurant is….well quite small, and most of the business seems geared toward take out orders.

The menu at Da Nang Food to Go is small, and limited to mostly Central Vietnamese style dishes. Which for us is a good thing….it usually means a pretty darn good bowl of Bun Bo Hue.

We started with an order of Banh Bot Loc($3.00):

A plate of 8 plump and moist and sticky tapioca flour dumplings made it's way to our table…we could smell the freshly fried shallots, which started our stomachs rumbling. These Banh Bot Loc didn't have an abundance of the smokey, tea like flavor imparted by being wrapped and steamed in banana leaves for a long period of time, but each dumpling held a very tasty piece of shrimp, and a small piece of pork that was a bit less fatty and tough as is normal for Banh Bot Loc. The Nuoc Mam Cham, was slightly spicy and sweet, almost approaching the flavor of sweet chili sauce.

Our garnishes arrived as we were eating our Banh Bot Loc.

In this case mostly bean sprouts….

The Missus ordered Her latest favorite soup Bun Rieu($5.00):

This version of Bun Rieu had a very cloudy broth, with a pronounced sour flavor. It wasn't bad…just different. The noodles were the standard "Bun", the version a bit thinner than the noodles in Bun Bo Hue. The noodles were firm and a perfect al dente. The best thing about the soup was the very good fish cake, and the wonderfully flavored seafood "meatball". The fish cake had a wonderful flavor, and texture. Fried tofu topped everything off. We noticed that this version of Bun Rieu did not have as much tomato as other versions we've had. To sum it up, a not bad bowl of piping hot soup.

I of course had the Bun Bo Hue (no blood – $5.00):

As with the Bun Rieu, this slightly spicy broth was on the cloudy side, and the broth a bit more sour, and not as pungent than I'm used to. The noodles were good and firm. The slices of beef and tendon were okay, on the tough and dry side, and the Pork Hock was most skin. What made this bowl of Bun Bo Hue stand out was the Gio Lua (lean sausage), it had a very strong smokey fragrance, the large pieces of black pepper added a nice zip, and the flavor of the sausage was also a bit more "porky-meaty" than what I'm used too. The dark color also made it a bit unique.

We found out that Da Nang, as many restaurants do, makes their own Gio Lua. In fact, as we ate three people came in to buy the Gio Lua…who knows, I may drop by and pick up one of these banana leaf-wrapped, meat-paste product myself……

Though in our opinion the Bun Bo Hue and Bun Rieu at Da Nang is not as good as Mein Trung, I'd still give it a try again….and order something else like the Bun Mit Thit Ba Roi(Vermicelli with Pork and Jackfruit), or the Bun Mang Vit(Vermicelli, Bamboo shoot and Duck soup), or the Mi Quang, or…….after all, I'm guessing you all are getting pretty tired of my obsession with Bun Bo Hue by now!

Da Nang Food to Go (aka Quan an Da Nang)
4745 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

Mien Trung Part 2

October 30, 2006 mmm-yoso Bun Bo Hue, Vietnamese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

I first heard of Mein Trung when the Twins at Sandwich Emporium mentioned both Mein Trung and Hoai Hue Deli as having the best two versions of Bun Bo Hue in San Diego. And while we were on vacation, the ever intrepid Cathy managed a visit and write up, so please read it first here. Think of this as a sort of addendum to Her visit.

I was told that Mien Trung didn’t actually serve Bun Bo Hue in the restaurant until recently. At first the Bun Bo Hue was only made for "catering" orders, and you can still see that today, as people arrive bringing in large metal pots to be filled, returned, or picked up wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. I guess the demand was finally large enough for Mien Trung to start serving Bun Bo Hue in the little restaurant on Mesa College Drive. So let’s start with the food……

The Bun Bo Hue Dac Biet($4.99):

The Bun Bo Hue broth is very balanced, neither too sour, spicy, pungent, or oily. I’d say that the broth has a great attribute, that I really can’t put my finger on, or my tongue around, I’ll just call it that complex something extra, a rich combination of flavors that makes a good bowl of Bun Bo Hue what it is. Another mention should go to the often under appreciated noodles which are always served at an excellent al dente state, I’ve often had my Bun Bo Hue with soft over cooked noodles, noodles that have been cut, or have some short coming that I don’t enjoy. The noodles also hold form during the whole eating process. I also enjoy the Gio Lua – the lean pork sausage, this version is studded with peppercorns which are a pleasant surprise. I do end up adding a small spoon or two of fermented shrimp paste, and maybe a bit of chili oil to give the broth an added punch. I’ve found that the other meat provided are pretty pedestrian; the thick cut beef is just okay and sometimes dry and tough, the tendon served is usually two to three small pieces that are of the thick cut variety and hard to eat. On occasion, the pork hock has a good bit of meat, that always feels like a bonus…sort of like the cherry on top of an ice cream sundae. This is possibly the best Bun Bo Hue in San Diego……

The Missus has found a new favorite noodle soup; it’s the Bun Rieu, She alternates between the Bun Rieu($4.50):

and the Bun Rieu Oc Dac Biet(Oc=snails $5.75):

She enjoyed these soups so much, that we had to return 5 times in the two weeks after we had returned to San Diego from our vacation. For those who’ve never had Bun Rieu, it’s a seafood based broth, traditionally made from a dark brown crab found in rice paddies. The crab is cleaned, than pound into a paste, shells and all, and strained several times. Eventually after this process is completed, the crab liquid is clarified, and the remaining meat is formed into patties. The soup is than made with the crab liquid, tomatoes, and other seasonings, resulting in Bun Bo Hue. I really don’t know how this soup is made, but it’s mighty good. You can still see the tasty "crab cake" that is provided, along with fried bean curd. The soup has an additional slightly sour flavor, and the fried shallots, sliced onion, and cilantro add wonderful flavor to the broth. You’ll find that the "Bun" is slightly thinner than the variety used for Bun Bo Hue. The Oc’, or snails really don’t have much flavor, and some Nuoc Mam Cham is provided for the slightly rubbery snails. After having this a few times, the Missus grew tired of them, and now gets Her own variation. She now asks for Bun Rieu "Dac Biet", while placing Her hands about 18 inches apart, and now gets a jumbo size bowl of Bun Rieu. You could say it’s the "Rieu thing"!

So while the Missus has been enjoying Her Bun Rieu, I’ve been exploring a few other dishes, like the Bun Mang Vit(Rice Vermicelli Soup with Bamboo Shoots and Duck$4.99):

The broth for the soup is on the lighter side, and the taste of the reconstituted dried bamboo shoots adds a woodsy flavor. Overall, I found the duck to be rather flavorless, and to me there really wasn’t enough bamboo in the soup. The soup comes with the usual topping of cilantro, fried shallots, and sliced onions. I still prefer the version at Chinese Kitchen, mainly for the amount of bamboo, and the flavorful duck. The broth at Mien Trung is more complex.

I also had a chance to try the Hen Xuc Banh Trang($4.99), and interesting appetizer, sort of like Chip n’ Dip with an attitude:

A plate of stir fried baby clams, topped with sliced onions and cilantro is the "dip". The clams are very mildly spicy, with the distinct taste of black pepper. A large toasted Sesame Cracker(the chip) is provided for scooping purposes.

I found the clams to be somewhat gritty, and the Missus thought the whole dish to be somewhat fishy. Funny thing, I took the leftover clams(it was quite a bit), and used them in my packaged ramen broth, and man did it taste good!

We also partook of a few of the Central Vietnamese "Banh" (Steamed Cake) dishes. Starting with the Banh Beo($3.75):

Man this was alot of Banh Beo! It was kind of on the dry side, but did it have alot of ground dried shrimp on it, but it never tasted very fishy. It was all topped off with two slices of Gio Lua.

The Banh Bot Loc($3.75):

These steamed tapioca flour dumplings filled with a piece of shrimp and pork is steamed and served in a piece of banana leaf that adds a wonderful smoky, almost tea like flavor to the dumpling. The Missus enjoyed the flavor, though thought the pork was very tough. It was served with a little dish of Nuoc Mam(fish sauce), with sliced red chilies in it that was super spicy…as in burn your lips of spicy.

The Ban Nam La($3.75), which Cathy covers in detail:

As I mentioned at the outset, for more details please read Cathy’s post on Mien Trung. Mien Trung has been added to rotation, the Missus peeked over my shoulder as I was typing this up, and said "mmmm, we need to get that this week!"

The service at Mien Trung is quick, and the folks are friendly, and the soup is always served hot.

Mien Trung
7530 Mesa College Drive
San Diego, CA 92111

Open Tues-Sun 11am-8pm

Episode 14/Week 2-Mien Trung – The best “spicy beef soup” ever!

October 14, 2006 Cathy Bun Bo Hue, Vietnamese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso is on vacation. The part usually played by Kirk will be played by Cathy in the interim.

Hi. I’ve been watching the Blue Angels Air Show all day today it seems. (There was a night show..little joke there…).

So, it is cold out…rained on and off all day and I’d like a little spice…and I know exactly the flavors I want. They are here: The one on the right, Mien Trung. (I told you about La Basil, the one on the left, in Episode four.).

Mien Trung has been in the same location for almost 10 years now. They do not advertise. They don’t have to . When you are good, word of mouth is your best advertisement.

Its family owned and run, the menu is simple and, technically, there is no Pho on the menu. The soup is listed under Bun- rice noodles. The broth is the *best* I have had in San Diego, bar none. The menu is

short and simple. 24 items total to choose from, not including beverages.

What we had tonight:

The #2- Bun Bo Hue Dat Biet (Large) $4.99- rice vermicelli soup with spicy beef…

Mom (in the kitchen) toned the spice down just a touch for us and it was perfect; I did not leave with my mouth glowing. The add ins were shredded cabbage and shredded lettuce and sprouts along with lime to squeeze in…

The broth here is unique- oily and with such deep, rich flavor. The rice noodles are not in a clump, but properly cooked and spread apart in the bowl. The beef, tendon and meatloaf are extremely flavorful, thicker cut, juicy. Every time we have eaten here, the broth is wonderful and the food has been very fresh tasting…and we have always been asked upon leaving if it was to our liking.

My little "test" for a Vietnamese restaurant is what condiments are on the table.

There is NO soy sauce, NO hoisin sauce, TWO hot chili pepper sauces AND the shrimp paste, white pepper and fish sauce. (All of these places have fish sauce in Kikkoman soy sauce containers…what happens with the soy?).

The #9- Bun Cha Gio ($4.50) is unique here. The bun (rice noodles) are abundant, not in a clump, the bottom, ‘salad’ part of the dish is the same cabbage and lettuce mix that is used as the mix in for the Bun Bo Hue and not too much. The toppings are the traditional chopped peanuts, but then you get pickled vegetables, fried garlic and cilantro. The cha gio are filled with pork and some fungus and rice noodle, but are mostly meat. The sauce served with has a good bite to it and is not sweet nor too salty.

A lot of food for a small price.

This time we also opted for #22, Banh Bot Nam La, rice cake steamed in banana leaf. It was topped with ground pork and shrimp, which more like the #21 (Banh Bot Loc La) but in any case, tasted very good.

You get 8 banana leaves filled with the mixture. It is a nice add in to your other foods and had a good salty topping flavor. ($3.75) It is served with the same dipping sauce that was served with the Bun Cha Gio. It takes about 15 minutes for them to be steamed for you, but that timing works out so you can eat it with the rest of your food, since that will come out pretty fast.

We have also ordered the #8 Bun Thit Nuong- Bun with BBQ pork- $4.99-and it is excellent, tender and crispy with great flavor. Also the #12 Hen Xuc Banh Trang -pancake with baby clams- $4.99- is excellent. Baby clams are an acquired taste, though…

You should notice there is no mint and no basil served here, as sides or toppings, making this a different style of Vietnamese than you have probably tasted. From what I can tell from Google-ing, it is authentic Hue food.

There are all of eight tables and a brisk phone in/take out business. You really will like it here. Not for any fancy tables, chairs or plates (although pleasant music is playing at all times and the TV is set to interesting channels I don’t seem to be able to get ). You will like it for the quality of food and service. Care is taken with every plate served.

Mien Trung 7530 Mesa College Drive(at Linda Vista)(Next to K Sandwiches) San Diego 92111 (619) 576-0962

Tues-Sun 11a.m. to 8 p.m.

Hoai Hue Deli/Food To Go

August 31, 2006 mmm-yoso Bun Bo Hue, Vietnamese Restaurants, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

*** Hoai Hue has moved a couple of blocks west. You can find and updated post here.

I first heard about Hoai Hue during a conversation about Bun Bo Hue, that wonderful Spicy Beef Noodle soup originating from the city of Hue in Central Vietnam. In fact, several sources have told me that Hoai Hue makes either the best, or second best Bun Bo Hue in San Diego. So about 3 weeks ago, I finally made it to Hoai Hue Deli.

Much like the instructions I received for Chinese Kitchen, I wasn't given a name, just a general location, with one really good piece of information……it was downstairs from Hung's Tattoo Parlor and a AA office. I think this tells you about the neighborhood. The location is rather seedy, and the parking lot is full of double and triple parked cars(I park on the street). A Vietnamese coffee shop, Cafe Viet occupies the area fronting the street. Notice the bars on the windows. I immediately knew that Ed from Yuma would love this place.

The interior of the restaurant is small, with 7 little tables. There is one copy of the small (20 items) menu on the counter. You place your order, and declare whether you'll be doing take-out, or be eating on the premises.

On the table sits the standard plastic tray of condiments, a napkin dispenser, and eating utensils. I placed my order for a bowl of Bun Bo Hue($5), and had a seat. I had lucked out, and gotten the only open table in the place, and watched a steady flow of customers picking up take-out orders, all the while mentally rubbing my hands together in glee thinking, "man, all these customers can't be wrong, this place must really be good."

At last my Bun Bo Hue arrived, along with the garnishes.

As you can see, the garnishes left much to be desired; a sprig of mint, lettuce, some bean sprouts, 2 whole chilies, and a wedge of lime.

The Bun Bo Hue, was a whole 'nother story:

The broth was good, very balanced between the flavor of beef, spiciness, and just a hint of sour. The pungent flavor I enjoy in Bun Bo Hue was missing, but I added some of the shrimp paste from the condiment tray to bring it up to my taste. The thick slices of beef were tender and had a good flavor. The tendon was served in pretty thick chunks that were borderline inedible. But the star of the show was the Pork Hock.

There was a good amount of soft and flavorful meat, instead of the usual, "inner tube on a bone" that most places serve. I also enjoyed the vermicelli, which seemed to be a bit thicker than the noodles served in most Bun Bo Hue. Overall, a pretty good bowl of Bun Bo Hue.

At that point I thought, I'd just do a Bun Bo Hue Dossier post, except that a few menu items caught my attention. Well, there can be only a few menu items, since the menu was really small. So, I decided to return in a few days, only to be derailed by a nasty virus. In the interim Ed from Yuma managed to pay Hoai Hue a visit. His post on Chowhound can be found here.

So this past week, finally recovered, I talked the Missus into having dinner at Hoai Hue. As we arrived and parked on the street, the Missus turned to me and said: "You have got to be kidding?" Ah yes, we had arrived. We entered and walked up to the counter. This time, when we tried to order, there was a communication problem….that is, no one spoke any English. Finally, someone from the kitchen who understood what we were ordering was found. There seemed to be at least 5 or 6 people working in the kitchen. Ordering done, we sat, and soon enough our food started arriving.

Banh Beo($2.75):

10 discs of rice cake smothered with ground shrimp, and topped with pork rinds and green onions, these had alot of flavor, and were much better than the version at Pho Tu Do. The Missus thought them a bit too fishy, but I enjoyed the texture and flavor.

Banh It($2.75):

These very filling balls of steamed rice flour were filled with shrimp and ground pork, and were not as oily as the version at Pho Tu Do. Our only complaint would be that these were served cold.

Banh Bot Loc($2.50):

Delivered steaming to our table were these tapioca starch dumplings wrapped in banana leaves. Those leaves imparted a smoky, tea-like fragrance and flavor to the Banh Bot Loc. The dumplings themselves were filled with shrimp and pork, and were the hit of the meal.

The Missus and I also split the Bun Bo Hue Dac Biet($6), the house special Bun Bo Hue, which came in a huge bowl.

The Missus has started enjoying Bun Bo Hue, Her favorite being the version at Pho Ca Dao. The difference, other than the quantity of ingredients, is the addition of two thick(3/4") slices of Gio Lua(Lean Pork Sausage). On this occasion, the three huge and thick slices of tendon were too tough and inedible, and the beef dry. I was wondering if the crew was just finishing up for the day, and perhaps things were just slowing down. The Missus enjoyed the noodles, She is not a fan of the vermicelli in most bowls of Bun Bo Hue, but enjoyed this version, though She found the broth lacking in rich saltiness and added fermented shrimp paste as well.

We ended up taking home about half of the appetizers, and enjoyed them a bit later on. As we were leaving we spotted two Women thoroughly enjoying themselves, they were having the same items we were, except they each had their own bowl of Bun Bo Hue. At the pace they were keeping, don't think they were going to have any leftovers……

Hoai Hue Deli/Food To Go
4776 El Cajon Blvd Ste 106
San Diego, CA 92115

Open Daily 8am – 7pm

The Bun Bo Hue Dossier – Thien Thanh

August 22, 2006 mmm-yoso Bun Bo Hue, Vietnamese Restaurants, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

*** Update Thien Thanh has since closed, you can find that post here.

In stark contrast to the hottest July I can remember, we’re having a pretty mild August. So in spite of the bad case of conjunctivitis(since resolved), and a nasty respiratory virus that needs to run its course(I sound like I’m trying out for a Barry White tribute band), soup’s on the menu.

Recently we made another trip to Thien Thanh. While the Missus stuck with Her usual Bun Cha Gio(Cold Noodles w/Egg Rolls), I decided to try out Ed from Yuma’s favorite bowl of Bun Bo Hue.

Though most items on the menu are more expensive than other Vietnamese restaurants in the area, there are several things which set Thien Thanh apart. One of which is how very bright and clean the restaurant is.

Another are the really fresh herbs and garnishes that are provided. So fresh, that they seem to have been picked right before your bowl of soup hits the table.

On this day, it seemed like the garnish plate was a bit on the skimpy side. But I understood why when my bowl of Bun Bo Hue hit the table (Large – $6.50):

A good amount of Rau Ram(Vietnamese Coriander), and Basil had already been torn up and sprinkled on top of the Bun Bo Hue. So with just a touch of Tiet To(Purple Perilla), and some mint, I went at it. The broth was quite interesting, spicy, yet the usual "fishy"(fermented shrimp paste) element was muted. I also noticed that the broth was on the sour side; I had the Missus confirm that there was a very distinct lime-citrus component(think Tom Yum) to the Bun Bo Hue. The noodles were the standard spaghetti-like vermicelli, provided in abundance.

Along with the standard Pig’s Feet and thick cut Beef, were a few slices of Gio Lua(Lean Pork Sausage). The fat on the beef were really tough, and the beef was dry. On the positive side, the pork hock had some flavorful meat on it, and not only the inner-tube like layer of skin.

Overall, I thought this was a very filling, decent bowl of Bun Bo Hue. Not the best I’ve had but pretty good.

Thien Thanh has quite an interesting menu. In the near future I’m hoping to make my way through the Bun Cha Hanoi(can you imagine how good those veggies will be!), Curry Lamb, Bun Mang Vit, and the Bun Mam. I don’t know, anyone interested in seeing posts about those? Or would you like me just to move on????

Thien Thanh Vietnamese Restaurant
4658 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

Sun-Thurs 8am-9pm
Fri-Sat 8am-10pm

Pho Tu Do

July 25, 2006 mmm-yoso Bun Bo Hue, Vietnamese Restaurants

*** Pho Tu Do has closed, and will reopen as a Sushi-Teriyaki Restaurant.

A few months ago; the "Twins" from Sandwich Emporium mentioned Pho Tu Do, and specifically, the various "Khai Vi"(appetizers) on the menu. Peter(or was it John) mentioned that the appetizers on the menu at Pho Tu Do are pretty hard to find in San Diego. Then, a few weeks later Howie of a A Foodie View, and His friend Codergirl also mentioned the unique(for San Diego) appetizers at Pho Tu Do. So last week, I finally made it to Pho Tu Do.

As I parked my car, I realized that I had eaten here several years earlier, and had a very mediocre bowl of Pho. But this time I was in search of something other than Pho.

Unlike many other Vietnamese Restaurants, the menu at Pho Tu Do is short; about 8 appetizers, 20 soup and Com Tam(broken rice) items, 13 beverages, and 4 desserts. It sure makes ordering easy – no "Vietnamese Menu Overload" here!

On this visit I started with Banh It-Banh Ram($3.75):

Two sticky, glutinous rice balls, with a mochi like texture is filled with shrimp and diced pork, lay on top of a fried croquette also filled with shrimp and pork. All topped off with green onions, that seem to be partially cooked, and ground shrimp. Served with a little bowl of Nuoc Mam Cham.

Though these appetizers were a bit on the heavy and oily side, the contrasting textures; the gooey glutinous sweet rice ball, against the slightly crunchy deep fried crouquette, were interesting. It was also a challenge to eat, being very hard to cut and quite hot. The shrimp tasted quite interesting, having a flavor that edged toward that of re hydrated dried shrimp, though not quite as intense. The shrimp also looked like it had been cooked in annatto oil, or some other annatto based product. Overall a very interesting appetizer.

Having also heard that the Owners of Pho Tu Do(don’t know if it’s true or not) where from Central Vietnam, I decided to try the Bun Bo Hue (small – $5). The garnishes that arrived were on the skimpy side.

Though the bowl of Bun Bo Hue was quite large for a "small" bowl:

For me, this was a very disappointing bowl of Bun Bo Hue. First off the broth was cloudy and weak, and not very spicy at all(first time I’ve ever had to add slices of jalapeno to my Bun Bo Hue). The thick cut beef was very tough, though the slice of Pork Leg had some tasty edible meat on it. The noodles were overcooked and on the mushy side as well.

Still, I saw two other items on the menu that interested me. So, a few days later, I managed to talk the Missus into having dinner at Pho Tu Do. This time I ordered the Appetizer Sample Plate($6.00):

The tray arrived with 1 piece of the afore mentioned Banh It and 5 little plates of Banh Beo, each plate contained a little round rice cake, topped with fried pork, green onions, and ground shrimp. Topped with a touch of Nuoc Mam, I thought these were quite enjoyable.

But our hands down favorite item were the two pieces of Banh Bot Loc.

Two sticky "dumplings" made of tapioca flour is stuffed with shrimp and pork, and topped with ground shrimp and green onions. The ratio of filling to tapioca "cake" was perfect, as all of the flavors melded together in harmony. You could also still make out the flavor of the shrimp and the fatty pork, which kind of got lost in the huge glutinous Banh It. I think this would make a wonderful snack…..

We also got an order of Spring Rolls (Goi Cuon – $3.75).

These were okay, full of too much Bun, and not enough herbage to give it flavor. We both noticed that the Sot Dau Phong(peanut sauce) served with the spring rolls was very good.

The Missus ordered Her favorite hot weather dish Bun Cha Gio(vermicelli with Egg Rolls – $5.75):

This was a very large bowl of Bun. The Egg Rolls were very good, crisp and full of shrimp and pork flavor. The noodles were terrible, almost hot, and cut into small pieces, and over cooked. The only greens served with the Bun was a chiffonade of lettuce on the bottom of the bowl. Most puzzling was the Nuoc Mam Cham, on this visit, we both noticed that it was very weak in flavor, it tasted almost watered down, and even getting another bowl of the sauce didn’t help this dish, it just made it more watery. In the end, a very unrefreshing dish.

Still, every time we pass Pho Tu Do, we talk about stopping for a couple of orders of Banh Bot Loc…

The service at Pho Tu Do is quiet and efficient, and the clientele seemed to be mostly Vietnamese, in direct contrast to most other Vietnamese Restaurants in the area. Pho Tu Do almost always seems empty when viewed from the street, though when I’ve visited, there always seems to be a few people eating there.

Pho Tu Do
5430 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

Song Huong Food to Go

July 18, 2006 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Bun Bo Hue, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

Song Huong Food to Go is another little Mom-and-Pop hole-in-the-wall Vietnamese Diner/Snack Shop located on the corner of Menlo Avenue and El Cajon Boulevard.

This intersection of ECB, must feed a heck of alot of people. A Chau and Minh Ky, are right across the street, and Song Huong shares the strip mall with Thien Thanh Restaurant. Which is how we came to eat at Song Huong. After a recent visit to Thien Thanh, the Missus walked on over to Song Huong to order an Avocado Shake(which she thought was good, BTW). She noticed the Young Lady working there, who turned out to be the Owner’s Sister eating a pretty large bowl of Bun Rieu. So a few days later we dropped by for a quick meal.

The interior of Song Huong is small, and spartan, with a mere six tables, and boxes of supplies, and a cooler, along with the requisite high bar counter taking up most of the space.

The large middle table is usually occupied by family and friends, either reading, eating, or on one occasion participating in a very lively game of cards.

Song Huong also boasts an interesting variety of Banh Mi, all priced at $1.99:

I’m still waiting for Ed from Yuma’s opinion on the Sardine Banh Mi!

One quick look at the menu, and you’ll make an interesting observation. Most items are under $4.99!

In the mood for something spicy I ordered the Bun Bo Hue, the Spicy Noodle soup($4.50) without blood. A plate of "garnishes" soon arrived at the table.

The plate of herbs and veggies varies for Bun Bo Hue varies from restaurant to restaurant, and this version included mint, tiet to(purple perilla), shredded cabbage, bean sprouts, basil, and lettuce. Pretty much a little bit of everything.

A few minutes later the noodle soup arrived.

Like the garnishes, Bun Bo Hue varies from restaurant to restaurant. For example, many restaurants will serve the Bun Bo Hue, as an almost clear broth with chili oil added for heat, and a bowl of fermented shrimp paste and chili paste on the side. Pho Hoa Hiep, and Convoy Noodle House serve their Bun Bo Hue in this manner. I prefer having all the flavorings already added and mixed into the broth, like Pho Ca Dao does. This was the latter version. The broth for this Bun Bo Hue was very straightforward and to the point, nice and spicy, but not very complex. The shrimp paste flavor was also quite muted. In what I found to be a unique touch, Lean Pork Sausage(Gio Lua) was added to the various cuts of meat in the soup. The meats(Thick cut beef, tendon, and some inedible pork parts) were not the best, most were tough and dry, but there was a heck of alot of noodles. The Bun Bo Hue succeeded in filling me up, and then some.

The Missus ordered the Bun Cha Gio Tom Nuong(Vermicelli with Egg Rolls and Shrimp – $4.50):

Like the Bun Bo Hue, this dish accomplished what it should. It really filled you up. The Cha Gio were stuffed with alot of pork, and the Missus poured two little bowls of Nuoc Mam Cham over the generous portion of noodles, and chowed it down. And left quite satisfied. Not quite the level of the Bun at Thien Thanh, but $1.50 cheaper.

A few days later, I decided to grab a Banh Mi, so I headed over to Song Huong, looked at the photos and placed my order for the Dac Biet(special). Now this is where I ran into a little miscommunication. This is the Banh Mi I received.

The bread was nicely toasted and had a combination of a crusty exterior, combined with doughy bread. I didn’t care for the tough cilantro twigs, but there was a good balance of pickled vegetables and cucumber. Beware the stealthy jalapeno, just when you don’t expect it, you’ll munch on a huge piece of jalapeno, hot enough to stop your heart. Of course, if you’re like Ed from Yuma, and driving while eating your Banh Mi……

What I thought was strange were the meats, which basically consisted of Char Siu, though there two types of Char Siu in the sandwich, pieces that were fatty, and looked like pork belly, and slices that were lean. I loved the thick "smear" of pate’, but didn’t care for the amount of mayo on my sandwich. But still, for $1.99, who’s going to complain.

Also, the Gentleman who took my order was neither the person who I believe is the Owner, nor the tiny Young Lady who speaks perfect English. Or maybe it was just the "Dac Biet" du jour?

Undeterred, I arrived back at Song Huong a few days later, and ordered the Banh Mi Dac Biet again($1.99). And this is what I got on this occasion.

So it was basically the same sandwich as before, but without the mayo, and this time with Gio Lua? Damn good sandwich, whatever it is. One thing I did notice; you should eat these ASAP, the bread goes downhill very quickly. Also, these are not the super long K Sandwiches style Banh Mi, but I think they have much more flavor.

One last thing, when ordering, grab one of the plastic menus, you’ll find that the numbers on the display, do not correspond with the numbers on the menu. Recently, I ordered some Buon Cuon($4.99) to go, using the numbers off the board, when I got to my destination I was shocked to find Bun Thit Nuong(Vermicelli with BBQ Pork)! Sorry no camera, but it wasn’t too bad, just not what I intended to order.

Song Huong opens at 6am in the morning for coffee and drinks, but the kitchen doesn’t get going until 730 or so. I think I’ll drop by one morning for the Scrambled Egg Banh Mi.

The folks are quite nice, though as mentioned above the are some communication issues, and other "quirks". Of course, if you speak Vietnamese, you’ll have no trouble. Song Huong is a well priced, take-out joint, so if you’re a bit low on cash…….and in the area, you can always grab a Sardine Banh Mi for two bucks!

One quick note: As with many parking lots in the area; it can be hell! I’ve been blocked in twice in this particular lot, and had to go from shop to shop to find the driver of the car that blocked me in.

Song Huong Food to Go
4650 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115