Vietnamese Restaurants – Page 10

Revisits – Saigon Sandwiches & Deli and Cafe Dore

November 28, 2021 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

My last visits to A Chau and Cali Baguette left me wondering how some of the other "old school" banh mi shops were doing, And another Phuong Nga errand had me in City Heights once again. I was craving a Banh Mi Ba Chi from Cafe Dore, so I headed west on University. I was in luck and found some parking in the lot on Marlborough and walked over to Cafe Dore….and sheesh; the place was packed to rafters with groups "old timers" and oh my, the cigarette smoke. There was no way I wanted to walk in….so, I walked on over next door to…..

Saigon Sandwiches & Deli:

Man, I didn't realize it at the time; but it's been nearly fourteen years since I last visited!

And of course things (not including prices) have changed…..whereas I used to joke that Saigon Sandwiches had a huge secondary market in phone cards and cigarettes; well you know what they have now?

Masks in every shape and size it seems!

The Banh Mi Ba Chi ($5.39) looked quite good.

Though when I opened up the banh mi…well, it was either mocking me, or perhaps a fan of the Rolling Stones?

All kidding aside, I really enjoyed this sandwich……the bread was crusty, it also seemed to have been lightly buttered. The pork belly was sliced on he thin side; but I enjoyed the cilantro, which was mostly leaves and full of stems. I liked the ay the jalapenos were thinly sliced instead of one giant piece. It was perhaps a bit on the light side in regards to pickled radish and carrots; but that worked well in proportion to everything else in the banh mi. Which, at least for me is what a good banh mi is all about.

I'll make sure not to wait fourteen years before returning!

Saigon Sandwiches & Deli
4133 University Ave.
San Diego, CA 92105
Hours:
Open Daily 7am – 7pm

Still, I was wondering how Cafe Dore was doing….

Cafe Dore:

**** Cafe Dore has closed

So, I returned to the same strip mall at just after 7am the next morning.

The place was already two-thirds full of older gents….more then a few of them puffing away. Though these days, as I noted in my last post three years ago, all those "video machines" are gone.

I walked on up to the counter and the older gentleman and woman working behind the counter actually smiled and greeted me form behind the plexiglass! I went ahead and placed my order for the Banh Mi Ba Chi ($5), my favorite banh mi here at Cafe Dore.

Then something interesting happened…the woman asked me to take a seat and brought me a cup of iced tea; "for you while you wait"! Whoa, was this really Cafe Dore? I did feel a bit like the guys were staring at me in the place….but looking up; I noticed I was right under the television with the lottery results! Well, at least some things haven't changed.

The older gentleman brought me my sandwich and thanked me……

I really enjoyed this sandwich. While perhaps the bread was prepped a bit better at Saigon; here it was also nice and crusty. The slices of pork are a bit thicker and also seems to be sweeter. The jalapenos were also thinly sliced and had a nice kick. Good amount of cilantro and pickled veggies.

It seems, that even though, some things haven't changed, the customers are almost all male….old timers experiencing what I call the "Coffee Culture of Vietnam" which can be a bit intimidating….the service here just seemed to be a softer, kinder, more welcoming Cafe Dore.

Cafe Dore
4135 University Ave.
San Diego, CA 92105
Hours:
Mon – Sat 7am – 5pm
Sundays 7am – 4pm

Revisits – Cali Baguette and A Chau

November 22, 2021 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

Man, talk about see-sawing weather….one week it seems like it's finally fall; the next week we got days in the 80's…… During one of my trip to get the the Missus's current favorite bun rieu I was, well, a bit hungry. Just for something to keep me until a late lunch or early dinner. For some reason I just wanted a Banh Mi Pate Cha….and good lord, it had been a while since I'd had a "real" banh mi; not one of those fusiony versions, that always seem to miss the mark for me. And since I was there on 54th and University, I thought I'd check out…..

Cali Baguette Express:

Man, it has been years since I'd been here. Once upon a time Cali Baguette had quite an empire with locations on Convoy; which is now Cali Banh Mi. Not quite sure what the story is; but it's definitely not the same; especially the bread. In fact, my last trip to Cali Baguette Express in Mira Mesa was not quite up to par either.

But here I was, craving a banh mi pate cha….so…..

Good thing I wasn't craving some noodle soup here; since they were out of a lot of stuff. Supply chain issues and all that I guess.

And as a sign of the times; what was once a $3 sandwich is now $5….which is still not a bad price considering.

Arriving home, I went ahead and unwrapped the banh mi….

A couple of things struck me right away; first the cutting was kinda off center….good thing I wasn't sharing this as a snack with anyone. Second, the bread was soft and doughy; lacking in crusty-flakiness, a hallmark of good banh mi in my opinion. Decent amount of cha lua, though hardly any musty-offaly pate……too many cilantro stems, not enough leaves. Still, that huge slice of jalapeno did get me pretty good.

I just wish the bread was better…….

Quite sad, because I remember this place being much better.

Cali Baguette Express
5125 El Cajon Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92115
Hours:
Mon – Sat 6am – 8pm
Sunday 6am – 7pm

This banh mi had me wondering how some of the "old school banh mi shops were doing in San Diego. And so, the following weekend day, I headed off to….

A-Chau:

Which was the first Banh Mi shop I posted on back in 2005. Over the years, I think A Chau has slipped a bit. The service has always been perfunctory; but on recent visits; the bread has been stale…..though I gotta say at a bit past 7am….I had the entire horrific parking lot to myself.

The place is looking a bit worse for wear; but not much else has changed….except the price; the Banh Mi Pate Cha is now $5.50…..it was $3.95 on my last visit; but that was three years ago.

A lot of businesses in this strip mall has closed as well.

This was a bit better than what I'd had on my last visit. The bread wasn't stale; though it could have been toasted a bit more. There was quite a bit of cha lua and perhaps too much mayo in this, which just nullified the scant amount of pate. Again; when it comes to banh mi, it's all about proportion to me. Also, not enough cilantro and jalapenos were MIA. Not quite sure if it's because of supply issues….but I did miss that.

Not bad and definitely better than what I'd had previously…..and, I decided to try the cha gio….which, perhaps because it was early in the day was still hot.

These are now $1 a piece! The rice paper wrapper is still a bit more chewy then I recall; but it's still much better than many other places. And it's pretty much stuffed to the gills with pork.

A Chau Restaurant
4644 El Cajon Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92115
Hours:
Daily 7am – 530pm

These two visits has got me wondering how the other places I frequent in City Heights is doing. I guess it's time to start making the rounds!

It’s (kinda) Soup Weather – Takeout from Phuong Nga 2 and Mien Trung

September 26, 2021 mmm-yoso Bun Bo Hue, Vietnamese Restaurants

Man, it's been a hot couple of months! We're somewhat happy with the cooler weather the last couple of days and took advantage of it by getting Bun Rieu, then Bun Bo Hue from our favorite places.

Phuong Nga 2:

After working on the Missus to try the Bun Rieu from Phuong Nga 2 for over two years, She finally gave in and we had it for three weekends in a row back in March – April of this year.

I dropped by Phuong Nga 2 and I was surprised to see no one lese waiting for anything. It looks like they are still doing takeout only.

Looking at the notice on the plexiglass partition, I noticed that the prices on most items have gone up by about a dollar. It as a short wait for our bun rieu, but soon enough I was back home, and heating up the broth. Of course I poured hot water over the noodles to warm up a separate.

Much like Bun Bo hue; because of the herbs and veggies, the broth needs to be super hot and you'll get a different texture in every bit as the steaming broth reacts with the crisp shredded banana blossom and morning glory. The bean sprouts adds a whole different texture as it cooks thru along with that mild grassy-almost pea like-nuttiness. The strong anise-citrus tones of the perilla leaves and a squeeze of lime adds a nice acidity, which helps cut through the savory broth which has been elevated with a dab of mam tom. I like the fact that the generous portion of noodles provided is a tad undercook as once it's heated with a pour of hot water, drained, then placed in the bowl it reaches prime texture.

The Missus really enjoys the fried tofu and tomato; I like the cha lua….we both enjoy the pork-seafood "cakes"; though it seemed to be a bit tougher than what we previously experienced. The Missus always eats both red chilies provided.

Phuong Nga 2
4016 54th St
San Diego, CA 92105
Current Hours:
Tues – Sunday 9am – 6pm
Closed on Mondays

Mien Trung:

The first thing I actually wanted when the weather started cooling off was Mien Trung. Man, had it been almost a year-and-a-half since we last did takeout at the beginning of the pandemic?

And the gentleman who was at the counter seemed so happy to see me; he wasn't working during my last takeout visit…….it was great talking to him, he still remembers me from when I first started visiting back in 2006! Man, almost fifteen years now! MT is doing both dine in and takeout; but since it was rather early in the day, there was only one customer eating in the corner while I waited for my Bun Bo Hue.

And since MT specializes in catering and takeout (in the beginning, they only made their BBH for catering), everything was packed perfectly.

After going thru my typical reheating drill (related above), everything was ready.

Loved the slippery noodles; though the herbs and veggies didn't seem as fresh as usual. Nice savory-lemongrass tones from the broth; though it wasn't quite as spicy as I recall. The chili oil fixed that up nicely. The mam tom added deep savory tones and a couple of squeezes of lime balanced things out.

For some reason, I really enjoyed the thick cuts of beef as the flavor was so very deep and intense; the tendon softer than I recalled. Has time made my heart grow fonder?

I realize that I've done over 20 posts on Mien Trung over the last 15 years, but it's been one of those places that I never tire of. Once the weather starts getting a bit cooler or when we've returned from a long trip, MT often comes to mind when I get back home. Of course there have been ups and downs over the years; I think I've documented those. But, there have definitely been more ups than downs.

And of course while eating my bowl of BBH, I couldn't help but think of my good friend; the late "Ed from Yuma". We shared a few meals at Mien Trung and without fail he'd wear a lightly colored shirt which would end up dotted with specks of red from the annatto tinged broth! I couldn't help but wonder what Ed would think about the the state of the the US and the world during the pandemic. We miss you Ed!

Mien Trung Restaurant
7530 Mesa College Dr
San Diego, CA 92111
Hours:
Tues – Sat 9am – 8pm
Sunday 830am – 4pm
Closed on Mondays

Pho Mai Cali (Santee)

July 25, 2021 Cathy Vietnamese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping to read mmm-yoso!!!. This food blog is usually written by Kirk, but He is still on vacation with His Missus and Cathy is, once again, writing a post.

One of the first restaurants where The Mister and I enjoyed "Eating In" since restrictions were lifted, Pho Mai Cali is on the 'other end' of the parking lot where the new location of Island Style Cafe opened earlier this year.  In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, this second location of Pho Mai Cali opened in the space formerly occupied by Flaming Wok, a 30 year Santee standby. (To the end, the Szechuan-Mandarin restaurant handed out forks, not chopsticks and our eat in order was always the same: the large bowl of soup, and the Pu-Pu Platter). The owners retired in April of 2020; it was the right time.
The interior was re-done, making space for a few more tables..   A nice touch is the chilled water bottle and glasses of ice brought to the table while you peruse the menu. Condiments are brought out after you order.
Spring rolls ($4.99)- rice paper wrapped lettuce, vermicelli, mint leaves, shrimp (and pork on the other side). These seem to be made to order, as the shrimp have arrived warm. There is a good amount of filling making this a light lunch.
Cha Ca Thang Long ($10.99)- Grilled fish with dill and onion…except they didn't have dill, so I received extra onion. Served sizzling on a cast iron pan with lettuce and various sides and dipping sauce, this was very good.
Grilled chicken and Cha Gio (egg rolls) ($9.99). Under all of those toppings are lettuce and chilled rice noodles and when combined, each bite is a refreshing flavor of summer.
This is a mango salad with beef ($10.99) and my latest obsession. Shredded green mango and green apples, carrots, basil and perfectly cooked tender beef (you can opt for chicken or shrimp). Not like a papaya salad and they shouldn't be interchangeable.
The Banh Xeo is better to eat in than 'to go'. Trust me. The crepe needs to be tasted while crispy, even if broken. The pork and shrimp filling (with sprouts and mung beans) with bits of broken turmeric flavored crepe, wrapped in lettuce with some mint and pickled carrot and radish, dipped in fish sauce is refreshing and has distinct flavors and textures.
  The papaya salad ($9.35) is made with shredded green papaya, shrimp and pork as well as sprouts and carrots, topped with peanuts and fried onion and is quite good.

This is the Pho Mai Cali ($11.99). You receive the large bowl of beef broth with meatball and oxtail in it, then the sides (brisket and other cuts of beef) to add in as you wish. Herbs, onion, noodles always have been fresh here.
  The Steamed Fish ($10.99) is always a good choice.
This is the above mentioned Mango Salad with beef ($10.99) in its 'to go' packaging. Still great flavors, just not as dramatic of a presentation.
This is the "Special Appetizer" ($8) in its 'to go' presentation- two Spring rolls, two crispy egg rolls. Lettuce, mint and fish sauce and peanut sauce. Fresh made and well filled rolls. Definitely a meal.

We are fortunate to have this gem close to home.

Pho Mai Cali 9888 Magnolia Avenue (at Mast) Santee 92071 (619) 328-2700 Open Daily 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Saturday Stuffs – Mama Cinia Rice & Noodles Closes, Pho Lucky Still Closed, and Harmony Cuisine 2B1 Coming to Convoy

May 22, 2021 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants, Japanese Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

I recently decided to pick up some Filipino Food, it had been a while since I last visited Mama Cinia's and as a matter of fact; it had been a while since I'd been to this part of Mira Mesa. So I drove on over to Mama Cinia's……..to find the place closed.

Wow, I was kind of surprised, I hadn't heard that they had closed. In fact, other than the "Closed" sign there was no evidence that the place was permanently closed. So, I returned over the weekend and the place was still closed. So, I can only assume…..unless one of you has any other info, that Mma Cinia is another casualty of Covid-19.

Mama Cinia Rice & Noodles
9178 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

On the weekend visit, I decided to see if Pho Lucky has reopened, at least for take-out. But no, the place is still closed.

I'm hoping they reopen…maybe on June 15th, when California is supposed to allow businesses to open to full capacity.

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

Harmony Cuisine 2B1 Coming to Convoy:

I was making my usual stop at Nijiya when I noticed new signage at 3904 Convoy…….so, I drove in.

I had noticed back in March that Sushi Hachi by Kimura was not opening in unit #117. So, looks like something called Harmony Cuisine 2b1 is opening in it's place. The onyl thing I could really find was this in SanDiegoTown.

So, it looks like another Sushi Place….interesting name……

3904 Convoy St #117
San Diego, CA 92111

The Missus’s Favorite Bun Rieu From Phuong Nga 2

April 20, 2021 mmm-yoso Vietnamese Restaurants

Do you have a hard time convincing your significant other? I mean, the Missus and I have been married for over 20 years; but at times there are still those moments. The Missus and I joke about it all the time; if I say "white" She'll say "black", I will go "low" and She'll go "high"….my "yes", is a definite "no" from Her. I often explain it in terms of the Zodiac; I'm born under a water sign, and She, believe it or not, is born under an "earth" sign…..and what do you get when you mix the two? Well…..water + earth = mud, right?

Anyway, ever since "FOY" Elle recommended the Bun Rieu from Phuong Nga 2, I've been trying to get the Missus, who enjoys Bun Rieu to check out Phuong Nga 2 with me. The Missus however, just doesn't believe me. Even though She has stopped getting the Bun Rieu from Mien Trung. A few weeks back, I did see an opening though. The weather was fairly chilly and the Missus wanted some "soup" when She got home from work. I said "I'll figure something out" and went to Phuong Nga right when they opened.

Phuong Nga 2 is currently (as of this past weekend) still only doing take out. There's a steady flow of customers and the phone is constantly ringing. I actually need to go in person to order, since they really don't understand what I'm saying….I need to actually open the menu and point to the Bun Rieu. After that; it's usually a wait of about 15-20 minutes.

On that first visit; I was quite surprised at how heavy my two orders of Bun Rieu were. Imagine seeing this (one order) when I opened things up.

The big mistake on this first visit was to make both orders……the Missus and I can only finish about two-thirds of an order of noodles and about 1 1/3 container of broth. We'll save the rest for a second meal. I put the noodles in a colander and pour some hot water over it to heat and separate. The second container of herbs and veggies is also for that next meal.

This is one entire order of broth; in the largest bowl I have.

For the Missus; it was love at first sip. The broth is on the lighter side, but has decent acidity, a hint of sweetness and savory tones, and is quite good with a touch of the mam tom which comes with each bowl. The noodles are the correct thin bun; which the Missus appreciates….it has also always been perfectly prepared, firm and al dente. We usually split things up these days; the Missus loves the tofu and tomato; I enjoy the cha lua….we both enjoy the light, tender, pork-seafood "cakes", and the dried shrimp. The Missus usually leaves the pork ribs for me.

And look at those sparkling veggies/herbs; the Missus loves the banana blossom and shredded morning glory, which is usually MIA from other versions these days. A few torn leaves of perilla to add a touch do anise flavor and we're ready to go.

This is easily worth the nine bucks it costs these days. After all; it's almost two meals for us, with bun to spare that I use for other dishes.

So far, it's been Bun Rieu every weekend for the last three weeks…..I have a feeling the Missus will insist on having it again this weekend. Perhaps She'll "trust" my recommendations in the future? I'm not going to count on it though.

Phuong Nga 2
4016 54th St
San Diego, CA 92105
Current Hours:
Tues – Sunday 9am – 6pm
Closed on Mondays

And as I always do with posts on Phuong Nga 2; I need to thank "FOY" Elle!

Bun Mang Vit to go From Tu Thanh

March 21, 2021 mmm-yoso Vietnamese Restaurants

I mentioned my failed visit to Tu Thanh in my last post on 777 Noodle House. Well, two weeks later, after dropping off coffee for the Missus at Her work, I decided to give it another try. I arrived at around 920am, found some parking on 48th Street and walked on over. The last visit, finding them closed at 915 on a Saturday must have been a fluke; because they were open and business was in full swing with 2 customers in front of me.

I took a look around at the empty tables and felt quite sad for this small mom and pop business…..though since my visit we're now in the "red tier" and I'm sure folks are eating in here.

Once it was my turn; I ordered my usual, the Bun Mang Vit and asked how long it would take. I was told 5 minutes. Five minute! So I waited and it indeed took only five minutes. Who needs to call in orders here…..

Deciding to just have my noodle soup when I got home; I immediately unbundled things.

And saw that all was in order. I then proceeded to put together my meal.

The noodles were in perfect shape and didn't need to be separated. I did heat up the broth; I thought the dried bamboo could use a bit more time in the soup. I then plated the veggies and herbs, the duck, and put the Nuoc Mam Gung in a bowl.

One thing I quickly noticed about the Nuoc Mam Gung, was that it was lacking in ginger and garlic…..and it was much too sweet, a rather large change from what I'm used to having here.

The duck was perfectly prepped, a bit toothsome and full of gamey "duckiness"…….

I've mentioned in previous posts about the lack of banana blossom in the mix these days and it seems that is the new norm. It's almost all cabbage mix these days….sigh…..

Like I mentioned earlier, the noodles ere perfect….slippery while still maintaining a decent al dent "pull" to them.

The broth was a bit milder than before; with definitely a lot less MSG, letting the flavor of the rehydrated bamboo shoots come through. Though it seems, that like the veggies/herbs, there's a lot less of that these days as well.

Like I mentioned in my last post on Tu Thanh, things aren't quite as good as it was when they first opened nor even close to when Chi Tu Thanh was at the late Chinese Kitchen (Chi Tu Thanh Nha Hang). But it's still the best Bun Mang Vit I've had in San Diego by far…….so, by all means, let me know if you've found a version of Bun Mang Vit that eclipses this one. Otherwise; Tu Thanh will see me again soon when that Bun Mang Vit itch kicks in.

Tu Thanh
4804 University Ave. #A
San Diego, CA 92105
(619) 282-8778
Current Hours:
Thurs – Tues 9am – 7pm
Closed on Wednesday

Pho To Go From Pho Hoa Huong

March 2, 2021 mmm-yoso Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

The Pandemic has really accelerated the Missus's online purchases….to the point that She often doesn't remember what has been delivered. Of course, while the Missus is very good at ordering and opening things up at home, as I noted before, She's not really very good at making trips to the Post Office to pick up or to do returns. Well, at least when I had to make this last trip to the Post Office, it was to return items. Luckily, working from home, I was able to schedule a quick trip to the Post Office. It was between meetings at around 10am and when thinking about what I'd be picking up for lunch in the area, the solution quickly became clear…….the "fastest pho in the west" might fill the bill.

So, just over a year to the day I last visited, I dropped by Pho Hoa Huong, this time for takeout. I placed my order…..for good old #4 (now $10) and headed to the Post Office where there was no line. I basically made it back to PHH in ten minutes and guess what? My order was waiting….in fact, the nice gentleman saw me walking over form my car and brought my order out to me! Man, it's such a far cry from those days when they basically dealt the menu out to you and then hovered over you to order. Not that I miss those days at all, mind you!

So, unpacking at home…man, the Pho broth was super hot! And in character it was quite dark, though a bit less fatty than before.

As I mentioned in a couple of recent posts….it just seems that portion sizes have increased quite a bit during the pandemic. Since I got home with a good amount of time before my next call, I decided to have an early lunch.

The broth wouldn't need much heating and the noodles were nicely under-cooked. So, I briefly brought the broth back to a boil, then easily separated the proteins and herbs/veggies from the noodles. I placed a noodle strainer in the noodle bowl, placed the banh pho in it and then poured the boiling broth over it, separating the noodles easily.

There was a decent amount of sprouts and a ton of sliced jalapeno. A couple of leaves of good looking ngo gai….though the basil was starting to go bad with most of the leaves discolored.

The broth was pretty dark and I noticed that distinct sweetness that pervades pho broth here in San Diego; not as bad as most other places, but it looks like it's creeping into the "old school" places like here. At least it wasn't overly salty. There was a mild anise-beefiness to it as well.

The noodles were just spot on perfect; even better than what I've had when "dining in" during those pre-Covid days. Once unclumped it had a nice al dente pull.

I was quite impressed with the tripe; clean finish with a good crunch to them. The rest was fine; the tendon was decent, the flank was actually better than the brisket, with a nice toothsome chew and good beefiness. The brisket was too tough for that cut and lacked a good bovine flavor.

This might be the best overall non-frills pho I've had in a while….of course, I haven't had much pho during these times. But I was quite satisfied with my lunch.

Pho Hoa Huong
6921 Linda Vista Rd.
San Diego, CA 92111
Current Hours:
Daily 8am – 9pm

Hu Tieu Nam Vang Kho To Go From 777 Noodle House

February 22, 2021 mmm-yoso Vietnamese Restaurants

This past weekend the Missus wanted me to drop off some coffee from Her favorite place at work.

After dropping off Her caffeine fix; I felt a bit hungry and decided to head on over to City Heights, a regular stop for me, but not so much in these days of Covid-19. While I had visited the area for some takeout, that was before Christmas….to think that I'd usually be in the area at least every other week in those days "BC" (before Covid).

I was craving some Bun Mang Vit from Tu Thanh and since it was after the scheduled opening time; about 930am, I drove on over….only to find them closed…sigh…..

I quickly decided on a "plan B", 777 Noodle House. Man it had been over a year since I last visited and I was wondering how things were.

As I arrived to the back parking lot, I noticed that sets of tables and chairs had been set-up for outdoor dining.

The interior was stark and looked so bare with all the tables and chairs stacked up in the corners. Plexiglass had been set-up on the counter, all those Covid precautions.

The one thing that has remained the same is the wonderful woman who works here; even though I hadn't been back in over a year she greeted me and even with her mask on I could tell she was smiling! I ordered my "usual", the Hu Tieu Nam Vang ("Phnom Penh Noodles") Kho ("Dry"), though this would be the first time I'd be having it to go. I paid and waited in the back parking lot for less than ten minutes before my order was ready.

Here's what it looked liked unpacked at home.

Things nicely packed. And like other experiences I've had with take-out, I noticed that the portion size seemed a bit larger. A lot more ground pork, noodles, and soup.

The broth was still hot, so I didn't need to heat anything up.

The noodles were still warm and had been coated with a mildly sweet soy. It wasn't stuck together in a clump which was good; but like on a few previous visits were on the overcooked side and somewhat mushy.

When eating at 777 the bean sprouts are blanched which made for a nice textural contrast. In this case it wasn't blanched….I could have taken some time to heat up the broth and blanch those bean sprouts, but I was hungry.

Nice combination of flavors and textures with the ground pork, the fried garlic, slices of char siu. The shrimp were nicely cooked, but tasted a bit on the muddy side. I really liked the mildly pungent, citrus tones the cilantro added to the bowl so I added a bit more that I had onhand.

The soup was pretty good this time around, not overly salty, but not as deeply flavored. That rather hefty pork hock was just perfect swiney goodness, tender, but not mushy, nice bits of slightly chewy tendon.

I did enjoy this, it did "hit the spot", and for the price of slightly north of seven bucks how can you complain? And that woman who is always so nice and gracious….I need to visit more often.

It had me thinking of how the other stops for Hi Tieu Nam Vang was doing. Perhaps in the next few weeks I'll find out!

777 Noodle House
4686 University Avenue
San Diego, CA 92105
(619) 283-3185
Current Hours:
Daily 8am – 9pm

Takeout From Da Nang Corner

February 2, 2021 mmm-yoso Bun Bo Hue, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Da Nang Corner has closed

Back in August; I noticed a shop named Da Nang Corner was opening up on Convoy and was quite happy to see the possibility of more regional Vietnamese cuisine being represented in the Convoy area. The shop opened during November and since around the middle of that month, I’ve managed three visits. I was really excited to try what I consider DaNang’s signature dish to be; Mi Quang. To be honest; I’ve never had a decent version of Mi Quang in San Diego. The now closed Mi Quang Mien Trung was a disappointment and other versions just weren’t very satisfying.

Da Nang Corner has an online ordering system, which I used on all three visits. Or at least tried to use. The first two times, they actually called me to confirm my order and I still had to wait for it when I arrived for pick-up. On the third visit, I got no confirmation call and no one had a clue about it when I arrived….the very nice young lady walked over and pulled my ticket out of the POS machine, so I just had to wait. I know grand opening jitters; but remember, this was over the space of almost 80 days.

Still, nice young ladies, the dining area is very clean and well set-up. I’ll definitely eat in when everything settles down…..whenever that may be.

Of course I ordered the Mi Quang Ga ($11.50).

Things were nicely packed, the veggies and herbs were sparkling fresh, I loved that there was a good amount of shredded banana blossom as I really enjoy the texture it adds to various soups and it tends to absorb flavors quite well.

There was more soup than I’m used to for Mi Quang, which while on the salty side had a nice tongue coating finish to it. It wasn’t deeply complex, but pretty darn good….with nice savory tones and a hint of sweetness.

The rest of the dish was somewhat problematic. The noodles were unevenly prepared and many of the noodles were broken into small pieces. Some of the pieces were mushy, some were super hard, barely cooked, just not good eats.

The chicken was strangely bland and also on the dry side, like all the flavor had been boiled out of it even though it was dark meat, go figure. The boiled egg was overcooked with that purple ring around the yolk….a true sign it had been boiled too long.

Now, once we’re over the pandemic, I’m going to order this to dine in and am hoping all of these issues will be remedied.

I took a gander at the menu at Da Nang Corner to figure out what to try next……and two items got my attention; and no, it wasn’t the pho……perhaps someday, but not in my top ten of items to try at a place with Danang in the name. I decided to try the Com Ga Hoi An ($10.50)….Hoi An’s famous chicken and rice dish.

This was during the time before the last lockdown when outdoor dining was allowed….but of course I got my order to go. Ordered online, got a call back during my drive over to the restaurant and there was another ten minute wait after I arrived to get my food.

Now in typical Hoi An Chicken Rice the rice is cooked with turmeric; giving the rice, much like the mi quang a vibrant yellow color. It should also be cooked with chicken broth and fat……but in this case, there was barely any chicken flavor and the rice was really hard as well. The chicken was a bit chewy but that’s to be expected, the sauce was a bit too sweet, I prefer mine to have a bit more acidity, but it wasn’t bad, though there was a distinct shortage of chicken. Loved the herbs in the dish though. The nuoc mam cham was way too sweet as well.

This isn’t something I’ll order again.

During this visit; I asked the young lady working what I should order and was told that the Bun Bo Hue was really good. I asked her if it was as good as Mien Trung and her expression changed, she gave me a shrug; not exactly the seal of approval, but I decided to try the Bun Bo Hue ($12.75). This was after all outdoor dining had been shutdown, I placed an online order, though this time I didn’t receive a confirmation phone call. When I arrived, I walked to the counter and said I had placed an online order receiving a blank stare…..the young lady then walked to the printer and guess what? There was my order….oh well; it’s still “grand opening”, right?

Once my order was ready, I took my package to the car and returned home, not thinking this was going to be any good……though I would be proven wrong.

I did reheat the broth for this and once put together it looked, and smelled quite good.

First off, while I wished there were more veggies and herbs (especially banana blossom), what was provided was fine.

Second, the noodles were perfectly prepared, good texture, nice and slippery.

Third, the broth was good, perhaps a bit too much MSG, but heck, even Mien Trung goes a bit far at times. But the broth had a mild beefiness, decent spice, and while I think it could have used more lemongrass, that was still acceptable….there was a nice mild spice as well. The cilantro and onions added just a touch of pungency to help move the flavors forward.

In addition to the well prepared beef shank and tendon (better than MT I think), there was a nice and tender meatball like you’d find in Bun Rieu. The only item that was not prepared well was the pork hock which was too tough and rubbery and needed more cooking time. Other than that, I’d say this was way better than typical “pho shop Bun Bo Hue” you’ll find in the area and not a bad alternative to Mien Trung in my opinion.

I’ll definitely have this again….hopefully this wasn’t just a day I hit the lottery.

I’m hoping Da Nang Corner does well and keeps improving. Time will tell…..as I’m not just happy “to have something” available, my hope is that the next bowl of Mi Quang will be much better and that Bun Bo Hue wasn’t just a visit on a “good day”.

Da Nang Corner
4428 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 737-4919
Current Hours:
Tues – Sun 11am – 7pm
Closed on Mondays