Vietnamese Restaurants – Page 11

“Them Bones” (Xí Quách Suon Bò) and Nuoc Beo From Pho Duyen Mai

January 26, 2021 mmm-yoso Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Pho Duyen Mai is under new ownership

A couple of weeks back "FOY" Sage sent me a Tweet letting me know that Pho Duyen Mai now had an option for "Fatty Broth with Green Onions" for 50 cents extra. Well, that got my attention as I figured it was Nuoc Beo. A lot of places will provide Nuoc Beo on request; but I don't recall seeing it on the menu in San Diego. So, when our latest storm hit; you know 50 mph winds, hail, locusts….water turning to blood (this is 2021 after all)……I decided that a bowl of pho (while I still had a chance), with some extra fatty broth would really hit the spot. I was tempted to do the online ordering; but quickly noticed that they didn't have "Them Bones" as an option online. So, I decided to drive on over on my way back from the office to check on Frankie. The nice woman was working who remembers me, even with some groovy longer hair and a mask on. She quickly told me that they did indeed have Beef Rib Bones available, which I added to my order.

This being yesterday….Monday the 26th, Duyen Mai was still doing takeout only, with only one party at a time allowed inside the front door at the table.

I was my order would be ready in ten minutes and waited in my car….and about eight minutes later, I was waved back in to pick up my order.

It felt quite hefty and I was a bit surprised when I unpacked things.

Man, along with a larger portion of broth like I had last time; there were four full ribs and all the meat. I was also shocked at how much bean sprouts were included as well.

The beef rib meat was much more tender than on previous visits. It came off the bone cleanly and I shredded it into a bowl with my hands…….nice beefy goodness right here.

I actually saved half the meat and a third of the broth with some bean sprouts and had that as a starter for dinner.

I got the #27…you know tendon, tripe, well done meats….especially since I was taking this togo. A little of the nuoc beo went a long way….not very beefy, though quite "lardy" and the scallions adds a bit of seet-pungency to things.

The proteins were in good shape; I especially appreciated the crunchy tripe, with no off flavors with the tender tendon as a foil. The well done flank as toothsome, but not tough and the brisket was nice and beefy.

Like I previously mentioned, there was a ton of very fresh bean sprouts and also a good amount of basil, which was on the precipice of starting to turn color. That lime came in handy as the broth; while decently beefy…something that is quite rare when it comes to pho in San Diego these days; featured something else that is the status quo with SD pho broth; it had that "sweetness", though it wasn't overly salty.

The only thing problematic were the noodles. Since it was packed with all the ingredients on it; I just moved it to a bowl. I should have removed all the toppings; though getting all the scallions and cilantro might be problematic and poured boiling water to separate. While the noodles were nicely prepared…..it still had some nice "strecth" to them; it was quite a task separating them without tearing the noodles to shreds.

Still, I have no complaints about this (1 – 1/2) meal(s). That rib meat was a winnah' and having the optino for Nuoc Beo…..well my old buddy Dennis of a Radiused Corner would be all over that in an instant.

Much thanks to "FOY" Sage for letting me know about Nuoc Beo and getting Duyen Mai back on my radar. It was so nice on a windy, chilly, rainy day.

Pho Duyen Mai
5375 Kearny Villa Rd
San Diego, CA 92123
(858) 560-5354
Current Covid-19 Hours:
Wed – Mon 10am – 8pm
Tuesday 9am – 8pm

Minh Ky and Pho King Nine Months Later

December 21, 2020 mmm-yoso Vietnamese Restaurants

Man, it's Christmas week already. Little did I know that my meals at Minh Ky and Pho King on March 14th and 15th of this year would be the last time I would eat in a restaurant in San Diego. As I think everyone in San Diego knows, the hammer came down on March 16th, and we've been pounded with it ever since. Last weekend marked nine months since I last ate at those two places and after working during the mornings, I decided to call and do take-out. Of the exact same meals I'd had at the two places. I hadn't been in this part of City Heights since March, so that was going to be interesting as well. I just struck me as I'm typing this out…..I guess it was just fate that my last meal in a restaurant was at a place named "Pho King".

Anyway, here goes.

Beef Sate Egg Noodle from Minh Ky:

I was surprised to see the parking lot at Minh Ky almost full at 10am. Only the crazy parking spaces with no exit….you know, the ones you have to back all the way out of were available.

At MK, you still enter the restaurant and like before, employees are using the middle table as work space. To fill sauces, etc. There's now blue painters tape on the floor for routing customers and social distancing and the cash register has a plexiglass window.

Things went very quickly as I had my cash ready, didn't need, nor want change, grabbed my bag, returned to the car, proceeded to do the hand sanitizer thing, and headed home.

I got my usual, which felt pretty hefty.

Good lord, this was an entire portion of soup and it seemed the portion of egg noodles and beef was at least a third larger than what I'd previously had. Compare what I got from Tim Ky to this.

I actually had to use the bowl that had held the noodles and beef from the Tim Ky order for the broth and then bust out one of my extra large bowls for the noodles!

This was quite good. The meat fairly tender, the noodles had been nicely coated with the savory sauce, tangy stir fried, but not too broken down tomatoes for some added acidity, onions for a nice slightly pungent-sweet zip, and a touch of mild spice.

There was one interesting thing that was kind of a two-edged sword The noodles were very well coated with the sate, which meant there was minimum clumping, I didn't have to do any work to separate. However, it seems all the time spent in the sauce had made the egg noodles much softer than I prefer.

I found the broth to be less salty than on previous visits, with what seemed to be more of an almost light seafood flavor. I used it sparingly on the noodles….and saved the rest for some frozen won tons I had in the freezer.
Of course I needed a nap after eating this.

Minh Ky Restaurant
4644 El Cajon Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92115
(619) 283-4180
Current Hours
Thurs – Tues 9am – 8pm

Closed on Wednesdays

Hu Tieu Mi Kho from Pho King:

The next morning, I was wrapping things up when I decided that perhaps I should do the second place of the two-fer….the last restaurant I dined at before the March lockdown. I called in my order and headed to Pho King. I called at 10 am and got to the restaurant at 1020, there was no parking available, so I found some street parking several blocks away. I ordered my usual here as well, the Hu Tieu Mi Kho.

The entrance to the restaurant has been blocked off and is used as a pick-up window now. My order was waiting when I arrived and there was no delay. Of course, there's something about folks in this parking lot. This time as I was walking by, some dude flicked his cigarette out and it hit me on the arm. Luckily, I didn't get burned or anything…..I turned around and the guy laughed, then ran into the water store……jerk.

I got home and unpacked things….first thing I noticed that unlike the last time I had this dish, there was actually more than two-three strands of Hu Tieu available. Nice.

That's what it looked like plated up. The noodles were in a major clump, so I used the broth and the slightly sweet-porky-salty sauce and worked it with my spoon and chopstick. Too bad the sauce isn't studded with tasty ground pork like it used to be. The broth was on the overly sweet-salty side; I'm thinking it's the MSG at work.

These days the charsiu like pork was nicely flavored but quite dry, the shrimp was surprisingly plump. A decent amount of ground pork as added to the dish….but one of the items that really makes this for me is the Chinese Celery, the briny vegetal flavor really wakes things up as does the earthy-sweet bean sprouts.

Of course, all those textures and the slightly crunchy egg noodles and the stretchy hu tieu really makes the dish when doused with some of that sauce.

As a whole, my drill hasn't changed over the years:

"I do work a bit to get this thing started. First, with my chopstick and spoon, I separate and mix. I then add in the celery and bean sprouts and mix even more. The large protein items get a dunk in either the clear or soy sauce broth. I'll then start dripping the broth onto noodles while I eat. By the end of the production I actually have a small noodle-soup dish with ground pork floating around."

And having a bit of normalcy and consistency, even though the venue is not the same helps.

Pho King Restaurant
4658 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115
(619) 285-1111
Current Hours:
Fri – Wed 10am – 8pm
Closed on Thursdays

I truly understand the pandemic fatigue; but can't help but feel a bit upset that a public health crisis became politicized. I've already written about this a bit, so I'm not going to keep grinding away at it. I find it a bit frustrating and frankly sad when folks I know talk about the pandemic and deaths in terms of "oh, they all have preexisting conditions"….etc….. I always ask them, so you believe that "one death is a tragedy, a million deaths a statistic?" And regardless of if they agree, and frankly quite a few do, or not, I remind them of who this quote is attributed to – Joseph Stalin.

Be safe, be thoughtful, be kind…….

Phuong Nga Bakery and Cafe Opens in Clairemont Mesa

December 9, 2020 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Phuong Nga Bakery and Cafe is now Banh Mi Express

During my last takeout visit from La Miche, I slowly pulled out of the parking lot taking a look across the street. Banh Mi Bakery and Café had been closed since……I dunno; March? And I was wondering what was going on with the spot. To my surprise there was a new sign up…..I did a double and triple take and then returned the following week to check the place out.

The name looked quite familiar, could it be???

So, on the way home to check on Frankie I stopped by and the place was open. The bakery cases left over from Banh Mi Bakery and Café now sit empty….though the now ubiquitous social distancing floor sign is there.

Of course, before I even ordered was, "is this place affiliated with Phuong Nga in City Heights?" To which the young man working said, "yes, same owners as the place next to Vien Dong Market."

I quickly looked over the menu….and sorry to say no Bun Rieu or Banh Cuon. Here it's all about the Banh Mi and Goi Cuon, with some rice dishes thrown in.

The young man told me that the bread for the banh mi is made on the site; much like it was for Banh Mi Bakery and Café. So, I just went ahead and ordered the "Special" (aka Dac Biet – $5.59). The bag with my sandwich felt pretty hefty.

And while in these photos the banh mi looks pretty much like most others; it was stuffed.

The bread was a lot crustier and a bit more dense than typical banh mi; but not in a bad way. These folks love their jalapenos as the two long, fairly thick slices span the length of the bread. Tons of pickled daikon and carrot as well. I didn't care much for the super thick stems of the cilantro.

Of course you're wondering about the filling, right? Well lookie here…..there's a double layer of everything.

It was, perhaps, a bit too much meat. But I did enjoy the thick layer of funky-earthy pate and would have just enjoyed the banh mi with that. This is quite a bargain for five bucks and change. And it really wasn't a gringo/fusion banh mi.

So, of course I decided to return and get the Banh Mi with Cha Lua and Pate.

The banh mi this time around was a bite lighter, though still crusty, but less chewy, making for a better sandwich.

Man, check out those huge slices of jalapeno. There's no "banh mi jalapeno roulette" going on here….it's literally in your face.

I was actually a bit disappointed in this sandwich as this time around; there was barely a smear of pate. Cha Lua, the pork roll was mild in flavor and a good smear of pate really helps to lift things.

The cilantro was better this time; no tough stems. There's still a generous amount of pickled veggies……but with not enough pate and the mild cha lua, things were really thrown out of balance. Like I always say, a good banh mi is about proportion….ratios are so important. It wasn't a bad banh mi by any means; but it's not something I'd return for.

I decided on one last visit to try other items on the menu. Since the other locations of Phuong Nga are known for their Banh Cuon; I thought I'd order the Tau Hu Ky; the bean curd skin wrapped shrimp paste on rice. I also ordered a couple of Goi Cuon Tom Thit; the basic shrimp and pork spring rolls. Again the bag felt pretty heavy. And upon bringing out the Com Tau Hu Ky…..

My first thought was, "man, that's a lot of rice". Which was a bit of an understatement as I could barely finish half of it.

Part of it probably had to do with the five small slices of bean curd wrapped shrimp paste; which was on the bland side. The nuoc mam cham was a bit too sweet as well. On the positive side; the bean curd skin had held up fairly well and was still crisp.

And then of course; that egg….which was actually my favorite item.

As is the m.o. with the banh mi; there were two thick and long slices of jalapeno and a ton of pickled veggies. So, I guess you can eat the rest of the rice with that?

As for the spring rolls. Well, these were some of the heftiest I've ever dealt with. It should have come with a warning sign, "contents under pressure".

Being huge and thick however is not the best thing when it comes to spring rolls.

As with banh mi, goi cuon depends on ratios and proportion as well. If this spring roll did actually explode; you would have been hit with "lettuce shrapnel" as it was basically one giant salad with some bun, perhaps a single leaf of mint. The pork and the very bland, overcooked shrimp was just window dressing in this case. The wrapper seemed more sticky than usual…perhaps it was trying to fend off all that lettuce?

In the end; I did enjoy that first banh mi; even if it was on the hefty side; the bread on my second visit was really good….there are places in San Diego who make their own banh mi and one of them especially makes a mealy-crumbly bread. That egg was so good….I wish they made a banh mi op la; a fried egg banh mi…maybe I'll ask next time. On my last visit, an older Vietnamese gentleman ordered three banh mi…….all grilled beef; so maybe I need to try that next. The prices are good, the portion sizes as well. So there's reason for me to return…..especially if they load on the pate like they did with that first sandwich.

Now….if they'd start serving Bun Rieu………one can always dream, can't they?

Phuong Nga Bakery and Cafe
9353 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. Suite H1
San Diego, CA 92123

It’s Fry-Day – Fried Banh Bao from T.P. Banh Bao 3

December 4, 2020 mmm-yoso Vietnamese Restaurants

As we head towards another set of stay at home orders in our county……well, maybe a fried food post would be some small (probably not) consolation.

A few weeks back; I decided to grab a snack (actually enough for lunch for me) for the skeleton crew we got working. It was rather early for lunch; like 930am….but heck; I get in at 5-515 these days so I'm ready for lunch by 10. I needed to clear my head a bit and perhaps some fried banh bao would do the trick?

The crew really enjoyed the last time I did takeout from TP Banh Bao; so I decided to head on back.

I really like the young lady who works here; she is so friendly, efficient, and very thoughtful. I got 2 fried "BB's" as I call them for each of the staff. As I finishing my order; the young lady asked if I just eanted to make it a complete box and order one of their newish "breakfast baos" – she recommended the "jalapeno-egg" version. Heck, she is so nice, so of course I got one.

I always love that they mark the box, so I don't have a "UFB" (unidentified fried bao) issue.

Here's a better photo.

So, the other 3 folks in the office got two fried bao each; one of my favorite; the pork and salted egg yolk, and one of the pork, sausage, and egg.

Even the folks who had no idea what the heck a "salted egg" was, enjoyed that version more.

"Is it just a boiled egg with salt?"

"Ummm, yes, that's right….that's the ticket."

There's something about the rich, salty-savory flavor that goes so well with the porkiness of the bao.

Also, my experience with the steamed bao's here are that they are on the gummy-mushy side and there a good amount of leakage. And no matter if it's banh bao or adult diapers (not that I have any first hand experience), leakage is "no bueno". Having them fried adds a nice textural constrast and I think it also reacts with the starch and sugars adding a layer of additional flavor.

Which was the problem with the jalapeno-egg banh bao.

The top portion was sort of fluffy; but the bottom was soggy and not up to the task of retaining all of that filling. The filling was decently flavored and I enjoyed the mild hit of heat from the jalapeno. This might actually be pretty good fried.

Man, after this I was pretty much (pun intended) "fried". I felt like I needed a shower…….I think two fried bao are pretty much the limit for me right now. The folks at work had no idea what the heck they were eating and they enjoyed it.

The service was great, everyone enjoyed things. I'll file this under "guilty pleasures". So, until next time….

T.P. Banh Bao 3
11271 Camino Ruiz
San Diego, CA 92126

Take care and be safe everyone!

Monday Meanderings – Sushi Hachi by Kimura Opening Dec 6th, Harland Brewing Coming to Morena, and Stehly Farms Morena is Closed

November 30, 2020 mmm-yoso Beer, Japanese Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Vietnamese Restaurants

Funny, when it rains it pours; over the last week here are "stuffs" I saw while running errands and such.

Sushi Hachi by Kimura Opening Dec 6th:

While checking out Izakaya Sakura on Black Friday (they were closed), I noticed that Swab, ummmm Shabu World was being replaced by something called Sushi Hachi by Kimura.

I stopped and walked over. The sign said "Opening Soon" and taking a look at the menu gave me the impression that this is kind of fusiony sushi; with everything from Aburi Sushi, to various rolls, to nigiri….stuff like yuzu ceviche, truffle salmon carpaccio, tuna guacamole rolls, crispy rice……kinda interesting in a way.

And so, like I always say; "Google is my friend". I went ahead and did a quick Google search yesterday and found that Sushi Hachi is opening on December 6th. There's also a bio on Shuji Kimura, who owned and operated the SushiStop chain in LA. I'm guessing he probably sold the chain….you should look at SushiStop's menu….it looks reaaally familiar. Anyway, it seems that this is a family project that he's opening with his wife and three children.

3904 Convoy St #117
San Diego, CA 92111

Harland Brewing Coming to Morena:

I was actually told this by some friends and so I stopped by to take a look.

And yes, that's what the ABC notice says. This is in the fairly large spot that Benchmark Brewing was in for a hot second.

4112 Napier St
San Diego, CA 92110

Stehly Farms Morena is Closed:

On a recent visit to Zgara Greek Grill, I peered over and saw the "Available for Leas" sign in the window of the space Stehly Farms Market used to occupy.

Bummer….I wasn't a regular, but I'd drop by every now and then when I wanted or needed some good quality produce. Sad to see them go.

1231 Morena Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92110

I'm hoping everyone is safe. Things are getting a bit hairy out there, please take care, be considerate, it's times like these where our caring, compassion, and humanity should come thru. I pretty much keep the Missus and my work and non-trip/food related items separate from this blog. And I'm thinking you might wonder why I try to "gently" remind folks to be safe and take reasonable care.

Well, to not give away too much; both the Missus and I have skin in the game. I've been in healthcare since 1984 and the Missus is on the frontlines of this. I keep that photo of the Missus on my phone, as one of my Zoom backgrounds, as a screen saver, it is never far from my mind and my heart.

The last thing I would want is for this insidious virus to harm her or you.

So please, stay safe!

Beef Sate Egg Noodles “Dry” (Mì Bò Sa Tế Kho) to go From Tim Ky Noodle

November 29, 2020 mmm-yoso Vietnamese Restaurants

Man, leave it to 2020. For the umpteenth time, I was assigned an "urgent" request….this time on Tuesday afternoon before Thanksgiving, needed by Monday. So, while I did take Thanksgiving off, I worked over the weekend. Luckily, I was able to finish up by 11 during this weekend on most days (I start at around 515 am or so). I decided to head up to Mira Mesa for some takeout. My first option was strangely closed (more on that in a future post). So, I ended up at Tim Ky. During normal times, I'd have already been here at least once or twice; but because of the pandemic; well, I hadn't been to Tim Ky since last year!

It seemed like Tim Ky had as many tables set-up on the sidewalk and back parking lot as they used to have in their dining room!

I went in, placed my order and paid.

While waiting on the sidewalk I noticed that a group of "old-timers"….you know; the older Vietnamese Gentlemen who would usually hit up a coffee shop or bakery and hang out had commandeered the parking lot for their social outing. At least they all had masks on!

I ordered the Beef Sate Noodle "dry", which took about ten minutes and I headed home.

I opened things up and man, this looked like so much more food then I recalled.

Upon examination; I found that the rather large portion of egg noodles was clumped together. The normal reaction would be to pour hot water over it; but it wouldn't work this time around as there was some sauce mixed in with the noodles. So, I went ahead and got the broth….which didn't have as much "msg" as before and was rather light in the flavor department to a rolling boil and placed it in a bowl on the side.

I ended up using half the broth to do the typical "mix", with chopsticks and a spoon. While it was still quite "light" in terms of flavor, the beef was decently tender, there was a touch of pungency, and I ended up using the rest of the soup to finish things up. Not quite as good as what I have at the restaurant, but not terrible. I've truly had worse at various places over the years…..

So, a larger portion, a bit less flavor, a bit more work (that chili paste came in handy)…..for now…well…..I'll take it. After all, what choice do I have, right?

Tim Ky Noodle
9330 Mira Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92126
Hours:
Daily 9am – 830pm

Tealightful Cafe -delightful Vietnamese beverages and snacks (Clairmont Mesa)

November 3, 2020 Cathy Desserts, Vietnamese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping to read mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Kirk and His Missus are taking some time off and Cathy is writing this post.

There is so much to tell you about my version of 2020, but for right now a recently opened snack/meal/beverage place deserves a share.

Back in 2007, the discovery of shops serving boba drinks and snacks was fascinating for The Mister and myself. We found some tea centric businesses which had meal/snacks available, like Tea Station and Tapioca Express as well as (now defunct) Tea Garden and E & Drink. Over time we have stopped in a few other places, trying interesting beverages and snacks.

In the same parking lot as Little Sheep, we noticed the new signage and outdoor tented seating. {During this pandemic, The Mister and I will eat "in" if we get to a place right when it opens, because the seating has just been set up and cleaned.}

The spacing to get to the order area is clear. There is a paper menu taped to the front window as well as next to and behind the register. Here is a link to the website menu; it has changed over the past few weeks.

Being creatures of habit, the Chicken Pop Pop ($6) was an automatic order. A good size portion of moist chicken, perfectly fried with a light, crispy crust (with a bit of spice) and fried basil accompanied by a spicy mayo sauce and garlic chunks with chiles.The papaya salad with beef jerky ($6.50) was delightfully refreshing! Fresh green papaya, shredded basil, a moist beef jerky and fried garlic. The dressing, garlic hot sauce and crisp peanuts were just right when mixed in.
The 'vermicelli noodle bowl with pork' ($8), a great version of Vietnamese "bun" was fresh made (still warm noodles, good marinade on the sliced char cooked pork) and had excellent flavors before and after the condiments were added.
We tried ordering the char grilled squid ($10) but it wasn't available the first two times we were here. Finally it was available and worth the wait. Rings, tentacles and a spicy, citrusy dipping sauce made this a perfect little meal. Seeing nem neuong on the menu ($6, three pieces), we had to try, but didn't expect Brodard quality. I must say the thick pork roll slices, freshness, warm sauce and crisp egg roll wrapper inside makes the version here a close second.
A short interlude to mention beverages. Only one size. The price varies from $4-$5.50. Every one we have tried is good. The elderberry milk tea ($4) with house made elderberry syrup is refreshing and not too sweet. The colorful strawberry matcha latte doesn't look as pretty when shaken, but the flavors are wonderful.

There is a fried banana on the menu ($2.50). It's a whole manzano banana, so you'll either get two or three pieces.

Dipped in a sesame seeded batter and fried to a proper crispness, the batter is thicker than on the chicken and the result is a delightful crispy banana filled snack.

We were going to order a regular (hot coffee) to go with the banana on one visit but the lure of cream cheese topped Vietnamese coffee (no condensed milk/sweetener)($4.50) was an indulgent end to the meal that day.

Everything on this post will be ordered again, the freshness and quality is noteworthy.

Tealightful Cafe 4726 Clairmont Mesa Blvd San Diego, CA 92117 (858)352-6584 Open Daily 11 a.m. Currently, closes at 9 p.m. on Thurs, Fri, Sat. Otherwise closes at 8 p.m. Website

COMC – Visits “BC” (Before Covid) Cueva Bar, Ma’s House, Hachi Ramen, and Submarine Crab

October 11, 2020 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Japanese Restaurants, Latin American Cuisine, Ramen, Vietnamese Restaurants

Well, welcome to March 225th. Who'd have thought 2020 would be like this? For my posts; I usually do multiple visits to a place….after all, everyone can have an off day…..even though it goes against my "fool me once shame on you….fool me twice shame on me" rule, I'm willing to take full responsibility for my poor judgement….though there are many paces where; perhaps we've had absolutely terrible food/service; or the food has been lackluster and the prices quite high….or something in between that'll be just a "one and done". It's pretty obvious in many cases just by the absence of a post on those places.

To be perfectly fair; after a certain period of time; like 6-9 months or so, I'd just as soon start things up all over again. And Covid-19 has just changed things. So here are a bunch of places that I fully intend on visiting again once we're past all this craziness….and I'll just "start the meter" from the beginning with a clean slate, hours, staff, menus, could all have changed, right? But, I thought you'd like to see the photos anyway.

Cueva Bar:

**** Cueva Bar has closed

The Missus and I visited Cueva Bar last year and fully intended of returning in a couple of months, before the pandemic struck. We weren't particularly struck by the food; we enjoyed the Choripapas the most. The flatbread would have been pretty good, but there just wasn't enough Chorizo on the "Norteno" to really make an impact on our palate. I gotta say; really pretty presentations though.

I still need to try the Empanadas.

Cueva Bar Café
2123 Adams Ave.
San Diego, CA 92116
Current Hours
Thur – Sat 4pm – 9pm

Ma's House:

Ma's created a bit of buzz when they opened last fall. I went with Calvin back in November. Even though I know folks who were really excited about Ma's opening…..we'd been to Ma's Islamic in Anaheim and were really not impressed. Perhaps having all those meals at the now defunct Tung Lai Shun (in the SGV) and other places in China has set the bar too high.

Both Calvin and I were underwhelmed.

The cumin lamb was terrible and the deep fried crispy duck was super hard and bland.

The one item that was quite good was the sesame bread. In fact, we brought the leftover bread back to the office (remember those days? When folks worked in an office?) and gave it to "YZ" who loved it.

So, while that gave me a reason to return; I just feel I need to eat in the restaurant and I'm just not ready to do that here. The Missus who tasted the leftovers will probably not be my eating companion here as well, so….I need to wait I guess.

Ma's House
5537 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117

Hachi Ramen:

**** Hachi Ramen has closed

So….the curse of Hachi Ramen. I had visited a few times when the place was Artisan Bento. I actually used to have quite a few meetings up in the Hillcrest area. So in 2017 the place changed concepts and became Hachi Ramen. Like I mentioned in my Ramen Ryoma post, I'd had two aborted posts on Hachi (also mentioned in Waters Fine Foods post) , just because my visits were spaced a year apart.

So, in February, I decided to start over…..get things going.

And while the noodles were standard issue and the broth a bit on the overly salty side; this was not bad.

Then of course, we hit mid-March. And Hachi has been closed ever since. Though I understand you can order some of the menu items from Azuki Sushi.

So, there are questions; will Hachi ever reopen….AND will the "fourth time be a charm"?

Hachi Ramen
2505 5th Ave.
San Diego, CA 92103
Currently Closed Due to Covid-19

Submarine Crab:

So, this is an interesting one. Back at the end of February, I made multiple visits to Lotus Garden in City Heights. The young man working there; I believe his name is "Tu" is from Little Saigon and we had a couple of nice chats about Vietnamese food in San Diego. Surprisingly, he told me that he and his girlfriend will often visit Submarine Crab for the Banh Canh.

So, at the beginning of March, I grabbed Calvin and we drove over to Submarine Crab.

After looking over the menu a few times; I figured out that the Banh Canh was called "Udon" on the menu.

It was quite a thick/gooey as I like; but this was not bad at all.

The Beef Stew – bo kho, as a bit on the thin side, but not bad either.

We also had the chicken wings.

I understand that the "Seafood Udon" is currently on the takeout menu; but the Beef Stew is only available eat in.

I definitely need to return; but will wait for a bit, and will start things fresh.

Submarine Crab
4647 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 987-0333
Current (Covid-19) Hours:
Mon – Thurs 330pm – 9pm
Fri – Sun 12pm – 930pm

And lastly……I'm just adding these photos. We won't be returning here.

Hope everyone is safe and in good health! Have a great week!

Banh Mi Bo Kho to go From Pho Kitchen

September 14, 2020 mmm-yoso Vietnamese Restaurants

Things had cooled off a bit; though due to the wildfires the air quality is pretty terrible these days. The Missus was working this past weekend and I kinda wanted some Bo Kho; Vietnamese Beef Stew and didn't want to travel too far. So, I decided to give the online ordering for Pho Kitchen in Linda Vista a try. Ordering online was, of course quite easy. I drove on over….and man; that tree in front of the restaurant sure has grown as it did a good job of obscuring the front of the place.

Speaking of obscure; that's kinda how I felt as I entered the restaurant….and just stood for a few minutes; then called out, then stood for a few more minutes….then called out, then finally a young lady came out and I mentioned my name and got my order.

I gotta say; the Covid-19 precautions here is just a cart in front of the cash register. Luckily, no one else was in the place…….

I got home and unpacked my Banh Mi Bo Kho ($10)….it was pretty hefty…there was a good amount of cilantro and onions as well.

Once plated; it looked pretty good.

I had kind of forgotten about my previous experience with the Bo Kho here….it's basically doctored pho broth; pretty weak in the tangy-anise flavors I enjoy with a decent bo kho and the soup was quite thin as well. Decent salt and a mild beefiness to it. The carrots were decently cooked this time around.

The bread is a bit too dense for me to consider it banh mi….as I said before; it's more like a bolillo roll than banh mi.

The best part of this meal was the beef; though the pieces were quite large, the beef had been cooked perfectly; tender, but not falling apart, with a decent beefiness and flavor. The one piece of tendon was not too bad either.

I told myself (once again); to just stick with the pho here….though I might as well just suck it up and head to Pho Hoa Huong for that.

Pho Kitchen
5375 Napa St
San Diego, CA 92110

Banh Mi To Go from Mignon Pho + Seafood (+ Grill)

August 24, 2020 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

Hoooo boy; was it humid this past weekend! The Missus was working as was I this past Saturday, but I got off at a reasonable time and had to head to Nijiya to do some shopping. It was already 11am; kinda late for a typical weekend visit to Nijiya during these times and man, the line into the place was no joke……with temps hitting the 90's and humidity around the same.

I decided that a Banh Mi might be just the thing on a day like this. I'd already tried Cali Banh Mi's Convoy location on a trip home form Nijiya back in June….so, I thought why not give Mignon Pho + Grill another try…make that Mignon Pho + Seafood….and I hadn't tried the Banh Mi there yet.

As always, the folks working here are very nice. I mentioned that I'd be running to Nijiya, so I probably wouldn't pick up my order for another hour, and she told me "no problem, I'll wait and we'll time it for you!" And you know what; I got thru the line and out of Nijiya in around 45 minutes…..as I walked into Mignon to pick up my order; it was just at the window, and ready for me in the blink of an eye. By this time, two of the outdoor tables were filled with folks ready to eat.

I've pretty much considered Mignon to be Vietnamese Fusion, so heck, why not order the "California Banh Mi" ($8). I'd totally missed the part where it says these come with fries…..if I thought the fries would hold up; I would have ordered the Lemongrass Fries, which were the best thing I've had at Mignon to date. I'm glad I didn't because the fries were shot when I opened things up after the 15 minute drive home.

As I figured; this was a pretty "stuffed" banh mi. The bread was dry and crumbly; the egg was nicely fried….large slices of cucumber, and even more scary, look at those thick slices of jalapeno! Spicy too. The pickled carrot and radish were nicely pickled. The marinated beef….being rather bland seemed like it needed more marinating and too thickly cut and chewy. The menu said there was ponzu on his; but I really couldn't taste it…..I would have settled for a nice pate.

Well, I've just one more place to do takeout from in this strip mall……

I really like the folks who work here and just wish the food was a bit better…..

Mignon Pho + Grill
3860 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111