Vietnamese Restaurants – Page 11

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

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

“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