Vietnamese Restaurants – Page 22

Pho Banh Mai Revisited

April 30, 2017 mmm-yoso Vietnamese Restaurants

The opening of Pho Duyen Mai (whose owners used to run Pho Banh Mai) has cut down on my visits Pho Banh Mai. But a few months back, I started wondering how things were going at PBM, so I headed over for breakfast since PBM opens at 9am on the weekends.

Things were pretty quiet on this weekend morning.

I had, for all intents and purposes decided to check out the Banh Xeo, to compare it with the version at Duyen Mai. But I got distracted along the way with the "new" specials menu.

That Vietnamese Steak and Eggs (with pate!); sounded really interesting, so there was a change of plans and I order that. What arrived was a sizzling plate; with a pseudo bo luc lac and an egg frying.

Man, look at all the oil in the plate! It did make this kind of a greasy breakfast. The meat wasn't very tender, very mild in flavor, it could have used a more effective marinade, and it eventually bled all over the egg. I actually used all the nuoc mam cham on the meat. I rescued the egg before it started getting burnt, the yolk still soft and enjoyed that with the cube of pate provided on the banh mi.

I couldn't help thinking that I should have ordered the Banh Xeo…..

And that was it for a couple of months. Then, a few weeks before our trip, one of my meetings finished early, so a colleague asked me if I wanted to grab some lunch. And let me choose; so it was off to Pho Banh Mai. She got to choose a dish and I got to choose one. Oh, and those "specials" were no longer to be seen.

Sadly, even after explaining that the Nem Nuong Cuon and the Chao Tom Cuon were better than the Goi Cuon (she kinda freaked when I mentioned shrimp paste or pork "sausage") here, she insisted on getting that.

Man, this was really dry and tasteless, lacking in any herbaceous flavors….it was also two shrimp slices per spring roll. The best part of the dish was the dipping sauce; which had just enough sweetness to balance things out.

I must have done better describing the Banh Xeo to her as I was allowed to order that. Of course, when it arrived, she stared at it like it was going to jump up and bite her. In the end, after demonstrating how to eat it; she loved it.

Actually, I think this version is a tad better than what I've had at Pho Duyen Mai; it's a bit more crisp, the filling moist….not super stuffed, but a nice light arrangement of pork and shrimp. The lettuce and herbs were sparkling and crisp; though the nuoc mam cham seemed a bit more watered down than what I recalled from previous visits. I do think the Banh Xeo has actually gotten better here over time.

So, while I probably won't be having lunch with this person anymore. I'll try to drop by Pho Banh Mai more often. The service was different during my two visits; perfunctory during the breakfast, but friendly during lunch.

Pho Ban Mai
8991 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

Getting Back to the Routine – Revisits to Thai Papaya and Mien Trung

April 24, 2017 mmm-yoso Bun Bo Hue, Thai Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

For some reason, we're taking a bit longer getting back to our usual routine after our last trip to Japan. Call it what you may…we might be getting a bit older….work has been much busier for the both of us….or whatever. Still, we're starting to settle in, which means visiting those familiar places. I'm not sure you got this out of my last set of revisit posts, but one thing I do miss when visiting Japan is food with a nice amount of spice. So naturally, I do a bit of catching up when we get back. Here are two recent revisits.

Thai Papaya:

**** Thai Papaya has closed

It's been a while since we've been here. For some reason, winter just doesn't seem to be the right time for spicy Issan inspired Thai food. But this past weekend, with temps inching into the 80's…well, it was time.

Things have changed a bit since our last visit. The menu has been expanded and a lot of our Sab E Lee favorites are now on the current Thai Papaya menu.

We started with the Bamboo Shoot Salad; we're getting a bit wimpy in our old age and now went with a heat level 7, which was enough for us.

And some sticky rice. Nice earthy springtime tones from the bamboo shoots…almost meaty in texture. Good spice, a nice start to the meal.

We also got the Missus's favorite; the Papaya Salad with salted egg…..

In spite of being a bit short with the green beans; this was excellent. The salted egg adds a nice interesting pungent-savory layer of flavor to the salad. Loved the refreshing crunch of the shredded papaya, with hints of sweet-acidic tomatoes. On this day, that sauce was right on……I ended up dipping my sticky rice in it to get every drop. And for some reason, the pungent-sour flavors make the cabbage taste even sweeter.

As is the case with the Issan Sausage.

And while there might be better versions of Thai/Lao style sausage in San Diego these days….this is still a staple during our meals at Thai Papaya. It has that balance of sour-herbaciousness, that combines so well with the ginger and/or peanuts with a little ball of sticky rice; letting a bite of cucumber cleanse your palate between bites.

This was just the perfect meal on a nice spring day.

Thai Papaya by Sab E Lee
2405 Ulric St
San Diego, CA 92111

Mien Trung:

We chose Mien Trung of all places on Easter morning for breakfast. And so did a bunch of other folks as the place was packed. The Missus had the Bun Rieu and I went with my usual Bun Bo Hue. We ate sitting elbow to elbow with other folks in communal style.

Man, this was a lot spicier than I recalled. Still; with all the veggies and herbs, slippery noodles, and deeply flavored broth……I worked up a nice sweat and got that capsaicin high….my head feeling nice and clear.

For more on this place; just enter Mien Trung in the search box……I think we've got over a dozen posts on the place.

Mien Trung Restaurant
7530 Mesa College Dr
San Diego, CA 92111

Anh Hong Pho Pasteur (revisit)

March 29, 2017 Cathy Vietnamese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the name of the food blog you are reading. For almost 12 years, Kirk has been posting. Ed (from Yuma) and Cathy have been assist posters. Today, it's a Cathy post.

Typing in 'Pho Pasteur Anh Hong' into the 'site search' box at the top left yields about 50 results. It's another regular stop for us, but I haven't posted about it in almost a year. It seems we are usually seated at this table and I have this view of the far corner back wall. Again, this was another brief lunch meeting for The Mister and I and we chose some items to share. The Banh Xeo is always made quite nicely here; crispy turmeric spiced pancake filled with lightly sautéed bean sprouts, fresh shrimp and pork. (It's served with a plate of lettuce leaves and mint, which I failed to photograph). A small but very full bowl of crab egg drop soup was ordered this day, both because of the chilly day and also because…crab. The wide fried rice noodles under this Chinese stir fry of vegetables with chicken was a nice choice.

Both Vietnamese and Chinese dishes are on the menu, which has over 200 items on eight pages is fun to explore.

Anh Hong Pho Pasteur 7612 Linda Vista road San Diego 92111 (858) 569-7515

Noodling Around – Revisits to Menya Ultra and Pho T Cali

March 25, 2017 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Pho, Ramen, Vietnamese Restaurants

Just noodling around on this Saturday:

Menya Ultra Ramen:

I actually went back a couple of days after my first visit. There was no line, all the customers were Japanese and I got the Chashu Ramen.

The chashu while well flavored and moist, was just too much of a good thing and I left quite full. Still, the noodles were again perfect, just the right amount of pull with a bit of pull, nice and slippery, and a good vehicle for the collagen in the broth, which was, like my previous visit, a solid tonkotsu.

About two weeks later, I found out my haircut guy was working relatively close by and having read about the crowds in the comments on my post….I was curious. I got there at 1045…and no kidding; there were over 30 people waiting in line.

I'm usually not one to wait in line; but I was curious if this new popularity would change anything about the ramen at Ultra. So I put my name on the list….and waited about 30 minutes to get in.

I went with the Ajitama Ramen with an extra egg.

While the noodles were still perfect for my taste and the boiled egg was much better…..lukewarm instead of cold and not as "cooked". There were several things I noticed. The broth had less of a fragrance and indeed, while being fairly mild and nuanced before, was much less rich….more fatty, but lacking in the real noodle coating capacity. It was still good….just not quite as good as my previous two visits.

I'll wait a few months before going back. It'll be interesting to see how things progress. I think it's still the best straight up tonkotsu in San Diego.

Menya Ultra Ramen
8199 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

Pho T Cali:

**** Pho T Cali is now PT Eatery

In my Pho Duyen Mai "dem bones" post; I mentioned being told that the prices at Pho T Cali had gone up quite a bit. While Pho T Cali has never been a favorite of mine, I recall the prices being fairly reasonable. I think it was still under seven bucks when I declared it "aw pho".

Pho T Cali is basically within walking distance from my office…..but of course my previous experiences kind of keep me away….but I just had to see……had it really hit the "ten dollar pho" category?

Upon arriving and having the menu handed to me….I saw…yes indeed, the dac biet was now $9.95.

So for ten bucks I got this.

The broth had almost no color and had a strong onion taste. It looked like dishwater. While the texture of the tripe was good, it had a strange aftertaste; the tendon was decent though. The portion of noodles was quite large and adequately prepared.

The serving of sprouts and such was paltry to say the least.

I think this is why I saw folks (I was the only Asian in the place) dumping in loads of Hoisin and Sriracha into their pho.

On a rather amusing note; a few days later I received an email from "AlanH" regarding Pho T Cali….I'm hoping you won't mind me using a few excerpts Alan? Some of the, ahem, "highlites" of his email were….

"A -small- Pho "Chin" is now $8.95 (I almost walked out at that point, but was too hungry for Pho)"

"They have totally dumbed and stripped down the menu, which should have been my first warning sign…They have gone to the all photo model with a bit of basic text with prices. "

"The "herbal accessory plate" was its usual mediocre affair, but the basil was even more paltry and under-developed than usual (if the basil was human it would have needed a wheelchair)."

"As they do not serve / have Ngo Gai, I asked for a small portion / bowl of cilantro…THEY WERE OUT OF F'ING CILANTRO!!!!!" " Is there a cilantro shortage I was not aware of?"

"I just paid $11.00 (with tip) for a mediocre -at best- bowl of Pho. Is this Manhattan? No, this is not Manhattan……Manhattan would have had cilantro….."

All I can say Alan is…."I feel (or ate…or something like that) your pain".

Pho T Cali
7351 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

This has me wondering….in a very twisted way; if I were to think the Pho at Pho Mignon is still worse than this.

Circling Back to Cafe Dore

March 5, 2017 mmm-yoso Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Cafe Dore is now Da Nang Restaurant

While heading off to Rolando/City Heights to do some shopping for the Missus, I decided to grab some breakfast. Unfortunately, my first choice had closed up shop. Instead of heading off to the usual suspects, Minh Ky, Ly Heng, Hoai Hue, Pho King, Nhu Y, Tu Thanh, or 777 Noodlehouse (whew…). I decided on heading over to Café Dore. It had been a quite a while since I last visited and even longer since I'd actually had noodle soup there.

Usually the hang out of those Vietnamese "Coffee Guys"……you know, Vietnamese coffee culture, just like they do in the Old Country. There were just a few guys on this day and guess what? No one was smoking….and gasp…all those machines, you know, the ones for "entertainment purposes only" were gone!

I was quite surprised.

I ordered the combination noodle soup that I enjoy, Hu Tieu Mi Nguoi Hoa ($7.25).

Stretchy Hu Tieu and slightly crunchy Mi, I enjoy the contrasts of textures. The soup was passable; a lot of black pepper, not too salty, pretty straight forward…simple. The BBQ Pork was tough and lacked that sweet-savory-salty flavor I enjoy, the shrimp was passable, not the best quality, but not over-cooked and rubbery. My favorite item was the chicken which had a wonderful, deepness to the flavor, sort of like Hainan Chicken. I'd actually come here to try the Hu Tieu Ga, which I was told was good, but couldn't find it on the menu.

Along with the usual sprouts and lettuce, Tong Ho (Garland Chrysanthemum – Shingiku) was provided. But for some reason, the usual "green"-dill taste wasn't very strong. All were crisp and fresh.

Not bad overall.

I'm wondering if this is the "newer and gentler" version of Café Dore. Or did I just happen to drop by on that odd day.

I need to start revisiting some of these places around here…..though my schedule will need to get a bit less hectic to do that.

Cafe Dore
4135 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92105

Saturday Stuffs – Okan Diner Replacing Izakaya Kanpai, Gourmet City Under New Ownership, and Pho 87 Opening Soon.

March 4, 2017 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Japanese Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

Here's a couple a of places I passed on my way to and from work and one that I had intended to check out, but had already closed.

Okan Diner Replacing Izakaya Kanpai:

Driving home down Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, I noticed that the signage for Izakaya Kanpai had changed. I took a closer look and to my surprise; it said….Okan Diner!

I guess Okan's Empire is expanding yet again. So now it'll be a threesome, with the original Okan (Mom), Oton (Dad), wouldn't it be funny if they named this shop "Bozu"?

Be interesting to see what the menu's going to be like.

With Havana Grill and Private Kitchens opening in the last two years; the complexion of this strip sure has changed. I'm sure that the parking situation will probably become a bit tenuous as well.

5430 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

Gourmet City Changes Ownership:

The sun is rising a bit earlier these days. And on my typical 6am drive to work, I noticed a new Grand Opening sign on Gourmet City.

My sources tell me they now serve Cantonese fare in addition to the previous menu.

5541 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

Pho 87 Opening Soon:

A few weeks back, the Missus wanted me to pick something up from Northgate Market. I ended up having breakfast at Café Dore (post upcoming). On my way back home I noticed that the signage for Pho & Banh Cuon Ha Long Restaurant had changed to Pho Huong Viet. And while my sources told me it was still under the same ownership, I made a mental note to check them out. Having to make a return trip to Northgate Market, I turned into the parking lot at the corner of 54th and University.

And found that the place was being renovated. The sign on the door said "Pho 87 Noodle House. Coming soon in 2 weeks."

Man, talk about some quick turnaround since the Van Hoa days.

4016 54th Street
San Diego, CA

Sadly, the rather large spot last occupied by Pho Da Kao still sits empty….man, it's been closed for over two years already!

Hope you're having a great weekend.

Sunday Sandwiches – Revisits to Baguette Bros and Banh Mi Bakery & Cafe

February 12, 2017 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

Nicer weather has gotten the Banh Mi Bug out of hibernation. Here are a few revisits.

Baguette Bros:

**** Baguette Bros has closed

Baguette Bros created some buzz when they first opened back in December of 2015. I hadn't heard much about them recently, so I decided to head back for a revisit.

Arriving a few minutes after opening; things were pretty quiet.

I really hadn't been overly impressed by the sandwiches in the past and really didn't know what to order….so I went with the interesting sounding Pho Banh Mi, which came with a hefty $9 price tag. Even during a slow time like this, I waiting almost 20 minutes for my sandwich.

I thought the bread was standard issue….a bit too much bread for a banh mi in my opinion. It also didn't hold up well and turned quickly into mush. The brisket had a great texture; not too tough, not too soft, but was really salty. For some reason, I really enjoyed the bean sprouts….the crunch and flavor added a nice "freshness" to the dish. That hoisin based sauce wasn't a favorite of mine……too much going on.

Overall, I still don't quite get this place. It seems more like concept over execution/taste. But for a lot of folks, that's enough.

Baguette Bros
4698 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Banh Mi Bakery & Café:

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

I'd wanted to go back to Banh Mi Bakery & Café a couple of times for lunch…but man; that parking lot can rival anything on Convoy during lunch hours! With Kaiser coming up, it's going to be really busy around these parts. Early one weekend morning, I needed to go into the office. I remembered that Banh Mi Bakery opens at 7am and also that "Calvin" had enjoyed the Meatball (xiu mai) Banh Mi. So that's what I got. Back at the office, I opened it up.

I'm kind of leary when it comes to Banh Mi Xiu Mai. I've had some terrible versions, but this was pretty good. The bread was nice and warm; I'd have enjoyed a bit more flakey/crustiness, but that's getting a bit too nit-picky. I still think the pickled vegetables here are a bit weak; just not sour enough. And in the case of a soft, rich tasting xiu mai, it just didn't hold up. Still, this was a nice sandwich.

A few weeks later, Calvin and I were finishing up a meeting. It was raining, but both of us were starved. We both thought about the Banh Mi Op La (easy over egg)……which would be nice for a rainy day breakfast. So we headed over to the strip mall and ran into the shop. We left with two sandwiches; being careful not to break the yolks until we ate them.

They hadn't cut these sandwiches in half; so when we started eating it became an oozy mess. After taking a bite we looked at each other….there was something different about the bread. It seemed kind of doughy and definitely not crusty, nor yeasty enough. Perhaps the weather had messed up the process on this day? But you need some quality controls in place to take care of that. Or maybe they changed their bread recipe? Bummer, because this was a nice sandwich in spite of the short comings of the pickled vegetables. The eggs were a bit over done, though we both enjoyed the crisp edges. The yolks were very soft, but not super runny; like I'd had previously. Man, the jalapeno on this day was spicy.

Not sure what to think. Was the bread just a case of an "off day". Or is this how it's going to be from now on? I'm hoping it was just a bad day.

Banh Mi Bakery & Cafe
9353 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. Suite H1
San Diego, CA 92123

Revisits – Bay Park Fish and Spotted Cow Viet Kitchen

February 11, 2017 mmm-yoso Seafood, Vietnamese Restaurants

A couple of revisits for a sleepy Saturday.

Bay Park Fish:

I've been trying to revisit places in my 'hood recently. I thought I'd start with Bay Park Fish, hard to believe that it's been almost five years since I last ate here. On this evening, every place was packed, and while BPF was busy, there was still room for one at the bar. So I had a seat, watched the game, had a brew, and decided to order an old favorite of ours; the smoked fish; which is now called the Smoked Fish "Stack" ($12).

They now "supplement" the smaller portion of smoked fish with romaine lettuce and avocado. It's still not bad. Decent smoked flavor, fairly balanced seasoning; a bit more mayo, celery, and stuffs than I recall.

Rather routine tortilla chips.

I'm not sure that this place has aged well. I know they've had to add, ahem, "sushi rolls" to the menu and they gave up on the fish counter years ago (you can find it at Catalina Offshore). The preparation of the fish here has never been my fave, but it's nice to see they are still going rather strong. After all, when we moved into the neighborhood, there wasn't much, and when Bay Park Fish opened in 2005, it was a big thing.

Bay Park Fish Company
4121 Ashton St
San Diego, CA 92110

Spotted Cow Viet Kitchen:

**** Spotted Cow has closed

I actually went to see what was going on with Myung In Dumplings now that they are under new ownership, but got there too early and I had no time to dawdle. Spotted Cow was open and even though the place had never been a favorite of mine. I'd pretty much had all of the noodle soups served here….and thought the perhaps the best of them was the BBQ Pork Egg Noodle Soup….and since I wasn't in the mood for a banh mi that's what I ordered.

Man, does this place like to top off their soup with a ton of greens. Like way more than the last time I had this here. I guess it's there to distract you from the thin, small slices, of pork, which, unlike the previous time I had this, was now a couple of slices dropped on the side of the bowl….which, while flavored nicely, was quite dry and tough. The ration of sprouts were attaining a nice brownish color, so those were left out………. the "Mi", egg noodles, which were prepared in sight was nice, just enough "pull" and a slight crunch. The noodle portion size was also decent. The broth was really bad though…..basically salt water with very little flavor at all.

I'm sorry to say that, based on my previous visits, this was what I expected……though I had hoped for more.

Someone did mention that the Banh Xeo here is fantastic; but I didn't see it on the menu. I'm wondering if any of our intrepid readers have had it?

Spotted Cow Viet Kitchen (in the Zion Market Food Court)
7655 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, California 92111

Checking Out “Them Bones” at Pho Duyen Mai

February 8, 2017 mmm-yoso Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Pho Duyen Mai is under new ownership.

No, it's not the candy or even the song from Alice in Chains. But I kept seeing the sign for "them bones" while (usually) having an early lunch at Pho Duyen Mai.

I'd recently had the pho here…..

And was not too impressed with the broth. Which while not bland as it had some hints of anise; it was way too salty and barely had any beef flavor. I couldn't bring myself to finish the bowl.

The proteins were decent though and the noodles, while the usual clump at the bottom of the bowl wasn't over done.

This was ok and I wasn't planning on having pho here anytime soon. But that Beef Rib Bones sign stuck in my head.

Curious I returned and ordered a regular sized pho ($7) and them bones ($3). Which turned out to be three good sized ribs bones which I believe is used for making the broth.

This was pretty good; not boiled into a mess; there was still some nice connective tissue; tendon and stuff, with a decent amount of meat. In spite of the pho broth still being way too salty, I scraped the meat off the bone and dipped it into the broth. I had added a touch of lime to temper the saltiness a bit and this ended up being quite good.

In fact, I enjoyed the rib meat had a lot more than any of the cuts in the bowl.

And while I wish the broth here was a bit less salty, richer, with more beef flavor, it was a nice foil for that rib meat. I cleaned "dem bones" up pretty good.

I was rather satisfied with this. Not cheapo at ten bucks, but someone just told me that a bowl at Pho T Cali, which is mediocre at best, set them back twelve bucks! Framed in that manner, this was a bargain.

Pho Duyen Mai
5375 Kearny Villa Rd
San Diego, CA 92123

Noodling Around – Revisits to Green China Grill and Pho Kitchen

January 24, 2017 mmm-yoso Bun Bo Hue, Chinese Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

All this rainy weather meant…..well lots of noodle soup. Here's a short round-up of revisits.

Green China Grill:

Heavy drops were coming down and I was dodging pot holes on Convoy. I just decided to give up and turned into ever evolving Plaza del Sol (BTW Tasty Pot is now open). It had been over a year since my last visit to Green China Grill, so I decided to drop in. Looking at the dining area; this place should be called blinding green China grill. I was the first to arrive but withi minutes, the dining area started filling up. That woman sitting with a group seems really familiar too.

They now have a rather large menu with grilled items; various noodles, liang cai (cold dishes), and even yang rou pao mo? Go figure…. I went with the Beef Noodle Soup with Sour Cabbage ($9.99).

Man, that broth was blasting hot, which was good thing on a cold and rainy day. It was also deceivingly spicy and was quiet numbing (ma) as well. The amount of MSG has been toned down a bit since my previous visits; though I think it could still use a bit more beefiness. The preserved vegetable was your basic standard issue xue cai; like what you get at T&L. The noodles were nice a slippery; but is still missing that little bit of pull I enjoy in good "Lamian" (牛大碗). It has gotten better though.

The soup warmed me up and the spice had gotten the endorphin thing going and a nice sheen on my forehead. From that point of view, the noodle soup did its job. I need return more often.

Green China Grill
4688 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111
Open Wed – Mon 1130am – 3pm, 5pm – 9pm

Pho Kitchen:

Last week it was raining cats and dogs….and I almost stepped into poodle! Ok, not funny….though that one is so bad the guys at work cracked up. I really didn't want to head out too far, so I decided to check into Pho Kitchen to see how they were doing.

The kids who work here are really nice. Looking over the menu I noticed they had Bun Bo Hue….hmmm….what the heck; it was pouring outside. I went with the "regular" ($8) bowl of Bun Bo Hue.

Pho shop BBH is a crapshoot and I let out a sigh when the typical pho sprouts and basil arrived…..

And just as quickly, they were removed from the table and replaced with this….ooh psych!

Purple cabbage? Not quite legit, but better than what it replaced.

So what to say? There was lots of shredded lemongrass, though not too much of that flavor in the broth. You could make out the slight, funky taste of mam nem, which added a bit of savories to things. The spice was pretty basic, all front of mouth heat. At least it was steaming hot. The noodles were done adequately, though for once there didn't seem to be enough of it in this bowl. The meat was quite good. The thick cut beef shank had excellent flavor and there was a good amount of it, the tendon was decent as well. Nice thing about the pork hock; they'd removed the bones for easy eating. Though sometimes sucking on that bone is one of the best things about a bowl of BBH.

While not terrible, in terms of spicy, sour, salty, savory, and sweet flavors this was kind of lacking. I'll stick with the Pho next time.

Pho Kitchen
5375 Napa St
San Diego, CA 92110
Open Daily 11am – 9pm