Vietnamese Restaurants – Page 30

Pho Hung Cali (Chula Vista) and Pho Saigon and Grill (Rancho Penasquitos)

April 6, 2015 mmm-yoso Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

"What's this thing with you having pho for breakfast every Saturday?" Asked the Missus. My reply; "well, some of these errands I have to run for you mean a bit of a drive and pho is always easy, plus these places open rather early, 8 or 9 am, and aren't crowded at that time."

Which is how I came to have two bowls at almost opposite ends of the map the last two Saturdays.

Pho Hung Cali:

I'd heard some good things about this place from folks who live in the South Bay. "Buddha" who often comments also mentioned the place to me in an email. So since I was in the area, I thought why not?

the place was very easy to find; basically katty-corner from Aqui es Texcoco. Strange, I'd never even noticed the place before.

The interior is much larger than it looks from the outside….though a lot of the space is empty.

The service is typical pho shop…perhaps a bit more friendly, but mostly all business.

I went with the #18 – Rare Steak, Flank, Brisket, Tendon, and Tripe ($5.95).

I think I've had too many bowls of pho…I recognized the pattern on the bowl; it's the same as the bowls at Pho Cow Cali and Pho Hiep and Grill. Sheesh. The broth though, being on the "sweeter" side reminded me of Pho Fifth Avenue. It wasn't quite as beefy, though it had some anise tones. A decent broth, a bit too light, but not overly salty. It was also a bit on the cloudy side.

I appreciate the generous amount of nicely prepared tripe; though the rare steak was totally cooked by the time the bowl reached me and rigor mortis had set in. The rest of the meats were meh……tasteless, much of it falling apart, the tendon tougher than I prefer.

The noodles were overdone and mushy.

Overall, not a bad bowl, possibly the best I've had in the area. If I were in the area, I'd stop by again. The broth wasn't bad, the prices decent, and one other thing….the hot tea was free….I know, it's usually only a buck…..but for some reason I appreciated an ok pot of tea gratis.

Pho Hung Cali
1060 Broadway Chula Vista
Chula Vista, CA 91911
Hours:
Mon – Sun 8am – 9pm

Pho Saigon and Grill:

**** Pho Saigon and Grill has closed

This place is located right across from 24 Hour Fitness on Carmel Mountain Road. The place I needed to be at wasn't open until 10 am so I decided to grab some breakfast here.

The folks here were really nice.

I got the Pho Dac Biet (small – $6.95), which arrived super piping hot. The presentation reminded me of Pho Paradise.

The herbs and sprouts portion was on the small side.

The broth was highly defatted, but had a nice dark hue. It didn't quite deliver on it's color being very light in flavor and quite salty.

The tendon, as you can tell was good, as was the brisket, which had kept a nice beefy goodness. The flank was too tough, the rare steak cut too thick, and the tripe MIA.

The noodles were dead on perfect. Not sure why all places can't do it this way?

Overall a nice experience with regards to the staff. The pho was decent, but nothing worth going out of my way for.

Pho Saigon & Grill
9975 Carmel Mountain Rd
San Diego, CA 92129
Hours
Mon – Sun 9am – 9pm

Of course, the underlying question is; which of these two bowls did I enjoy more? I've got to say Pho Hung Cali, based on the broth, which was more complex and had more flavor.

Midweek Meanderings: From Mignon Pho + Grill to Lucky Crab to Mignon Pho + Seafood in three weeks and Taisho closed until April 5th

April 1, 2015 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants, yoso-silly

From Mignon Pho + Grill to Lucky Crab to Mignon Pho + Seafood in three weeks:

I usually stop by Nijiya a couple of times a week. Once for shopping and once or twice to pick up a bento rush for lunch.

Imagine my surprise when I found that Mignon Pho + Grill had become something called "Lucky Crab"?

So, yet another one of these Cajun/Creole Crawfish/Seafood places?

Not so fast Kemosabe……..two days later I'm at Nijiya again, and it's no more crabs?

Now it's sort of back to Mignon Pho….minus the "grill" plus "seafood"…… How's that for commitment to a "brand"?

This might set the record for most name changes in 2 weeks?

At least they just had to buy 7 letters for the last name change.

Still owned by the same folks…….

Restaurant name this week
3860 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Taisho is closed until Sunday April 5th:

So no Taisho stop for us this week. The Missus is having withdrawals…..

Yakitori Taisho
5185 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117

Breakfast of Champions – the Noodle Soup Edition: 777 Noodle House, Minh Ky, Tu Thanh, Pho Paradise, Pho Lucky

March 24, 2015 mmm-yoso Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

I've gotten into a habit of having noodle soup for breakfast. Check that; I crave noodle soup for breakfast on weekends. It's something that happened over time, but has become a bit of a habit. I'm not the only one with a weekend routine. When I rise and leave for work during the week, while it's still dark out, Da' Boyz won't even budge. They go outside, do their thing, and then it's back to sleep. During the weekend however, it's light and bright, they have a routine of their own. Most weekend mornings, I'll go for some of the quick errands; gas up the car, the ATM, Catalina Offshore, etc……and I'll take them with me. It's gotten to the point of them knowing and expecting this to take place. Sammy will sometimes stick his nose in the shower, with Frankie running around in the bathroom whining demanding their weekend "car ride". After that's done, I go for more of the errands, the "honey doo" things farther afield while the Missus is working or still sleeping. My reward? Some noodle soup. So here's a few recent bowls….I've posted on these places already, but thought it was time for another. No Mien Trung, even though they open at 9. I'm getting old, Bun Bo Hue is a bit too much for breakfast these days.

777 Noodle House:

My favorite $5.77 bowl – either Hieu Tieu Nam Vang or in this case Mi Trieu Chau. Basically the same dish, except one is with egg noodles.

777 Noodle House
4686 University Avenue
San Diego, CA 92105

Open at 8am

Minh Ky:

My usual, the Beef Sate Noodle "dry".

Minh Ky Restaurant
4644 El Cajon Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92115

Open at 8am

Tu Thanh:

My favorite bowl of Bun Mang Vit.

Especially since I found out where the parking lot is.

Tu Thanh
4804 University Ave. #A
San Diego, CA 92105

Open at 9am

Pho Paradise:

**** Pho Paradise has closed

A newbie that makes a passable bowl, not the best, but better than anything else in the area. I avoid the rare steak.

And only for the pho. Other items I've tried here just haven't cut it. A close option for those mornings I shop at Nijiya.

Pho Paradise
3904 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Open at 9am on Saturdays, 10am on Sundays.

Pho Lucky:

Yep……yes again. There are those rare mornings when the Missus joins me and is in the mood for some pho. This is where we'll go.

Maybe one day Tim Ky will join the list.

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

Open at 9 am

When you have a place in your regular rotation you sometimes notice things. Like the pair of pooches in the photo to the right. I've seen them at Nijiya a good half dozen times now. I have no idea who they belong to, but they sure are "regulars".

And then there are the odd things. Like the colander/strainer I saw in the men's urinal at Zion Market one morning. I'm sure it was doing a "similar job". I just hope it wasn't doing double duty.

Needless to say; I wasn't feeling like having anything to eat in the food court that morning. I also waited until I got home to use the restroom…..

Soup Weather Returns: Revisits to Mien Trung, Pho Paradise, and Pho Nhu Y

March 2, 2015 mmm-yoso Bun Bo Hue, Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

We just got back from an overdue visit to Portland over the last couple of days. The very busy Cathy was kind enough to cover (as usual) for us. The somewhat ironic thing being, the weather when we returned from Portland, was more like Portland than Portland was….or something like that! Anyway, after feasting on foie gras and bone marrow (posts to come) having some soup was quite nice. So here's where I've been since we got back.

Mien Trung (of course):

Ah yes, any hint of rain means a visit to Mien Trung.

Something I've noticed over the last couple of years. As "Mom" gets older, the broth for the Bun Bo Hue sometimes is rather heavy handed with regards to MSG, or even spiciness. Such was the case on this day….not to say I didn't finish every lemongrass tinged drop of soup.

The Hen Xuc Banh Trang however, was a spicy-peppery-savory joy to devour.

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

Pho Paradise:

**** Pho Paradise has closed

I know, they've just opened and I'm doing a revisit post already.

Call me cynical, but I've been kind of down on pho in Kearny Mesa for a while so when I actually had what I thought was a decent bowl here, I had a hard time believing it wasn't a fluke.

So, on my return, I didn't order the rare steak, which was cut to thick, making it quite dry the last time, and just went with the brisket, flank, etc….. the brisket and flank were dry and tough; but the tendon was quite nice as was the tripe.

Of course, there was the broth…..for me broth is the key. This time it was a bit different; not quite as rich and still a touch too salty. The flavor however was pretty much the same mildly beefy, faint anise, strong shallot-onion. Not bad at all. The noodles were even prepared better this time and there was a more generous (and better quality) amount of herbs and sprouts.

So maybe there's decent pho to be had on Convoy after all…..

Pho Paradise
3904 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Pho Nhu Y:

**** Pho Nhu Y is now Pho Duyen Mai

The weather had got me craving Bun Mam for some reason. I really didn't feel like heading to City Heights. So I headed over to Pho Nhu Y on Clairemont Mesa, which is run by the original owner of Nhu Y. I even went after the 3pm Bun Mam hour. They had declared Bun Mam off limits until after 3pm as to not offend their gringo lunch crowd. Anyway, I found, much to my disappointment that Bun Mam is no longer offered. Bummer……. So what to order? Heck, wanting some noodle soup, I went with the Bun Rieu ($8.75).

The bowl arrived scalding hot….and the positives stopped there. The soup was tasted like pho broth with a touch of tomato and a tiny bit of seafood flavor, but not enough to make it proper bun rieu. There were little crumbs of a meat paste which had no flavor…this was mainly cha lua and fried tofu. I call this "shadow soup"…where a noodle soup; like Bun Bo Hue/Bun Rieu/Bun Mang Vit is made to barely reference the true flavors.

Well….at least I wouldn't be "offending customers" right? I know this place can do better….

Pho Nhu Y Vietnamese Grill
5375 Kearny Villa Rd
San Diego, CA 92123

And finally:

So I've got a kind of new reader….I think. At least the person has been emailing me…..very entertaining emails……telling me I really don't "represent" what true San Diegans eat, or want to eat. Which perhaps is the point of the blog, right? Anyway, I got sent some photos of what, according to this reader, "real San Diegans" eat. And was asked why I don't post on stuff like that……. Great thing is, I can just use the photo sent to me:

Hot Dog….mmmmm. I actually enjoy hot dogs. Heck, I have a whole category devoted to them. Still, perhaps not this one; though it's a good bargain (much better when it was Hebrew National)….maybe one day, never say never, after all, I've had worse at Costco. Still, this makes me chuckle because it reminds me of my good FOY's (Friend of Yoso) "Xiang Jiao" (you can see her here taking a cleaver to a whole roasted pig we snuck into a karaoke room - as if you could really sneak a whole pig into one) road trip with "friends"….very frugal friends, who insisted on eating at every Costco they could find (they had it mapped out) along the way. Personally "XJ" is too sweet and patient….I would have mutinied….friendships would have been ended and blood (perhaps mine) would have been shed. But that's just me…….

Pho Paradise

February 23, 2015 mmm-yoso Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Pho Paradise has closed

I was thinking of doing my post on Sang Deuan tonight, but the weather just seemed right for a post on the recently opened Pho Paradise, which is located in the same strip mall. I first noticed the change of business back at the end of the year. I really haven't had a good bowl of Pho in Kearny Mesa/Convoy is ages. So I was curious to see how this place would be.

As I said before; that logo looks a bit familiar, but I just can't place it.

In addition to the décor; the menu is typical of your neighborhood pho shop…pho, bun, rice……

I went with #3, rare steak, brisket, tendon, and tripe ($6.75). Man, when did pho hit the seven dollar mark? The Dac Biet here is like $7.75. Regardless, I liked the look of my bowl when it arrived.

Kind of sparse on the sprouts and herbs….but is that Ngo Gai I see? A rarity on the Mesa…..

The broth looked dark and rich, flecks of oil dotted the surface….the fragrance was quite "onion-ny". Nice first impression. The broth was mildly beefy, faint anise, onion-forward, though, as is the norm in San Diego, a bit heavy handed on the MSG. It was also super scalding hot.

The noodles were over-done and on the mushy side.

As for the proteins; the tendon was good, decent texture; the rare steak was cut too thick and dried out quickly in the broth. This was the most tripe I've seen in a bowl on the Mesa since forever.

The flank and brisket were unremarkable, both flavorless and on the dry side.

Still, it seems that these folks aren't just going thru the motions and are really trying to put out a good product.

A few days later I returned and tried the Banh Mi Bo Kho ($6.75). Man was this super dark.

This was too salty for my taste, it was also very thin, lacking in anise tones and any vestige of tomato flavor. The meat was on the tough and dry side.

I'd probably stick with the pho.

The young man and young lady who served me were very nice. I know I've been around a long time when I recognized Her from Van Hoa and K Sandwich…sheesh. The service here seemed a level above your typical pho shop. I like the hours, since my schedule often calls for an early lunch. This location seems to have some bad juju; in the course of two years it has been Viet Bakery and Pho, then V Bakery. I hope the place can break that spell. I also hope the pho is just as good, or heck, let's shoot for the moon, maybe even better next time around. You see, I'm not looking for a "pho paradise" here; just a decent bowl.

Pho Paradise
3904 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111
Hours:
Mon – Sat 9am – 10pm
Sunday 10am – 9pm

Clearing out the Memory Card: Do you know these places?

February 4, 2015 mmm-yoso Bun Bo Hue, Burgers, Chicken Wings, Filipino Restaurants, Japanese Restaurants, Ramen, Sisig, Vietnamese Restaurants

Here's a bunch of photos that have been languishing for a while. Not much else to say today!

And a couple more.

Hope you're having a great week!

Revisits: Pizzeria Bruno and Pho King

February 3, 2015 mmm-yoso Chicken Wings, Pizza, Vietnamese Restaurants

Hmmmm Bruno and Pho King, there's surely a joke in there somewhere. Can't think of one right now, so onward with the post.

Pizzeria Bruno:

*** Pizzeria Bruno has closed

It had been almost a year since I'd been here and I was really wanting a pizza….the Missus is still not doing the bread thing, so I was on my own. I held out for a couple of weeks before giving in.

They must be doing well, as there were at least 5 people working on a Sunday, at 4pm.

My memory must be going as I don't recall seeing Belgians on the drink list before. I was quite happy to order a La Chouffe, mild spice, yeasty, just boozy and sweet enough for me. My server was a very chipper young lady…quite enthusiastic and all…..

Being a creature of habit, I ordered the Diavolo, subbing soppressata for pepperoni. It arrived in all it's yeasty charred glory soon after.

I must really be getting old because this just seemed larger than I remembered…ah, this cursed old age thing.

Man, loved the smoky charred crust, the slightly spicy and vinegary goat peppers….I did notice that the soppressata tasted a bit different, not as rich and full of lovely oiliness as before….but it could be that old age thing, right?

I could only finish half the pie and took the rest home. The Missus got home from work and said "that smells so good…." Knowing that She doesn't do the bread thing I told Her, "help yourself….he-he-he…."

I got out of the shower and She had a smug smile on Her face….so I headed straight to the pizza box and opened it….yikes!!! She had cockroached all the toppings! Teach me to tempt Her, right?

Pizzeria Bruno
4207 Park Blvd
San Diego, CA 92103

Aaah, I know why I put these two together mentally. While at Bruno, these two huge Italian guys walked in, pinky rings and all. Man, they had it down, talking to each other in Italian….until I was walking out and they were having a little "PDA"…..

So maybe they should have gotten a room or at least gone to….

Pho King:

Yeah, yeah….ok, enough with the jokes. I don't think I've posted on the place in over a year, so I'm due right? Man, they were pretty busy…..

I decided to order my usual and get some wings as well……

In retrospect, not the best move….these tasted of rancid oil, were fried "naked", but were on the mushy side, and really lacked flavor. Very large, meaty, and moist though. Ah yes…Pho King Wings….

My usual Hu Tieu Mi Kho did much better.

I love the sweet-porky soy and the combination of noodles on this. Which I've done posts on several times.

And on the good side, no one asked me for money. Like I noted in my Tu Thanh post, on my last visit in August, some dude asked me for money twice, once when entering and once when leaving the place…then I saw him looking into my car windows…sheeesh. Happy not have to deal with that, which kind of kept me away from the place. Guess I'll head back again soon.

Pho King Restaurant
4658 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

Lavang Restaurant

February 2, 2015 mmm-yoso Chicken Wings, Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Lavang has closed

Funny, I always almost say "lavage" when I read the sign….not the most appetizing word. A couple of weeks ago FOY "Janfrederick" mentioned that Pho Viet Cali was no more in the comments of this post. I had always thought Viet Cali really made a mediocre and over priced bowl of pho. One day I had meetings fairly close by so I decided to drop by.

I forgot how large the restaurant was.

I liked the menu; which seemed to have quite a few dishes that I enjoy. On this visit, though, I decided just to go with the pho. As I usually do, I just went with the dac biet since it gives me a nice picture into how the various proteins are prepped. At $6.95 for a small bowl, it ain't cheap. It was even smaller than Viet Cali's seven dollar pho. The herbs were really skimpy and the lime had brown spots as did the basil. Also take a look at the size of the bowl of pho in comparison to the little plate of garnishes.

All comparisons to Viet Cali stopped at the price. This was a pretty good bowl. The broth was fairly dark, yet clear. It had decent fat/oil and a very light anise flavor, with a more pronounced onion thing going on. Not quite as good as Pho Lucky on a good day, but ok.

The meats were fine, one piece of the rare steak had a metallic taste to it. Most of it was unremarkable and there wasn't much of it either.

The one thing that was a pleasant surprise were how the noodles were prepped. This wasn't your usual clump of mushy, over cooked noodles. No, the noodles had been separated and were just perfect in texture.

Also, the folks who run this place; I'm thinking it's a family of four are really, very, very, nice. It made me want to return in spite of the rather low value level. So I dropped by the next chance I had and tried a couple of the appetizers I'd seen.

The Lavang Fried Chicken Wings ($8.95). It was a pretty little plate.

The sautéed peppers and onions brought very little to the dish in terms of flavor. The wings were he small type; which I actually kind of like since it makes for the perfect bite; a combination of crisp batter/skin/meat. This was adequately fried, but the sauce was way too sweet for me, without a nice savory punch that I would expect.

I also tried the Nem Nuong Cuon ($3.95). Much like some other places in the area, this place is trying to take a page out of the Brodard playbook.

Wrapped too tight and hard, too much filler, the nem nuong was very bland and lost in everything. Could have used more herbs….oh and that sauce was watery and bland as well.

One evening a week or so later, I decided to drop by. The special that evening was one of my favorite dishes; Banh Mi Bo Kho ($7.95).

In some ways this was a pretty good version; lots of meat, the baguette nice and warm, the carrots perfect, not overcooked and mushy. I would have enjoyed a bit more anise tones and tanginess, but I know folks who don't. A good amount of black pepper in this and the broth was on the thin side….again, personal preferences at work. Like I said, tons of meat, cooked well, but not enough tendon for my taste. It is perhaps a bit more refined than the thick, rustic version I prefer.

But heck, this isn't bad by any means.

The owner told me to come back and try the Bo Luc Lac, so of course one evening, when the Missus was working, I dropped by to try it ($11.95).

Like some of the other dishes; the ingredients are done fairly well, the beef was adequately tender, but this fell short in the flavor category. I prefer mine with a more assertive sweet-savory flavor and this was really mild. Strangely, the rice was terrible…very hard.

The best part of the whole meal was the broth, which had such nice depth of flavor.

Just enough salt…this had that aaaah appeal. I guess I better return for other soups in the future.

I did return one more time for the Grilled Beef spicy Mango Salad ($9.95).

Again, nice try, but no cigar. The beef was tender, but on the mild side……the flavor of sesame oil was a bit too strong. The salad portion was nice, but again too much sesame flavor. I'd have enjoyed something with a stronger fish sauce flavor.

Like I said, the folks here are very, very, nice. I can see that they are trying for a more refined product, and while it shows in some of the prep, things just seem to miss the mark. I did notice that the two customers on the table in back of me were whining about how "greasy" the pho looked (meanwhile the Vietnamese on the table next to them just laughed – gringos wanting gringo pho)….I guess folks are really getting used to the MSG loaded, totally defatted, mediocre pho like they serve on Convoy. And while I admire the effort, the place just kind of falls short……

Lavang Restaurant
6755 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92121
Hours:
Mon – Fri 10am – 9pm
Saturday 10am – 10pm
Closed Sunday

Tim Ky Noodle

January 20, 2015 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

I was a bit sad when Tan Ky on Mira Mesa closed down. The place wasn't amazing, but they did serve some pretty solid dishes. So of course when I saw Tim Ky Noodle was taking its place, I made sure to check them out. And you know how that goes…….I try to check places out a couple of times whenever possible.

They've done a decent job of freshening up the place. New lighting, wood paneling….though you can still recognize it as Tan Ky.

The menu is typical of these type of shops, a million and one combinations of Hu Tieu or Mi noodle soups, fried rice, all the usual suspects.

I had been craving Beef Sate Egg Noodle – dry and my lousy visit to Luong Hai Ky did nothing to diminish things. So of course I had to try it here, right?

First thing I noticed was…this place was into that "big bowl" facade thing. The portion was noticably smaller than what Tan Ky delivered. On the good side, the egg noodles were done adequately….I like mine with a bit of crunch still in them, but not raw with a powdery edge. There wasn't enough sate in this as things were too mild and the beef "fair to middlin". The broth that accompanied the dish was much too light and plain bland. I'll probably not order this again.

The young man who served me was very nice and friendly. I asked him what he thought the specialty of the house was. He said it was the Bun Suong, which was surprising. If I recall, it was a noodle soup that looked a lot like Bun Rieu.

The folks here were very nice, so I came back to try the Bun Suong, which ain't cheap at $8.45.

This was pretty good. They used the thin bun for this; the type that would be appropriate for Bun Rieu. There were 8 shrimp "meatballs" that weren't too squeaky and still had some shrimp flavor. The annatto oil did make it look like bun rieu a bit, though the broth was milder. Liked that fact it wasn't loaded with MSG and the broth had a decent flavor which kind of reminded me more of chicken than pork.

This was not bad. I'll have it again.

It would only be a matter of time before I tried the Won Ton and Dumpling Egg Noodle soup ($6.49).

This was the best bowl I had here. It's been so long sonce I've had a decent Won Ton/Dumpling egg noodle soup that I'd become jaded….so perhaps that amplified my enjoyment? There were only 2 won ton and 2 dumplings in this, the dumplings were definitely superior to the won tons. But I gotta say, instead of the usual hard as rock fillings, these were adequately tender.

The broth had a nice flavor to it and even some decent richness as you can tell by the dots of fat floating around. I do wish the soup were a bit hotter.

This was a nice bowl.

I might have pushed my luck a bit when I returned and had the Duck Leg Egg Noodle Soup ($7.49). I actually wanted the roast duck version, but they were all out. The broth reminded me a bit of a watered down Thai style duck noodle, with dark soy sauce giving it a deep, dark color and the shiitake mushrooms in the soup.

There were faint hints of flavor….the mere wisp of star anise, but just not enough oomph for me. The duck, though tender, had a bit of a stale, refrigerator flavor to it. No complaints about the temp of the broth on this one as I had to figure out how to break down that duck leg floating in scalding broth.

I'd like to try the roast duck version next time, but otherwise will stick with the dumpling egg noodle soup. Plus, it looks like they have chicken wings on the menu as well.

I like the folks who work here….even the kind of serious server, who, while not too friendly, is nice enough. So of course I'll be back.

Tim Ky Noodle
9330 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

Luong Hai Ky (Mira Mesa) revisited

January 13, 2015 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

Working late one evening, I was craving some Beef Sate Noodle…..of course Tan Ky Mi Gia has closed (I've been to Tim Ky – that post is upcoming), so despite some pretty unimpressive visits, I decided to give them another shot……you know, the place that claims to be the "The Original Chinese Noodles"……which means they'd have been around for like 4000 years, heck this isn't even their original location.

It's was prime dinnertime, but the place looked kind of empty. There I stood, promptly ignored by the three guys milling around, when the young guy practically screams at me "SIT!" pointing to one of the booths. And just in case I didn't hear him, he goes "SIT!" again. Now I may talk this way to Sammy and Frankie once in a while; but they have four legs……

Menu promptly flies onto table and the guy hovers over me. Now the last time I was here, I looked high and low for Beef Sate Noodle and the Server who was hovering over me just like this guy practically ordered me to have something else. This time I was going to find that damned dish even if took all night. Much to the dismay of the guy hovering….who finally let out a sigh and left me to concentrate on my meal. And wouldn't you know….I finally found it on the bottom of the menu. So the guy comes back and simply says "what???" Man of few words, or would that be word……

Anyway, here it is in all it's glory Beef Sate Noodle – Dry ($7.30). By the way; it's on the bottom of the noodle soup page.

It looked pretty decent; until you went to mix it and found all that iceberg lettuce hidden by the noodles, which were basically raw and still sort of powdery. There was not enough sauce and the beef was tough.

The broth was basically MSG water….really salty.

Sad really, since in the good old days LHK did a pretty good job. However, since the MM location opened and the failed attempt at reopening on Convoy, it seems the prices have gone up rather quickly, the flavors have gone down, and the Servers here only speak in monosyllables. Actually, the young man spoke perfect California English….there was a table with a couple of guys whom I'm thinking were his friends….they were talking about football. Which was great for his buddies…..though perhaps I would prefer just single word sentences from him……

So this is my third post on the place. And unless someone has some compelling dish to try, I think that's it for "The Original Chinese Noodles".

Luong Hai Ky Restaurant
10606 Camino Ruiz #2
San Diego, CA 92126