Category: Vietnamese Restaurants

Thanks again for dropping by mmm-yoso!!!, food blog.  Kirk is catching up at work, Ed (from Yuma) is catching up at home and today Cathy is catching up with a post of many visits to the same place. {Admittedly this was because it is air conditioned and this summer was brutal}  

Go to the top left corner of this blog.  In the box under the words "Site Search", fill in Phuong Trang.  There are more than 170 results: we've written about it a lot.  

Phoung Trang is the place where The Mister and/or I take people who are new to Vietnamese food.  Kirk has called the food here 'middle of the road' and not offensive.   The selections are multiple, food is good, prices are fair, the restaurant is clean and almost every table orders the wings. The signage is new, as Kirk mentioned in this August post.The interior has not changed and is kept very clean. The Mister and I order hot tea with every meal; 75¢ per person, made with loose leaves. The jasmine flavor is brisk and bright. Once you order, the proper tableware is brought out.Pho ($6.50) comes with the usual sides.  That sauce is for my whole fish (2nd photo below).The broth has a light anise flavor, the meats are plenty, flavorful, tender.  Noodles are usually not in a clump and a regular/small bowl is filling.The whole fish here is reasonable ($8.95), fried properly with seasoning, quite large and meaty.  Mi Dac Biet ($8.50) is the House Special Noodle Soup (in this case, mi-egg noodle instead of rice noodle).  A wonderful chicken broth and filled with calamari, shrimp, ground and cha siu pork, imitation crab and chicken.  It's served in the extra large bowl and can be a meal to share. Banh Uot Dac Biet ($8.75), steamed rice noodles with steamed bean sprouts, shredded cucumber, carmelized onion, garlic slices and fish sauce with the 'Dac Biet' meat combination of Vietnamese ham, salami, shredded pork and char grilled pork.  This is very refreshing and a nice change from Bun dishes, with a different noodle and served on a plate without lettuces under the noodle.The Bo Bia ($4.75) can be a meal.  Chinese sausage and fried egg with lettuce, carrots, dried shrimp, jicama, basil, crushed peanuts and chili sauce wrapped in rice paper is a much more interesting selection than some of the other rolls here or anywhere.One recent order was Mi Xao Ga (chicken and vegetables with crispy noodle) ($8.25), which has become a new craving. One summer resolution has been trying Bo Tai Chanh (lemon beef salad) ($10.50) whenever I see it on a menu. The version here is served over lettuce, is different than other versions and was, in comparison, kind of dull.  The vegetables were fresh, there was a definite lemon flavor to the thinly sliced beef, but I wouldn't order it from here again.Finally in September we succumbed to every table around us and ordered the Canh Ga Chien Bo (garlic chicken wings with butter)…but just a half order ($5.75).  These were crispy and had good flavor with a good meat to skin ratio.Because we enjoy the crispy noodles, here's a photo of Mi Xao Bo (crispy noodle with beef and vegetables) (also $8.25).  It's just as good with any of the meats…because, you know…fried noodle.The newest discovery made here was from the appetizer menu- Cha Dum (steamed meatloaf) ($7.25) served with shrimp chips, the steamed seasoned ground beef mixed with glass noodles, peanuts and peas is a wonderful combination of flavor and texture.  

It's been fun to try out new to us menu items. I hope your week is going well.

Phuong Trang  4170 Convoy Street 92111 (858) 565-6750 Website

Thanks for bookmarking mmm-yoso!!! a food blog.  Kirk is checking off lists of things to do, Ed(from Yuma) is marking off his calendar of errands and Cathy is following a timetable on the computer, interspersing Continuing Education classes online with writing about food. 

Here's a quick post about a meal at the Telegraph Canyon Chula Vista location of Pho Hiep Grill, which has been open since 2008.  The Linda Vista location and its food has been mentioned within or as the main of at least nine posts on this blog and there is a third, Eastlake Chula Vista location.  CC has been to both Pho Hiep and Grill's Chula Vista locations (and from her posts, it looks like she has tried almost the entire menu). 

 This location has the same or maybe a bit less seating than the Linda Vista store, but the parking situation is much better.  This mall is anchored by a Vons store, but Pho Hiep and Grill is more East, closer to the McDonald's in the parking lot.  Seating was prompt and hot tea ($1 each) was brought out in individual cups and not a pot. A bit different than the other location. The interior is newer and more modern.  Very neat and clean.  The Mister ordered the Bo Kho (beef stew) ($7.50).  The version here is very very good. The deceptively deep bowl was overfilled with beef, tendon and vegetables and the bread was warm, crispy and fluffy.  Very fresh and very good.  Seasoning was notable for slight (and not strong) anise.Continuing with my 'lemon beef salad' quest of the summer, I was slightly disappointed to see it was not offered here, however a lemon chicken salad (Goi Ga) ($7) was listed, so this was my order.  Again, prepared differently than all the other Vietnamese restaurants.  Large slices of white meat chicken cooked in a spiced lemon broth and served on crispy fresh sliced cabbage with a dressing of fried garlic, basil and topped with peanuts. This was served with shrimp chips, which just completed the flavor grouping.  

Another great, interesting version. I'm glad I stumbled upon this new to me  menu item and decided to try it whenever I saw it (or a similar version) on a menu this year.

Have a great week!

Pho Hiep and Grill 539 Telegraph Canyon Road Chula Vista 91910 (619) 482-8883 Open Sun-Thurs 9-9, Fri-Sat 9:30-9:30 website

mmm-yoso!!!, a blog about food and sometimes interspersed with other stories.  This isn't anything about another story, it's just about food.  Kirk is taking a breather, Ed(from Yuma) is putting his feet up and Cathy is at the computer, settling back and sharing a meal while taking a Continuing Education class online.

This summer had some hot and humid days when eating out *any*where with air conditioning was the only criterion.  In August, while being seated at Pho Pasteur Anh Hong, I noted a salad on another table, asked our waiter what it was and ordered it: Lemon Beef.  I *really* liked that version and decided to try 'Lemon Beef Salad' at each Vietnamese Restaurant this summer.Saigon Restaurant has been located on El Cajon Boulevard, across from Hoover High School, for about ten years now.  Here is a link to Kirk's 2006 visit.  Here is a link to one of my visits.  That building on the next corner with the 1950's architecture overhanging what looks to be a parking lot is a drive through Dry Cleaners, one of few left in the city. 

The interior of Saigon is simple and unchanged for all these years.  There are about 12 eight-person round tables as well as another 30 or so square four person tables; quite large inside.  There are also two televisions (which aren't always turned on) and a gigantic (five feet tall by eight feet long by three feet wide) fish tank filled with Koi. Why I was here- the lemon beef salad (Bo Than Chanh) ($10.90).  You can see pieces of pale colored (i.e freshly cooked by lemon juice) thin sliced beef along with various sliced vegetables (carrot, cucumber, daikon radish, onion) and no lettuce.  The flavors were reminiscent of Kirk's Thai Beef Salad without any chilis or heat.  The beef reminded The Mister of unseasoned larb.  I tried various combinations of condiments from the tabletop tray, but it wasn't quite right, as far as heat goes- the beef seemed 'plain'.  Everything was fresh and 'sparkling' with flavor, but overall, it lacked something.    Another reason I was here- the Nem Nuong ($5.50).  I still haven't posted about it, but after two trips to Brodard, I have been on a search for Summer rolls as fresh and good as are made there.  The Nem Nuong here are very good- the beef has flavor, the lettuce fresh and crispy but far too many rice noodles and not enough of other vegetables. On the plus side, these were tightly wrapped. 

The Mister ordered beef stew (Bo Kho) ($9) and this tasted really great; nice spices within the 'gravy' and many soft tendon pieces.  It was fresh and satisfying.

Hope the week ahead is good for you!

Saigon Vietnamese Restaurant 4455 El Cajon Boulevard San Diego 92115 (619)284-4215 Open Sun-Th 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Fri-Sat 9a.m.-11 p.m.