Vietnamese Restaurants – Page 44

Midweek Meanderings: Huynh Hoa Tuu closed, Suan Nai (Beijing style yogurt) in San Diego, and Halmouny (Hal Mu Ni) reopens

June 2, 2010 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

This past weekend, I managed to make a couple of short drives, just to see if anything had changed since we left for vacation over a month ago. Here are a couple of items.

Huynh Hoa Tuu is gone:

I was pretty surprised to see almost all traces of Huynh Hoa Tuu gone when I drove by.

Kinda sad to see this one go as I had enjoyed some pretty good meals there over the last couple of months. It seems that they just up and closed the place…….

Hal Mu Ni (Halmouny) finally open:

It seemed to take a while, but Hal Mu Ni has finally opened in the old Kabul Market location.

The sign for the restaurant still says only Korean BBQ and Tofu, but the shop next door; coverted to a kimchi take-out shop says Halmouny. My previous posts on the place can be found here and here.

4425 Convoy St. #217
San Diego, CA 92111

Suan Nai – Beijing Style Yogurt at Xinhua Bookstore:

FOY (Friend of Yoso) Candice informed me upon my return from China, that Xinhua Bookstore on Convoy Court has been carrying Beijing style yogurt from Bluecherry Yougrt Bar in Alhambra. So I dropped by this past weekend to check it out.

We'd visited this outpost of the very large Chinese bookstore chain when they first opened, and haven't been back since.

There is now a coffee and snack counter tucked away in the corner of the store.

I didn't look over the offerings in great detail, but did note dried squid, pork sung, and other items in the chiller, and frozen dumplings in the small freezer opposite the cold case. And yes, there was Beijing style yogurt…. which BTW, you can also get at Little Sheep. There are the regular small containers, the stuff we usually get at places like Tianjin Bistro and Hunan Chilli King at $2.50, and a larger container for $8…… not cheap, but hey, this ain't Beijing.

Candice's email could not have come at a more perfect time. Suan Nai was one of the (many) things I was missing from China. So of course I bought a large container.

So what did I think of the yogurt now that I've had several different versions in China? I'd say that this is much sweeter than even the sweetest Suan Nai we had. The texture is right, though. It wasn't bad, but the Missus is trying to encourage me to make my own Suan Nai…….. I'm not quite sure I'll be able to pull that off……

Xinhua Bookstore
7373A Convoy Court
San Diego, CA 92111

Revisits: Luong Hai Ky, Noble Chef, and The Counter

April 18, 2010 mmm-yoso Burgers, Chinese Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

Luong Hai Ky – Mira Mesa revisited:

While doing my Beef Sate Noodle Soup post, I decided to also include Luong Hai Ky. The bad thing was I couldn't for the life of me find Beef Sate Noodle soup on the menu. So while the Server hovered over me in the typical LHK manner, I asked about Beef Sate Noodle soup. Totally ignoring me, the guy pointed to a photo on the menu and said, "this, this is what you want, it is good…." It was a photo of Hủ Tiếu Mỹ Tho. I said, "yes, but I'm looking for Beef sate Noodle Soup". In return he replied, "no, this is good, I guarantee it is good….." It was late, I was tired, and I knew this guy was just trying to get rid of me, so I relented.

And here's the bowl of Hủ Tiếu Mỹ Tho:

This was okay, the noodles were cooked well, and there was a decent amount of char siu and pork in the bowl, along with shrimp. I still think the broth here is not nearly as flavorful as what was served at the now defunct Convoy location.

At seven bucks, I really didn't think it was a good value either.

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

More from Noble Chef:

I also visited Noble Chef Chef for the Beef Sate Noodle Soup, but when I saw another customer having it, I decided to get the Seafood Sate Noodle Soup($5.55) instead.

This was a bit different when it comes to Sate Noodle soup. There wasn't a very spicy, nor pungent flavor…….the soup was slightly thick, but had an almost curry-like flavor So, if you like Curry Noodle soup….you might enjoy this. The egg noodles were a bit overcooked, and the fishcake and various meatballs were just passable.

We also recently had the Shrimp with XO Sauce Fried Rice, and it too tasted a bit odd, I'm wondering if the place has changed hands yet again. Here's another place that just hasn't been the same since Noble Chef changed hands.

The Noble Chef
6159 Balboa Avenue
San Diego, CA 92111

A revisit to The Counter:

**** This location of The Counter has closed

The Missus wanted their Veggieburger, so I was most happy to oblige. And we headed up to Leucadia, and The Counter. This time the cheese was swiss and I had onion strings on my burger.

As much as I enjoyed the idea of putting onion strings on my burger in my previous post, I think it really detracted from the overall flavor of the burger. I think I'll go back to simple grilled onions next time. The burger was again a perfect medium, and I enjoyed it.

We also tried the Fried Dill Pickles:

The Missus thought these too salty, but I didn't think so. The pickles were nicely breaded and fried well. Personally, I'd enjoy thinner sliced pickles……. better crunch….

The Counter
1923 Calle Barcelona
Carlsbad CA 92009

One last thing……. I had the pleasure of spending a wonderful Saturday evening cooking. A few weeks back John, Peter, and Angela of Sandwich Emporium asked me if I'd like to help out with a Bentos and Sake dinner they were having as a benefit for the American Cancer Society. I was indeed flattered….. so last night, the twins, along with MrS, TammyC, and I spent an evening cooking and plating….

I was honored to be able to help put together the menu, and though my feet and back hurt like heck right now, it was a bunch of fun. It is a great cause, and it's nice to have friends who are willing to help out.

Pho Fusion

April 6, 2010 mmm-yoso Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

During a recent dinner with Cathy and Ed from Yuma (we missed you Tina!), Cathy mentioned that a Pho shop had opened in place of the former Fusion Tea and Boba place, which I understood made some pretty good Boba, but I was never a big fan of the food. I recently had a pretty long day, and found myself in the area one evening, so I decided to check it out.

When I saw the sign, and read the "welcome back" message, I had to chuckle. I guess Madonna's not the only one reinventing themselves. Boba and snack shop not doing well….. go with the Pho. It's now called Pho Fusion…. which if you mispronounce it, could be Pho Pho-sion, or Fu-Fu sion. Some newer furniture, and nice coat of paint, and a menu featuring more mainstream Vietnamese dishes, and Pho Fusion is born.

There are still most, if not all the various slushies and Boba drinks, and a few of the older dishes are still around, but the menu features Pho, Bun, and Com (rice) dishes.

A regular bowl of Pho will set you back $5.49, with a larger bowl going for $6.29. I ordered the #15 brisket, flank, tendon, marbled flank, and crunchy flank (which is basically the thick and chewy connective tissue pieces of flank).

The garnishes were on the skimpy side, but very fresh. The bowl was fairly small as well.

I was ready to be underwhelmed, and yet, the broth was pretty good. Nice anise tones, light beef flavor, it wasn't bad. I also thought of my FOY, and fellow food blogger Dennis, who wants to Nuoc Beo everything in sight. This is one bowl that could make good use of some rendered beef tallow to add richness and oil, as it was very light. The various cuts of meat need some work, as the flank cuts were pretty dry and bland, though the tendon was decent if not quite done the way I prefer. This turned out to be a rather pleasant surprise……..

I used to grab a snack at the old Fusion once in a while, even if I didn't care for most of what they served. The folks were always very nice to me, friendly and helpful, and sometimes that's all you need. The one dish that seemed to get better with time was the Popcorn Chicken ($3.99).

Or maybe I just changed….. Basically pieces of dark meat chicken, in what seems like a corn starch based batter, served with a mildly spicy mayo… or if you want to be fancy, an "aioli". When good, it's crisp and hot. When bad, it's crumbly and bland. It also doesn't hold up for very long. It's not overly salty, and I do wish there was something more going on; perhaps garlic tones, or some sweetness, but hey, it's fried chicken.

Today it did just fine.

I was perfectly happy with my meal, and as always the folks here have always been pleasant. I was thinking that maybe I'd try the Banh Mi here again….. well, maybe not, but who knows.

Right now there's a Grand Opening, or perhaps it should be a sorta Grand re-opening special with free drinks with your meal.

Pho Fusion
8038 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

Beef Sate Egg Noodle Soup overload – Minh Ky, Cam Ky, Hao Vi, and Tan Ky Mi Gia times 2

March 30, 2010 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

I first tasted Vietnamese Beef Sate Noodle Soup a couple of years back. And for the last couple of years, anytime I've been feeling a bit congested, or under the weather, I'm looking to get some Beef Sate Noodle Soup. Funny thing about BSNS (yes, I'm too lazy to type the whole thing out); almost every "Mi" (Chinese-Vietnamese Egg Noodle) joint serves it. But, as you'll soon see, each one is unique. In most places, it's just the house soup dressed up with Sate. But next time you're at the Vietnamese Market, check out the variety of Sate sauces, and read the labels. There's only a few items that are the same across the board, chilies, shallots, and oil……. some of the sauces look like they use a good amount of oil. And though peanuts come to mind, not all of this type of sate sauce utilizes them. At it's best, the sate adds deep savory-salty-spicy tones to the noodle soup. At it's worse….. well, I've never had a bad bowl of sate soup, though the other items, especially the beef falls short. Well, enough of that, let's get our soup on……

Minh Ky – Best Bang for the Buck:

Actually, the Beef Satay Egg Noodle "dry" ("Kho") is really good, and you can check out Gastronomer's post, but the BSNS ain't bad either. For me it's a great tonic when I feel a bit under the weather.

To me, it's a great bang for the buck…. the price is not the cheapest at $5.50, but it has a ton of egg noodles, which seems almost unending at times. The beef is usually fairly tender, the portion generous, and usually arrives rare ready to cook and soak up the broth. The sate here is not particularly spicy, but it is rich, perhaps a bit oily, but it does grab you, causing the inevitable utterance; "aaahhhh….."

Let's just say it all together; "aaaahhh….."

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

Previous posts including Minh Ky can be found here, here, and here.

Welcome to Funkytown – Cam Ky and Hao Vi:

**** Both Cam Ky and Hao Vi have closed

If there was any doubt that BSNS ranges wildly from place to place, I'm sure the versions at Cam Ky and Hao Vi, both appearing very Chaozhou would be good examples. I found it interesting that one of the women at Hao Vi didn't speak Vietnamese, and seemed to talk to her coworkers in a Chinese dialect. One of the women who used to work at Cam Ky spoke Cantonese and Mandarin.

My bowl of BSNS looked very different here. It didn't "smell like turpentine" but looked kinda like India Ink (extra points if you can guess the reference).

Actually, the texture was like motor oil, perhaps of a lower viscosity, but this was almost like a gravy. It was very low on the oil end, and didn't have a whole lot of hard, gritty bits. The spice level was a low medium, and the flavor tending toward a porky, garlic-shallot.

The beef was the toughest of all the soups sampled, but the tomatoes were pretty ripe and did add a nice tangy flavor. There was a nice portion of egg noodles, which were severely over-cooked.

Cam Ky Chinese BBQ
4141 University Avenue
San Diego, CA 92105

My previous post on Cam Ky can be found here.

Meanwhile, the broth of version at Hao Vi, while being very thick, is also the spiciest, but also very interesting in flavor, with hints of clove and cinnamon.

This was super thick, just as before the gravy like "soup" rested on top of the noodles. A quick shift of the noodles with a chopstick, and there's almost a "gloop" as the soup proceeded to overtake the noodles. No tomatoes in this bowl, but for some reason I didn't miss it. The egg noodles were cooked perfectly, though this was the smallest bowl overall.

Hao Vi Chinese Restaurant
4451 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92105

Tan Ky Mi Gia times two…. Mira Mesa and El Cajon Boulevard:

**** Both locations of Tan Ky Mi Gia have closed

The BSNS at Tan Ky Mi Gia in Mira Mesa used to be my favorite.

But the last two times I've had the BSNS it seemed to be missing something. I just can't put my finger on it. So let's call it missing that "je nais sais quoi".

I think the beef here is the most tender, though I once got a bowl with beef that tasted off. When I mentioned that to the folks here, they were quick to replace the bowl.

On this visit, I found it strange that the tomatoes were missing….the acid from the tomatoes help to cut the oil. I'm pretty sure this version of sate uses nuts, as there's a hint of nuttiness… though it could just be a figment of my nuttiness.

The one thing the Missus and I find amusing about Tan Ky Mi Gia, are all the photos everywhere. It seems that everytime we visit there are more photos posted on the windows, and even on the walls…..

Just like that movie star with body dysmorphic disorder who thinks that just one more tattoo will make her/him look more attractive, it seems that the folks who run the place believe that maybe, just that one more photo will make folks order more.

Tan Ky Mi Gia
9330 Mira Mesa Blvd #A
San Diego, CA 92126

Other posts featuring Tan Ky Mi Gia in Mira Mesa can be found here (check out the windows), here, and here.

By far the BSNS I enjoyed the least was from Tan Ky Mi Gia on El Cajon Boulevard. It also was the cheapest at $5. I noticed that the place is looking a bit worn nowadays, with tables sticky enough to be found in the SGV.

The flavor of the broth was rather weak for BSNS, and it felt a bit greasy.

The beef was rather tough, though the egg noodles were cooked perfectly. Roma tomatoes in this bowl.

Tan Ky Mi Gia
5237 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

Previous posts that include Tan Ky Mi Gia can be found here, here, and when it was called Hing Ky, here.

I hope you enjoyed with noodle soup-pa-palooza. I'm sure I missed a few places, so fill me in on those.

Toan Ky Restaurant – A (quick) first look

March 25, 2010 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

*** Toan Ky has closed ***

A couple of weeks ago, Toan Ky Restaurant officially opened. Replacing LV sandwiches, and before that Le's, from the name and the look, I thought this would be one of those "Mi" shops a la Minh Ky and Tan Ky. Linda Vista could use a good noodle soup shop, since Mi Ngoc So 1 folded its tent, and was replaced by Thai by Tara, and then (thankfully) Sab E Lee.

The main renovation has been done to the entrance area, where the "bar" has been removed, and a smaller counter with the ever present cash register resides.

The menu, fortunately or unfortunately still has some Thai dishes on it, but Banh Mi is still available; and yes, all the standard Hu Tieu and Mi soups are available. The prices at first glance are about in line with other shops of this type….. but hold on for more…..

The Missus went with Dumpling Egg Noodle Soup ($5.50). When the bowl arrived, I noticed something right away.

The portion sizes were pretty small compared to other shops. This was about the size between a small and medium Santouka Ramen. There were only three dumplings in the soup, but it was supplemented with a shrimp, a fish ball, meat ball, and slice of fish cake. The Missus thought the dumplings were passable, and gave me a taste, which I thought was bland, but much softer than the typical hard packed meatballs of these type of shops. The Missus declared the broth tasty, but light, and believed that only a minimum of MSG was used.

I ordered the Duck Leg Egg Noodle Soup ($6.75):

The broth of this soup was dark, I'm assuming fortified with the drippings of the duck. I usually pour in some of the drippings when I get duck egg noodle soup served with the duck on the side. This duck was braised, and frankly, quite bland, lacking in the richness of say, a roast, or barbecued duck. The soup was fairly good, with mostly a soy sauce flavor. I would have preferred something like what you see here, which is cheaper than this, and twice the size. There were about three to four bites of egg noodles. This was gone pretty quickly.

Our first impressions are mixed. The food is decent, but the soups seem to be snack-sized, and in fact most other tables ordered an additional item with their soups. The Missus has a saying about most of these type of soups…. "the more I eat, the more there is", which wasn't true in this case, as She had almost finished by the time my soup arrived, a mere five minutes. I believe that much of the reason places like Minh Ky and Tan Ky are successful is because of value, this is a bit different. The service was efficient, but indifferent, pretty much what we expected. I dunno……. I'm sure we'll check in again, so stay tuned…..

Toan Ky Restaurant
6925 B Linda Vista Road
San Diego, CA 92111

Open 8 – 8 daily

Minh Ky revisited

March 11, 2010 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

It could be that all roads lead back to Minh Ky…… every couple of months we find ourselves back in that lousy parking lot on the corner of El Cajon and Menlo.

Minh Ky, like the Tan Ky Mi Gia's and Luong Hai Ky specialize in Chinese style noodle dishes. And though the interior hasn't changed since I first posted on the place back in January of '06, it seems that the food here has gotten better over time. As I noted in my Mi comparison, the broth for the soups has seemed to gain flavor over the years. So I thought I'd just do a short post on some of the other dishes from Minh Ky, save one, which I'm saving for one of those comparison posts.

On one of our visits, we saw a young girl and her mom working through a plate of chow fun….they sure made it look good. So on our next visit we ordered the Seafood Chow Fun, at $7.25, one of the more expensive (ahem, it's all relative) dishes at Minh Ky.

This was a load of food for just over seven bucks. The noodles were cooked adequately, no wok-hay, but not mushy. The shrimp was perfect, still soft and tender, but the squid was a tad over-cooked. The gravy was excellent, nice hints of the savory flavor of oyster sauce, with a touch of sweetness. We enjoyed the dish, and proceeded to order it again…. this time it had less gravy, which tasted a bit off, and my feet started swelling after a couple of bites. I usually have a pretty tolerance when it comes to MSG, and I really don't mind it being used to "finish" a dish. To take it to the next level, but this was a bit too much.

The Roast Duck Egg Noodle soup is a bargain by San Diego standards at $6.25. And the broth for the egg noodle soup is still pretty solid with regards to flavor. I also don't remember there being so much 'Mi' in the egg noodle soups; that alone was enough to fill me up.

The duck was nice and meaty, but very low with regards to anise-savory tones. It was also too fatty, and fairly greasy. And the skin was quite rubbery.

Maybe next time…….

On one of our visits, I decided to order the Bo Kho Hu Tieu (Beef Stew-Hu Tieu):

There was a ton of meat and tendon in the bowl. The beef was cooked well, and though not melt in your mouth, it was fairly tender. The tendon could have been softer, though. As you notice, like most of the 'Mi' joints in San Diego, it rice noodles, aka Bánh phở that's used, not "bánh hủ tiếu". The overall flavor was on the weak side, lacking in the rich-savoriness of a good beef stew.

It was nice trying some other dishes beyond the usual Egg noodle soups…… I'm thinking we'll be going back to the Sate/Won Ton/Dumpling Egg noodle soup. I will give that Chow Fun another try though.

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

And yes, there's still that aisle of parking with no outlet….. you either hope that no one is parked in one of the stalls on the west side so you can cut out, or you have to back all the way out. Or you could jump the curb…..

Recently, we've been parking in the stall behind, pot holes and all…. but be careful, we've seen two cars hit nails……

Com Tam 75

March 1, 2010 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Com Tam 75 has closed

I always appreciate all the recommendations and notifications I receive from all the wonderful FOYs (Friends of Yoso) out there. It sometimes seems that the moment a new place opens, there'll be an email in my inbox awaiting me. Com Tam 75 is no exception. Back in November, I received an email from TammyC letting me know about this new shop. About the same time, I received an email from someone with the handle "ComTamMan" recommending Com Tam 75. Com Tam Man? Hmmm…. The strangest thing was, that even though this place was named Com Tam 75, it wasn't the namesake dish that was recommended. CTM told me to check out the Korean BBQ Ribs, the Teriyaki, and the Philly Cheesesteak! Huh? You know I had to check this place out now…..

Much like Hal Mu Ni, Com Tam 75 used to be an outlet of Rice King, and you can see the remains of the steam table on one side of the restaurant. The interior has been brightened up a bit, the chairs have wheels on them in case you want to channel your inner seven year old. From the various posters, and the channels playing on the television, as well as the application for liquor license notification on the front door, this looks like a sports bar ready to happen.

The menu is humongous, with everything from Banh Mi (including a Philly Cheesesteak Banh Mi), Bo Kho (Beef Stew), Bun Mang Vit, Bun Bo Hue, Chao (rice porridge), and Bun Rieu. It was almost a relief to see no Pho on the menu….. until I looked at the greaseboard.

Yep, there it was Pho, right above the Beef Tamales and Chicken Teriyaki (???).

The young man who waited on me was quiet, but very nice, and waited patiently for me to figure out what to order. I decided that since this was Com Tam 75, not Beef Tamale 75, nor Banh Mi75, that I should go with a Com Tam dish.

I went with the Com Tam Bi Cha Tau Hu Ky ($7.75):

The plate that arrived was a bit on the small side. Let's just use what I got at Com Tam Thuan Kieu for $6.25 as a point of comparison:

Now I realize this is San Diego and all……….. but pictures sometimes speak louder than words. Still, if the items on the plate were top notch, I'd forget about the price. Alas, it was not.

Some of the Com Tam was hard and dry. The Bi (shredded pork) lacked the ground rice powder that adds a wonderful nuttiness, and was just plain bland. The Nuoc Mam Cham (fish sauce dip) was on the watered down side. The Cha (steamed egg) was moist and soft, but had a weird camphor like after taste that I found a bit strange. The Tan Hu Ky (shrimp paste in bean curd skin) was probably the best item on the plate, though it was on the greasy end, and the bean curd skin was more flaky than crisp. This wasn't inedible, but it just wasn't very good.

And yet, the folks here were so nice, and the young man kept refilling my water….. I wanted to find something I'd enjoy on the menu, and I think I saw just the item. A few weeks later, I found myself in the area. It was pretty early, about 830 am or so. Com Tam 75 opens at 8, so I though I'd drop in, and order…….. Spam, Eggs, and Rice ($4.95):

Spam…. how could this go wrong? It didn't, the Spam was sliced thin and fried crisp. There was also five slices of it on the plate, which is probably like getting 6-7 slices of bacon. The rice portion was on the smaller side, but perfect for me as I've been cutting down on my rice intake. The eggs were slightly crisp on the edges, and nice and runny. I placed them on the rice, added a dash of fish sauce…….

So perhaps Com Tam 75 does make a killer Philly Cheesesteak Banh Mi or Buffalo Wings. Maybe the Teriyaki Chicken was kept on the menu to appease all the former Rice King customers…. I've no answer for the Beef Tamales or Tacos though? I think I'll let you tell me if the Korean BBQ Ribs or the Cheesesteak is worth a visit.

Until then……… I'll wait it out.

Com Tam 75
5420 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

As a side note, I do appreciate the efforts of places that attempt to make their food more accessible. I do think the line between accessible and dumbed down is a fine one, and it's usually the latter that is achieved. You don't do any dish a favor by removing its soul……

Road Trip: Com Tam Thuan Kieu – Garden Grove (Orange County)

February 23, 2010 mmm-yoso Orange County, Road Trip, Vietnamese Restaurants

A while back I was in the Little Saigon area, and being quite hungry, I was in the mood for a Cơm tấm (broken rice) dish. Almost right across Viendong Restaurant is Com Tam Thuan Kieu, which with over a hundred different combinations of item topping broken rice, you could say, ahem…. specializes in Com Tam.

The restaurant itself is fairly neat, and no frills, reminding me of a more run down Banh Cuon Tay Ho. The service is also no frills, you sit, menu arrives and you order, if you're able to pick out what you want from the huge amount of items. There's a steady stream in and out of the restaurant as all the men seem to need to step out for a smoke before, during, and after a meal. In fact, if you have a problem finding the place, just look for all the men smoking……

Chilies, chili paste, and fish sauce, the standard seasonings are provided. I chuckled when I saw the spoons labeled as "spoon" and the forks as "fork", I would have never known. Want some hot tea? Mine was delivered in a large water glass. The knife was delivered with the Nuoc Mam Cham, which wasn't watered down, like some versions in San Diego.

Like I mentioned before, the menu seems to be an endless list of com tam "combinations"….. it is a classic case "Vietnamese menu overload", if I've ever seen it. There are a couple of gut-busting combinations which run up to nine bucks, and includes everything you can think of. Even the seven item combinations, like what Elmo had is enough for a family of two. I went with my tried and true Com Tam Bi Cha Tan Hu Ky Thit (Broken Rice with shredded pork skin, steamed egg, shrimp paste in bean curd skin and charbroiled pork), which at $6.25 is to me, a bargain.

The charbroiled pork looked tough, but was fairly tender, and the marinade was less sweet than most versions. The Bi was nicely flavored but a bit on the dry side, which the nuoc mam cham easily fixed. The Cha, the steamed egg with pork skin and cloud ear fungus was very good, perhaps a bit on the dry side, but chocked full of earthy flavors. They didn't skimp on the fungus in this version.

The Tan Hu Ky really wasn't my favorite, as I enjoy a nice crisp and light bean curd skin, and this was soggy. The shrimp paste was a bit too "squeaky" for me, but the flavor was good. The com tam was fairly fragrant and moist, and better than just about anything in San Diego.

While eating, I was wondering why my meal didn't come with any broth. Well, just as I was finishing up, a bowl of broth was dealt out on my table…. sigh….. Here's another variation of the "appetizer sin", you know, when your appetizers come at the end of your meal. I guess in this case, the broth was dessert?

Along with marking the forks and spoons, serving my hot tea in a water glass, and my soup arriving when I had just finished my meal, I thought the door to the restroom was kinda, well, odd. It was lined with stainless steel looking more like a walk-in door than one for the restroom. It made me feel like I was going into a "deep freeze".

Speaking of deep freeze, I'd been sitting on these photos for a while, thinking I'd be returning. But it just seems like that won't be happening for a while, so I hope you don't mind a very short post.

Com Tam Thuan Kieu
14282 Brookhurst St Ste 2
Garden Grove, CA 92843

San Diego Tet Festival 2010

February 19, 2010 mmm-yoso Festivals & Events, Vietnamese Restaurants

We are pre-empting Burger Week to let you know it's that time again…. Yes, the 2010 San Diego Tet Festival started today, running through Sunday 02/21. So I made sure to drop this evening.

If you've been to the Tet Festival before, much is the same. The location is still Balboa Park. This year things are much drier than last year, even though there's rain in the forecast.

There are of course, all the various rides and games.

And all of the various booths, from community organizations, different vendors, and sponsors. Like last year, I arrived pretty early and most of the booths weren't set-up yet.

There is a schedule full of events as well.

Don't forget the Cultural Village.

Of course, i know you're most interested in the food, right? Like last year, the food booths occupy one entire side of the festival.

This year, the booths I was interested in weren't ready for me. Also, I noticed that the offerings are a bit more "varied" with even less traditional Vietnamese items available. Still there are enough vendors to keep you satiated.

Some like Ba Le are quite familiar…. but what really got my interest was that Ba Le was serving Kao Piek (Khao Piak Sen), a noodle soup dish we're familiar with. Which led me to wonder….. since when has Ba Le been serving Lao food????

There was one booth that immediately caught my interest.

Lee's Sandwiches had a booth at the festival! I made a beeline toward the booth which was serving only snacks and drinks. I was intercepted by a nice young man offering samples. While munching on a piece of sweet toast, I inquired about Lee's in San Diego. I was told that there are plans for Lee's to open in San Diego within the next eighteen months!

Even though it seems that this years Tet Festival's food offerings are a bit watered down, let me say that you can still find interesting stuff you you look hard enough.

So it might be worth your while!

Adult Admission is $5.

San Diego Tet Festival at Balboa Park

Friday 2/19/2010 4:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Saturday 2/20/2010 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Sunday 2/21/2010 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Chicken Wing Thing: Phuong Trang, Tajima, and Huynh Hoa Tuu

January 27, 2010 mmm-yoso Chicken Wings, Japanese Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

Anyone out there kinda obsessive about things? I'll be the first to admit that I love chicken wings….. I mean I've created a category for them. To add to the obsession, I've even created my own little "value scale" for chicken wings….. I automatically divide the price of the wings by the number of wings in an order. Of course taste is king…. but I gotta admit at Kyochon level price levels,$1 a wing, it better be pretty darn good. I guess that's why I've thought Royal Mandarin's Salt and Pepper wings at $7.95 for an order, which usually contained 14 wings (about 57 cents per), was a bargain. I hope they reopen soon. For some reason, I've kinda drawn a mental "line" of 79 cents a wing, as being reasonable. Of course, Tebasaki Wings are in a category all their own. Weird, I know…….

Anyway, I've had a couple orders of wings from different places (surprise!) in the last couple of months, and here's a short round-up.

Phuong Trang – Butter Chicken Wings:

In the comments area of my post on City Dragon's chicken wings (at 7 for 6.99 was in Kyochon territory, and believe, it wasn't even close to Kyochon), "Arlene" mentioned that the chicken wings at Phuong trang might be worth chicking ummm, checking out.

The item mentioned was the "Butter Chicken Wings", and take a while to cook, at least fifteen minutes. So if you order these, and your Com Tam or Bun comes out first, the "appetizer sin" occurring, at least you can be sure you get some hot and sizzling wings.

At $8.95 for a dozen wings, this runs to about 75 cents each, which is reasonable. The wings are juicy and sizzling hot, these are more crusty than crunchy, as the batter turns out to be kinda crumbly. It deteriorates quickly, and gets to be kinda greasy…. but, hey they are called "Butter Wings", right? I thought these were kinda high on the salty scale, and I like salty wings….

Decent price, but overall, just ok.

Phuong Trang
4170 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111

Tajima Sushi and Japanese Tapas Restaurant:

On one of my visits to Tajima "2", I ordered the fried chicken wings. I thought at $5.95 this was pretty inexpensive…. but with only five wings, these broke the Kyochon price ceiling:

These are what I call "dipped wings" and are made much like my Garlic Chicken, where chicken is first battered and fried, and then dipped into a mixture right after frying. These were nice and sticky, but very low on the flavor scale, edging toward sweet. The batter wasn't very crunchy, and the meat was on the dry and chewy side.

In my opinion, not worth the price.

Tajima Sushi & Japanese Tapas Restaurant
4411 Mercury St.
San Diego, CA 92111

Huynh Hoa Tuu – Hot Wings:

Update – Huynh Hoa Tuu has closed.

After all the dishes I've had at Huynh Hoa Tuu, you know I had to check out the "Hot Wings". At $5.95 for 7, this was on the high side with regards to price, but still below the "Kyochon line".

These wings were battered and fried, then cooked, a la Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings, but with the addition of a sweet and spicy Nuoc Mam Cham(fish sauce) style sauce. These were still crunchy, and the flavors came through very well…. salty, but in a good way, with some depth. Some of the garlic had been burnt, which caused some bitterness, but on a later visit with some FOYs it was done better. There was some decent spice, and the hints of sweetness helped.

Overall, like much of what Huynh Hoa Tuu serves; good beer food.

Huynh Hoa Tuu
4660 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

So there you, three more orders of Chicken Wings served up! Much thanks to FOYs (Friends of Yoso) like Arlene without whom I'd be chicken-wing deprived (or is it depraved???).