Vietnamese Restaurants – Page 49

Que Huong Revisited…many times Part 1 – Boneless Chicken Feet Salad Anyone?

July 22, 2008 mmm-yoso Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Que Huong has closed

In case your wondering where we've been the last couple of months, it's been at Que Huong on the corner of Malborough avenue. I'd posted on Que Huong before, way back in August of 2005. Our meals were pretty mixed, and so I kinda left it alone for a while. But recently, thanks to some comments about the food at Que Huong (thanks Y-Y!), and the various dishes offered at Que Huong, I found myself back in front of the restaurant behind Burger King.

The first thing I noticed was a chalkboard menu of specials, I recognized a few of them – Ốc len xào dừa, snails braised in coconut milk, but as a whole, I understood much less than I knew. As I entered the empty restaurant, it looked like it had been in a time warp for the last 3 years.

Except for a few things…..

Have you ever written on a greaseboard with the "wrong" type of pens, and the darn thing wouldn't erase? For some reason, several specials were written on the mirrors lining the walls of the restaurant.

The other dramatic change was the menu. It had been pretty long and diverse before, with stuff like Crocodile.

But now I noticed many more dishes…..and an entire sheet with various noodle soups like Bun Mam, and Rice Porridge(Chao – which has always been popular here). Much of it was probably due to my increased exposure to Vietnamese cuisine over the last few years.

So what to eat? There were 2 dishes that were mentioned to me. The first was mentioned by several persons, and I thought it was just a "natural". Fish Sauce Chicken Wings($9.95):

I'd been warned that these sometimes edged on being "too salty", and that it was a "weird" combination. But I found these to be pretty good, perhaps a tad too salty, with a mild sweet flavor. And these were nice and crisp. The nice young man running the place on this day told me to eat these hot since they don't stay crisped for very long, and he was right. I didn't finish them, and by the time I got home they were starting to get a bit chewy. I'd have them again, though I think they are a bit on the pricey side. When he packed them for me, he told me to make sure the lid stayed "open". There are several types of chicken wings on the menu, including Chickens Wings in Tamarind, which I was told is a sweet-sour wing. The small order is $9.95, the large order $12.95.

The other dish, mentioned to me by FOY "Y-Y" was Gỏi Chân gà rút xương – Boneless chicken feet salad($9.95)! How could I resist?

The photo is kind of deceptive, this was a pretty large salad. First off, the Chicken feet are boned, (how'd you like that job? ) so you really can't tell it's chicken feet. In fact, if you wanted to "punk" someone, you could tell them this was…say tripe…but well, most people I know who wouldn't eat chicken feet, wouldn't eat tripe either, and visa versa. The chicken feet had no taste, and seemed to just be here to add some crunch to the dish. The overall flavor of the salad was nice, sour-salty-mildly spicy. The Nuoc mam based "dressing" had a ton of ginger in it, and every bite had its own flavor and texture. Every so often you'd run into some Rau Ram, and the powerful peppery-spicy flavor would hit you. There was quite a bit going on here, and though it wasn't a "homerun", it kept me interested. At least interested enough to want to return. The only thing is….

How would I convince the Missus? Stay tuned…………

Pho Ca Dao – Mira Mesa

July 2, 2008 mmm-yoso Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

I don’t know what it is, but this year, even as we approach the heat of summer, I’ve still been eating Pho. What’s even more interesting, the Missus, never a big fan of Pho, has now developed a taste for it. Recently, we had decided on grabbing a bite at Pho Ca Dao on El Cajon Boulevard. But realizing that we had never eaten at the Mira Mesa location, and since the Missus was having one of Her "I’m so easy going" moments, headed off in that direction instead.

One thing became very apparent as we entered the restaurant. It was very clean, and the folks working were smiling, and quite friendly. No having to know what to order before your butt hits the Naugahyde here. Looking around, I thought I was eating in, perhaps a Marie Callenders?

We saw Servers getting balloons for kids, chatting up the customers. No, menu’s weren’t dealt out on the table like Texas Hold’em, no one hovering around in the "universal Pho ordering stance". They really put you at ease.

The Missus, feeling that it was a bit too hot for Pho, went with the Bun Bi Cha Gio($5.70):

The portion size was quite good, but the Bi(shredded pork and pork skin) was dry, the noodles mushy, and the Nuoc Mam Cham(fish sauce dip) tasted watered down. The Cha Gio("egg rolls") were crisp and hot.

Having not visited this location of Pho Ca Dao, I wasn’t sure what meat offerings were done well here. So I went with the Pho Dac Biet(special – $5.50):

The garnishes were on the skimpy side, but did include Ngo Gai(Saw leaf herb – Culantro) that was starting to brown. On the good side, this place was so accommodating that I could request a bit more basil and Ngo Gai without worrying about ending up with a sharpened pencil in my neck.

The broth had a nice light brown color, and was relatively clear. It also had a nice clove-anise "nose" to it. Unfortunately, this didn’t translate to the flavor, which was overwhelmingly salty. The Rare Steak was decent, not too dry, the very scant amount of tripe was fine, the brisket had nice flavor, but was on the dry side. Just like it’s namesake on El Cajon Boulevard, it’s the tendon that stands out. It is perhaps not as soft and buttery, but it is close enough.

Like I mentioned earlier, we had very friendly and accommodating service. This alone put us into a nice, relaxed state. Even the the wanna be "Gangsta’s" hanging out in the parking lot looked at lot more like over-fed Mama’s Boyz who went on a shopping spree at a gold shop, than hardened young men. I’m not sure if I’ll be eating here again soon, but I wouldn’t feel bad if I had to.

Pho Ca Dao
8373 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

Open 7am-9pm Daily

Ba Le – University Avenue

June 17, 2008 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

I really had no good reason for not trying Bale on University, I've passed it many, many times. But for some reason I just never felt compelled. I think it had something to do with the parking lot.

I think it had something to do with the parking lot, what little there is of it. Many times I've driven past, and alas, no parking. Sometimes Cabs are double and triple parked, blocking the sidewalk. The Somali Coffee Shop next door does some bang up business.

However, things changed a few months ago. During a conversation about Pate, FOY TammyC told me that Bale on University had a nice version made in house. For some reason I had thought that a trip to this location of Bale would be a redundant exercise. Boy was I wrong. The menu was different from the other location(s) of Bale in San Diego.(I still haven't tracked down the "relocated" Linda Vista Bale).

Well, I should say "menus". There are 2 menus here. The one above the counter has sandwiches and other items listed by number. The one on the back wall has the same sandwiches listed, but with different numbers! Ha, sandwich roulette anyone? Banh Mi Ga(chicken) over the counter is #9, on the back wall it's #8. If you did it by number you could get Banh Mi Bi! Thinking you ordered Banh Mi Chay(vegetarian Banh Mi – usually tofu), you get Banh Mi Pate Cha. Now that would be a nice surprise.

Also, Tammy warned me about the "funky smell", and yes, once when I visited, there was a strange dank-medicinal smell. Other times, it was just like a worn, slightly seedy little sandwich shop should be.

But of course I was here for the sandwiches. And I ordered the Banh Mi Pate Cha($2.75):

And Tammy was right, this was a good Pate, slightly "livery", but quite smooth, and without the "grainy" bits. It was mildly fatty, but not much so. The Cha Lua was interesting for me, not as dense as other versions, with a slightly spongy initial bite. In retrospect, this version of the defatted pork sausage was very close to what we had in Vietnam.

There were 2 things I really didn't care for in this sandwich. First, the bread was pretty lousy, barely toasted, with a texture almost like that of stale bread(Tammy had warned me about the bread). Second, the pickled vegetables were on the sweet side. I prefer mine with a nice refreshing "bite", these stood out too much, and detracted from the overall flavor.

Of course I bought the Missus a Banh Mi Bi(shredded pork – $3.00):

Man was this a "load of Bi". The Missus didn't care for it. She found the Bi dry and tasteless. And didn't like the bread at all.

A few weeks later I found myself in the neighborhood, and tried out the Dac Biet(special – $3.25).

Bale's version was pretty filling. The sandwich had 3 different cured meats; a the Cha Lua, Pork Belly(Ba Chi), and some nicely flavored "Ham", to go along with a generous smear of the savory Pate.

Just as before, the pickled vegetables were on the sweet side, and the bread was not to my liking.

The thick stems of cilantro did not do much for me either.

Funny thing, the photos for this post have been sitting around for a while. And after returning from Hanoi, I was a bit curious to see if my tastes had changed substantially. So recently I made another drive up University, made a perilous U-Turn, and managed to find parking(though backing out of the parking lot was another story). This time, the gentleman who I'm assuming is the Owner actually understood me when I ordered my sandwich. I also noticed the huge block of Pate in the deli case, which I inquired about. He told me with some pride, "we make it here….$4.50 a pound. We make almost everything here."

Thoughts of purchasing half a pound, and getting some Gio Lua from Da Nang danced in my head. But first, I need to find some good bread. After getting home, I bit into my Banh Mi, and my original opinion of the sandwich stood. You gotta love consistency!

Ba Le French Sandwich Shop
4879 University Ave # A
San Diego, CA 92105

Open 6am-6pm Monday-Saturday
7am-4pm Sunday

BTW, the White on Rice Couple have a very nice post on Banh Mi. You can find it here.

Thanks for all the great recommendations TammyC!

Chow Noodlehouse

June 10, 2008 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Chinese Restaurants, Thai Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Chow has closed

I'd been thinking about trying out Chow Noodle House for a while, but have been hesitating. You see, when we first moved to San Diego in '01, this was the location of the reincarnated Celadon Restaurant. And the young Owner, Alex Thao, at that time still a student at San Diego State, was a thoughtful and energetic young man. His father had Owned the original Celadon, now the location of Hash House, and after deciding to retire and close the restaurant, the ambitious Alex had talked his father into reopening Celadon, and turning over the keys to him. The space that Chow now occupies once held a Thai Restaurant called Thai-phoon, or something like that. I won't go into the food at that restaurant, but I think the name more than describes it. Alex is a smart Guy, he kept the original chef on staff at Celadon, and we thought the food to be pretty good. We'd often run into Alex's Mom running the front of house, and Alex would always come by and chat. Over time the food went on a downhill slide. It seems that the original Chef, Songsri Thammasuckdi, who, I was told, once cooked for Thai Royalty, decided to retire. About the same time, Alex Thao became quite the Restaurateur, first opening Rama in the Gaslamp, then moving Celadon to newer digs, and opening Chow Noodle House in the former Celadon location. Which brings us to the here and now.

The interior is simply modern, neat and orderly, if perhaps a bit on the "cold" side.

The menu though simple in concept; noodles, salads, and other similar items, is a challenge. Chow has chosen to straddle 4 different Countries. The menu consists of everything from Pho and Bun, to Yakisoba, to Chow Fun and Pad Thai. It is hard enough doing one cuisine justice, but four?

Back in January, I decided to check out Chow for lunch. The very nice young lady ushered me to a table, and after looking over the menu, I chose the Drunken Noodles(with chicken – $8). I thought this would be a nice dish to try since I enjoyed the version that Celadon used to make. Something in the back of my mind made me order it "spicy", something I'd never do at say, Yai Restaurant. Come to think of it, they serve it to you, their way, and don't even ask you how spicy you want your food. I kinda like that.

I was first served a bowl of a pseudo, egg drop soup. I say pseudo, because the one very strong flavor in this was that of Kaffir Lime Leaf. To me this wasn't a bad thing, because at least it had flavor.

Considering that I was paying the "Hillcrest premium", this didn't look too bad. On the good side, the noodles were cooked adequately, and the chicken wasn't dry as I expected. On the bad, this was cloyingly sweet. I expect my Pad Kee Mau to be on the sweet side, but this was really much too sweet. Also, it was not spicy in the least, not at all. It was hard to make out any flavor beyond the sweetness of the dish.

Another day, I was having lunch with an acquaintance, and decided to order the "Vietnamese" Grilled Beef Salad($10):

The "lemongrass grilled beef" was adequately done, but it had no lemongrass flavor. The menu says hothouse cucumbers, but none were in sight, not a big deal, at least there were some cherry tomatoes mixed in with the shredded cabbage and carrots. The dressing was very bland, I'd have killed for some Nuoc Mam Cham. Funny thing, this was one of my first meals out after returning from vacation, and I couldn't help but think…..160,000 VND!

Recently, I decided to give Chow one more shot. This day, being a bit brighter than most, I noticed that Chow was showing some signs of wear and tear.

This time I ordered the Beef Chow Fun($11 – I just noticed that I spent more and more $'s on each visit). I didn't quite know what to expect, perhaps a nice version of Thai style thick noodles with gravy, maybe I'd get a decent Chow Fun.

Chow Fun with Gravy does not mean mushy noodles. The noodles were horribly over-cooked, and improper cooking temperature made them greasy as well. Though the fragrance of ginger wafted up from the dish, it was all I could really make out. This was very bland. At least the Gai lan tops were cooked properly. The meat was cut too thick, and didn't match the thickness of the noodles, a no-no in Chinese cooking.

At this point, unless anyone has a really stellar recommendation for Chow, I think I'll pass for a while. It seemed like everything started at mediocre, and went down hill from there. I will say this, though my Server was different on every visit, I had very accommodating service. Also, I was never charged for my Diet Cokes.

This leads me to a conversation I had with the young Alex Thao, way back in maybe 2002. Just back from a visit to Thai Town, I inquired about dishes using ingredients like Thai Eggplants, Jackfruit, or even Gapi(Thai Shrimp Paste). His response was that using the unfamiliar in San Diego is "economic suicide" and those dishes would just take up menu space and never sell. I guess he's right, after all, the Thao Empire is now so large it calls itself the "Celadon Group".

Chow Noodle House
540 University Ave
San Diego, CA

Read Alice Q Foodie's post on Chow here.

Read Gil's post from what We Dig here.

From the no good deed goes unpunished files:

So, I'm walking after lunch, and see an Older Woman using a walker, dragging a shopping basket, muttering to herself while crossing the street. I notice that a shopping bag full of "stuff" fell from the cart while she was crossing the street. So, I run into the cross walk, get honked at by some "gangsta's" in an Escalade who in addition to throwing a Big Gulp Cup at me, obviously cussed me out…luckily, they were screaming at me in "gangsta" so I really couldn't understand what they were saying. Thankfully, I managed to pick up the bag, caught up with the woman, and handed it to her. Unfortunately for me, she was grappling with whatever demons are haunting her, and proceeded to scream profanities at me. And if that wasn't enough, she started spitting at me! Needless to say, I dumped her bag into the cart, and beat a hasty retreat. Goes to show me…you never know what'll happen to you on the corner of 5th and University……..

Pho SuperBowl-in La Mesa

May 22, 2008 Cathy Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is where you are, reading a post written by Cathy, because Kirk and ed just don’t feel like writing today….although I bet they have eaten something.

Hello again. Cathy here. Hope everyone is doing well. Yes, this will be a post about Vietnamese food…but food you can eat right here in San Diego! OK-East County of San Diego. Closer to where I live.

If you live in La Mesa, you know where On Cue Billiards is- on Parkway Drive-the feeder road (parallel to) for Fletcher Parkway at Jackson (NW corner basically). I haven’t been in that parking lot for a long time and one day The Mister and I were driving by and saw a "Grand Opening" sign. We had to stop, even though we were not too hungry. The Mister got a small bowl of Pho Tai($4.95). (The SuperBowl size is $5.50). Excellent, deep flavored, not too oily broth, fresh fresh flavors. The meat was very tender and flavorful.

I ordered the Bun Cha Gio ($5.95-my bowl is the "SuperBowl" size, by the way) Excellent, fresh rice noodles-not in a clump. Fresh sliced lettuce, mint, carrots and cucumber, whole unsalted peanuts and *really* fresh bean sprouts, topped with four cut up Vietnamese egg rolls- which are all meat/no filler (the appetizer serving of five of these egg rolls is $5.95)

At the end of our meal, the owner brought us two small bowls of warm "coconut pudding". It isn’t a pudding texture, but it *is* made with wonderfully flavored coconut milk.

The menu only has 48 items, six of which are "kids meals" (pho tai is only $3.95 for I guess a smaller serving). If you enter on the right hand door, that area is mainly used for to go orders and seating to wait for those orders. There is a brisk take out business and a plethora of beverages, all served in ‘to go’ cups. Boba drinks, smoothies, fusion and fresh teas, fresh coffee and lattes, frozen yogurt, milk shakes and "Joy", which is ice blended with fruit, flavoring and water. There are various sizes available and prices range from $1.25 for hot coffee to $3.70 for a 20 ounce smoothie.

I have heard they have free wifi here, but have not checked that out for myself. Yet.

Pho SuperBowl 8342 Parkway Drive La Mesa 91942 (619)469-8984 Open 7 days 10:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m.

Cali Baguette Express – A First Impression

May 5, 2008 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

I noticed that a new, bright and shiny restaurant opened in the former location of El Metate Mexican Restaurant on El Cajon Boulevard. I thought the logo looked a bit familiar…….

And after a look at the menu, I was pretty sure.

With sandwiches like the Cajun Shrimp and Turkey with Pesto, this appeared to be a new location of Baguette Express. I’ve eaten at the location Valley Boulevard in San Gabriel. I can tell you this, the place is already pretty popular.

There’s a section selling grocery items, and stuff like baguette "ends" which are pretty good for croutons. Why are the ends trimmed? Well much like the mega-chain Lee’s, or San Diego’s own K’s Sandwiches, BE uses the extra long bread, and I figured the sandwiches would top 10 inches.

I placed an order, and after a short wait….well, it was a bit of a long wait, it looks like this place is still trying to get all the pieces in place. I received my sandwiches.

I ordered the Dac Biet(special – $2.99):

And yes, here it is. The bread is about 10 inches, and is much more "stuffed" than the usual Banh Mi. As with my previous visit at the LA location, the pickled veggies edged toward the sweeter side, and cross-sliced cucumber was added. The bread is lightly crusty, which is good, but overall, the Banh Mi doesn’t have much flavor or chew to it. I do think it is better than K’s bread, which sometimes ends up on the mealy/crumby side. Thin slices of routine Cha Lua and moist and mildly flavored BBQ pork were layered on the top and bottom of the sandwich respectively. The head cheese was tasteless, with hard, inedible bits that reminded me of toenails. There was a decent, unobstrusive amount of mayo on the sandwich. Mediocre overall, but it will really fill you up.

For some reason, I ordered the Xiu Mai (pork Meatball – $2.69) Banh Mi:

In retrospect, I should’ve ordered something else, perhaps the Cajun Shrimp, which I rememebred being pretty good, or the Nem Nuong. This was a really terrible mishmash of flavors, think mushy, mealy, sour, mystery meat. It was also a bit too heavy on the mayo.

In spite of this, I’ll probably be back. I enjoy the menu, which you can think of as K Sandwich with attitude . Items include Banh Mi Ca(sardine), Banh Mi Trung(egg), in addition to even Bun Bo Hue(not sure I’ll try that though). And it looks like this place is going to have a drive-thru. I can just see Ed from Yuma grabbing a coupla Sardine Banh Mi’s, extra Peppers on the his way out of town!

Cali Baguette Express
5215 El Cajon Boulevard
San Diego CA 92115

Website here.

Cafe Dore Revisited

March 18, 2008 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Cafe Dore has closed

Cafe Dore has been a favorite of mine when it comes to Banh Mi. And though there's been the odd day when the bread perhaps did not quite live to billing, I've been content to just roll into Cafe Dore every now and then. As is my habit, after visiting a place, I usually keep my camera stowed, and go on with life. But after having discussions with a few friends, some of them quite humorous, I thought I'd do an updated post on Cafe Dore.

One of the first things I noticed at Cafe Dore(other than the huge television), is that typical of Vietnamese Coffee Shop culture, the place is male dominated. Guys out-number the Gals about 8-12 to one. On our visits, the Missus has been the token female in the place….not that it bothered Her one bit. The other amusing thing about Cafe Dore, that I noticed, was the amount of attention paid the two "video game machines" in the back of the place. It immediately dawned on me that middle aged men had no reason to be paying so much attention to a video game…sometimes there's a little crowd around the game. I'll stop there……you get the point!

FOY John told me that other than the television, Cafe Dore hasn't changed since he's been going there….over 10 years…..same video games, same carpet, you get the idea. The giant TV has either various info-mercials, or Vietnamese Variety Shows on. Once, while waiting for my Banh Mi, I found myself watching a nice travelogue….I didn't understand a word, but thought to myself, "wow, that place really looks like Vegas…." Until I realized it was a Vietnamese travelogue of Las Vegas! Another constant at Cafe Dore is the total disregard of the "No Smoking" signs posted around the place. You'll several Guys smoking with surreptitiously hidden ash trays at every table. And yet, where I would normally find these quirks and habits irritating at other places….here at Cafe Dore it's just another day. I'll even go as far to say that there's a kind of charm to it; during the busy mornings you'll see bleary eyed Guys waking up with their morning Cà phê sữa đá, and having their breakfast Banh Mi….by 10am, there's usually at least one card game going…or checkers. And because English is not the primary language you'd hear at Cafe Dore…..if you have a vivid enough imagination, you'll feel transported.

Here's a run down of some recent(last 4 months) eats from Cafe Dore.

Hu Tieu My Tho($5.75):

The somewhat mushy rice noodles were covered with chicken(very soft), BBQ Pork(the stuff you find in their Banh Mi – yum), and some shrimp that needed some fattening up. The sauce was a savory tomato based concoction that featured minced pork and dried shrimp. The dried shrimp was a burst of flavor that always caught me off guard. The whole shebang was served with Tong Ho (Garland Chrysanthemum – what I grew up calling Shingiku), some lettuce that was really in need of a wash, and sliced Jalapeno Peppers. Overall, this wasn't the most inspired Hu Tieu I've ever had, but it sure wasn't bland!

The Hu Tieu also came with a nice and rich broth, with some pretty good meatballs:

On another occasion when the Missus was having Her favorite Banh Mi, I ordered the Banh Mi Bo Kho(Beef Stew with Baguette – $5.75):

I found this version of the beef stew to be not as oily as others, if a bit weak in the spices and flavoring department as Bo Kho goes. The meat was moist and fairly tender, but lacked a beefy punch. I did enjoy the pieces of tendon that were soft and buttery.

And I like the bread at Cafe Dore, which more than made up for any shortfalls.

On one visit the Missus tore Herself away from Her usual Banh Mi and ordered the Com Tam Bi Cha Thit Nuong(Broken Rice with shredded pork, steamed egg cake, and grilled pork – $6.75):

I found the Com Tam to be dry, and not very fragrant…and the Missus told me it was like veggies provided had been moved from plate to plate uneaten.

The big winner was the steamed egg and pork cake, which was soft. moist, and bursting with flavor.

Don't ask me about the Bi….I never got a chance to taste it.

The grilled pork had decent flavor, but was on the dry side:

All of this came with a very nice Nuoc Mam Cham, and a small bowl of broth which was a bit on the salty side this time around.

So did I just pick stuff off the Missus's plate…..of course not. In a moment of Banh Mi envy, I ordered a Banh Mi I saw someone else eating….I don't even know what it's called….I don't even know if it's on the menu. But I just knew I had to have it. I mean, how can you resist this?

Nice runny egg, Cha Lua that had been on the griddle, the same with some fatty pork, cilantro, cucumber, a dash of Maggi(like I needed any more salt?)………pretty good stuff.

As you can see, for me it all comes back to the Banh Mi at Cafe Dore, and though you can read about the Banh Mi Dac Biet here, I thought I'd provide another photo:

Than there's the Missus's favorite at Cafe Dore, the Banh Mi Bi($2.75):

I tried the Banh Mi Xiu Mai one day(Meatball – $2.75):

And even though the meatballs were studded with large pieces of shrimp, I'm just not a fan of the tomato sauce used for flavoring this Banh Mi. I prefer the version from Saigon Sandwiches and Deli next door.

We consider most of the food(minus Banh Mi) at Cafe Dore to fall into the Vietnamese Diner category….not a bad category by any means. Like the place or hate it; you gotta say Cafe Dore has got tons of personality.

Cafe Dore
4135 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92105

Pho Hoa

March 2, 2008 mmm-yoso Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

It has been a fairly "schizoid" winter, temperature close to 80 and sunny one day, cloudy, cool, with sprinkles the next…..and forget about following the weather reports. Storms that should arrive in 3 days, arrive in 2, upon hearing sunny, you automatically pack your umbrella. And what to do about conflicting reports, one website says sunny and high 60’s, the other says cloudy with showers, temps in the high 50’s? The Missus simply told me; "sigh…you’re so glass half empty! I just believe the report that looks better." Okey, so following the Missus’s lead, I wore short sleeves to work for the first time since mid-November. I think I can stop right here….you know what happened to the "glass half-full", it became totally filled with freezing rain. Man, I just needed a bowl of Pho……

I hadn’t been to Pho Hoa in over 4 years, so I decided check them out. Now first off, just to be clear, this is not a "retread" post(coined by an FOY, who once wrote me, "when are you going to do posts of your retreads….." I think He meant revisits, but I’ve used the term retreads once in a while), this is Pho Hoa on El Cajon Boulevard, not to be confused with Pho Hoa Hiep, or Pho Hoa Huong, whose sign reads just Pho Hoa(confused enough?) both in Linda Vista. So I hope that clarifies things……

As you can see….just plain Pho Hoa! And you can’t miss the sign…all they need is a slogan, "Pho Hoa where Happy Cows ~~Eat~~ Are Eaten!" Or something like that.

The years haven’t been kind to this well respected Pho establishment, the cafeteria-like interior is starting to look very seedy. And for some reason, I feel that the ceilings of the place are closing in on me. For once I feel somewhat satisfied being "vertically challenged".

Lest you be mistaken that Pho Hoa has mellowed over the years, let me tell you right now. Pho Hoa still runs like a highly oiled machine; you are seated, a menu dealt to you, like you are playing a game of Texas Hold ’em, the Waiter stands at attention, pencil at the ready….."menus, you don’t need no stinkin’ menus!" You frantically point out what you want, it’s better to do this right now, otherwise you’ll end up ordering a bowl of "Fo". Any request for more time is met with a disapproving look, and the possibility of not seeing your waiter for quite a while. In contrast, I’ve found the Young Man who runs the register to be very pleasant.

Soon enough, the garnishes arrive:

Not very generous, but ok…..though the Ngo Gai(Saw leaf herb) looks like it’s trying to escape!

I ordered the Rare Steak, Tendon(of course), Brisket(double of course), and tripe – extra large($6.25) since I was extra cold, and slightly wet….

The broth is darker and mildly rich, with a mild beefy punch, and hints of anise and clove. It runs on the salty side(MSG?). The rare steak is okay, slightly tough, but okay, the tendon is soft, not the wonderful, almost buttery tendon that I enjoy in my Pho, but close enough. The brisket is slightly chewy, but has a nice beef flavor.

The noodles were in the usual clump, and a bit on the soft and mushy side.

Overall, this was a nice remedy for the weather.

Just as a quick entry on how Pho can vary from visit to visit…….I dropped by a few weeks later and got a bowl of the Dac Biet (special – large – $5.85).

This time the broth was not quite as dark, and not as salty…and that beautiful piece of tendon that graced the bowl! Unfortunately, the rare steak(Tai) tasted "off", metallic, and kind of rancid…so I pulled them out. The rest of the bowl was fine, and this time the noodles were not too soft. I should have got the rare steak on the side…….

Service here is usually fast and efficient, and the "guys" are a bit less stoic than I remembered. Not bad, I’d gladly eat here again, though I’ll dance cautiously around that rare steak, though I think it was a "fluke".

Pho Hoa Restaurant
4717 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

To Bi or not to Bi – A Banh Mi Bi Comparison – Cafe Dore, Saigon Sandwiches & Deli, Kim Chan

February 24, 2008 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

Want to meet the Missus's latest obsession? Here it is:

Yes, it's Banh Mi. Banh Mi Bi…..the version with shredded pork skin as the filling. I don't quite know how this one came about, but 2 weeks ago, it became "all about the Bi!" So after eating Banh Mi Bi just about everyday for the last 2 weeks(that's a lot of Bi!), the Missus came up with Her 3 favorites. So I decided to see, if the Missus knew Her Bi(that kinda rhymes, doesn't it?).

In a blind tasting of Her 3 favorites, She identified each sandwich and where it came from, based on taste, texture, bread, and of course Bi.

So here they are:

**** Cafe Dore has closed

Bi – 1: Cafe Dore($2.75):

The Missus says: "it's all about the Bi, great ratio of meat to skin(meatiest Bi), nice condensed pork flavor, Bi is always moist, with hints of sweetness. The bread is okay, on any given day Cafe Dore or Saigon will have better bread. The cilantro is a lost cause, too stringy, and the pickles are just average. Best flavor and texture overall."

Cafe Dore
4135 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92105

Bi – 2: Saigon Sandwiches and Deli($2.75):

Amazingly, Saigon Sandwiches and Deli, right next door took second place. Even though they reside next to each other, Cafe Dore and Saigon have distinct personalities. Cafe Dore being a Viet Coffee shop, is overwhelmingly male; the Missus was the only female in the place during a recent meal(post is forthcoming). Saigon, is a combination convenience store/snack shop, and the clientele is about two-thirds women and children.

So what about the Banh Mi? The Missus says:"Too much skin to meat, meat is on the dry side, the amount of roasted rice powder makes this sandwich stand out. It adds nice texture. The pickles are usually very good, refreshing sour with some spiciness. Too much pickles relative to Bi. Bread is usually good. Larger sandwich that Cafe Dore"

Saigon Sandwiches & Deli
4133 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92105

Bi – 3: Kim Chan Sandwich Shop($2.50):

**** Kim Chan has closed

The Missus says:"Bread is sometimes soggy, too much mayo kills the flavor. This place has the spiciest peppers that overwhelms the mild flavor of the Bi. Too little Bi relative to veggies, pickles, and bread."

I noticed something interesting when waiting for the sandwich. The gentleman first made the sandwich, wrapped it up, than proceeded to heat the sandwich…..

Kim Chan Sandwich Shop
4712 El Cajon Blvd Suite N
San Diego, CA 92115

Others that didn't make the cut include Bale…..

So there you have it…….it's all about the Bi.

Another short lived obsession:

After enjoying the Nem Chua I brought home from the Tet Festival, the Missus started seeking out different versions of this tasty sour pork sausage. So here we have a rarity……parallel obsessions!

The winner? The version from Kim Chan, though the smallest, and most expensive($6) was the favorite. It had the best texture(even though it had the least amount of pork skin), and flavor(hints of garlic, chilies, peppercorns).

The version from Bale in Mira Mesa was okay, but had too many peppercorns, and was too sour. In third was bought from Saigon Sandwiches & Deli, very tough, and bland.

Did I mention why this was a short lived obsession? When it was explained to the Missus that this was not a "cooked" sausage, in fact it is a fermented sausage….for some reason this ended the Missus's obsession.

“Noodling Around” – Revisits to Tan Ky Mi Gia and Tan Ky Mi Gia(which used to be or still is Hinh Ky Mi Gia)

February 21, 2008 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Both these locations have closed

Here are a few updates.

Tan Ky Mi Gia – Mira Mesa

For some reason, the Missus and I were in he mood for some Roast Duck last week, and since we were in the area decided to stop by Tan Ky Mi Gia. It had been a while, and I've always thought they prepared their egg noodles well, it has always been nice and crunchy.

So, of course I had the Roast Duck Egg Noodles($6.05):

On this visit the broth was not as salty as it sometimes is, though it was more "yellow" than usual, I'm thinking from the egg noodles. The noodles were again perfect. I was a bit disappointed at the "roast duck", which is different from the duck I had here before. This one was more like BBQ duck, the skin was tough, as was the meat. The flavor was also very mild.

The Missus had the Roast Duck over rice($6.50):

Same duck, but with rice. The bowl of broth provided was very nice, though.

For some reason the Missus, feeling very hungry, also ordered the combination Banh Cuon($7.45):

As you can tell the Cha Lua(lean defatted pork sausage) was very dry. The butterflied fried shrimp however, was excellent. The Nuoc Mam Cham was on the sweet side, and overall, this was mediocre.

I think I'll stick with the Beef Sate Noodle Soup, unless on future visits I notice that the duck has changed back to how it was previously.

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

My previous post on Tan Ky Mi Gia.

~~Hinh Ky Mi Gia,~~ wait, this place is back to being Tan Ky Mi Gia(El Cajon Boulevard):

As you can tell if you compare to my previous post. The Hinh Ky sign is down, leaving "Tan Ky Mi Gia" as the last sign standing:

Disappointed in the Duck Noodle soup at Tan Ky Mi Gia on Mira Mesa Boulevard, I just needed my fix.

As good as always, though the price has gone up, and is now over 6 bucks. What makes this duck so good are that the dripping poured over the duck.

I don't know what the story is regarding the name, the same folks still work here. In fact, they recognized us, saying; "we haven't seen you in a while." I think I'll be back soon.

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