Vietnamese Restaurants – Page 53

Revisits to Various Vietnamese Restaurants – Thien Thanh, Saigon, and Da Nang Food to Go

February 12, 2007 mmm-yoso Vietnamese Restaurants

I guess you could say we've been eating alot of Vietnamese food recently…..not much Pho, but alot of other "stuff". It also seems that I've got a terminal case of food photus obsessia, and can't help but take photos of food. I think I need to seek some help for this…what do you think? In the mean time, here's few updates on a few of the Vietnamese Restaurants along El Cajon Boulevard.

Thien Thanh

*** Unfortunately, Thien Thanh has since closed. What a bummer.

I've already posted on Thien Thanh twice, on our first visit, and on another visit when I tried the Bun Bo Hue. I hope you don't mind this third post, which is actually comprised of several visits. I excluded anything that I've posted on before. So let's get started.

The Banh Mi Bo Kho($5.50):

Yes, during our cooler evenings a nice bowl of beef stew with french bread sure hit the spot. The version at Thien Thanh is chock full of herbs and seasonings, I pulled out large pieces of cinnamon and other stuff from the medium thick broth. The oil content was not overly high, and I enjoyed the flavor….I needed another loaf of french bread to help me finish this. Currently my second favorite Vietnamese Beef Stew next to the version at Lucky Pho.

One of the reasons we enjoy Thien Thanh is that along with the good service, the garnishes and vegetables are always fresh. So it almost goes without saying that the Bun Cha Ha Noi($5.95) at Thien Thanh is our favorite.

The meatballs may be kinda tough, but the sauce is nice and mildly sweet. And the veggies are always fresh.

Of course the Missus loves her Bun Rieu($5.50):

As with the Bun Bo Hue at Thien Thanh, the Bun Rieu has a more assertive sour-tangy flavor than other versions, with the pungency level on the low side. The Missus wanted to make sure that I took a photo of the large shrimp-crab cake in the Bun Rieu.

The noodles were okay, on verge of being too soft, but passable.

The Bun Mang Vit(Bamboo and Duck Noodle Soup – $5.50):

The Bamboo was under hydrated and tough, and the duck much too bony. The broth had a decent flavor, but because the bamboo hadn't fully steeped, the earthy flavor that the bamboo brings to the soup was hidden in the background.

Can't beat the garnishes though:

A generous portion of Rau Ram(Vietnamese Coriander) for my soup.

There are still several dishes that I need to try at Thien Thanh, the Bum Mam, Bun Nuoc Leo, De Nuong(goat), and the Canh Ga Chien Bo(chicken wings), so I may end up doing another post in the future. I hope you don't mind……

Thien Thanh Vietnamese Restaurant
4658 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

Saigon

I'm pretty sure most people know Saigon, it's pretty much a fixture. With the huge menu, and inexpensive seafood it's favorite of many. Here are a few other dishes we've had at Saigon recently.

The Ca Ri De Banh Mi(Curry Goat with French Bread – $7.95):

Too much coconut milk, too little curry flavor, and too watery for my tastes. There was a good amount of goat meat though.

One of our favorite dishes at Saigon is the Thit Nuong(BBQ Pork with Rice Paper – $8.95):

Thinly sliced marinated pork is rolled into a tight "roll" and grilled, it is served on a bed of vermicelli noodles, and with a huge plate of pickles and vegetables, and a plate of rice paper. It's one of those, "make your own spring rolls" kinda thing. All served with Nuoc Mam Cham for your dipping pleasure…we always make a huge mess and enjoy ourselves, though on occasion the pork has been very tough and sinewy, that is the exception and not the rule.

The Bo Bia(Chinese Sausage Spring Roll – $3.25):

This has got to be the tightest stuffed spring roll in San Diego, it should say "contents under pressure", I was sure it was going to explode when I bit into it, but it didn't. Pretty good overall, with a ton of filling.

Now what do you think the Missus ordered? One guess…

Bun Rieu($5.50) of course! The Missus enjoys the Bun Rieu at Saigon, it's tied for second with the Bun Rieu at Thien Thanh. Her favorite is served at Mien Trung. The broth is a bit more fishy in flavor, and the Missus enjoy the seafood cake, which has the texture of almost being steamed. The two things which bring this bowl of Bun Rieu down are the over cooked noodles and the Missus would rather have fried bean curd, instead of the just plain old tofu in the dish.

The Bun Mang Vit($5.50):

My least favorite Bun Mang Vit, from the mushy noodles to the hard bamboo, to the almost flavorless broth. As with most of the soups at Saigon, the Bun Mang Vit had a generous amount meat in it, in this case duck, even though it was mostly bones.

Still, with over 300 items on the menu, you're sure to find something you'll like at Saigon. Though according to this sign, you should make sure that you'll eat it.

My original post on Saigon.

Saigon Restaurant
4455 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

Da Nang Food to Go

*** Da Nang Food to Go has closed

During a recent conversation with John from Sandwich Emporium, he mentioned that he had heard that the Bun Mang Vit at Da Nang Food to Go was really good. So of course I headed down there as soon as I had a chance. I arrived early(they open at 7am) on a recent weekend morning so I could snag one of the few available parking stalls in the strip mall.

I was amazed at the take-out traffic the place was getting. I looked over the menu and ordered the Bun Mang Vit($5.00), and my garnishes arrived in but a minute.

Pretty much status quo…I felt bad for that lonely chili, all on it's own.

The Bun Man Vit took a while to arrive, but it was piping hot when it hit the table.

It was a very surprising bowl of Bun Mang Vit. Instead of the usual clear broth, this version was quite spicy, in fact it tasted almost like Bun Bo Hue! The coarse ground pepper also added a alot of flavor. I thought that the spicy flavors overwhelmed any of the woodsy-earthy flavor that the bamboo shoots add to the dish, and this ended up tasting like Bun Bo Hue with dried bamboo shoots and duck.

There were some very meaty pieces of duck in the Bun Mang Vit, which tasted fine with the Nuoc Mam Cham that was provided. But still, it didn't seem like I was having a bowl of Bun Mang Vit. Still it was different, and maybe you'll enjoy this version.

On this morning I had a short but very nice conversation with the owner, we mostly spoke about the Gio Lua he makes. Right now he's selling a ton of the stuff because of Tet. I still have to pick some up for my own use…if I can find a parking stall!!!

My original post on Da Nang Food to Go.

Da Nang Food to Go (aka Quan an Da Nang)
4745 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

Thanks for indulging me(as always), I hope you all didn't mind some revisits.

Hey what's for dinner?

I'm starving!

Say what! Vietnamese again!

DietChiliCheeseFries is right, all you ever eat is Vietnamese! You better get this fixed soon or I'll report you to Aunt Passionate Eater! And she'll fix your wagon!

Sheesh, what does it take to get a dog something good to eat around here?

San Diego Tet Festival 2007

February 9, 2007 mmm-yoso Festivals & Events, Vietnamese Restaurants

Yes, it’s that time again…time for the San Diego Festival. Just as last year, it’s being held at Qualcomm Stadium. I usually feel really bad after doing festival posts, since most of them have come and gone by the time I do my post, and I always receive email and comments from people who wanted to attend….. So this year, I made sure to drop by on my way home from work, on the first day of the festival, which is today!

I arrived at a bit after 3pm, and found that admission had gone up to $5 this year. One thing that admission brings is a more efficient and clean festival, plus parking is not a problem.

Many of the booths, and displays were still being set-up, and the crowds had not yet arrived when I entered.

As with last year, the "heart" of the festival is the "Cultural Village":

And all of the community information, vendors, and rides:

So there you go…..

Oh wait, what about the food you ask? Well, just as last year, food booths line one entire end of the festival grounds:

I do think that there’s better variety of food this year…more than just the Fried(Cha Gio – Eggrolls) and skewered meat that was everywhere last year.

Like this:

As I passed this booth, I saw a pretty nice looking bowl of soup, so I walked on over. One really great thing about arriving early, before the crowds is that you can always strike up a conversation. So, this is a "famous" pork soup from a specific town called Trang Bang. Nice pork belly, there was some meat on the pork hock, the noodles were not very good, chopped into small pieces and mushy…but who really cares. It’s good festival food. The broth was decent, with lot’s of herbs and green onions, and I was glad to have the little container fish sauce and lime. It cost me $5.

After polishing off my soup I walked over to this booth and was looking over the food and menu.

A lady standing in front of the booth started talking to me about the food. So I asked Her if she was working here, her answer, "no, but I enjoyed the food from here…." So I decided to order the Beef Papaya Salad.

Topped off with Sriracha, this was pretty good. Nice and refreshing.

The thinly grated crunchy papaya was topped with lemongrass flavored fried meat and thinly sliced beef liver, not my favorite thing in the world, but it tasted fine in this salad.

Of course you need the ubiquitous fried item, in this case some Cha Gio(Egg Rolls – $2), which I got from this booth.

These were pretty large, and filled me up.

Completely stuffed, I made my second pass, and bought some food for the Missus.

From this booth I picked up a Papaya Salad($4).

The Missus enjoyed this.

And from this booth:

Some Spring Rolls.

And Egg Rolls:

There are just too many food booths, you can’t possibly try everything.

And in case you’re not in the mood for Asian food, there is the ubiquitous Funnel Cakes and….other stuff. Overall, it is festival food, I think the food is better than last year, though it could be because I arrived before the crowds. Still, I enjoyed myself, and the very friendly people manning the booths.

The San Diego Tet Festival is presented by the Vietnamese American Youth Alliance of San Diego. And in case you can’t make it this evening, the festival runs through Sunday.

San Diego Tet Festival at Qualcomm Stadium.

Friday, February 9th : 2:00pm to 10:00pm
Saturday, February 10th : 9:00am to 10:00pm
Sunday, February 11th: 9:00am to 8:00pm

There are a variety of programs and other entertainment, the schedule can be found here.

Road Trip: Viendong Restaurant – Garden Grove(OC)

January 30, 2007 mmm-yoso Orange County, Road Trip, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Vien Dong has closed

The day after our aborted vacation, we decided to take a drive up to Garden Grove and check out a restaurant that was included on a list that the ever knowledgeable Wandering Chopsticks so very kindly provided for us. The name of the restaurant is Viendong, and is located on busy Brookhurst street.

The restaurant was fairly large, very bright, clean and roomy. With many large parties having a late lunch.

The menu was full of various dishes that I longed to try, from the Goi Mit(Jack fruit salad) to the Bun Bung.

We ordered some hot tea while we tried to decided what to order…now this is what I call a teapot!

We started with the Banh Tom($5.50):

We ordered this mainly because it was on almost every table…plus it looked really good. Some quick research showed that Banh Tom is "Deep Fried Sweet Potato and Shrimp Patties". Strips of sweet potato(think sweet potato fries) and shrimp are deep fried in a lacquer like batter, and served up with Nuoc Mam Cham and a generous amount of Lettuce, Mint, and Cilantro. We noticed that there were two different "schools" of eating; one set placed everything in a bowl, and ate the Banh Tom out of the bowl, another group did the "wrap" thing…so we tried a little of each. We found that the sweet potato had a very nice and delicate sweet flavor, so delicate, that it was lost when mixed or wrapped with herbs and dipped into the Nuoc Mam…though the textures were interesting. So we kinda just ate them like fries…..

The shrimp had a good crunch and flavor, though there really weren't many of them in the dish. the portion size was quite substantial…and the leftovers were still pretty good!

The Missus went according to character and ordered the Bun Rieu($4.95):

This was a nice looking bowl of Bun Rieu. The first thing we noticed was that the instead of a Crab/Shrimp "cake", the crab and shrimp were scattered about the soup. The Missus prefers the condensed flavor of a cake. The broth was very balanced, though quite mild in flavor, and needed the addition of lime and shrimp paste to bring it up. Not a bad bowl, but lacking in the depth of flavor that the Missus desired.

I ordered something I don't ever remember seeing before, Bun Gia Cay (Northern style Pig's Feet Stew – $5.50):

You can tell can't you? Man this was delici-yoso!!! Thick and rich, full of flavor, such a hearty stew. There was a generous amount of Pork Hock, and a plate of "Bun" (Vermicelli) was provided, along with a bowl on the side.

There was a mild curry flavor, and well…..it was just plain good stuff! I'll leave to someone else to describe. Let me just say, it made my day!

The service at Viendong was very good, friendly and helpful. I'm hoping to try some other items on the menu soon.

Thanks for the recommendation WC!

Viendong Restaurant
14271 Brookhurst St
Garden Grove, CA 92843

(714) 531-8253

Road Trip – S Vietnamese Fine Dining – Westminster(OC)

January 16, 2007 mmm-yoso Orange County, Road Trip, Vietnamese Restaurants

*** S Vietnamese has closed

On our recent quick trip to Marukai in Gardena, we thought that perhaps a stop in Westminster would be in order…and maybe we'd try something different. So after hearing about S Vietnamese Fine Dining, and noticing it was right off the 405 freeway, we thought it would be an interesting alternative to the Brodard's, Quan Hy, etc……..

S Vietnamese is located right at the edge of Westminster Mall, in what looks like a highly retrofitted chain restaurant facade.

'S' bills itself as a higher end modern and stylish Vietnamese restaurant, and when you enter and notice all the wood paneling, the grand piano, and the art work lining the walls, it sure does look like the right place.

Strangely enough the restaurant was totally empty, at 1230 on a Saturday! The complete stark lack of customers made us feel a bit uncomfortable, and made the large, airy, spaciousness of the restaurant seem a bit "cold".

This was all remedied by our wonderful, warm, and friendly Server, Linda. As we were seated and handed our menus, we were asked, "have you ever eaten Vietnamese food before?" The Missus and I traded puzzled looks, and the thought "uh-oh, was this a mistake" entered our minds. We managed to choke out, "yes, we've had Vietnamese food before…..", and ended up having a nice conversation regarding the various dishes, and got some recommendations.

Based on the recommendations we started with the 'S' Skewers($12):

6 skewers arrived accompanied with 3 dipping sauces. The skewers were a mixed bag, the Garlic Shrimp Skewers barely had any garlic flavor, though the shrimp were of good quality and cooked perfectly. The Soy and Sesame Beef skewers had the most flavor, and mild sweet-soy flavor, but the meat was on the tough and chewy side. The Curry Infused Chicken was the best overall, with moist dark meat chicken. But again, the flavors were really muted; there was barely any curry flavor, in fact, the chicken tasted like a very mild lemongrass chicken. The sauces were so-so, the supposed "peanut sauce" tasted almost like 100% coconut milk, the sweet chili sauce tasted like bottled stuff, the best of the group was the soy-scallion sauce, which we ended up using on everything.

We wanted something with a little "punch" so we ordered the Bun Rieu($8) as our soup:

Supposedly the most "savory" soup on the menu, we thought of it as Bun Rieu Shadow soup…a mere shadow of the pungent Bun Rieu. It didn't help that the soup was served lukewarm, and that the vermicelli noodles were overcooked and mushy. On the positive side, the crab-shrimp "cake" was the absolute best I've ever tasted, sweet and so very soft. The fried tofu was fine, but the soup was very mild in flavor. The garnishes were on the skimpy side, but I must admit that the julienned banana blossom served was the freshest I've ever tasted, slightly tangy and refreshing. Requesting extra garnishes is a must.

The Missus ordered the Banh Mi Ca($8):

This was a breaded catfish Banh Mi. First off the baguette was excellent, perfectly crusty without being hard and dry. The panko breaded fish did not fare as well. The fish strips were dry and flavorless, and we thought that the use of Honey Panko was not the best choice, making the fish too sweet.

I ordered the Bun Cha($10), a dish of grilled pork and pork meatballs that are meant to be wrapped in lettuce leaves with various herbs and eaten:

This was by far the best dish of the day; the pork meatballs had great flavor and the grilled pork served in a sweet-garlic-soy sauce was very soft and tender. In keeping with the use of high quality ingredients butter lettuce was served for wrapping, along with a very large portion of vermicelli, which I ended up pouring sauce over to finish up….we also dipped the leftover baguette in the sauce, it was that good.

For us S Vietnamese Fine Dining was a real mixed bag; on one end many of the ingredients were of good quality, the restaurant decor is very stylish, and the service was excellent. On the other end, we thought that some of the dishes were not prepared well, the presentation of the dishes are not quite at that "fine dining" level, and that many of the flavors that we consider to be the heart and soul of Vietnamese cuisine were severely muted. We didn't think the prices were really too bad; our entire meal cost $45. It seems that S Vietnamese Fine Dining would be a great pick for someone who is perhaps a bit intimidated by Vietnamese food. The dinner menu is much larger with many interesting almost fusion style dishes like Lamb Nuong Xa, a lemongrass and peppercorn crusted lamb dish.

I think the Missus had a very interesting observation; as we were leaving She turned to me and said, "Why do I get the feeling that we just ate at Vietnamese PF Chang's?"

S Vietnamese Fine Dining
545 Westminster Mall Drive
Westminster, CA 92683

Open Sun-Thurs 11am-9pm
Fri-Sat 11am-10pm

Pho Van

December 27, 2006 mmm-yoso Bun Bo Hue, Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

If you drive on El Cajon Boulevard, you must have passed Pho Van many times, and if you’re like me, I’m sure you’ve wondered, "Hmmm, Pho Van I wonder how good the Pho is there…." And have just driven off down the road. After all Pho Van is located a few blocks away from the main "strip" of Vietnamese markets, restaurants, and businesses on El Cajon Boulevard.

But, if you’re like me…I think my buddy, Diet Chili Cheese Fries recently called me a "Pho Whore"(Check out the comments), though I prefer "Pho Bo Ho", you will actually make an effort to stop and check out the Pho. Pho Van is located in a pretty quiet location, and though it seems that parking may be at premium, there is a small parking lot down the alley, to the rear of the restaurant.

The interior is not quite as small as you think, but the decor screams generic Pho kitchen.

I entered and found my own seat, and almost immediately a menu was slapped onto the table, and the Server stood there, poised, pencil in hand, tapping his foot, and I hadn’t even opened my menu yet….but being an experienced Pho-nephile, I knew how to handle the situation, so it was going to be really easy. I opened the menu…….. and couldn’t find any Pho! What the Pho??? Now with a pair of eyes staring unwaveringly upon me, I was thoroughly discombobulated, I had to order something, and got the……

Bun Bo Hue($4.50), what else?

The garnishes were on the skimpy side, though it did include Tiet To(Purple Perilla) and Mint. I found the amount of shredded cabbage and bean sprouts to be pretty small.

The Bun Bo Hue arrived piping hot, but it wasn’t much good. The broth was nice and spicy, but very flat, and other than the heat, didn’t have much flavor. The pork hock had some tender meat, but the meat tasted a bit "off", the Gio Lua (Lean pork sausage) was fine, but any thick cut beef was a rare find indeed.

The noodles were overcooked and mushy.

I had also ordered some Cha Gio($4.25 for 4), and in keeping with the meal, they arrived when I was almost done with my Bun Bo Hue:

I could’ve gotten 2 for $2.50, but what I should have done was get 0 for $0.00. I really didn’t care for these, it seemed to be mostly filler, and the wrapper was too thick, having been folded over several times. What do you think?

So much for feeding the Pho obsession….as I paid for my meal, I grabbed a menu, and there it was, Pho…..I was given a menu that was missing the first page, the page with the Pho on it!

So being the Pho-natic that I am, I paid another visit to Pho Van, and this time ordered the Pho Dac Biet Xe Lua (Special – Extra Large Bowl, $5.00).

The garnishes arrived first, and though there was only one sprig of Basil, the garnishes included Ngo Gai, which was very fresh. I found the various meat to be on the very tough and fatty side, and the amount of Tripe to be minuscule. The noodles were in a clump in the bottom of the bowl and was very mushy. At first glance I thought that the broth would be pretty good, the color was good, and the oil content looked to be adequate. But the broth turned out to be way too salty, I couldn’t even finish half of the broth.

Bummer, I’m always on the look-out for a good bowl of Pho, especially with the recent cooler weather.

So what can I say about Pho Van? Well, the prices are very reasonable and the service is very fast, though cool and detached, no different from any number of restaurants. Since everyone else I saw eating at Pho Van was getting Pho or another noodle soup, I really see no reason to return.

Pho Van Restaurant
4233 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92105

Oh, and this post is dedicated to Diet Chili Cheese Fries……one of my favorite lines is from a movie that is a favorite of ours…"Eat the Pho!"

Pho Sao Bien Vietnamese Restaurant

November 13, 2006 mmm-yoso Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

*** An updated post can be found here.

Right at the outskirts of Pacific Beach is Pho Sao Bien Vietnamese Restaurant. You really can't miss the sign.

Though if you drive a bit too fast you'll zoom right past the restaurant and the small 8 stall parking lot. I'd been told that the Owner of Pho Sao Bien is the son of the Owner of Pho Hoa Huong. But whereas Pho Hoa is all business and bustle, Pho Sao Bien has a more peaceful and laid back "vibe".

The interior of the restaurant is bright and clean, and taking a page from those Asian restaurants with a customer wall, Pho Sao Bien has it's own "Wall of Fame".

This being Pacific Beach, I expected the prices to be a bit higher, but was still a bit taken aback by the prices, most everything was over $5.65. Still this is PB, not Mira Mesa where paying over six bucks for a bowl of mediocre Pho would be hard to understand, when you could get good Pho for under five bucks right down the street.

The one item I was told that I "must" have here were the Cha Gio (Egg Rolls – $6.25). Yep, it's Egg Rolls for over six bucks…these had better be good. What I got were 6 huuuge Cha Gio, that needed to be steroid tested:

These large Cha Gio were wrapped with the thin type of rice paper that bubbles up and gets very crunchy when fried, but due to the amount of filling they start getting soft pretty quickly…so fried lip be damned, it's full speed ahead with these. The Cha Gio filling didn't have very much filler, and I could only finish two of these. This reminded me of something that would be made when suffering from "dumpling fatigue", that happens when the Missus gets tired of making Jiaozhi after making 3 dozen or so, the dumplings start getting more and more filling…The Missus's Mother still can't figure out how She manages to get so much filling into a dumpling!

The Nuoc Mam Cham was mildly sweet, and overall this wasn't a bad dish. Is it worth over six bucks…I dunno, but this could be a meal on it's own.

During that time my garnishes arrived for my Pho:

Pretty skimpy, I ended asking for more basil and bean sprouts.

As for my Pho, I had ordered the Pho Dac Biet("Special" – X-Large – $6.50):

Since there was a connection between Pho Sao Bien and Pho Hoa, I expected a very dark and beefy broth. So much for expectations…the broth was medium dark in color, with a mild amount of oil. The flavoring pulled more toward a clove and anise flavor, not bad overall. The noodles were not the usual clump in the bottom, but loose, and of the thinner variety. There was a good amount of rare steak, which was soft and tender. There was just a scant amount of tripe and brisket, 1 piece of tendon, and 1 piece of flank, not much overall, I'm guessing in keeping with the clientele in PB.

In spite of the price, would I eat here again? Well considering that the nearest Pho is at least 6 miles away…..who knows? And if I'm craving for jumbo Cha Gio, or the Missus wants some Bun Cha Gio with Cha Gio suffering from Elephantiasis….you get the picture.

Pho Sao Bien Vietnamese Restaurant
1958 Garnet Ave
San Diego, CA 92109

Da Nang Food to Go

November 6, 2006 mmm-yoso Bun Bo Hue, Vietnamese Restaurants

*** Da Nang Food to Go has closed

I'm not quite sure how many times I've passed this little restaurant on El Cajon Boulevard. And I've lost count of the times I've attempted to find parking within a reasonable distance to Da Nang Food to Go. This little restaurant has but 7 little parking stalls that is shared between 3 businesses, and maybe the few stalls in the parking lot of the 7-11 next door, and the curb out front is a no parking zone. So, each time we drove past Da Nang Restaurant, we'd always end up somewhere else…possibly Nhu Y, which is right up the street, or Thien Thanh. But there's a reason we've been pretty persistent about getting a meal here….just read the signs.

Yep, it says Banh Bot Loc, Banh Beo, and most of all Bun Bo Hue. A quick look at the map and you'll see that the city of Da Nang is located in Central Vietnam, South of Hue, and right smack dab on the South China Sea. Even more reason to try and grab a meal here.

We finally figured that we would need to eat there during the evening when the businesses around the restaurant were closed, and indeed on a recent Monday evening the entire parking lot(all 7 stalls) were empty. We felt like we hit the lottery! The interior of this little restaurant is….well quite small, and most of the business seems geared toward take out orders.

The menu at Da Nang Food to Go is small, and limited to mostly Central Vietnamese style dishes. Which for us is a good thing….it usually means a pretty darn good bowl of Bun Bo Hue.

We started with an order of Banh Bot Loc($3.00):

A plate of 8 plump and moist and sticky tapioca flour dumplings made it's way to our table…we could smell the freshly fried shallots, which started our stomachs rumbling. These Banh Bot Loc didn't have an abundance of the smokey, tea like flavor imparted by being wrapped and steamed in banana leaves for a long period of time, but each dumpling held a very tasty piece of shrimp, and a small piece of pork that was a bit less fatty and tough as is normal for Banh Bot Loc. The Nuoc Mam Cham, was slightly spicy and sweet, almost approaching the flavor of sweet chili sauce.

Our garnishes arrived as we were eating our Banh Bot Loc.

In this case mostly bean sprouts….

The Missus ordered Her latest favorite soup Bun Rieu($5.00):

This version of Bun Rieu had a very cloudy broth, with a pronounced sour flavor. It wasn't bad…just different. The noodles were the standard "Bun", the version a bit thinner than the noodles in Bun Bo Hue. The noodles were firm and a perfect al dente. The best thing about the soup was the very good fish cake, and the wonderfully flavored seafood "meatball". The fish cake had a wonderful flavor, and texture. Fried tofu topped everything off. We noticed that this version of Bun Rieu did not have as much tomato as other versions we've had. To sum it up, a not bad bowl of piping hot soup.

I of course had the Bun Bo Hue (no blood – $5.00):

As with the Bun Rieu, this slightly spicy broth was on the cloudy side, and the broth a bit more sour, and not as pungent than I'm used to. The noodles were good and firm. The slices of beef and tendon were okay, on the tough and dry side, and the Pork Hock was most skin. What made this bowl of Bun Bo Hue stand out was the Gio Lua (lean sausage), it had a very strong smokey fragrance, the large pieces of black pepper added a nice zip, and the flavor of the sausage was also a bit more "porky-meaty" than what I'm used too. The dark color also made it a bit unique.

We found out that Da Nang, as many restaurants do, makes their own Gio Lua. In fact, as we ate three people came in to buy the Gio Lua…who knows, I may drop by and pick up one of these banana leaf-wrapped, meat-paste product myself……

Though in our opinion the Bun Bo Hue and Bun Rieu at Da Nang is not as good as Mein Trung, I'd still give it a try again….and order something else like the Bun Mit Thit Ba Roi(Vermicelli with Pork and Jackfruit), or the Bun Mang Vit(Vermicelli, Bamboo shoot and Duck soup), or the Mi Quang, or…….after all, I'm guessing you all are getting pretty tired of my obsession with Bun Bo Hue by now!

Da Nang Food to Go (aka Quan an Da Nang)
4745 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

Mien Trung Part 2

October 30, 2006 mmm-yoso Bun Bo Hue, Vietnamese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

I first heard of Mein Trung when the Twins at Sandwich Emporium mentioned both Mein Trung and Hoai Hue Deli as having the best two versions of Bun Bo Hue in San Diego. And while we were on vacation, the ever intrepid Cathy managed a visit and write up, so please read it first here. Think of this as a sort of addendum to Her visit.

I was told that Mien Trung didn’t actually serve Bun Bo Hue in the restaurant until recently. At first the Bun Bo Hue was only made for "catering" orders, and you can still see that today, as people arrive bringing in large metal pots to be filled, returned, or picked up wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. I guess the demand was finally large enough for Mien Trung to start serving Bun Bo Hue in the little restaurant on Mesa College Drive. So let’s start with the food……

The Bun Bo Hue Dac Biet($4.99):

The Bun Bo Hue broth is very balanced, neither too sour, spicy, pungent, or oily. I’d say that the broth has a great attribute, that I really can’t put my finger on, or my tongue around, I’ll just call it that complex something extra, a rich combination of flavors that makes a good bowl of Bun Bo Hue what it is. Another mention should go to the often under appreciated noodles which are always served at an excellent al dente state, I’ve often had my Bun Bo Hue with soft over cooked noodles, noodles that have been cut, or have some short coming that I don’t enjoy. The noodles also hold form during the whole eating process. I also enjoy the Gio Lua – the lean pork sausage, this version is studded with peppercorns which are a pleasant surprise. I do end up adding a small spoon or two of fermented shrimp paste, and maybe a bit of chili oil to give the broth an added punch. I’ve found that the other meat provided are pretty pedestrian; the thick cut beef is just okay and sometimes dry and tough, the tendon served is usually two to three small pieces that are of the thick cut variety and hard to eat. On occasion, the pork hock has a good bit of meat, that always feels like a bonus…sort of like the cherry on top of an ice cream sundae. This is possibly the best Bun Bo Hue in San Diego……

The Missus has found a new favorite noodle soup; it’s the Bun Rieu, She alternates between the Bun Rieu($4.50):

and the Bun Rieu Oc Dac Biet(Oc=snails $5.75):

She enjoyed these soups so much, that we had to return 5 times in the two weeks after we had returned to San Diego from our vacation. For those who’ve never had Bun Rieu, it’s a seafood based broth, traditionally made from a dark brown crab found in rice paddies. The crab is cleaned, than pound into a paste, shells and all, and strained several times. Eventually after this process is completed, the crab liquid is clarified, and the remaining meat is formed into patties. The soup is than made with the crab liquid, tomatoes, and other seasonings, resulting in Bun Bo Hue. I really don’t know how this soup is made, but it’s mighty good. You can still see the tasty "crab cake" that is provided, along with fried bean curd. The soup has an additional slightly sour flavor, and the fried shallots, sliced onion, and cilantro add wonderful flavor to the broth. You’ll find that the "Bun" is slightly thinner than the variety used for Bun Bo Hue. The Oc’, or snails really don’t have much flavor, and some Nuoc Mam Cham is provided for the slightly rubbery snails. After having this a few times, the Missus grew tired of them, and now gets Her own variation. She now asks for Bun Rieu "Dac Biet", while placing Her hands about 18 inches apart, and now gets a jumbo size bowl of Bun Rieu. You could say it’s the "Rieu thing"!

So while the Missus has been enjoying Her Bun Rieu, I’ve been exploring a few other dishes, like the Bun Mang Vit(Rice Vermicelli Soup with Bamboo Shoots and Duck$4.99):

The broth for the soup is on the lighter side, and the taste of the reconstituted dried bamboo shoots adds a woodsy flavor. Overall, I found the duck to be rather flavorless, and to me there really wasn’t enough bamboo in the soup. The soup comes with the usual topping of cilantro, fried shallots, and sliced onions. I still prefer the version at Chinese Kitchen, mainly for the amount of bamboo, and the flavorful duck. The broth at Mien Trung is more complex.

I also had a chance to try the Hen Xuc Banh Trang($4.99), and interesting appetizer, sort of like Chip n’ Dip with an attitude:

A plate of stir fried baby clams, topped with sliced onions and cilantro is the "dip". The clams are very mildly spicy, with the distinct taste of black pepper. A large toasted Sesame Cracker(the chip) is provided for scooping purposes.

I found the clams to be somewhat gritty, and the Missus thought the whole dish to be somewhat fishy. Funny thing, I took the leftover clams(it was quite a bit), and used them in my packaged ramen broth, and man did it taste good!

We also partook of a few of the Central Vietnamese "Banh" (Steamed Cake) dishes. Starting with the Banh Beo($3.75):

Man this was alot of Banh Beo! It was kind of on the dry side, but did it have alot of ground dried shrimp on it, but it never tasted very fishy. It was all topped off with two slices of Gio Lua.

The Banh Bot Loc($3.75):

These steamed tapioca flour dumplings filled with a piece of shrimp and pork is steamed and served in a piece of banana leaf that adds a wonderful smoky, almost tea like flavor to the dumpling. The Missus enjoyed the flavor, though thought the pork was very tough. It was served with a little dish of Nuoc Mam(fish sauce), with sliced red chilies in it that was super spicy…as in burn your lips of spicy.

The Ban Nam La($3.75), which Cathy covers in detail:

As I mentioned at the outset, for more details please read Cathy’s post on Mien Trung. Mien Trung has been added to rotation, the Missus peeked over my shoulder as I was typing this up, and said "mmmm, we need to get that this week!"

The service at Mien Trung is quick, and the folks are friendly, and the soup is always served hot.

Mien Trung
7530 Mesa College Drive
San Diego, CA 92111

Open Tues-Sun 11am-8pm

Episode 14/Week 2-Mien Trung – The best “spicy beef soup” ever!

October 14, 2006 Cathy Bun Bo Hue, Vietnamese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso is on vacation. The part usually played by Kirk will be played by Cathy in the interim.

Hi. I’ve been watching the Blue Angels Air Show all day today it seems. (There was a night show..little joke there…).

So, it is cold out…rained on and off all day and I’d like a little spice…and I know exactly the flavors I want. They are here: The one on the right, Mien Trung. (I told you about La Basil, the one on the left, in Episode four.).

Mien Trung has been in the same location for almost 10 years now. They do not advertise. They don’t have to . When you are good, word of mouth is your best advertisement.

Its family owned and run, the menu is simple and, technically, there is no Pho on the menu. The soup is listed under Bun- rice noodles. The broth is the *best* I have had in San Diego, bar none. The menu is

short and simple. 24 items total to choose from, not including beverages.

What we had tonight:

The #2- Bun Bo Hue Dat Biet (Large) $4.99- rice vermicelli soup with spicy beef…

Mom (in the kitchen) toned the spice down just a touch for us and it was perfect; I did not leave with my mouth glowing. The add ins were shredded cabbage and shredded lettuce and sprouts along with lime to squeeze in…

The broth here is unique- oily and with such deep, rich flavor. The rice noodles are not in a clump, but properly cooked and spread apart in the bowl. The beef, tendon and meatloaf are extremely flavorful, thicker cut, juicy. Every time we have eaten here, the broth is wonderful and the food has been very fresh tasting…and we have always been asked upon leaving if it was to our liking.

My little "test" for a Vietnamese restaurant is what condiments are on the table.

There is NO soy sauce, NO hoisin sauce, TWO hot chili pepper sauces AND the shrimp paste, white pepper and fish sauce. (All of these places have fish sauce in Kikkoman soy sauce containers…what happens with the soy?).

The #9- Bun Cha Gio ($4.50) is unique here. The bun (rice noodles) are abundant, not in a clump, the bottom, ‘salad’ part of the dish is the same cabbage and lettuce mix that is used as the mix in for the Bun Bo Hue and not too much. The toppings are the traditional chopped peanuts, but then you get pickled vegetables, fried garlic and cilantro. The cha gio are filled with pork and some fungus and rice noodle, but are mostly meat. The sauce served with has a good bite to it and is not sweet nor too salty.

A lot of food for a small price.

This time we also opted for #22, Banh Bot Nam La, rice cake steamed in banana leaf. It was topped with ground pork and shrimp, which more like the #21 (Banh Bot Loc La) but in any case, tasted very good.

You get 8 banana leaves filled with the mixture. It is a nice add in to your other foods and had a good salty topping flavor. ($3.75) It is served with the same dipping sauce that was served with the Bun Cha Gio. It takes about 15 minutes for them to be steamed for you, but that timing works out so you can eat it with the rest of your food, since that will come out pretty fast.

We have also ordered the #8 Bun Thit Nuong- Bun with BBQ pork- $4.99-and it is excellent, tender and crispy with great flavor. Also the #12 Hen Xuc Banh Trang -pancake with baby clams- $4.99- is excellent. Baby clams are an acquired taste, though…

You should notice there is no mint and no basil served here, as sides or toppings, making this a different style of Vietnamese than you have probably tasted. From what I can tell from Google-ing, it is authentic Hue food.

There are all of eight tables and a brisk phone in/take out business. You really will like it here. Not for any fancy tables, chairs or plates (although pleasant music is playing at all times and the TV is set to interesting channels I don’t seem to be able to get ). You will like it for the quality of food and service. Care is taken with every plate served.

Mien Trung 7530 Mesa College Drive(at Linda Vista)(Next to K Sandwiches) San Diego 92111 (619) 576-0962

Tues-Sun 11a.m. to 8 p.m.

Pho Hoa-Huong Restaurant: Fastest Pho in the West?

September 27, 2006 mmm-yoso Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

Pho Hoa-Huong Restaurant, otherwise known as Pho Hoa Linda Vista, or just plain Pho Hoa, is known for two things in my book.

Pho Hoa has some of the darkest Pho broth I’ve seen in San Diego, and some of the fastest service I’ve encountered. It is possible to to get out of Pho Hoa in less than half an hour, if you keep up your side of the bargain…then again, it’s almost as if they can’t wait to get rid of you.

Pho Hoa, is slightly hidden, behind Yum Yum Donuts, and Le’s Vietnamese, Thai, and Chinese restaurant on Linda Vista avenue. But that hasn’t stopped Pho Hoa from being very popular.

A typical lunch goes like this. I walk to the door, one of the Servers(all male, all looking like they’ve had severals cups of high octane) points to a table. As I arrive at the table, a menu is dropped, and one of the Servers is standing there looking at me, pencil at ready. And I haven’t even picked up the menu yet…… Feeling the pressure, I open the menu and blurt out "number one", mainly because it’s usually the Pho Dac Biet($5.20). As I do this one of the Servers walks double-time to the kitchen, while the Dude with the pad walks to the counter and drops off the order at the cash register.

In a blink my water arrives at the table. Within a few seconds my garnishes arrive, at light speed.

A bit on the stingy side, but with Ngo Gai(Saw leaf), one sprig of Basil, lime, bean sprouts, and some Jalapeno slices.

Within 2 minutes my Pho arrives.

Todays broth is merely a light brown, I’ve had it when the broth looked almost like Niu Rou Mein(Chinese Beef Noodle Soup) broth. The broth is usually on the very cloudy side, I’ve been told that a muddy broth is a no-no, but the broth at Pho Hoa has always been pretty good. Dark Pho broth does not necessitate a richer soup, as it’s charred green onions, onions, and ginger that will impart much of the color to the Pho broth. Todays broth was mildly beefy, a bit too salty, and without any real distinctive anise or clove flavor. That’s not to say the broth was bad, I usually find it satisfying, because the large amount of green onions and the basil impart alot of flavor to the broth.

The meat at Pho Hoa is usually pretty good, and today the rare beef and tripe were very good.

The tendon was a bit hard, and the brisket had nice flavor, but the fat was too tough. Still not bad, it’s hard enough to get decent rare beef.

One other item I notice about Pho Hoa, since everything is put together so quickly, is that the noodles are really hard when the Pho arrives, but gets soggy very quickly. I’m not quite sure if anyone who has eaten there has noticed this.

Still, I’m quite sure that I got out of there in under 30 minutes.

Sooooo, recently, in need of some amusement, and in my own typical weird fashion, I decided to make my lunch at Pho Hoa a sporting event of sorts. I call it the "how fast can you have lunch at Pho Hoa" event. My objective, to have lunch at Pho Hoa in under 30 minutes from the time I enter the restaurant, to the time I leave, without causing myself any gastric or other related distress…and of course without making a mess of Myself.

I set my stopwatch as I stepped to the door front, and was waved in. I walked to my table as if flames were licking at my butt(9 seconds). The menu was placed on the table, but instead of taking time to actually open my menu and order, I just blurted a number out. I don’t even remember what it was(10 seconds), and zip the Dude was gone. A minute later(actually 30 seconds) my water arrived, and 90 seconds later my hot tea. 3 minutes later I found out what I had ordered, Com Tam(broken rice) with Charbroiled Pork($5.20):

This is when I decided to slow down a bit, and try to enjoy my food. The portion size was quite good. The dish came with a bowl of very well flavored broth and Nuoc Mam Cham, the usual dipping sauce. On the good side, the Com Tam was steaming hot and sufficiently moist; too many times I’ve had hard and dry broken rice. The meat was also moist, and though very tender, it was still devoid of the tough inedible connective tissue we call "sugi" in Hawaii, named after nylon fishing line. I did find the meat to be rather bland, and though the Nuoc Mam did help, I still didn’t think it had a whole lot of flavor. I think I’ll stick with the Pho’.

As I stood and walked to counter to pay, the rather stoic Gentleman who I think is the Owner, looked at me and said; "aaah, you eat fast", and I felt like I had just won the Gold Medal at the Pho Hoa Games…….Total time 20 minutes, 35 seconds!

Seriously, the Pho at Pho Hoa will appeal to those who enjoy a darker, medium oil, balanced broth. The meat can be wildly inconsistent, but on this visit was good. The service is fast, but you may feel rushed. When in doubt, there’s always number 1……….

Pho Hoa-Huong Restaurant
6921 Linda Vista Rd
San Diego, CA 92111

Open Daily 7am – 8pm