Vietnamese Restaurants – Page 53

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

Cali Cafe Sandwiches

September 17, 2006 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

*** Cali Cafe has closed, and is now an outlet of Bale.

With the slightly warm weather we had today, it only made sense for us to grab a few Banh Mi for lunch. And since we were in the Mira Mesa area, we decided to give Cali Cafe a try.

Both Renee and Rob have mentioned this little shop to me in the past. Because Lucky Seafood, Lucky Pho, and Tan Ky Mi Gia are all located in the same strip mall, I really hadn’t paid much attention to this small, but well lit, and clean restaurant.

The Banh Mi here are priced at $2.75, and other Deli type sandwiches at $6.

As is my MO I ordered the Dac Biet:

First off, this is the "long type" of Banh Mi, much like those at K Sandwiches. The baguette is also thin, minimizing the amount of bread, and maximizing crust. this "Special"(Dac Biet), was simply single layers of Ham and Lean Pork Sausage, nothing special. I enjoyed the addition of thin slices of red onion to the standard pickled veggies. In addition to the standard wedge of cucumber were 2-3 slices of Jalapeno. Since these were cross slices, you never really knew where they were in your sandwich. This creates and interesting Jalapeno Roulette of sorts. I really didn’t care for the mayo in the sandwich either, here’s wishing for a smear of pate’. Overall, a decent though not outstanding Banh Mi, very pedestrian flavors.

The Missus ordered a BBQ Chicken Banh Mi:

The Missus enjoyed Her sandwich, and I found that the BBQ chicken was very nicely flavored. The rest of the sandwich was the same. I felt that the BBQ Chicken fared much better than the Dac Biet.

The sandwiches at Cafe Cali aren’t too bad, though a half buck more than those at Lucky Seafood several doors down, the sandwiches here are bigger. I’d say I enjoy the bread and BBQ Chicken here, and the Dac Biet and more exotic flavors at Lucky Seafood.

Some Notes: Seems like many people place take-out orders and come back for them after shopping. I saw several very large orders picked up while waiting for my 2 sandwiches, probably due to the "Buy 5 and get 1 Free" promotion. As with many of these type of places, there is a nice selection of drinks, and other items for purchase.

Cali Cafe Sandwiches
9330 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

Open 8am-7pm Sun-Thurs
8am-5pm Fri-Sat

Hoai Hue Deli/Food To Go

August 31, 2006 mmm-yoso Bun Bo Hue, Vietnamese Restaurants, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

*** Hoai Hue has moved a couple of blocks west. You can find and updated post here.

I first heard about Hoai Hue during a conversation about Bun Bo Hue, that wonderful Spicy Beef Noodle soup originating from the city of Hue in Central Vietnam. In fact, several sources have told me that Hoai Hue makes either the best, or second best Bun Bo Hue in San Diego. So about 3 weeks ago, I finally made it to Hoai Hue Deli.

Much like the instructions I received for Chinese Kitchen, I wasn't given a name, just a general location, with one really good piece of information……it was downstairs from Hung's Tattoo Parlor and a AA office. I think this tells you about the neighborhood. The location is rather seedy, and the parking lot is full of double and triple parked cars(I park on the street). A Vietnamese coffee shop, Cafe Viet occupies the area fronting the street. Notice the bars on the windows. I immediately knew that Ed from Yuma would love this place.

The interior of the restaurant is small, with 7 little tables. There is one copy of the small (20 items) menu on the counter. You place your order, and declare whether you'll be doing take-out, or be eating on the premises.

On the table sits the standard plastic tray of condiments, a napkin dispenser, and eating utensils. I placed my order for a bowl of Bun Bo Hue($5), and had a seat. I had lucked out, and gotten the only open table in the place, and watched a steady flow of customers picking up take-out orders, all the while mentally rubbing my hands together in glee thinking, "man, all these customers can't be wrong, this place must really be good."

At last my Bun Bo Hue arrived, along with the garnishes.

As you can see, the garnishes left much to be desired; a sprig of mint, lettuce, some bean sprouts, 2 whole chilies, and a wedge of lime.

The Bun Bo Hue, was a whole 'nother story:

The broth was good, very balanced between the flavor of beef, spiciness, and just a hint of sour. The pungent flavor I enjoy in Bun Bo Hue was missing, but I added some of the shrimp paste from the condiment tray to bring it up to my taste. The thick slices of beef were tender and had a good flavor. The tendon was served in pretty thick chunks that were borderline inedible. But the star of the show was the Pork Hock.

There was a good amount of soft and flavorful meat, instead of the usual, "inner tube on a bone" that most places serve. I also enjoyed the vermicelli, which seemed to be a bit thicker than the noodles served in most Bun Bo Hue. Overall, a pretty good bowl of Bun Bo Hue.

At that point I thought, I'd just do a Bun Bo Hue Dossier post, except that a few menu items caught my attention. Well, there can be only a few menu items, since the menu was really small. So, I decided to return in a few days, only to be derailed by a nasty virus. In the interim Ed from Yuma managed to pay Hoai Hue a visit. His post on Chowhound can be found here.

So this past week, finally recovered, I talked the Missus into having dinner at Hoai Hue. As we arrived and parked on the street, the Missus turned to me and said: "You have got to be kidding?" Ah yes, we had arrived. We entered and walked up to the counter. This time, when we tried to order, there was a communication problem….that is, no one spoke any English. Finally, someone from the kitchen who understood what we were ordering was found. There seemed to be at least 5 or 6 people working in the kitchen. Ordering done, we sat, and soon enough our food started arriving.

Banh Beo($2.75):

10 discs of rice cake smothered with ground shrimp, and topped with pork rinds and green onions, these had alot of flavor, and were much better than the version at Pho Tu Do. The Missus thought them a bit too fishy, but I enjoyed the texture and flavor.

Banh It($2.75):

These very filling balls of steamed rice flour were filled with shrimp and ground pork, and were not as oily as the version at Pho Tu Do. Our only complaint would be that these were served cold.

Banh Bot Loc($2.50):

Delivered steaming to our table were these tapioca starch dumplings wrapped in banana leaves. Those leaves imparted a smoky, tea-like fragrance and flavor to the Banh Bot Loc. The dumplings themselves were filled with shrimp and pork, and were the hit of the meal.

The Missus and I also split the Bun Bo Hue Dac Biet($6), the house special Bun Bo Hue, which came in a huge bowl.

The Missus has started enjoying Bun Bo Hue, Her favorite being the version at Pho Ca Dao. The difference, other than the quantity of ingredients, is the addition of two thick(3/4") slices of Gio Lua(Lean Pork Sausage). On this occasion, the three huge and thick slices of tendon were too tough and inedible, and the beef dry. I was wondering if the crew was just finishing up for the day, and perhaps things were just slowing down. The Missus enjoyed the noodles, She is not a fan of the vermicelli in most bowls of Bun Bo Hue, but enjoyed this version, though She found the broth lacking in rich saltiness and added fermented shrimp paste as well.

We ended up taking home about half of the appetizers, and enjoyed them a bit later on. As we were leaving we spotted two Women thoroughly enjoying themselves, they were having the same items we were, except they each had their own bowl of Bun Bo Hue. At the pace they were keeping, don't think they were going to have any leftovers……

Hoai Hue Deli/Food To Go
4776 El Cajon Blvd Ste 106
San Diego, CA 92115

Open Daily 8am – 7pm

The Bun Bo Hue Dossier – Thien Thanh

August 22, 2006 mmm-yoso Bun Bo Hue, Vietnamese Restaurants, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

*** Update Thien Thanh has since closed, you can find that post here.

In stark contrast to the hottest July I can remember, we’re having a pretty mild August. So in spite of the bad case of conjunctivitis(since resolved), and a nasty respiratory virus that needs to run its course(I sound like I’m trying out for a Barry White tribute band), soup’s on the menu.

Recently we made another trip to Thien Thanh. While the Missus stuck with Her usual Bun Cha Gio(Cold Noodles w/Egg Rolls), I decided to try out Ed from Yuma’s favorite bowl of Bun Bo Hue.

Though most items on the menu are more expensive than other Vietnamese restaurants in the area, there are several things which set Thien Thanh apart. One of which is how very bright and clean the restaurant is.

Another are the really fresh herbs and garnishes that are provided. So fresh, that they seem to have been picked right before your bowl of soup hits the table.

On this day, it seemed like the garnish plate was a bit on the skimpy side. But I understood why when my bowl of Bun Bo Hue hit the table (Large – $6.50):

A good amount of Rau Ram(Vietnamese Coriander), and Basil had already been torn up and sprinkled on top of the Bun Bo Hue. So with just a touch of Tiet To(Purple Perilla), and some mint, I went at it. The broth was quite interesting, spicy, yet the usual "fishy"(fermented shrimp paste) element was muted. I also noticed that the broth was on the sour side; I had the Missus confirm that there was a very distinct lime-citrus component(think Tom Yum) to the Bun Bo Hue. The noodles were the standard spaghetti-like vermicelli, provided in abundance.

Along with the standard Pig’s Feet and thick cut Beef, were a few slices of Gio Lua(Lean Pork Sausage). The fat on the beef were really tough, and the beef was dry. On the positive side, the pork hock had some flavorful meat on it, and not only the inner-tube like layer of skin.

Overall, I thought this was a very filling, decent bowl of Bun Bo Hue. Not the best I’ve had but pretty good.

Thien Thanh has quite an interesting menu. In the near future I’m hoping to make my way through the Bun Cha Hanoi(can you imagine how good those veggies will be!), Curry Lamb, Bun Mang Vit, and the Bun Mam. I don’t know, anyone interested in seeing posts about those? Or would you like me just to move on????

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

Sun-Thurs 8am-9pm
Fri-Sat 8am-10pm

Chinese Kitchen (Chi Tu Thanh Nha Hang) Part Deux…..

August 18, 2006 mmm-yoso Vietnamese Restaurants

As I mentioned in my brief first part of my posts on Chinese Kitchen; I had finally found the restaurant after being given some general instructions…."On University, East of College" and a phone number.

Now had I not paid attention to the various dishes posted on the store front window, there is no way I'd have entered the little restaurant.

After checking out the very extensive listing of Chinese "take-out" dishes, I noticed the small menu on the South Wall.

And there it was, Bun Mang Vit. Mang is Bamboo Shoot, and Vit is Duck, so basically a Bamboo & Duck Noodle Soup. I walked up to the window (aka the hole-in-the-wall) and placed my order with the Young Man manning the window. After I ordered he started asking me questions in Vietnamese. At which point I had to say, "ummm, sorry, I don't speak Vietnamese." And He started laughing. Apparently I'd pronounced the dish well enough for Him to think I was Vietnamese. He was also quite shocked, first wondering how I found the restaurant(I told Him someone had recommended the place), and second if I knew what I was ordering. At which point I asked Him about some other items on the "other" Vietnamese menu with no prices.

I mentioned that I enjoyed Bun Mam and Bun Rieu. He told me that those items were only available for "catering" or large orders. Since I had nowhere to go, I had a seat at one of the 4 small tables in the restaurant.

And soon enough my Bun Mang Vit($5) arrived. First, the herbs, vegetables, and the sliced duck:

Included on this plate were shredded banana blossom, shredded cabbage, bean sprouts, and even Rau Ram(Vietnamese Coriander) which I don't recall seeing at too many other restaurants in San Diego. The sliced duck was very good, surprisingly good, soft and tender, and when dipped into the accompanying sauce, sort of a sweeter Nuoc Mam Cham with minced garlic and ginger, the duck was heavenly. I mentioned this to the Young Man who said, they get their poultry "very fresh"(I'll just leave it at that), and prepare the duck. Thus it is never frozen.

At this point my bowl of soup arrived.

It was brought out by the Young Man's Mother, who I'm assuming is the "Chef". She sat the bowl down, and started to explain to me what should be eaten with what, which I found to be very kind and sweet, She wanted me to get the maximum enjoyment out of the soup. And I'm sure She is very proud of what comes out of Her kitchen, as any cook would be.

The soup was a very light poultry broth, low in oil, and quite plain, cubes of blood were also provided(not my favorite thing in the world, but I didn't know they were included), The standard "Bun" vermicelli, and shredded pieces of reconstituted bamboo shoot, that added a "woodsy" flavor to the broth, and provided a crunchy counterpoint to the noodles. All in all quite a filling and satisfying meal.

A few days later I found myself in the area, and decided to grab something to take home. This time I decided on the Mien Mang Vit($5). The same large amount of veggies, and sliced duck were provided, along with the Mien(Bean Thread) in a separate container.

Here's a closer look at the Rau Ram(at the top of the photo) in case you've never seen Rau Ram before.

The soup was kept in a separate container, which I poured into a bowl when I got home, and placed in the microwave for 1 minute to heat up.

And while I inhaled the duck along with sauce(provided in a little container on the side), I placed the veggies and herbs in the broth. And ended up with this.

I thought that this time around, the broth was a bit darker, and richer in flavor. Also, because the dried bamboo shoot had further time to "steep" in the broth during the drive home, the broth had attained a more "Earthy" flavor. I enjoyed the Mien more than the Bun, though I thought the duck was not quite as good as on my previous visit.

Overall, an interesting Family Run Hole-in-the-wall Vietnamese/Chinese joint. I've been told the American-Chinese fast-food isn't bad, but I've got my eye on the Banh Canh Tom Cua for my next visit.

Some notes: Unless you're really familiar with the neighborhood, you'd probably want to visit during daylight hours. People have the bad habit of driving on the sidewalk here, I've seen it during both my visits. The restaurant may seem a bit on the shabby side, but they got an 'A' DOH rating. There is parking on the front of the restaurant, along with a few stalls on the side of the restaurant.

Chinese Kitchen
6160 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92115

619-286-8778

Open 10am – 10pm Daily(Or later…..as the Young Man said, "If we're busy we'll stay open as late as we need to")