Vietnamese Restaurants – Page 56

Pho Ca Dao – El Cajon Boulevard

February 5, 2006 mmm-yoso Bun Bo Hue, Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

I had attempted to have some lunch at Pho Ca Dao’s El Cajon Boulevard location several times. But each attempt had been aborted due to a line of people waiting outside the Restaurant’s doors. But recently, after reading Jenne’s comments recommending Pho Ca Dao on my Pho Hoa Hiep post, I decided to make another attempt to get through Pho Ca Dao’s doors.

For some reason I had thought that Pho Ca Dao was a fairly large restaurant. But after parking I found that Pho Ca Dao shared half of the building with a coin laundry, so the restaurant was actually half the size I thought it was. Now I understand the "lines".

I was silently seated, and ordered the Combination Large Bowl(Dac Biet – $4.95) of Pho. The garnishes quickly arrived, and as Jenne informed me it did contain Ngo Ngai:

Though the quantity of herbs and garnishes was rather small; the Ngo Ngai was very fresh. I tasted a small bit and the peppery-cilantro flavor was quite strong.

The Pho arrived in a large bowl, hot and steaming.

The broth was light brown in color with a large amount of green onions, cilantro, and thin sliced onions floating in it. Much like Pho Hoa Hiep, this was a very balanced and well flavored broth, though perhaps a bit richer then the version at the afore mentioned restaurant. The "hits"? The tendon was perfect; as you initially bit into the tendon, it was soft, and the resistance gradually increased as you bit through it. So nicely gelatinous, and yet somewhat smooth, unlike the crunchy, tough, almost inedible tendon that I often encounter. The brisket was also fairly good, though there was too much fat. There was one piece of brisket that belonged in the Guinness Book of World Records. As I unfolded the slice, it extended from one side of the bowl to the other, and almost covered the entire bowl of Pho!

Too much "net-like" fat though. The noodles were the status quo; a large clump in the bottom of the bowl; though it was a very generous amount of noodles. The bowl was lacking in tripe, and the rare steak was dry, flavorless, and tough. I enjoyed this rather substantial bowl of Pho, and would have it again in a heartbeat.

Of course, I had to check out Pho Ca Dao again, and have one of my favorite soups; Bun Bo Hue. I went earlier this Sunday morning and had the Large Bowl of Bun Bo Hue without Blood($5.10):

And before I knew it; this large bowl of bright red red soup arrived at my table. Actually, I could smell the Bun Bo Hue, before I saw it. As I’ve noted, every version of Bun Bo Hue that I’ve had has been unique. Versions from Convoy Noodle House and Pho Hoa Hiep included a little dish of fermented shrimp paste and chili oil/paste. In the case of Pho Ca Dao, the shrimp paste and chilies are already in the broth, and I’m not complaining. All that I needed to add was a few squeezes of the lime that was included with the garnishes, to smooth out the flavors.

The garnishes with this Bun Bo Hue included shredded cabbage which I dip into the well flavored broth and ate. The mint added a touch of sweetness, and I even threw in couple of slices of Jalapeno to take the heat up a bit. This by far was the best Bun Bo Hue broth I’ve had thus far, the generous amount of spaghetti like noodles were also good, al dente, with a bit of "pull". The pork foot was totally inedible, just rubbery skin and bone, I enjoy a bit more meat. The well done beef was fine, though maybe bit too fatty. The tendon though, was again excellent.

I knew from the first sip of the broth(I always taste the broth before adding anything), that this was the best Bun Bo Hue I’ve had thus far. Spicy, rich broth, and a generous amount of noodles, made for a satisfying dish. Approach this dish with caution though, if you can’t tolerate spicy, or do not care for fermented shrimp/fish sauce, I would order something else.

Pho Ca Dao is worth a try, and the prices are in line with most other Pho restaurants. The portion sizes are good, I left full after each visit. Service is status quo, the norm for Pho restaurants. Thanks for the recommendation Jenne!

Pho Ca Dao
5223 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

San Diego Tet Festival 2006

January 29, 2006 mmm-yoso Festivals & Events, Vietnamese Restaurants

During a recent trip to Vien Dong Supermarket, I noticed a banner announcing a 3 day Tet Festival at Qualcomm Stadium. What a minute, did you say 3 day festival and Qualcomm Stadium! My immediate thought was, "man, that’s quite ambitious", after all I’ve been to many of these "Asian Festivals", and most have been really small. Like 12 booths small, with only 4 booths of food, and 1 of them is funnel cakes, and the other is a taco stand. So we wanted to make sure to attend, and arrived at about 2pm on Saturday:

We arrived to a pretty full parking lot, and were surprised at the amount of people. Admission was 4 bucks, and we entered and made a beeline for the food stands which took up a whole end of the festival!

Now I understand that the Vietnamese population in San Diego is topping 30,000, and I think they were all here! And all of them were talking on cell phones at the same time!

There were some pretty good size lines at most of the booths, but if you wanted Funnel Cakes or Tacos, there wasn’t a wait!

There was tons of food, so here are a few pictures.

The Vietnamese food ranged from Banh Mi to Noodles; but the one common denominator was Cha Gio; it seemed that every stand sold them. Either 2 for a dollar, or 3 for a dollar. The perfect festival food, we tried several, and they ranged from okay to fairly terrible. But this was a festival, right? Part of the experience is the ambiance. What spoiled the it for the Missus was the booth that sold these:

The gal at the wire mesh window(great idea BTW, keeps all sorts of critters and dust out); took cash from several individuals with Her bare hand, then proceeded to grab the Cha Gio and put them on paper plates with the same bare hand. The Missus just got completely grossed out, and made sure they replaced ours.

Many booths had various Chicken Skewers/Sates, which ranged from $1.50-$2.50 a piece:

This one had a nice lemongrass flavor.

Banana Fritters($1.00):

Fried Chicken Drumettes($3.00):

Crispy, but a bit on the bland side. Luckily a small container of sweet chili sauce was provided.

We had to leave a bit prematurely. A combination of being tired, dry weather, and maybe some dehydration, and blood started pouring out of my nose, which took a while to stop. Funny, it didn’t seem anyone noticed! Here are a few more photos:

And my favorite:

Some notes: The Tet Festival was presented by the Vietnamese American Youth Alliance of San Diego, and by and large was well put together. There were everything from carnival rides to vendor booths. But the one area I would suggest some changes would be in the traffic and parking control. Using teenagers to direct traffic didn’t really seem to be working, half of them were just "hanging out", while one Young Man was hurling insults, and other four letter words at Drivers while frantically directing cars, we were waiting for someone to come out and slug Him!

Luong Hai Ky Restaurant

January 24, 2006 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

*** This location of Luong Hai Ky is now Phat Restaurant.

I first noticed Luong Hai Ky Restaurant on a visit to Chopstix. On a recent visit I had noticed that all the "Servers" had disappeared; as I was leaving Chopstix I saw half of them sitting and smoking on the sidewalk, and the other half were eating in Luong Hai Ky. The funny thing was, I'd never noticed the restaurant before. Probably due to it's location in the rear of the strip mall.

On a typical "soup weather" day, I dropped by Luong Hai Ky. As I looked over the approximately 100 items on the menu I realized that this was a Chinese-Vietnamese noodle house; in the same vein as Minh KY. The interior of the restaurant was deceptively large, with about 25 tables and large fish tanks lining one side of the dining area. The dining room and tables were also very clean.

On my first visit I ordered a simple bowl of Won Ton Noodle Soup($5.00):

A modest bowl was brought out, with topped with a "shrimp cracker" and green onions. The won tons (6), were almost identical to those at Minh Ky; very dense pork meatballs, with a small slice of shrimp placed on one side. Three small slices of well flavored Char Siu, along with the typical "ball" of crunchy egg noodles occupying the bottom of the bowl. What made this bowl of noodle soup stand out was the tasty, quite dark broth. Obviously a mildly intense chicken based broth, there was a bit more going on; slightly salty, but without the "parching" MSG effect, a hint of sweet, but most of all a interesting savory flavor. When I paid at the counter I inquired as to the nature of the broth. I had a feeling that perhaps shrimp, or some other flavoring was added, but was told that there was no seafood in the broth.

Having enjoyed the soup, I returned for an encore, just to see if the broth was consistently flavored. I ordered the "carb special"; Won Ton & Dumpling Egg Noodle Soup($5.50):

Again, the portion size was nothing to write home about. This time there were 4 won tons and 4 "dumplings".

The dumpling wrappers were a bit thicker than the won tons, and were flat in shape. The filling was ground pork along with crunchy strips of "Cloud Ear" fungus. Though the broth was a tad milder on this visit; it still had alot of flavor. And I never really had to touch any of the condiments provided. Notice the strange bottle of French's Mustard in the background, every table had a bottle. French's Mustard? I don't quite know what to make of that……

On my last visit; not being in the mood for noodle soup, or rice, and being a sucker for thin egg noodles; I ordered the Combination Fried Egg Noodles($7.50):

In stark contrast to the modestly portioned noodle soups, this was a pretty generous portion of egg noodles, along with a variety of stir fried cabbage, carrots, onions, and other vegetables. The meat consisted of a few shrimp, and some really tough beef. The noodles, though stir fried well, were pretty bland, and I ended up reaching for the bottle of soy sauce and white pepper.

So I think I'll stick with the noodle soups at Luong Hai Ky, though the menu is fairly large, and there is quite a bit to choose from.

Service at Luong Hai Ky, is typical for these type of Restaurants; fast and efficient. I enjoyed the tea served here, it was Jasmine. Though on my first two visits, I received a small pot of tea; on my last visit I only got a single cup! At least I was never charged for tea. In the end, Luong Hai Ky, is really not worth going out of the way for, but if you happened to be close by, well maybe……

One other observation; it has to do with the rather odd taste in the Music I heard here. On my first visit, it was the Carpenters Greatest Hits. On my second visit it was a strange cacophony of pseudo-Asian-classical music blaring away so loud, that I swear I was headed upriver with Willard to terminate Kurtz with "extreme prejudice"! On my third visit, it was a strange mandolin-like muzak, imagine a swarm of bees playing The Girl from Impanema, and other elevator standards, quite strange. The hard surfaces in the restaurant, made the music even louder, and it kind of drove me nuts. Though at least there's no music pumped into the restrooms. There's nothing weirder then "doing your thing" hearing Phil Collins singing "Can you hear me….can you hear me calling….."

Luong Hai Ky Restaurant
4633 Convoy St Ste 107
San Diego, CA 92111

Open 10am to 10pm Daily

Pho Hoa Hiep

January 16, 2006 mmm-yoso Bun Bo Hue, Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants, What Howie Eats - Where the Foodie from Foodieview Eats

Now that Southern California winter has finally hit(that is a joke folks…); I can start making my rounds of the local Pho’ restaurants again. Also, in addition I though I’d try the Bun Bo Hue at restaurants that I’d only had Pho’ at and visa versa. Since I was in the neighborhood I decided to stop by Pho Hoa Hiep.

Pho Hoa Hiep, located in the same Linda Vista strip mall as Vien Dong Supermarket, can be somewhat hard to find. First off, the Restaurant is located in the far Northeast corner of the mall, away from Vien Dong, and across a Coin Laundry. Second of all, there’s another Pho’ eatery in the same strip mall called Pho’ Hoa, which can cause some confusion.

I usually have the #4 at Pho Hoa Hiep, which is the well done steak, flank, brisket, tendon, and tripe. But I had heard from Howie of A Foodie’s Eye View, and he had recommended the Bun Bo Hue as well. So I decided to get the Bun Bo Hue(small-$4.75):

Bun Bo Hue is a spicy, pork and beef vermicelli noodle soup, that originated in, where else, the city of Hue. Most of the Bun Bo Hue that I’ve had in Orange County, San Diego, and Los Angeles have been similar in several ways; the broth has almost always been a clear, fairly light broth dotted with chili oil, with spaghetti like vermicelli noodles, and always topped with cilantro and onions. Oh yes, and one more thing. It almost always comes with jellied blood; which I usually ask to not have added to my soup. I really don’t enjoy the gritty texture and metallic taste of blood.

Where Bun Bo Hue differs from Eatery to Eatery are in the garnishes. In this case a "salad" of greens, along with cross sliced jalapenos and a wedge of lime accompanied my soup:

And of course the shrimp paste with chili oil is another staple of Bun Bo Hue, I use it to dip my meat in, and to flavor my noodles and broth.

So how was this? The broth was nice and light, and though there looked to be alot of chili oil in the broth, it was not as spicy as I expected it to be. The noodles were "cut" into short strands, but that made it much easier to eat. The noodles also were a bit on the mushy side.

The meat in Bun Bo Hue usually includes a thick cut "brisket" slices or other well flavored beef, as well as either a pig’s feet or thick slice of pork leg. Pho Hoa Hiep delivered several slices of beef with a good amount of tendon, but overall quite tasteless. However, the slice of pork "leg" was very tasty and quite soft. Still, a pretty good bowl of Bun Bo Hue.

I also ordered the Goi Cuon(spring rolls – $2.80):

The spring rolls were "longer" then what I’m used to; almost 7-8" in length. Both the flavor of mint and a fairly large amount of shredded pork were very prominent as I took the first bite. These spring roll were much improved over my last visit.

During my latest visit, I reverted back to form and ordered a bowl of Pho’. Though this time I went with the extra large bowl of "Dac Biet"($4.75):

The Pho’ broth at Pho Hoa Hiep, is much lighter and less "oily" then most other Pho’ Shops, and very balanced in flavor. In many cases the flavor of ginger, anise, or cloves may stand out in a broth, at Pho Hoa Hiep, the flavor is slightly beefy, and you are really able to taste the pungent peppery-citrusy cilantro and the scallions. People who enjoy the Pho’ at Pho Hoa Hiep call it "refreshing". I’m not quite sure if that’s a particularly apt description, but there’s one thing for sure; the Pho’ here really depends on the garnishes:

Which includes lemon(?), bean sprouts, basil, and surprise(!) ngo gai(hallelujah). I rarely see ngo gai(saw-leaf herb) served with Pho in San Diego, so having it available is always a treat. Ngo gai has a taste much like a more pungent cilantro. Today, it really added nothing; I tore off a piece and had a taste, and it was much more "soapy" in flavor then what I’m used to. I added all the basil, ngo gai, and bean sprouts to my bowl of pho’. The noodles were the customary pho’ noodles, clumped up in a bunch at the bottom of the bowl.

As for the meats, I now remember why I usually don’t get the "rare steak" at Pho Hoa Hiep – it is extremely tough and dry. The tendon slices though, are cut to a nice width, and both crunchy and somewhat gelatinous to the bite.

Overall, not a bad bowl of Pho’ and also not a bad price. Between Convoy Noodle House and Pho Hoa Hiep; I’d say it’s a wash. Pho Hoa Hiep is also a bit cheaper. If you’d like to see what Bun Bo Hue in Vietnam looks like; Noodlepie has an example on his wonderful Blogsite that looks nothing like any bowl of Bun Bo Hue I’ve ever had. MEalcentric took a trip to Vietnam in August of last year and also did a post, and even posted photos. I’ve come to a conclusion regarding Pho’ and Bun Bo Hue. Though many of the ingredients are the same, no two restaurants taste the same. I guess I’ll just say "Pho’, it’s a state of mind"……..

Pho Hoa Hiep
6947 Linda Vista Road
San Diego, CA 92111

9910 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92131

Minh Ky Restaurant

January 5, 2006 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants, What Howie Eats - Where the Foodie from Foodieview Eats

Minh Ky is a small Chinese-Vietnamese Noodle and Soup shop located on the corner of El Cajon Blvd and Menlo Avenue. In fact, Minh Ky shares the same strip mall with A-Chau, and a Vietnamese Market.

About 12 tables are lined against the walls and through the middle of the spartan interior of Minh Ky, and Chinese or Vietnamese music is a always blaring away. The one thing Minh Ky could use, is a revolving door for the steady stream of people entering and exiting the Restaurant.

I normally pay Minh Ky a visit during weekend mornings when I’m in the mood for some soup. Minh Ky is a good choice since they open at 8am on weekdays, and 830am during the weekend. And as strange as it may seem, I do enjoy a nice bowl of Combination WonTon Soup($4.75):

The Combo Soup, comes with a good portion of veggies, fishcake, shrimp, char siu, chicken, and most of all won tons. Today’s soup had 10 Won Tons in it! The fillings of the won tons at Minh Ky are pretty dense pork meatballs with a slice of shrimp; and are almost like siu mai in texture. The broth is a clear and mild chicken broth, I usually add a touch of soy sauce and some white pepper. Overall, a pretty good start to a Saturday for me.

There is a really amusing thing that happens to me at Minh Ky. Because most of the clientele is Vietnamese, I kind of stand out. And because I only eat here during the winter and spring, there is a "cycle of familiarity" that occurs during my initial visits. It usually starts with "Are you Korean?" And a short and fun conversation normally takes place, where I explain I’m Japanese, and so on….. It happens with most of the Employees, one by one. "But you look Korean……" And sometimes ending in "so you don’t speak Japanese" with a smile and a short negative shake of a head.

Once in a while I’ll get the Won Ton Egg Noodle Soup($4.25):

Again, a simple broth, lettuce, nappa cabbage, green onions, char siu, won tons(8), and thin crunchy egg noodles. A decent bowl for the price.

On this visit, the Young Lady found a novel way of taking my order. She was filling chili oil containers on a adjoining table and saw that I was ready to order. She proceeded to lean back on her chair, balancing on two legs, with a container of chili oil, smiling and turning to me said "combination won ton soup?" Okay, call me a creature of habit! "Um, no just wonton egg noodle soup, today." Show them who’s predictable….. And a free acrobatic/gymnastic show to boot!

On a recent visit, I even opened the menu past the first page and went over some of the 225+ dishes, and ordered the Combination Crispy Noodles($6.25):

I should’ve stayed with the soups, the thin egg noodles were over fried, powdery and brittle instead of crunchy. The beef was really tough, and there was too little of the sauce, which was very bland. I’ll stick with the soups.

It just so happens that Minh Ky is also a favorite of Howie of A Foodie’s Eye View of San Diego’s Restaurants. When I Emailed Him and asked what he enjoyed at Minh Ky, Howie stated: "I pretty much just order the rice porridge. It’s far and away my favorite porridge in SD. I always get it with the Chinese donut. It sounds boring, but it’s more flavorful than most Chinese congee. The broken rice, ginger, & fried shallots really help it. Great comfort food." So it looks like Jook and Youtiao for Howie. Thanks for taking some time to reply to my Email Howie. In appreciation, I’m starting a new category, called "What Howie Eats", I’ll include places we’ve discussed, and any recommendations that Howie has.

Some notes on Minh Ky: The strip mall that Minh Ky is located in has one of the worst parking configurations in San Diego. One of the aisles has no outlet, you have to back out of the parking stall, which leads to some interesting situations. I’ve seen a car trying to back out, while a car is waiting for the parking stall but because of the single aisle, the waiting car is essentially blocking the exiting car in. Nothing like a nice little showdown between two 3-4 thousand pound vehicles to start off the weekend! Many times vehicles will exit right over the sidewalk, straight onto El Cajon Boulevard. I usually park in the back, though you’ll need to avoid the large potholes and abandoned furniture. The back parking lot can also be quite scary at night. I usually order "tea" with my meals and they serve me a whole pot, and I’ve never ever been charged for it.

Oh, and as I was at the register paying…."Are you Korean?" You gotta love it!

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

Kim Chan Sandwich Shop

December 28, 2005 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

***** Kim Chan is now Lena’s Sandwiches & Deli

It has been a fairly warm December, with temperatures reaching into the mid-70's to low 80's on certain days. On one of those days I decided to give Ed from Yuma's favorite Banh Mi shop a try. Though the address is El Cajon Boulevard, Kim Chan is actually located on 47th Street, next to a coin laundry, Vietnamese Video Shop, and Currency Exchange.

It's a fairly small shop with two small tables; a majority of the space is taken up with refrigerators and deli-cases. Most of the menu is in Vietnamese, with only 5 items written in English. At least there wouldn't be any of the indecisive paralysis brought on by too many choices here! Kim Chan is truly a Mom-and-Pop operation. There were two people ahead of me on my first visit; and though my order was taken quickly, I had to wait about 20 minutes for my sandwich.

I ordered the "combination" (Dac Biet) which cost only $2!

This sandwich really had "pate" on it, not just a "sausage pate", a pork "loaf", and "head cheese". Though the sandwich was smaller then those at K Sandwich at about 7-8 inches, the circumference of the sandwich was a perfect fit for my mouth. What set this sandwich apart from many of the mediocre versions, is that I could really taste the meats, the salty, mildly gamy, and sweet fillings. The amount of vegetables was perfect, and added a nice crunch, along with a vinegary touch to the sandwich. The slightly hot chilies was a nice touch as well. But it was not a perfect sandwich. Tough stringy cilantro stems are a pet peeve of mine. Also though the crust of the bread was good, the bread portion was mushy and doughy, and frankly tasted a bit "stale". As a whole the sandwich was not crusty enough for me.

Since I enjoyed the Combination Sandwich, except for the bread, I thought I'd pay Kim Chan another visit. This time I ordered the BBQ Pork($2.00) sandwich:

Since I was the only customer in the restaurant, I got my sandwich in about 5 minutes. The BBQ Pork sandwich contained a single layer of BBQ Pork sliced to about 1/8th of an inch thick, Instead of the usual thin sliced pork, the pork in the sandwich looked like it had been "cut" from a larger piece. The vegetables and green chili were again portioned perfectly for the sandwich, this sandwich also had fried shallots added which was a nice touch. This time the bread was perfectly toasted, and nice and crusty. I really didn't care for the pork, which was nice and tender, though quite dry, and also very "fishy" in taste.

I think I'll stick with the Combination Sandwich, with the nice flavors, and hopefully will get a "good" baguette. The sandwiches at Kim Chan are a bit smaller then most Banh Mi, but are portioned well, so that all of the different tastes come through. And at about 2 bucks($2.50 for BBQ Beef), the price is definitely right.

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

K Sandwiches – What a Difference 2 Months Makes

November 2, 2005 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

Way back in July, I posted on the impending opening of K Sandwiches. On August 25th, this shop on the corner of Mesa College and Linda Vista road finally opened. Driving by, I could not believe the amount of people standing in line for Banh Mi. My Buddy Jack, mentioned something like a 30 minute wait, for Banh Mi!?! So we waited a week, and finally made our way there during the first week of September.

With it’s bright facade, and menu offerings, ‘K’ seems to have alot in common with the Lee’s Sandwiches chain that is slowly making it’s way all across the Western United States. Hmmm….

On this day, the front of the restaurant was packed. But even though there were many customers, there seemed to be even more Employees! Most of which were standing(leaning), giggling, and generally loafing teenagers. I even saw one of the Girls write down a telephone number on a napkin, and hand it to a Young Man buying a sandwich, with the words "Call Me" scrawled along the top. What was even more surprising, was that she immediately turned around, and without putting on gloves, started to make sandwiches…..

I placed our order, and we had time to check out everything while we waited. Along with the sandwich menu; K serves up Boba-type drinks/tea, bakes their own baquettes and croissants, and also has hot table dishes for purchase.

We ordered 3 sandwiches in total. The first we tried was the BBQ Chicken ($1.99):

The chicken in the sandwich was very tasty, though the rest of the sandwich disappointed me. The crust of the bread was slightly crusty, but not crusty enough for me. There was a very small amount of Ca-rot(pickled veggies), that consisted only of radish, and no carrots? The cilantro was mostly stems, which can be annoying when you eat it. The thin julienned slices of green chilies were nice and hot, though all crowded to the middle of the sandwich.

The Deluxe (Dac Biet-$2.45)

consisted of 3 meats; basically what looked like a sausage, ham, and the Viet "pate". Again the same monotonic "garnishes"(but there was one piece of carrot in there), but this time the cilantro was piled on one side of the sandwich. Ditto for the bread.

The third sandwich we ordered was the BBQ Pork ($1.99):

The pork was very tasty, both slightly sweet, salty, and teriyaki-ish in taste, though there were too many pieces of tough connective tissue, that were really inedible. Again, the "one-note" pickled vegetables. In the end, it seemed that though the sandwiches were a bargain; the result was mediocre. It didn’t help that both the Missus and I got somewhat ill after eating here. I attribute that to the lack of hygenic supervision, and inexperienced Teens putting together the sandwiches. If Lee’s/K are trying to be the McDonalds of Vietnamese Food, they sure are on their way….

One really great thing about ‘K’, is that they open at 6am in the morning. Banh Mi, for breakfast anyone? So this past week, I decided to drop by ‘K’, and grab a sandwich. Things were alot calmer then on my previous visit, and the cashier and the person making the sandwich were quite professional and competent.

I ordered the Vegetarian ($1.99):

The bread was nice and crusty, much better then on my previous visit. And look, you can make out some carrots, even! The shreds of fried tofu were fairly tasty, though everything was piled to one side of the sandwich. The cilantro was mostly leaves, and the peppers were nice and hot. Not bad for 2 bucks.

In fact, I visited ‘K’ again this week, and picked up "breakfast" for a couple of people, and again got the Dac Biet:

There seemed to be alot more meat then before, as well as alot more pickles. It was pretty good, though I enjoy, Bale and Cafe Dore’ more. But for the price, you can’t complain. Also, I just found out that extra "pickles" can be requested at no charge. I also measured the sandwich, and it came in at almost exactly 10 inches. That’s a pretty long sandwich! The service and food were much better during these last two visits. Two months sure can make a big difference!

K Sandwiches
7604 Linda Vista Rd
San Diego, CA 92111
Mon-Sat 6am-9pm
Sun 8am-8pm

Pho Convoy Noodle House

September 11, 2005 mmm-yoso Bun Bo Hue, Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

*** This location of Pho Convoy Noodle House has closed

*** You can find updates on Pho Convoy Noodle House here, here, and here.

Ed from Yuma had told me about Convoy Noodle House awhile back. He’d had a good bowl of Pho’ there. So since it’s now getting a bit cooler I thought I’d give it a shot.

Convoy Noodle House is located in another strip mall on Convoy Street. The only business I’ve ever gone to here is Dede’s a Sichuan Restaurant/Tea Place. The restaurant is spare and seems alot larger than it actually is.

The other great thing about the restaurant, was that there was spot lighting above each table, almost as if they knew I was coming, and would need some light for my photos’!

I had made my mind up before hand that I’ll be ordering Pho’ – so I chose the Large #1($5.25) – basically Dac Biet, with everything.

Within 5 minutes a nice sized bowl of Pho’ was delivered. The broth was very dark and rich, and I could make out the distinct taste of cloves. I really enjoyed the brisket and the generous amount of tripe. The rare steak tasted fine. There was two types of “tendon” in this; the first nice, jellied, fatty tendon – delici-yoso. The second were thin slices of tendon that almost looked like they’d been fried, they were really tough and inedible. My only other gripe was the really chintzy amount of “garnishes” provided. I had to ask for more basil, and I wish there was a bit more variety; maybe some ngo gai. But I thought the broth was excellent, very full bodied and the bun pho’ were done well, though the noodles were a bit on the thinner side than I’m used too.

A few days later I was in the mood for some Chinese-style Egg Noodle soup, but since I was close by I decided just to eat here instead. And ordered the “House Special” egg noodle soup $5.25:

This dish had a strictly routine chicken based broth, though there was a generous amount of egg noodles along with Lettuce, green onions, BBQ Pork, Fish Balls, Fish Cake, and very over cooked shrimp. The fried garlic and shallots added a nice flavor, and the noodles were perfect. Strangely, I’ve never had “garnishes” delivered for egg noodle soup in a Vietnamese Restaurant before, but here they are! Again, the portion was very small.

So having enjoyed my previous experiences, I’d finally decided to try the Bun Bo Hue ($5.25). I’ve had some really horrible Bun Bo Hue, and will usually check out how other dishes are before trying. So today as I walked in; I noticed the Lady usually manning the cash register (The Owner?) was eating a bowl, so I though I’d give it a whirl:

As the soup was being delivered I noticed a distinct “fishy” smell. It just so happened that along with the garnishes (lettuce, mint, bean sprouts, chilies, and lime), a little bowl of shrimp paste and chili oil delivered. The bowl was steaming hot, and the broth was pretty routine, almost like the broth I’d had with the egg noodles, except with chili oil added. There was a good amount of the spaghetti like bun, and the dish was topped with onions, green onions, and cilantro. I also noticed that the brisket used in this dish was cut alot thicker than what I’m used too, this was very tasty and enjoyable. There was also alot of fat and tendon from the brisket – delici-yoso!!! After doing an initial taste of the broth I added a squeeze of lime, some of the shrimp paste, and the bean sprouts, and proceeded to dig in. Then I stopped, there was something missing! It’s not the “blood”, I’d ordered it without blood, call me a wuss, but I really don’t enjoy the taste. Where was the pig’s feet or pork shank that’s standard for this dish. After some “fishing” I found it, the pork leg was alot smaller than I’ve usually had, somewhat disappointing. I also took to dipping the brisket into the shrimp paste, and the blend of the salty, the spiciness, beefiness, and the texture of the meat was great. Overall a nice dish, that I’ll be having alot over the winter. Unless I find a better Bun Bo Hue.

Some notes on Convoy Pho’ House. Service is very fast, I can usually get out in under 30 minutes. The “appetizer sin” is also committed here; I’ve seen soup some out before the Cha Gio several times. Most of the customers are Asian, and there were alot of Vietnamese on the days I visited.

I guess I have one for my current rotation. Today I saw the Com Tam 7 Mon being brought out, and it looked pretty good, so I’ll be having that on a day that I’m really hungry.

Pho Convoy Noodle House
4647 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Que Huong – Completing the Summer Grand Slam

August 29, 2005 mmm-yoso Vietnamese Restaurants, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

*** Que Huong has closed

*** Updated posts can be found here, here, and here.

I'd heard about Que Huong a while back. It was described as "not a pho' restaurant; more of a white tablecloth place." So one Sunday morning we decided to give Que Huong a try.

Tucked in the back corner of yet another generic strip mall on University Avenue(on the corner of Marlborough Ave and University), Que Huong looks somewhat intimidating with the iron bars and grease board menu with specials written only in Vietnamese. You notice an immediate difference upon entrance:

The interior of the restaurant was dark with swap meet artwork on the walls and a definite "pastel" look. How very retro 80's! We opened the menu, and yep, no pho', instead there were many items that I've really never seen on a Vietnamese menu in San Diego; like Jack Fruit Salad, and a whole list of fish listed only in Vietnamese. We placed our order and a "basket" of utensils, napkins, and "wipes" were delivered to our table – a nice change from the usual chopstick and spoons on a plastic holder that we're used too:

We started with the Cha Gio ($4.95), the standard Egg Rolls:

These were among the best I've ever had! They were crisp, not oily, with tasty filling. The garnishes delivered were also outstanding; along with the usual lettuce and mint, were Perilla leaves, tasting almost like shiso, these added a nice flavor. The Nuoc Mam Cam was also outstanding with pieces of garlic, and chilies added for additional flavor.

We also ordered the Duck Banana Salad ($12.95):

A large plate piled high with Basil and other herbs, julienned banana blossom, onion, fried shallots and garlic, this made a refreshing dish. Except for the duck, which was a chopped bland duck leg, with bits of bone everywhere. this made for ponderous dish, after cracking your teeth on a few bone chips, you got downright paranoid about eating this. Also, some of the banana blossom had a distinct soapy taste. At the same time a large soup bowl was delivered. At first I said "we didn't order this", but after some explanation we finally figured out that the soup came with the salad. This turned out to be a wonderful rice porridge. There was a nice salty, somewhat garlicky taste. The flavor of the fried garlic, black pepper, and cilantro stood out, with only a hint of fish sauce.

I ordered the Com Tam 7 Mon – the broken rice with 7 meats($8.95):

This beautiful looking dish was a mixed bag. The julienned pork, not among my favorite things, was very moist and flavorful, the BBQ pork was outstanding, the egg roll was great (of course), the shrimp cake with bean curd was also excellent. However, the steamed egg (my favorite) was dry and separating, the fish cake was tasteless, the pork cake was also dry, and worst of all the Com Tam (broken rice) was very dry and hard, like it had been sitting for a long time.

Que Huong had caught my interest though, and when Ed from Yuma emailed and said he was coming my way for a quick trip, Que Huong immediately came to mind. I thought it would complete our restaurant summer "Grand Slam" that started with China Max in May, and Sakura in July, and earlier this month Buga Korean BBQ made an appearance.

We met and entered the Restaurant and were seated as before. This time though the lighting was very bad – so please excuse the poor photo's. Communication was also a problem this time, as you soon see.

I ordered the Egg Rolls that we loved so much:

But as you see, these were really different(also charge $7.95 this time). But oh what a wonderful mistake this was. It was like the Egg Rolls except with an entire shrimp inside, and the wrappers were much more delicate. I'm printing a picture of this, because I want to make sure I get this next time! Same garnishes along with the excellent Nuoc Mam. Delici-yoso!!!

We also had Roasted Quail ($9.95):

This dish was good, but nothing we hadn't had before.

I had heard the Banh Xeo (crepe) here was excellent, so we made sure we got it ($5.95)

The crepe sure didn't disappoint, nice a crunchy exterior, moist interior with whole shrimp, ground pork, and lot's of bean sprouts. This was the best Banh Xeo I've had in San Diego. Not oily at all – simply delisi-yoso!

Finally the main dish, the Fried Catfish($25.00):

This was a major production and took three people to deliver. A plate of rice paper wrappers, a bowl of warm water, garnishes including banana blossom, pickled vegetables, perilla, pickled onion, bean sprouts, lettuce, mint, and I'm sure I left something out. A plate of bun (vermicelli), and Mr Catfish(medium sized), on a bed of lettuce, covered with cilantro. This dish was a "make your own spring roll" thing. That is, you grab a wrapper, dip it in the warm water and start building your spring roll with the garnishes. Than once completed, dip the roll into a little bowl of shrimp paste mixed with garlic and shallots. Sounds great right? Well not really; the catfish in my opinion tasted extremely "muddy" which spoiled the dish for me. Ed seemed to make the best of it though, being the good sport that he is. The damage a little over 50 bucks. Too bad, we could gotten away with half as much, and had a better meal! But overall a really fun experience.

Some notes; the restaurant was empty, not a good sign on a Friday. I hope this place stays around, there are some very good dishes, and I haven't even started on the soups yet. Communication may be a problem, as in my experience with the Egg Rolls. Parking is very limited as the Mall shares spaces with a Burger King and other businesses.

Que Huong Restaurant
4134 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92105

Open 10am to Midnight Daily

Fusion Food & Boba Cafe

August 23, 2005 mmm-yoso Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

*** Fusion Food and Boba Cafe has closed.

I guess I'm a bit con-"fused" about Fusion Food & Boba Cafe. A reader of this blog and Chowhound lurker Renee, sent me an Email (Thanks Renee!) about Fusion. She specifically noted that the Banh Mi at Fusion was very good. With this info I made a trip to Fusion. What I found was a "hip" Cafe, doing a brisk business in Boba and other snacks. It reminded me of all those "tea" places that I saw young Asians going to in Los Angeles.

Like I mentioned Fusion was doing a brisk business, people playing board games, watching the plasma television, or just hanging out at the outside tables; eating steamed buns or "banana rolls" , which looked like a take-off on turon (banana lumpia) with ice cream, all drinking various slushies and coffee drinks. The posted menu also said that Fusion offers free wireless internet access with a purchase. So automatically this place was totally what I was not; young and hip. Also, I couldn't find "Banh Mi" on the menu. What there was is something called "Fusion Sandwiches". I figured that this must be it. The prices of the sandwiches ranged from $2.50 (one item) to $3.50(two meat combo), to $4.50 for a Chesseburger Deluxe and Fries(?). Because my Banh Mi "standard" is based on the "Dac Biet" , I thought that I'd order the special with Ham and Pork Loaf, though at $3.50 it would be the most expensive Banh Mi type sandwich I'd ever have ordered.

Sure looks like a Banh Mi, doesn't it? The good; the carrot and radish pickles were tasty and the amount of veggies was generous and I enjoyed the jalapeno. The bad I'm afraid, outnumbered the good. The bread wasn't toasted, the meats were tasteless and disappointing. I pulled out the ham and it looked and tasted no different from the cheapie packaged 79 cent ham I'd buy at the market. The strange? It really looked like this was french roll, but not a baguette, but a french dip roll! Very strange indeed, though it never said anywhere that this was a Vietnamese Banh Mi, did it? At this point I thought that I'd cut my losses and let Fusion fade into the back ground.

What changed my mind was an Email from Renee, and she included a photo! And darn if the photo of the Veggie Sandwich didn't look like a Banh Mi! So I found myself back at Fusion, and this time I ordered a simple BBQ Pork Sandwich ($2.50):

This was a bit more like it! The roll was toasted, though still not a baguette, in my opinion. The pork was tasty and as before the veggies were good and there was a nice piece of jalapeno. Overall a decent sandwich. I especially liked that there was more cilantro leaves than stems, makes for an easier eating sandwich. There was mayo on this version as well, this actually added to the taste. Not bad at all. Unfortunately I ordered the Popcorn Chicken ($2.49):

On the menu it says "spicy & crispy". I can tell you in this case it was neither of those. The crispy I can understand, I live 15 minutes away. But even if the what looked like the corn starch based batter couldn't stand up to a 15 minute drive, all would still be okay if the chicken tasted great. Unfortunately, it wasn't even mediocre. The chicken was really bland with hardly any seasoning. I was hoping for something, give me the slight sweetness of mochiko, maybe some salt, maybe some herbs, chili pepper, anything….. I hate to say this, but KFC is better than this. The aioli included is a must, just to give this some taste. I think something was lost in trying to please all palates on this one.

So what's the verdict? Seems that certain sandwiches here are pretty good, and the snacks seem to be what to get. There are some dishes that are "dumbed down" to make them somewhat con-"fused". The menu is very extensive, everything from vegetarian items, to curry, to noodle soups. It's a really difficult to manage a menu like this. All the drinks here seem to be really popular. The service is really friendly and helpful. Maybe someone has an idea what I should order here?

Fusion Food & Boba Cafe
8038 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111

P.S. Thank You for the recommendation Renee!