Pho Hoa (again)

mmm-yoso!!! is being written by Cathy for the next few days; Kirk has some free time and isn't posting.

Coincidentally, the day when Kirk posted about Avian Sandwiches, The Mister and I had just finished a wonderful lunch at Pho Hoa, which is located in the same shopping center anchored by Thuan Phat Supermarket.  There are many posts about Pho Hoa here (use the 'search' box on the upper left).  I've only posted about this old school shop in 2015, even though it has been a regular stop before grocery shopping.E5686645-AC09-439A-8EE6-450803578BD7
E5686645-AC09-439A-8EE6-450803578BD7 Not much has changed since Covid-19.  Menu is the same.  Tabletops are still sticky.  Prices have, of course, increased.

2AFB4EC6-3376-40D3-B48F-7E4D84BC11D4 5A16C0EF-1C71-4DE8-AC73-76DE8AABB5C8 Pho Tai (rare beef) (large, $11.40) arrives with fresh herbs and add-ins, still has a rich deep colored and flavorful broth which is slightly salty.  Noodles were not in a 'clump'.  Overall, this bowl was very refreshing.
AE018AA2-7C13-4AF4-AAF3-202379E519AA The half order of Spring Rolls ($5.60) arrived with the shrimp and pork still warm.  The lettuce, sprouts and mint were crisp and very fresh.  Even the vermicelli noodles were still warm.  Made to order and exceptionally good.
 3E297B54-4E68-4AC9-A074-A84CE5A8D9E9 The grilled pork Bun ($12.60) was quite a large serving of thicker slices of char grilled pork on top of lettuce and cold vermicelli topped with pickled radish and carrot, sprouts and mint and topped with plenty of peanuts.  The nuoc nuam sauce/dressing is a wonderfully balanced fish sauce based dressing.

This meal really met our cravings.

Pho Hoa 6921 Linda Vista Road San Diego 92111 (858) 492-9108 open daily 8 a.m.-9 p.m.

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Pho Lucky Reopening in Mira Mesa and it’s been 900 Days……

**** You can find my post on my first visit to Pho Lucky since the reopening here.

My buddy "Calvin" told me that he heard Pho Lucky was reopening so I headed on over this past weekend. And guess what?

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This brought a smile to my face. While perhaps the pho was not always consistent, Pho Lucky made my favorite version of Bo Kho. Though looking at the sign, I'm thinking this might be a whole new set of folks? Hopefully, we'll soon see…..

9326 Mira Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92126

And it's been 900 days……

I went over to Nijiya to do some shopping….something I do a couple of times a week it seems.

900 Days

And for some reason; I flashed back to this:

Covid shopping 09

Covid shopping 10

And this…..

Covid shopping 05
Covid shopping 05

And then I did a quick check on my date/time calculator and saw, that it was going to be 900 days since "that day".  I think of that day being March 16, 2020 when all the closures pretty much started. Like I mentioned in my TK Donuts post it really hit home on the 18th of March. I was already going to work super early; like before 5am and by now nothing was open for coffee, not even 7-11 or Starbucks. I drove down Clairemont Drive and onto the I-5 North and saw not a single vehicle….getting off at Nobel Drive, ditto…..nothing until I passed a police cruiser near Genesee. It was eerie, like I was transported to some sci-fi movie.

I'll never forget that morning.

And of course, since this is a food blog, I mourn the loss of so many places, some personal favorites, and others places with a long history in their neighborhoods. So many places……

Things continue to change; new challenges arise. Frankly there were times when I wondered if I should keep on posting So many have stopped or moved on to the latest platform/app. But the desire to eat and share our meals/shopping/travel hasn't abated. For this I thank all of you for the wonderful comments and emails!

Take care and have a wonderful weekend!

Avian Sandwiches Revisited

I had to do some shopping at Thuan Phat Market and was feeling a bit hungry. It had been quite a while since I'd had the Banh Mi from Avian Sandwiches and Water. In fact, I believe the place was still named Flavaful Yogurt/Avian Water at that time. The fro-yo side of the business is long gone though.

Avian Rev 01  Avian Rev 02 As I walked toward the shop I noticed several gentleman sitting facing the front of the store and then noticed that they have a television facing the parking lot, so folks can watch from outside of the place! Funny thing. Though I'm quite used to the Vietnamese Men "doing coffee" thing…..I don't ever recall seeing them watching Paw Patrol before, which is what was streaming at the time I entered the shop.

The shop is, well….they do pack things in pretty tight. With all the lottery stuff posted everywhere; it seems that it's a big part of the business here as I saw fours guys come in to buy lottery tickets while I waited for my sandwich. 

Because of how tight things were in the shop, I waited outside for my Banh Mi Dac Biet now priced at $6.95. It took about 15 minutes for my sandwich, after which I headed home.

Avian Rev 03 Avian Rev 04  The bread seemed to be at that overly dry, almost stale stage as it was quite crumbly and hard. Check out all the cilantro, that wedge of cucumber, and all those pickled veggies! I guess they wanted to make I was getting my daily allowance here! Of course that threw the balance of the banh mi off a bit. The jalapenos weren't overly spicy, the pate nice and funky, the Cha Lua sliced super thin, and the Thịt Nguoi standard issue. 

This was ok, but not something I'd go out of my way for.

Avian Sandwiches & Fresh Drinking Water
6937 Linda Vista Rd.
San Diego, CA 92111
Hours:
Daily 8am – 7pm

On an interesting note, while waiting for my sandwich I saw the hours posted which threw me off at first…..

Avian Rev 05

Sun-Mon 8am – 7pm…….but open 7 Days????

Phuong Nga Bakery and Café Revisited

**** Phuong Nga Bakery and Cafe is now Banh Mi Express

With the recent hot and relatively muggy weather, I'd been craving banh mi. Also, I had been wanting to revisit Phuong Nga Bakery and Café, but when I initially dropped by after work, I saw that Phuong Nga Bakery Rev 01 their hours were now only from 8am to 3pm Mondays to Fridays. I did pass by on a Saturday and I noticed activity in the place. And then it dawned on me…..all that bread you see Phuong Nga selling from their counter is baked here! Duh….. And so, I made it a point to actually drop by during the shop's business hours to grab a banh mi.

The young man working was very nice and did confirm that the bread at Phuong Nga is indeed baked here.

Phuong Nga Bakery Rev 02

I ordered the Banh Mi with Ham and Pate (Banh Mi Thịt Nguoi – $6.19, all sign are only in English) to go and my sandwich was ready in a few minutes.

Phuong Nga Bakery Rev 03 Phuong Nga Bakery Rev 04b  The banh mi here have always been on the "hefty" side in my opinion and this was no different. First off, the bread was really crusty, I felt perhaps a bit too heavily baked? One bite resulted in crusty "shrapnel" flying in all directions. Still, this was much better than what I've recently had from Cali Baguette and Cali Banh Mi, both of which seemed to have "jumped the shark" a while back.

There was a nice smear of pate which I enjoyed and perhaps a bit too much Thịt Nguoi? But maybe that because of my own "PPP" (personal proportional preference)?

Phuong Nga Bakery Rev 04

The jalapeno was pretty mild and for some reason I felt the sandwich could have done with more cilantro and pickled veggies? Perhaps that's because of the larger amount of protein in this sandwich?

Phuong Nga Bakery Rev 05

Anyway, this did fill me up and I think is a decent option for banh mi. If that bread was just a little less baked, it would have brought it up a notch as it was nice and yeasty and the non-crust portions nice and tender. So, I'll probably check them out again soon.

Phuong Nga Bakery and Cafe
9353 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92123
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 8am – 3pm
Closed on Saturday and Sundays

Circling Back to Tu Thanh

A few weeks back, the Missus was craving Her favorite Bun Rieu, so I went to pick some up. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, I was told that there was at least an hour wait for the Bun Rieu. I suddenly had an idea; I placed my order and decided to push my luck and see if I could find parking near Tu Thanh. I had tried to grab my favorite Bun Mang Vit in San Diego from Tu Thanh during the previous month, but there was no parking to be found within 4-5 blocks, so I ended up at "plan B" 777 Noodle House. Still my craving for Bun Mang Vit went unabated.

Well, I guess it was my lucky day, I found parking half a block away and greedily headed to Tu Thanh.

Circling TT 01

These days Tu Thanh opens at 9 and I arrived at 930 and there were no customers in the place.

Not sure what the drill is these days; I went up to the window and placed my order.

Circling TT 02 Circling TT 03  And then went and sat at a table. I took a look around the room and quickly noticed at the pile of children's toys stacked up on a freezer. I guess Covid has meant that there had to be options in place if childcare and school is not available?

As I waited for my noodle soup my mind wandered……Tu Thanh is one of those "places" that I have been going to for ages. Well, sort of; you see, back in 2006, I used to go to A Chinese Fast-Food shop…well, sort of a Chinese Fast Food Shop named Chinese Kitchen. Along with the Fried Rice, Chow Mein, and other "standards", none of which I ever tried, there was a menu posted with Vietnamese Specialties. In fact, the other name the place was known as was "Chi Tu Thanh Nha Hang". Then nearly 7 years later, Tu Thanh's namesake restaurant opened and I've been going there ever since.

Circling TT 04

Soon enough the Nuoc Mam Gung and my eating utensils arrived. The utensils were delivered in a little basket. I'm guessing with Covid, they don't just lay out the eating implements on tables anymore.

Circling TT 06

The look and the fragrance of the Nuoc Mam Gung was comforting. Back in March of 2021 I'd done take out from Tu Thanh and the sauce was lacking in garlic and ginger and was much too sweet. This was return to what I expected and enjoyed.

Circling TT 05  Circling TT 07 My noodle soup and duck arrived. Over time, I'd resigned myself to the fact that banana blossom was no longer included with the Bun Mang Vit. Also, the quantity of dried bamboo shoot has gone down gradually over the years, reducing the amount of earthy tones in the broth. And I'm sure that ever rising costs and Covid supply chain issues have had an affect as well.

Still, on this day at least, the noodles were perfectly firm enough and slippery, the broth was nicely flavored, not overly MSG heavy. The broth does get better as the meal goes along because of the way I eat the duck with this dish. And that gingery-garlicky-savory-mildly sweet sauce was on point.

The duck was sliced to a good thinness for the dish, had a good toothsomeness, and was oh so "ducky" if you know what I mean.

Circling TT 08  Circling TT 09 As for how I eat this; well that's been that's been documented in earlier posts:

"Chi Tu Thanh taught me to eat things this way years ago. For the duck; I dip it in the broth…it warms it up a bit (a good study in temperature and flavor) and in the end adds a bit of flavor to the broth; it then gets a dunk in the sauce, which livens things up. The veggies get the same….what ever escapes adds to the flavor of the rather neutral flavored broth. A dunk in the steaming broth (as it was this day) changes the texture of the herbs a vegetables and whatever escapes adds to the flavor of the broth…those stray veggies do eventually get a dip in the sauce as well."

And over the meal, because I let the bamboo shoots steep in the hot broth, the flavor gets better and better.

Circling TT 10

And yes, it's not as amazing as it used to be; but it's still darn good!

Funny thing, the young lady who I ordered from initially spoke to me in Vietnamese and was a bit surprised that I didn't speak that language. As I paid at the register she asked me how I enjoyed my meal and then asked me how I had heard of Tu Thanh. I told her that even though I'm not a regular customer, I've been eating the Bun Mang Vit from the days of Chinese Kitchen. Which got quite a funny, surprised look from her.

Circling TT 11

And yes, I am so very thankful that places like Tu Thanh, Minh Ky, Phuong Nga, and Mien Trung are still around for us to enjoy. And hopefully will be around for many more years!

Tu Thanh
4804 University Ave. #A
San Diego, CA 92105
Current Hours:
Thurs – Tues 9am – 7pm
Closed on Wednesday

Road Trip efficiency: Brodard (breakfast menu!) and Ochoa’s Chorizo

mmm-yoso!!! is being written by Cathy today, while Kirk is busy with work. 

Almost every post I have written has been part of some other errand or event, even before the crazy surge in fuel prices.  Usually, the 'other part' of the trip is a separate post or remains unwritten.  The second part of this post will reveal a long time favorite stop.  39971DC4-979E-4B21-9C22-53C982F695B8 Kirk wrote about Brodard in 2013 and  I wrote about a visit to the original location in 2014 and the new location in 2019. 
39971DC4-979E-4B21-9C22-53C982F695B8 Since Covid-19, we had driven here a few times, during the week to avoid crowds.
CDA71A7E-AAD3-4AE1-87BF-42D2FD8ED5DFCDA71A7E-AAD3-4AE1-87BF-42D2FD8ED5DF The menu has condensed, is easily wiped down and has no prices.  
39FD4AEE-801F-4EA6-99A8-509A427DE661 Nem Nuong with pork (3 rolls, $7.50) is an automatic order here.  Brodard is  known for these rolls.  44B58B79-7A77-40E6-B4E9-B4440D8E3F40 Pretty much made to order (the rolls are constantly being prepared (because they are constantly being ordered) in an 'open kitchen' area), the flavorful grilled pork sausage with lettuce, cucumber, carrot, cilantro, daikon and chive wrapped with rice paper bundles with the crisp wonton in the center makes the rolls unique.  The warm, pork based sauce accompanying the rolls is just the perfect bit of savory.
A98781CD-638D-4192-9925-013F472F93EC The Banh Khot Tom- Moon Cake shrimp ($12.95) are mini crisp rice cakes flavored with coconut milk and turmeric. 
6251C028-84D3-4082-8B6F-13D66A78BCAC Each is filled with one shrimp, mung beans and scallion.  Served with a variety of greens and a lime-chili-fish sauce for dipping, every delicate bite is filled with flavor.

We were here on a Saturday, around 8 a.m. and noticed this placard on the table-

94ABFBD5-2437-4A6D-B458-F689261B4E90 94ABFBD5-2437-4A6D-B458-F689261B4E90
A breakfast menu.  We had to.  
E3289513-3166-4E83-B54F-A7BE16DF0339 The top item: Bo Ne Trung ($17).  Chateaubriand -with pate (on the top left of the platter), sate sauce, onions, mayonnaise and two eggs, served sizzling.
99974C00-D67F-40C8-9C16-B5C091367001 It's served with a piece of banh mi.  (You can sort of see the corse pate a bit better in this photo). (It is a *wonderful*, flavor filled pate). 

8BD7802D-4E82-499D-8F0B-970E8AB61858 3E58320D-B1C2-4CD0-B893-DE2B29FE9A64  The egg whites crisped from the heat of the cast iron platter, while the yolks remained runny.  The beef tenderloin was quite perfect; buttery-tender with flavor complimented by the sate sauce (as well as occasional bites of onion and mayonnaise). 

It looks like the breakfast menu has been available on weekends since the end of March.  We hope to go back soon to try the other items available on the special menu.

Brodard Restaurant 16105 Brookhurst Street Fountain Valley, CA 92708 (657) 247-4401 Website Open daily 8 a.m.-9 p.m.

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We leave Brodard and know that the Interstate will eventually be found and we can head home.  The new location of Cream Pan is only about a mile from Brodard.  One signal light South of Brodard is Warner.  We took that street one day in 2018 and found this business.  Now it is a destination.0BA38F8C-24FB-40F4-94F1-18D75DE7A1AF This small, nondescript storefront houses quality.  Family owned, Ochoa's has been selling fresh made, perfectly spiced chorizo for more than 35 years.  
0BA38F8C-24FB-40F4-94F1-18D75DE7A1AF
There are two refrigerator display cases. Pork, chicken and soy chorizo with various spice levels are the primary choices.  
6D9A3BA3-2136-47A5-B64E-403296688ACD
The pricing?  The plain and spicy pork chorizo is available in bulk.  All are available by the meter (scroll back up and look at that photo again).  There are a few other meats available.  
6D9A3BA3-2136-47A5-B64E-403296688ACD
A meter of green pork chorizo, (medium spice/heat level) ($9) is simply placed in a paper bag for the trip home.  We also purchase a pound of bulk mild spice pork chorizo ($4.25).  Once home, the green is cut into three inch chunks and frozen, while the mild is divided into three ounce small flat shapes and frozen, ready for breakfast cooking.

C1D41E4F-FC19-4BD3-961E-F194D9F6CE44C1D41E4F-FC19-4BD3-961E-F194D9F6CE44We cook the sausage, then add eggs and scramble it all and enjoy many, many breakfasts with the best chorizo.

Ochoas Chorizo 220 West Warner Avenue Santa Ana, CA 92707 (714) 850-0052 Open Mon-Sat 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Sun 7 a.m.-6:30 p.m.  

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48F58963-EF2B-402B-94CC-B506344A829C48F58963-EF2B-402B-94CC-B506344A829C48F58963-EF2B-402B-94CC-B506344A829C

Pho and Grill International (Spring Valley)

mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog, tries to write about interesting meals.  Kirk and His Missus are researching some very interesting 'worldwide' foods while Cathy is writing about another local place.

The Mister and I were in Spring Valley on a bread-buying/bakery errand (future post) and passed by this new location (about 1/2 mile East of the old location) of Pho and Grill International.  The original location opened in 2015.  This mall also houses Grecian Cafe, where we also stop when in the area.

1A029ACA-2DFD-4B3C-A300-8E900EE4EF4F The people who work here are very friendly and treat everyone like family.  There is almost always a US Postal Service truck parked in front (because they are having lunch here; always the sign of a good place to stop-read Trent's comment on this post- stopping where local delivery people eat has been how we find great hidden gems).  
DE5F3723-72E6-4A58-8D40-FF6F410E312DDE5F3723-72E6-4A58-8D40-FF6F410E312DDE5F3723-72E6-4A58-8D40-FF6F410E312DDE5F3723-72E6-4A58-8D40-FF6F410E312DDE5F3723-72E6-4A58-8D40-FF6F410E312DDE5F3723-72E6-4A58-8D40-FF6F410E312D The menu is fairly extensive. 
1A029ACA-2DFD-4B3C-A300-8E900EE4EF4F 59, the Special Combo ($14.95), includes two grilled shrimp (plump, juicy, great grilled flavor), a grilled pork chop (excellent) and a grilled pork patty (very good version) along with the rice and salad.  The menu also listed 'shrimp paste on tofu', which wasn't on the plate (but a fried egg was included and not on the menu).
055084CF-8B9D-4279-BA3C-18B625ECBDBD The owner came out to check on us and we explained that we thought tau hu ky would be part of the plate.  He apologized and brought out this shrimpy delight, which was very tasty (but not tau hu ky). 
1A029ACA-2DFD-4B3C-A300-8E900EE4EF4F It was a warm day and I wanted Bun…cold noodles on top of lettuce.  I chose 37- char broiled pork and egg roll (bun thit nuong cha gio)($11.95) (primarily because I wanted a bite of crispy egg rolls without having a full order).  It arrived in this wide, low bowl- deceptively large.
ABAB9BF6-637C-40F8-8059-10D90668573D The lettuce was hidden but definitely there once you mixed things up.  The char grilled pork was wonderful and the crispy, fresh tasting, quite filled cha gio will be a separate order next time; really good.

Another Covid-19 survivor.  Good people work here, everyone seems to know everyone.

Pho and Grill International 9676 Campo Road Spring Valley, CA 91977 (619) 825-8585 Open seven days 9 a.m.-8:30 p.m.

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Sunday Stuffs – Tenkatori Replacing TJ Dumplings, Tan Ky Mi Gia Has Closed, and Do Mushrooms Communicate with Each Other???

Well, after the recent record heat we had here in San Diego I was going to put up a sandwich post….but now it's back to the mid-60's here……so let's just do a short round up, ok?

Tenkatori Replacing TJ Dumplings:

I had read about Tenkatori replacing TJ Dumplings last Monday and was waiting to drive on by to check things out.

IMG_5458 IMG_5457  I then read about the change on two other websites and "FOY" Junichi mentioned it in the comments of my Chicken Wing Wednesday post as well. So, since I wanted to do another revisit/price check at GyroGrill, I dropped by Miracrest Plaza to see what was going on. Well, TJ Dumplings does indeed looked closed and as I left GyroGrill with my lunch, a truck pulled up and some folks went into the space and started doing some work. So yes, it looks like TJ Dumplings is gone and now I can cross off visiting Tenkatori in Gardena off my list.

6780 Miramar Rd.
San Diego, CA 92121

Tan Ky Mi Gia Has Closed:

Per "FOY" Elle (what would I do without all of you???) in the comments of my recent 777 Noodle House revisit post; mentioned that Tan Ky Mi Gia on ECB closed a while back. Man, talk about a a blast from the past. My last visit there was at the end of 2019; which seems like decades ago. Of course, I used to visit when it was, well Tan Ky Mi Gia, then when it became Hing Ky Mi Gia, then returned to being Tan Ky Mi Gia….I think; though on my last visit the menu and the sign on the street still said Hing Ky Mi Gia….go figure. The folks working were always the same though…

IMG_2285

So, on my way to Northgate Market to pick stuff up to make Pozole, I dropped by and it is indeed closed. Sad, it seems like the end of an era……I still remember posting on Tan Ky Mi Gia in Mira Mesa all the way back in 2006 which closed in 2014 and became Tim Ky

5237 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

Do Mushrooms Communicate with Each Other?:

And here's one from the "I am a cesspool of useless information" files (at least that's what a friend of mine "back home" called me). Read an interesting article in the Guardian where a Professor from the University of the West of England theorizes that mushrooms communicate via electrical impulses. Whoa….

Of course I instantly wondered what the mushrooms I used in any  number of my recipes thought of me? I truly hope they thought I was a "fun-guy"…ok, I hit my limit of dad jokes for today.

Have a great week!

Circling Back to 777 Noodle House

My visit to Minh Ky was really encouraging in a way. It used to be that I'd head up to City Heights a couple of times a month to see what was going on. And every so often there would be something new…..whether it was a new Peruvian place or maybe that a long time BBH place would be moving. You never know….back in 2010; I noticed that a billiard place on University had closed and was becoming something called 777 Noodle House. Which started a long chain of visits; some of which was documented here. 777 has always been a nice stop for reasonably priced grub for me; though my last visit was one for takeout back in February of last year. And strangely, the circumstances were the same. Like the last time, I had been trying to visit Tu Thanh, but there was no parking to be found in the area. So, I headed on over to 777.

There's one woman there who is always so friendly and noted "I haven't seen you in a long time" when I entered. I told her that unlike the last time; I'd be dining in. Especially since there was only one other table occupied during my visit.

777 CB 01

My usual when I'm dining solo at 777 is the Hu Tieu Nam Vang ("Phnom Penh Noodles") Kho ("Dry"); but this time I was craving some "Mi" (egg noodles), but I still wanted to gnaw on that pork shank. So, to mix things up a bit; I went with the Mi Trieu Chau (Chaozhou – Chiuchow) Kho (Dry). Like most everywhere else, prices have risen, but here at least it's still under ten bucks at $9.97 and if you just wanted the version that's just noodle soup it would be $7.97.

777 CB 02  777 CB 03  Soon enough it arrived. This time around the broth the pork shank was in wasn't overly salty and the shank had a good amount of tender gnawable meat.

The noodles were nicely firm, with a good stretch…..this is where takeout often falls short. Good amount of savory-mildly sweet sauce as I mixed everything together.

I'm used to slightly over-cooked shrimp here; but today, it wasn't bad at all.

777 CB 04 777 CB 05  Don't diss the blanched bean sprouts as it adds a mildy sweet-earthiness to the dish along with textural contrast. I use the broth from the shank soup to even out any saltiness and also at the end to get every bit of  flavor from the bowl. There's no rocket science here; it's simple, comforting (for me) good grub, which is what I really wanted on this morning. Something I'd been missing during Covid.

And as always, the food gives me insight…..into the diaspora of ethnic Chinese from Chaozhou, who emigrated to Cambodia, then Thailand, ending up in Vietnam, and then finally San Diego.

I've mentioned that I had heard Annie; that wonderful, friendly woman who has been working here; along with her sister, and the gentleman who always calls me "sir", for 12 years now; speak to customers in Vietnamese, then Mandarin to another family, and then Spanish to another before. Amazing! 777 CB 06

To quote the late Ed from Yuma who, in his last post wrote:

"I just want to dedicate this post to ALL our immigrant mothers, fathers, and ancestors. We/they are America."

777 Noodle House
4686 University Avenue
San Diego, CA 92105

 

Circling Back to Minh Ky

**** Minh Ky is under new ownership, you can find an updated post here.

This past weekend I decided to head back to Minh Ky….you see, Minh Ky was one of the last places I dined in at before San Diego County made restaurants do takeout or delivery only on March 16th of 2020. For some reason it just seems like a longer period of time to me. Minh Ky which opened back in 2004….even before I started this blog, is one of what I call the "foundation eateries" (along with Pho Hoa, Nhu Y, Hoai Hue, and a couple of others) of this part of City Heights. It is, what my "FOY" Candice would call a "stalwart" of the neighborhood. Serving all comers from the little shop in the strip mall with one of the worst parking lots in San Diego.

I had actually ordered takeout from Minh Ky in December of 2020….they were only doing takeout at that time.

Last week on my way to Phuong Nga (which is still only doing takeout) I noticed that Minh Ky seemed to be doing some good business.

So, I decided to check them out that weekend, nearly two years after that faithful visit. Of course, I'm still a bit cautious, so I made sure to get there right at opening time; which is now 9am.

There was just one guy eating on one other table in the place when I arrived.

I got my "usual" these days, the Beef Sate Egg Noodle Soup "dry" (soup on the side), which is now heading toward the ten dollar mark. Regardless, I couldn't help but smile when my food arrived; for some reason it looked so sparkling and vibrant……you never quite hit this with takeout.

MK Rev 02  MK Rev 03  And it was as good as ever; perhaps even better…….of course time could have something to do with it. But the beef was tender; the slightly pungent-nutty-garlicky sauce, the firm slightly crunchy egg noodles, there was a good amount of tomatoes this time which added a nice acidity. This was just like old times.

And you know what else was like old times? Well, the crowd of customers coming in, the family of 8 sitting near the window, the three young ladies….college students laughing and carrying on while slurping their noodles, the two strangers, sharing a table since the place was now full….one of the gentleman had a Burberry Messenger Bag….he would have made the Missus envious. Yes, this was the "old" Minh Ky….a place where everyone can eat decent food at a decent price.

I recall "FOY" Red Devil saying in the comments of my post in April of 2020 – "If they reopen restaurants, will people go?" And I guess if it's a place like Mink Ky, they will.

MK Rev 01

But then there was the "new" me…….tainted by the pandemic….I started feeling a bit uncomfortable seeing all of these people in one small space. I needed to leave as soon as I finished things up. These "old – new" habits are taking a while to overcome I guess.

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And as happy as I was seeing Minh Ky doing great business and even with the remaining Covid trappings (plexiglass/staff still wears masks), I realized that it's going to take a while for me to adjust to things. I'm just hoping that I'll be able to have that time and we don't regress….

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

So, how have you been dealing with our reemergence from Covid?