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

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")

Comments

[ed (from Yuma)]

Wow! Looks good. Another find.

What is the reddish brown veggie (?) herb (?) to the left of the duck in the first picture of the food. It was one of the mystery condiments that came with the bun bo hue at Thien Thanh.

Looks like I even get first comment. Pays to be up at 6 AM.

[Passionate Eater]

I'm sure that the Vietnamese mother loved you Kirk! And after your diverse eating habits, I know you've turned multilingual! I'm ethnically Vietnamese, and I can't even pronounce "pho" correctly!

[Kirk]

Hi Ed - That's banana blossom. They must've really liked you at Thien Thanh - I was just looking over my photos of the Bun Bo Hue I had there, and they didn't provide me with banana blossom.

Hi PE - I think She just wanted to be sure that I ate it correctly. The Missus and I have a little joke, that I'm linguistically hopeless, except for food..... ;o)

[milgwimper]

This is an awesome post Kirk! I love finding places like this to eat at, but it is harder now that a lot of my friends have moved away. I have to search them out myself, and it is hard enough as it is! I have never eaten banana blossoms before; what do they taste like?

[Ed]

Kirk, was the banana blossom blanched?

Anyway, milgwimper, banana blossom tastes like a mix between cabbage and artichoke to me. My relatives' version of kare-kare often has banana blossom in it.

[Kirk]

Hi Mills - The banana blossom has a slightly woody flavor, and tends to be on the astringent side.

Hi Ed - In Vietnamese cuisine, the banana blossom usually isn't blanched, it is usually just rinsed in cold water, or presliced and kept in water with lime, or something similiar to prevent browning. So the flavor profile is much different, you can really tell old banana blossom; the older it is, the more bitter the flavor.

[Rachel]

Does banana blossom really add to the flavour? Hehe I have learnt so much about vietnamese cuisine from you kirk... I love pho and the vermicelli with spring rolls in it but that was my extent of knowledge of vietnamese food before I started reading your blog!

[Kirk]

Hi Rachel - I think it's more of a texture thing. One really funny thing is...if you mix all the veggies together, than pour the nuoc mam cham over it, it tastes pretty good too!

[EJ]

Wow, this place is right in my neighborhood! I really would like to know what some of the other dishes are.
Did the family give you any idea about the other offerings? Are they all soups?
Inquiring minds would like to know.

[Kirk]

Hi EJ - Sorry I missed your comment. Most of the Vietnamese items are soups. Chao is porridge, Banh Canh is a type of noodle soup. I'll ask to see what other items are served the next time I visit.

[Didi]

Wow, Kirk.
Looks really good and sounds delicious. I'm going to check this place out.
You are always adventurous and finding treasures. Sounds like this one is a keeper. Thanks.

[Kirk]

Hi Didi - Funny thing, I think the food tasted better when I did take-out! Interesting little place, good prices as well.

[Nhan]

Hey Kirk, this is the young man that served you at the counter. My family would like to thank you for posting tis blogger. You are always welcome at our resturant!

[Kirk]

Hi Nhan - Why, thanks so much! I've been back once or twice, and always enjoy the food at your family's restaurant. Please send my regards to your Mom as well!