*** Quoc Te 2 has closed
You know, I haven't had anything for my "One Trick Pony's" category in a while...but then again, I hadn't been back to Quoc Te in a while.
Over the years, I've been to Quoc Te more than a few times, and have tried more than a few items on the menu. In what became a disturbing trend, I've found that the food has gotten steadily worse over the years, to the point that the Missus has given up on eating here. I'm not sure that I'm the only one who notices this. But then again, check out the cavernous dining room at 12 noon on a recent Thursday.
There is basically only one item I order here(though I've been told the fried rice is pretty good):
I order the Banh Cuon Dac Biet($5.95), which is quite a lot of food for the price.
On a bed of steamed rice flour rolls(think Cheong Fun, but more delicate) and bean sprouts, resides shredded pork(always on the dry side), Gio Lua(lean pork sausage), two slices of a sour sausage, four slices of a mung bean and shrimp cake(also usually very dry), topped with fried shallots.
It is a good amount of food....after all the Dac Biet(special) contains a little bit of everything that the other Banh Cuon dishes have.
There are up to six(I've had a few as 4, and as many as 6 - don't ask me why) rice flour rolls, on this day there were 3 types(I've had some different versions on occasion), one type with cloud ear fungus and ground pork, another with shredded pork, and the last with shredded dried shrimp.
I just realized this has sort of read like an inventory of sorts...but it's kind of how I approach this dish whenever I order it...."hmmmm, let's see what we got today...."
I pour Nuoc Mam Cham(Fish sauce based dipping sauce) all of it and devour the whole thing. It doesn't strike me as anything amazing or out of this world, but is very filling and refreshing on a hot day. Come to think of it, I've never had Banh Cuon that has knocked my socks off, but maybe "Friends of mmm-yoso" Beach or Billy can recommend somewhere, or even my good Blogger Buddy Wandering Chopsticks.
Until then, I'll just drop by Quoc Te whenever I want some Banh Cuon. Quoc Te has two locations, here's Annie's post on the University Avenue location, from Her Blog Green Beans in Writing. To the right is a photo of the listed "specials" in Vietnamese, I'm including a photo of the Chinese version below.
Quoc Te 2 International Restaurant
4344 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111
i used to always order that when i went there!
I remember it being called "international house" the last time went (i think around a year ago).
its true its a whole lot of food!
Posted by: clayfu | Monday, 19 March 2007 at 09:45 AM
I had the misfortune of trying their bun bo hue once - don't bother. Luckily, I had also ordered the banh cuon dac biet as a shared appetizer, so I concentrated on that instead.
Posted by: Trent | Monday, 19 March 2007 at 09:54 AM
Of course Kirk, :)
On that list of recommended restaurants I sent you is Banh Cuon Tay Ho. :) The original is in a tiny strip mall beside the Asian Garden Mall. I usually go to #4 in the T&K food court where you can also stop off at Thach Che Hien Khanh afterward. There's a BBQ place in that same strip mall for you to get some food for da boyz too.
I wonder if that restaurant is reselling Banh Cuon Tay Ho brand banh cuon? Like how Albertson's sells Krispy Kreme but it's nowhere near the real thing. Or if they're just referring to the style? In which case, it should be referred to as banh cuon ho Tay, as in VNese cheong fun West Lake in Hanoi, where I think the dish supposedly originated? Banh cuon should be paper-thin and translucent.
Anyway, Banh Cuon Tay Ho #6 is located in SD, so give them a try http://www.westlakefood.com/locations.html
And the sour meat is nem chua, pickled raw pork sausage with shredded pork skin.
Hope #6 is as good as #1 and #4!
Posted by: Wandering Chopsticks | Monday, 19 March 2007 at 10:39 AM
Oops. Correction. I guess the one I always thought was #1 is actually #2. Dunno what happened to #1 and #7 locations...
Anyway, if you look at the menu, they also offer banh uot (wet rice noodle sheets). Same thing but in a roll instead of the lighter layers of banh cuon. I think the meat wrapped in banh uot is better for flavor. But like the banh cuon dac biet for overall amount of stuff.
Posted by: Wandering Chopsticks | Monday, 19 March 2007 at 10:43 AM
I looooove sour pork sausage. Picked some up this weekend. Can't stay away from that fermented pork flavor.
Posted by: Chubbypanda | Monday, 19 March 2007 at 06:10 PM
Hey Clayfu - Yes, it's quite a bit of food.
Hi Trent - It seems like the Banh Cuon is pretty much the best thing here.
Hi WC - Thanks for the info, I'll check it out.
Hi CP - Yep, that sour sausage sure is good.
Posted by: Kirk | Tuesday, 20 March 2007 at 08:19 AM
hi kirk, thanks for linking to my blog entry! quoc te is not bad if you've never had rice rolls before -- but other than that novelty factor-- hm. yeah, i agree there are a lot better vietnamese restaurants in irvine!
Posted by: Anne | Wednesday, 21 March 2007 at 10:19 AM
Hi Annie - It is reasonable & a pretty large amount of food........
Posted by: Kirk | Wednesday, 21 March 2007 at 07:19 PM
Hi Kirk, I visited the University Heights location tonight and I'm looking forward in visiting again despite my roast duck being incinerated (might've even looked fried in oil prior to but in any case lean and chewy). I enjoyed the soup and noodle portion though so I'm hoping I'll find something I like in their 200+ item menu. Annie's blog unfortunately seems to be having some problems.. I was looking forward in reading her post on this place.
Posted by: Dennis | Monday, 15 September 2008 at 11:43 PM
Hi Dennis - Good luck.....some of my friends like the Fried Rice, and that's the only recommendation they could give.
Posted by: Kirk | Tuesday, 16 September 2008 at 08:25 AM