Pho in La Jolla? When I received an email a few weeks back telling me of a Pho Restaurant opening right off of La Jolla Village Drive, that was my initial response. (Thanks Dan!) But after thinking about it, the location, close to many businesses, and the UCSD campus, made perfect sense.
Which led to me check the place out a few weeks back.
You'll quickly recognize the location as being the home of International Market & Grill.
The interior is clean, but they've sure managed to squeeze in a lot of seating in the place.
The prices on the menu pretty much fit the zip code... about $2 more than similar places in other areas.
Not having eaten here before, I went with the Pho Dac Biet (special - $7.50) so I could sample the whole range of meat. It's been my experience that each Pho restaurant will do different things well, so the first visit is exploratory.
The large bowl arrived several minutes later:
Along with a rather sparse amount of "garnishes", after tasting the broth I asked for, and received with no hesitation more basil. Ngo Gai (Culantro) was a "no go" however.
As for the broth, it had decent oil, but was just faintly beefy, and I mean faintly. There was no other flavor to make this broth stand out in any way. Overall, it tasted watery and bland, and reminded me of Pho T Cali, and not in a good way.
The noodles were in the standard clump, and were on the soft and over-cooked side.
The rare steak was dry and hard, the flank was not bad, soft, but lacking flavor, the tendon was good, but scarce, as was the little bit of tripe provided. Much like Phuong Trang, Pho Cali, and the afore mentioned Pho T Cali, this was MOR (middle of the road) Pho.
As you can tell, I was underwhelmed, especially after paying $7.50. This is Pho not to offend. I'm guessing if you are in the area, and are desperate for a bowl, this would be passable. But I'd be wondering why you wouldn't drive a few miles to Mira Mesa. Since this bowl was eaten just 2 weeks after opening, perhaps things will improve over time.
I heard that UCSD students and staff get %10 off with their ID. So perhaps you'll try it out, and let me know what you think.
Pho La Jolla
3211 Holiday Court #102
La Jolla, CA 92037
Hi Raihan - Thanks for dropping by and giving us an update on Pho La Jolla!
Posted by: Kirk | Monday, 15 December 2008 at 05:21 PM
Hi Kirk, just had a bowl of Pho here tonight. The soup was on the thin side but they served saw leaf herb. Maybe they read your blog?! I'm definitely going to check out Pho Lucky very soon. Perfect weather for it.. :)
Posted by: Dennis | Monday, 15 December 2008 at 10:17 PM
Hi Dennis - Thanks for the update but it'll take a bit more than Ngo Ngai... to make me (N)go back..... at least not for a while.
Posted by: Kirk | Tuesday, 16 December 2008 at 04:41 PM
Hey Kirk,
It's too bad that a good pho place didn't move in down the street from my house. My comments on this place were almost exactly the same. On the plus side, Pho Hoa Linda Vista is very good. Love the photos of Laos, looks like an amazing trip!
Posted by: Porta Rickin Rick | Wednesday, 17 December 2008 at 09:32 PM
Hi PRR - Yes, Pho Hoa Huang, when they are on their game, has some of the richest darkest broth. We really enjoyed Laos.
Posted by: Kirk | Thursday, 18 December 2008 at 07:19 AM
I've lived in La Jolla for about ten years now, but I just found out about Pho La Jolla. I'm not sure about how it was when it first opened, but it sure is really good! The beef broth is great because it doesn't come with the pungent spice smell, which I personally like especially when I'm grabbing lunch in between work, yet it still packs a savory, flavorful, healthy taste. I can tell they don't skimp on all the beef bones used to make the broth. And their chicken broth is very healthy! I imagine it would be a great remedy for a cold anytime. Also, the owners and staff were very friendly and quick to make me feel comfortable and right at home, a perfect place to take a breather during my lunch break. As far as cleanliness goes, I give it 5 stars!
Posted by: Jen | Sunday, 02 August 2009 at 04:00 PM
Hey! Thanks for linking me to your site! Awesome!!
Yeah, I was curious about Pho La Jolla... glad you guys reviewed it so I'll just stick with Kearny Mesa for pho. Oh, there's a really good pho restaurant in RB called Pho Hoacali Express. I think it's on Bernardo Center Dr... have you guys tried it? Crazy fast service (like 2 minutes from placing the order to getting your food) and mouth-watering good food!
Posted by: SDFoody | Monday, 03 August 2009 at 01:49 AM
Hi Jen - Welcome and thanks for commenting. I haven't been to Pho La Jolla recently, so hopefully they've improved.
Hi SDFoody - No problem, you've got a very nice food blog going! Haven't had Pho in RB, but will check it out when I'm in the area.
Posted by: Kirk | Monday, 03 August 2009 at 07:29 AM