What's My Craving? Mien Trung

Talk about the post that never wanted to be....I was working on this post last week when my PC, which was all of over a decade old decided to finally kick the bucket. When things were up and running again, the weather got so hot and muggy that I felt guilty about even doing a post on Mien Trung.

Mien Trung has been a favorite of ours over the years, though the Missus doesn't get the Bun Rieu anymore because they stopped using the correct thinner noodles and I've been noticing some inconsistency, as "Mom", the older woman who owns the place gets older. So a couple of weeks back, when the heat turned for a bit the Missus and I decided to visit Mien Trung. Strangely, we didn't recognize any of the folks working....we've been coming here for years mind you.

The service was odd, we got the wrong order, and my bowl of Bun Bo Hue was waiting....sitting on our table because they forgot to bring the greens. And my Bun Bo Hue looked wrong and even smelled a bit different as well.

It was missing the cilantro and onions. The noodles were soft and mushy. The broth was very spicy and was really salty, and where was the red hue from the annatto oil? This was bad. The first thing I did was text my good friend "YummyYummy" asking if Mien trung had been sold or if "Mom" had retired. No one knew......

At least the Missus's Hen Xuc Com - spicy baby clams over rice was spot on. Very peppery a bit spicy, with nice savory tones.

Regardless, I was a bit worried.......Mien Trung had been a staple of ours for years.

I decided to return, but the weather once again got too hot. I did receive a text from "YY" telling me they had dropped by MT and "mom" was there. Still, I decided that I needed to drop by and check things out for myself.

And yes indeed "Mom" was in the house.

And while this was much better; it was still not quite the same. While the nice bracing flavor of lemongrass was back, and things were now the status quo, there was something missing....the flavors just seemed dulled, the dish lacked the vibrancy that made MT a stop on our rotation. It's easy to see the difference in this vintage shot of the Bun Bo Hue.

Sadly, Mom might be winding things down and passing the torch. Time does pass....it used to be that when Mom wasn't around MT would close. I do hope that the next time I visit I'll see that bright bowl of BBH and have those wonderful fragrances wafting through the air....but if it is not to be, Mien Trung had a great run.

Mien Trung Restaurant
7530 Mesa College Dr
San Diego, CA 92111

Comments

[kat]

Hope they can hold on

[Jason]

That's too bad, looks like whoever is receiving the torch from Mom needs to shadow her for a bit longer and learn her secrets.

[Jim Gottlieb]

Perhaps it is always foolish to try and recreate a meal from the road, but after enjoying some amazing bún riêu in Quy Nhơn, I headed to Miên Trung and was extremely disappointed in their version. It tasted mostly like tomato soup. And it cost about 15 times more than my bowl in Việt Nam :-).

[janfrederick]

Say it ain't so!

[caninecologne]

Bummer about the decline in quality.
I really liked their Mi Quang soup.

[Junichi]

Oh no! That's a favorite of mine.

[Kirk]

Hi Kat - I hope they get reenergized.

Hi Jason - I agree

Well Jim - Better get that VN Visa and that plane ticket!

I know Jan....but I've had a couple of disappointing visits over the last couple of months.

I hope they straighten things out CC.

Sadly, it seems like a unfortunate "oh yes" Junichi.

[D]

Where can one go now for Bun Bo Hue?

[Kirk]

Hi D - As much as I'm complaining about what seems like the downhill slide here; MT is still, in my opinion the best BBH in San Diego.

[Ed (from Yuma)]

That saddens me. Tina and I love MT. The difference is clear in the pics. And there are enuf imposter bbh's around already.

[Kirk]

I agree Ed....it feels like the end of an era. Though before I make a more definitive statement, I feel I'll need to visit a few more times. MT has been good for so long that I think they've earned that.